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32. Yet a day.1 Some interpret this, that the Assyrian will yet remain one day in Nob, which was a village contiguous to Jerusalem, as Jerome and others declare. But I rather agree with those who think that it means, that he will have a great part of the day before him when he halts there, in order to make preparations for besieging Jerusalem on the following day. He intends to describe the rapid march of the Assyrian, and how near Jerusalem was to utter destruction; as if he had said, that he had but a small part of the journey to perform, and that before the day was ended, he would arrive at that city.

He shall shake the hand. This contributes still more to show their terror; for Sennacherib, having conquered the whole country, will threaten Jerusalem, as if he could storm it by the slightest expression of his will.

Against the mountain of the daughter of Zion. By a figure of speech, in which a part is taken for the whole, (ovveкSoxicos,) he includes the whole city under the name of the mountain, because that part was higher, and commanded a view of the other quarters of the city. From this confidence of the tyrant, he shows that Jerusalem was not far from utter destruction; for the whole country, and even the city, was struck with such terror that none ventured to oppose him. By these details, therefore, the Prophet intended to give a more impressive view of the kindness of God, that it ought to be ascribed to the extraordinary favour and goodness of God, and not to human aid, of which there was none, that Jerusalem was preserved, as if a sheep had been rescued from the jaws of a lion.

Behold, the Lord Jehovah of hosts. Almost all explain this passage as referring to the Assyrians. (2 Kings xix. 35.) They think that the Prophet threatens against them that slaughter with which the Lord destroyed them, after that they had besieged Jerusalem. As if he had spoken in this manner: The Assyrian will indeed be elated with such pride, that as soon as he has seen Jerusalem, he will think that it

1 Yet this day. One day longer shall the Assyrian be permitted to remain in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and to affright the daughter of Zion.”— Stock.

is in his power. All being struck with such dismay at his approach, that some shall flee and others shall freely surrender themselves, he will imagine that all are subdued under him; but the Lord will quickly reverse his condition, and lop off those lofty branches.

But for my own part, when I examine closely the whole passage, and especially what he adds soon afterwards about Lebanon, and the consolation which immediately follows, I think that this passage ought to be referred to the Jews themselves. Isaiah therefore proceeds, in my opinion, to threaten the calamities which awaited the people. As if he had said, "Not only will he come to Nob, but he will spread devastation far and wide over the whole country. Everything in it that is excellent and lofty, he will completely waste and destroy, in the same manner as if one should cut off branches from a tree or cut down a tree from the root."

This interpretation is confirmed by the following chapter, in which the Prophet offers consolation against that calamity; for the consolation agrees with this verse, and is added as an appropriate remedy for soothing grief. Nor do I attach any importance to the division of the chapter, which is often very absurd, and which perplexes the whole of the Prophet's meaning. I think, therefore, that we ought to connect that consolation with these verses, as if there had been no such division.

34. And he will cut down the thick places of the forest with iron. There is no difficulty in explaining this metaphor, for it is plain enough that by tall and high trees is denoted all that is powerful, excellent, or lofty. Thus he foretells the destruction and ruin of Judea, which he compares to the cutting down of a forest; by which he means that there is nothing so valuable that the enemies will not destroy it, till they have stripped the whole land of its ornaments.

And Lebanon will fall violently. He mentions Lebanon, because that mountain, as we all know, was highly celebrated for fruitful and highly valuable trees. Now, if he had been speaking of the Assyrians, it would not have been appropriate to introduce the destruction of Lebanon. Hence we infer that the Prophet, in this passage, again threatens 2 A

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for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

11. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

13. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

14. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

15. And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry-shod.

16. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

requiretur a Gentibus, et erit requies ejus gloria.

11. Et erit in die illa, adjiciet Dominus rursus manum suum ad possidendas reliquias populi sui, quæ residuæ erunt ab Assur. et ab Egypto, a Parthia, ab Arabia, ab Ethiopia, a Perside, a Chaldæa, ab Hamath, et ab insulis maris.

12. Et levabit signum Gentibus, congregabitque ejectos Israel, et dispersiones Iuda congregabit a quatuor plagis terræ.

13. Et abscedet æmulatio Ephraim, et hostes Iuda excidentur. Ephraim non æmulabitur Iuda, nec Iuda anget Ephraim.

14. Involabunt autem in humeros Philistinorum ad occidentem; diripient pariter filios orientis, Edom et Moab missio manus eorum, et filii Ammon obedientia corum.

15. Et in nihilum rediget Iehova linguam maris Egypti; et eriget manum suam super fluvium in fortitudine venti sui; et percutiet illum in septem rivis, et faciet calcari cum calceamentis.

16. Et erit semita reliquiis populi ejus, quæ residuæ erunt ab Assur, quemadmodum fuit Israel, in die qua ascendit e terra Ægypti.

1. But there shall come forth a rod. As the description of such dreadful calamities might terrify the godly, and give them reason for despair, it was necessary to hold out consolation; for when the kingdom was destroyed, cities thrown down, and desolation spread over the whole country, there might have been nothing left but grief and lamentation; and therefore they might have tottered and fallen, or been. greatly discouraged, if the Lord had not provided for them this consolation. He therefore declares what the Lord will

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18. And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.

19. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23. For the Lord GoD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

25. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger, in their destruction.

26. And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him, according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

28. He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

29. They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

campi ejus, ab anima usque ad car-
18. Gloriam sylvæ ejus, et frugiferi
tio signiferi.
nem consumet; et erit quasi dissolu-

19. Et reliquiæ ligni sylvæ ejus ad numerum erunt, ut puer eas numeret.

20. Erit in die illo. Non adjicient amplius reliquiæ Israel, et superstites è domo Iacob inniti percussori suo; nam innitentur super Iehovam sanctum Israel, in veritate.

21. Reliquiæ revertentur, reliquiæ Iacob ad Deum fortem.

22. Nam si fuerit populus tuus Israel instar arenæ maris, reliquiæ ejus revertentur. Consumptio decreta inundans justitiam, (vel, justitia.)

23. Quia consumptionem et finitionem Dominus Iehova exercituum facit in medio totius terræ.

24. Propterea sic dicit Iehova exercituum: Ne timeas, popule mi, incolæ Sion, ab Assur. In virga percutiet te, et baculum suum levabit contra te in via Egypti.

25. Sed adhuc paululum, et consumabitur (vel, consumetur) furor et indignatio mea, in abolitione eorum.

26. Et excitabit Iehova exercituum contra eum flagellum, secundum cædem Madian in rupe Oreb; et virga ejus super mare, levabitque eam in via Egypti.

27. Et accidet in die illa, ut auferatur onus ejus ab humero tuo, et jugum ejus à cervice tua; et dissipabitur jugum à facie unctionis.

28. Venit in Aiath, transiit in Migron, in Michmas reponet vasa

tua.

29. Transierunt vadum, in Gæba pernoctaverunt hospitio; territa est Rama; Gibæa Saulis fugit.

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