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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ISAIAH.

I might give other analyses of this book, but it is needless; from what is before the reader he will at once see how vain all attempts of this kind are, and how foolish to make divisions and subdivisions, partitions and classifications, where the Spirit of God has given no intimations of the kind, and where even the most learned men differ in their arrangement.

"God never left his work for man to mend." The prophecies were given as they were necessary, and no classification was ever intended. We should take them up as we find them; and humbly endeavour to find out their objects and meaning, and how far ourselves are interested in these denunciations of Divine wrath; and in those glorious promises of mercy and salvation through Him who was once the hope of Israel, and now is salvation to the ends of the earth.

Bishop Lowth's translation is by far the best that has ever been made of this sublime prophet as he thoroughly understood his language, so he entered deeply into his spirit. Were it allowable, I should be glad to supersede what is called the authorized version, and put that of the learned bishop, with a few genuine alterations, in its place, as being abundantly more correct and nervous, rendering the sacred text more clearly, and consequently more intelligibly, so that the common reader can understand this text better without a comment, than he can the authorized version even with one. His notes, which are a treasure of learning and sound criticism, I have almost universally preserved, intermingling them with my own; but large quotations from his notes I have distinguished by the letter L.; and I have often adopted his text, as being vastly superior to that in common use; the catch words from which follow those from the authorized version. Should a new translation of the Bible be ever published by authority, I have no doubt but, with a few alterations, that of Bishop Lowth would be adopted as the standard.

Millbrook, Sept. 24, 1823.

A. C.

VOL. IV.

( 2 )

17

THE BOOK

OF THE

PROPHET

ISAIAH.

Chronological Notes relative to the commencement of Isaiah's prophecy.

Year from the Creation of the World, according to the computation of Archbishop Usher, 3244.-Year from the Deluge, according to the generally received Hebrew text, 1588.-Year from the vocation of Abram, 1161-Year from the foundation of Solomon's Temple, 251.-First year of the fifth Olympiad.-Year before the building of Rome, according to the Varronian computation, 7.-Fifteenth year of the reign of Thurimas, king of Macedon.-Eleventh year of the reign of Theopompus, king of Lacedæmon.-Second year of the reign of Alyattes, king of Lydia.-Eighteenth year of Eschylus, perpetual archon of the Athenians. Second year of the reign of Pekahiah, king of Israel. Fifty-first year of the reign of Azariah, or Uzziah, king of Judah.—Epoch of the establishment of the Ephori at Lacedæmon by Theopompus.

CHAPTER I.

The prophet, with a boldness and majesty becoming the herald of the Most High, begins with calling on the whole creation to attend while Jehovah speaks, 2. A charge of gross insensibility and ingratitude is then brought against the Jews, by contrasting their conduct with that of the ox and ass, the most stupid of animals, 3. This leads to an amplification of their guilt, 4; highly aggravated by their slighting the chastisements and judgments of God, though repeated till they had been left almost like Sodom and Gomorrah, 5-9. The incidental mention of those places leads to an address to the rulers and people of the Jews, under the character of princes of Sodom, and people of Gomorrah, which is no less spirited and severe than elegant and unexpected, 10. The vanity of trusting to the performance of the outward rites and ceremonies of religion is then exposed, 11-15; and the necessity of repentance and reformation is strongly enjoined, 16, 17, and urged by the most encouraging promises as well as by the most awful threatenings, 18-20. But neither of these producing the proper effect on that people who were the prophet's charge, he bitterly laments their degeneracy, 21-23; and concludes with introducing God, declaring his purpose of inflicting such heavy judgments as would entirely cut off the wicked, and excite in the righteous, who should also pass through the furnace, an everlasting shame and abhorrence of every thing connected with idolatry, the source of their misery, 24–31.

a A.

B. C. cir. 760.

A. M. cir. 3244. THE vision of Isaiah the son the days of Uzziah, Jotham, of Amoz, which he saw con- Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of cerning Judah and Jerusalem in Judah.

Anno Olymp.

Quintæ I. Ante Urbem Conditam 7.

chap. xii. 6.

M. cir. 3244. Anno Olymp.

B. C. cir. 760.

Quintæ I. Ante Urbem Conditam 7.

of his prophecies is either expressly marked, or sufficiently clear from the history to which they relate; that of a few others may with some probability be deduced from internal marks; from expressions, descriptions, and circumstances interwoven. It may therefore be of some use in this respect, and for the better understanding of his prophecies in general, to give here a summary view of the history of his time.

a Numbers, ISAIAH exercised the prophetical office during a long period of time, if he lived to the reign of Manasseh; for the lowest computation, beginning from the year in which Uzziah died, when some suppose him to have received his first appointment to that office, brings it to sixty-one years. But the tradition of the Jews, that he was put to death by Manasseh, is very uncertain; and one of their principal rabbins, Aben Ezra, Com. in Isa. i. 1, seems rather to think that he died before The kingdom of Judah seems to have been in a Hezekiah, which is indeed more probable. It is how-more flourishing condition during the reigns of Uzziah ever certain that he lived at least to the fifteenth or sixteenth year of Hezekiah; this makes the least possible term of the duration of his prophetical office about forty-eight years. The time of the delivery of some

and Jotham, than at any other time after the revolt of the ten tribes. The former recovered the port of Elath on the Red Sea, which the Edomites had taken in the reign of Joram. He was successful in his wars with

The prophet calls

A. M. cir. 3244.
B. C. cir. 760.
Anno Olymp.
Quintæ I.
Ante Urbem
Conditam 7.

2

ISAIAH.

Hear, O heavens, and give | and they have rebelled against ear, O earth; for the LORD me.

C

hath spoken: I have nourish-
ed and brought up children,

3 d The OX knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib:

for attention.

B. C. cir. 760.
Anno Olymp.
Quintæ 1.
Ante Urbem
Conditam 7.

Mic. i. 2; vi. 1, 2.- - Chap. v. 1, 2.4 Jer. viii. 7.
his own country; and this was the final destruction of
that kingdom, in the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah was not deterred by this alarming example from refusing to pay the tribute to the king of Assyria, which had been imposed on Ahaz: this brought on the invasion of Sennacherib in the fourteenth year of his

b Deut. xxxii. 1; Jer. ii. 12; vi. 19; xxii. 29; Ezek. xxxvi. 4;
the Philistines, and took from them several cities, Gath,
Jabneh, Ashdod; as likewise against some people of
Arabia Deserta, and against the Ammonites, whom he
compelled to pay him tribute. He repaired and in-
proved the fortifications of Jerusalem; and had a great
army, well appointed and disciplined. He was no less
attentive to the arts of peace; and very much encour-reign, an account of which is inserted among the pro-
aged agriculture, and the breeding of cattle. Jotham
maintained the establishments and improvements made
by his father; added to what Uzziah had done in
strengthening the frontier places; conquered the Am-
monites, who had revolted; and exacted from them a
more stated and probably a larger tribute. However,
at the latter end of his time, the league between Pe-
kah, king of Israel, and Retsin, king of Syria, was
formed against Judah; and they began to carry their
designs into execution.

phecies of Isaiah. After a great and miraculous deliverance from so powerful an enemy, Hezekiah continued his reign in peace. He prospered in all his works, and left his kingdom in a flourishing state to his son Manassel-a sou in every respect unworthy of such a father. See Lowth.

NOTES ON CHAP. I.

Verse 1. The vision of Isaiah] It seems doubtful whether this title belongs to the whole book, or only to the prophecy contained in this chapter. The former part of the title seems properly to belong to this particular prophecy; the latter part, which enumerates the kings of Judah under whom Isaiah exercised his pro

tion of prophecies delivered in the course of his ministry. Vitringa-to whom the world is greatly indebted for his learned labours on this prophet, and to whom we should have owed much more if he had not so totally devoted himself to Masoretic authorityhas, I think, very judiciously resolved this doubt. He supposes that the former part of the title was originally prefixed to this single prophecy; and that, when the collection of all Isaiah's prophecies was made, the enumeration of the kings of Judah was added, to make it at the same time a proper title to the whole book. As such it is plainly taken in 2 Chron. xxxii. 32, where the book of Isaiah is cited by this title: "The vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz."

But in the reign of Ahaz his son not only all these advantages were lost, but the kingdom of Judah was brought to the brink of destruction. Pekah king of Israel overthrew the army of Ahaz, who lost in battle one hundred and twenty thousand men; and the Is-phetical office, seems to extend it to the whole collecraelites carried away captives two hundred thousand women and children, who however were released and sent home again upon the remonstrance of the prophet Oded. After this, as it should seem, (see Vitringa on chap. vii. 2,) the two kings of Israel and Syria, joining their forces, laid siege to Jerusalem; but in this attempt they failed of success. In this distress Ahaz called in the assistance of Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, who invaded the kingdoms of Israel and Syria, and slew Rezin; but he was more in danger than ever from his too powerful ally; to purchase whose forbearance, as he had before bought his assistance, he was forced to strip himself and his people of all the wealth he could possibly raise from his own treasury, from the temple, and from the country. About the time of the The prophecy contained in this first chapter stands siege of Jerusalem the Syrians took Elath, which was single and unconnected, making an entire piece of itself. never after recovered. The Edomites likewise, taking It contains a severe remonstrance against the corrupadvantage of the distress of Ahaz, ravaged Judea, and tions prevailing among the Jews of that time, powerful carried away many captives. The Philistines reco-exhortations to repentance, grievous threatenings to the vered what they had before lost; and took many places impenitent, and gracious promises of better times, when in Judea, and maintained themselves there. Idolatry the nation shall have been reformed by the just judgwas established by the command of the king in Jeru-ments of God. The expression, upon the whole, is salem, and throughout Judea; and the service of the clear; the connection of the several parts easy; and temple was either intermitted, or converted into an idol-in regard to the images, sentiments, and style, it gives atrous worship.

a beautiful example of the prophet's elegant manner of writing; though perhaps it may not be equal in these respects to many of the following prophecies.

Hezekiah, his son, on his accession to the throne, immediately set about the restoration of the legal worship of God, both in Jerusalem and through Judea. He Verse 2. Hear, O heavens-" Hear, O ye heavens"] cleansed and repaired the temple, and held a solemn God is introduced as entering into a public action, or passover. He improved the city, repaired the fortifi- pleading, before the whole world, against his disobecation, erected magazines of all sorts, and built a new dient people. The prophet, as herald or officer to proaqueduct. In the fourth year of his reign Shalmane- claim the summons to the court, calls upon all created ser, king of Assyria, invaded the kingdom of Israel, beings, celestial and terrestrial, to attend and bear wittook Samaria, and carried away the Israelites into cap-ness to the truth of his plea and the justice of his tivity, and replaced them by different people sent from cause. The same scene is more fully displayed in the

The stupidity and

CHAP. I.

ingratitude of Israel.

A. M. cir. 3244. but Israel doth not know, my evil doers, children that are cor- A. M. cir. 3244. people doth not consider.

B. C. cir. 760. Anno Olymp. Quintæ I. Ante Urbem Conditam 7.

4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of

e Jer. ix. 3, 6.- Chap. v. 12.

h

noble exordium of Psa. 1., where God summons all mankind, from east to west, to be present to hear his appeal; and the solemnity is held on Sion, where he is attended with the same terrible pomp that accompanied him on Mount Sinai

"A consuming fire goes before him,
And round him rages a violent tempest:
He calleth the heavens from above.

And the earth, that he may contend in judgment
with his people." Psa. l. 3, 4.

By the same bold figure, Micah calls upon the mountains, that is, the whole country of Judea, to attend to him, chap. vi. 1, 2,

"Arise, plead thou before the mountains,

And let the hills hear thy voice.

Hear, O ye mountains, the controversy of JEHOVAH ; And ye, O ye strong foundations of the earth: For JEHOVAH hath a controversy with his people, And he will plead his cause against Israel." With the like invocation, Moses introduces his sublime song, the design of which was the same as that of this prophecy, "to testify as a witness, against the Israelites," for their disobedience, Deut. xxxi. 21 :— "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth." Deut. xxxii. 1.

This, in the simple yet strong oratorical style of Moses, is, "I call heaven and earth to witness against thee this day; life and death have I set before thee; the blessing and the curse: choose now life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed." Deut. xxx. 19. The poetical style, by an apostrophe, sets the personification in a much stronger light.

Hath spoken-"That speaketh"] I render it in the present time, pointing it ◄◄ dober. There seems to be an impropriety in demanding attention to a speech already delivered. But the present reading may stand, as the prophet may be here understood to declare to the people what the Lord had first spoken to him.

I have nourished] The Septuagint have eyevvnoa, "I have begotten." Instead of 7 giddalti, they read yaladti; the word little differing from the other, and perhaps more proper; which the Chaldee likewise seems to favour; "vocavi eos filios." See Exod. iv. 22; Jer. xxxi. 9.

Verse 3. The ox knoweth] An amplification of the gross insensibility of the disobedient Jews, by comparing them with the most heavy and stupid of all animals, yet not so insensible as they. Bochart has well illustrated the comparison, and shown the peculiar force of it. "He sets them lower than the beasts, and even than the most stupid of all beasts, for there is scarcely any more so than the ox and the ass. Yet these acknowledge their master; they know the manger of their lard; by whom they are fed, not for their own, but for

the

rupters! They have forsaken LORD, they have provoked

[blocks in formation]

B. C. cir. 760. Anno Olymp.

Quintæ I. Ante Urbem Conditam 7.

Heb. of heaviness.h Chap. lvii. 3, 4; Matt. iii. 7.

his good; neither are they looked upon as children, but as beasts of burden; neither are they advanced to honours, but oppressed with great and daily labours. While the Israelites, chosen by the mere favour of God, adopted as sons, promoted to the highest dignity, yet acknowledged not their Lord and their God; but despised his commandments, though in the highest degree equitable and just." Hieroz. i., col. 409.

Jeremiah's comparison to the same purpose is equally elegant, but has not so much spirit and severity as this of Isaiah.

"Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her season; And the turtle, and the swallow, and the crane, observe the time of their coming:

But my people doth not know the judgment of JEHOVAH." Jer. viii. 7. Hosea has given a very elegant turn to the same image, in the way of metaphor or allegory:

"I drew them with human cords, with the bands of love :

And I was to them as he that lifteth up the yoke upon their cheek;

And I laid down their fodder before them."

Hos. xi. 4.

Salomo ben Melech thus explains the middle part of the verse, which is somewhat obscure: "I was to them at their desire as they that have compassion on a heifer, lest she be overworked in ploughing; and that lift up the yoke from off her neck, and rest it upon her cheek that she may not still draw, but rest from her labour an hour or two in the day."

But Israel] The Septuagint, Syriac, Aquila, Theodotion, and Vulgate, read " veyisrael, BUT Israel, adding the conjunction, which being rendered as an adversative, sets the opposition in a stronger light.

Doth not know] The same ancient versions agree in adding ME, which very properly answers, and indeed is almost necessarily required to answer, the words possessor and lord preceding. Iopanλ de ME ovк Eyvw; Sept. "Israel autem ME non cognovit ;" Vulg. Iopanλ de MOY OVK εyvw; Aquil., Theod. The testimony of so scrupulous an interpreter as Aquila is of great weight in this case. And both his and Theodotion's rendering is such as shows plainly that they did not add the word MOT to help out the sense, for it only embarrasses it. It also clearly determines what was the original reading in the old copies from which they translated. It could not be '' yedani, which most obviously answers to the version of the Septuagint and Vulgate, for it does not accord with that of Aquila and Theodotion. The version of these latter interpreters, however injudicious, clearly ascertains both the phrase, and the order of the words, of the original Hebrew; it was y' * '* *' vey

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