Isaiah 59 commentary

If our prayers are not answered, and the salvation we wait for is not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearing prayer, but because we are weary of praying. See here sin in true colours, exceedingly sinful; and see sin in its consequences, exceedingly hurtful, separating from God, and so separating us, not only from all good, but to all evil. Yet numbers feed, to their own destruction, on infidel and wicked systems. Nor can their skill or craft, in devising schemes, as the spider weaves its web, deliver or save them. No schemes of self-wrought salvation shall avail those who despise the Redeemer's robe of righteousness. Every man who is destitute of the Spirit of Christ, runs swiftly to evil of some sort; but those regardless of Divine truth and justice, are strangers to peace.

If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel.

This passage is connected with the following chapters. It is generally thought to describe the coming of the Messiah, as the Avenger and Deliverer of his church. There was none to intercede with God to turn away his wrath; none to interpose for the support of justice and truth. Yet He engaged his own strength and righteousness for his people. God will make his justice upon the enemies of his church and people plainly appear. When the enemy threatens to bear down all without control, then the Spirit of the Lord shall stop him, put him to flight. He that has delivered, will still deliver. A far more glorious salvation is promised to be wrought out by the Messiah in the fulness of time, which all the prophets had in view. The Son of God shall come to us to be our Redeemer; the Spirit of God shall come to be our Sanctifier: thus the Comforter shall abide with the church for ever, John 14:16. The word of Christ will always continue in the mouths of the faithful; and whatever is pretended to be the mind of the Spirit, must be tried by the Scriptures. We must lament the progress of infidelity and impiety. But the cause of the Redeemer shall gain a complete victory even on earth, and the believer will be more than conqueror when the Lord receives him to his glory in heaven.

CHAPTER 59

Is 59:1-21. The People's Sin the Cause of Judgments: They at Last Own It Themselves: the Redeemer's Future Interposition in Their Extremity.

The reason why Jehovah does not deliver His people, notwithstanding their religious services (Is 58:3), is not want of power on His part, but because of their sins (Is 59:1-8); Is 59:9-15 contain their confession; Is 59:16-21, the consequent promise of the Messiah.

1. hand ... shortened--(See on Is 50:2).

ear heavy--(Is 6:10).

2. hid--Hebrew, "caused Him to hide" (La 3:44).

3. (Is 1:15; Ro 3:13-15).

hands ... fingers--Not merely the "hands" perpetrate deeds of grosser enormity ("blood"), but the "fingers" commit more minute acts of "iniquity."

lips ... tongue--The lips "speak" openly "lies," the tongue "mutters" malicious insinuations ("perverseness"; perverse misrepresentations of others) (Jr 6:28; 9:4).

4. Rather, "No one calleth an adversary into court with justice," that is, None bringeth a just suit: "No one pleadeth with truth."

they trust ... iniquity--(So Job 15:35; Psa 7:14).

5. cockatrice--probably the basilisk serpent, cerastes. Instead of crushing evil in the egg, they foster it.

spider's web--This refers not to the spider's web being made to entrap, but to its thinness, as contrasted with substantial "garments," as Is 59:6 shows. Their works are vain and transitory (Job 8:14; Pr 11:18).

eateth ... their eggs--he who partakes in their plans, or has anything to do with them, finds them pestiferous.

that which is crushed--The egg, when it is broken, breaketh out as a viper; their plans, however specious in their undeveloped form like the egg, when developed, are found pernicious. Though the viper is viviparous (from which "vi-per" is derived), yet during gestation, the young are included in eggs, which break at the birth [Bochart]; however, metaphors often combine things without representing everything to the life.

6. not ... garments--like the "fig leaves" wherewith Adam and Eve vainly tried to cover their shame, as contrasted with "the coats of skins" which the Lord God made to clothe them with (Is 64:6; Ro 13:14; Ga 3:27; Php 3:9). The artificial self-deceiving sophisms of human philosophy (1Ti 6:5; 2Ti 2:16, 23).

7. feet--All their members are active in evil; in Is 59:3, the "hands, fingers, lips, and tongue," are specified.

run ... haste--(Ro 3:15). Contrast David's "running and hasting" in the ways of God (Psa 119:32, 60).

thoughts--not merely their acts, but their whole thoughts.

8. peace--whether in relation to God, to their own conscience, or to their fellow men (Is 57:20, 21).

judgment--justice.

crooked--the opposite of "straightforward" (Pr 2:15; 28:18).

9. judgment far--retribution in kind because they had shown "no judgment in their goings" (Is 59:8). "The vindication of our just rights by God is withheld by Him from us."

us--In Is 59:8 and previous verses, it was "they," the third person; here, "us ... we," the first person. The nation here speaks: God thus making them out of their own mouth condemn themselves; just as He by His prophet had condemned them before. Isaiah includes himself with his people and speaks in their name.

justice--God's justice bringing salvation (Is 46:13).

light--the dawn of returning prosperity.

obscurity--adversity (Jr 8:15).

10. grope--fulfilling Moses' threat (De 28:29).

stumble at noon ... as ... night--There is no relaxation of our evils; at the time when we might look for the noon of relief, there is still the night of our calamity.

in desolate places--rather, to suit the parallel words "at noonday," in fertile (literally, "fat"; Ge 27:28) fields [Gesenius] (where all is promising) we are like the dead (who have no hope left them); or, where others are prosperous, we wander about as dead men; true of all unbelievers (Is 26:10; Lu 15:17).

11. roar--moan plaintively, like a hungry bear which growls for food.

doves--(Is 38:14; Eze 7:16).

salvation--retribution in kind: because not salvation, but "destruction" was "in their paths" (Is 59:7).

12. (Da 9:5, &c.).

thee ... us--antithesis.

with us--that is, we are conscious of them (Job 12:3, Margin; Job 15:9).

know--acknowledge they are our iniquities.

13. The particulars of the sins generally confessed in Is 59:12 (Is 48:8; Jr 2:19, 20). The act, the word, and the thought of apostasy, are all here marked: transgression and departing, &c.; lying (compare Is 59:4), and speaking, &c.; conceiving and uttering from the heart.

14. Justice and righteousness are put away from our legal courts.

in the street--in the forum, the place of judicature, usually at the gate of the city (Zec 8:16).

cannot enter--is shut out from the forum, or courts of justice.

15. faileth--is not to be found.

he that departeth ... prey--He that will not fall in with the prevailing iniquity exposes himself as a prey to the wicked (Psa 10:8, 9).

Lord saw it--The iniquity of Israel, so desperate as to require nothing short of Jehovah's interposition to mend it, typifies the same necessity for a Divine Mediator existing in the deep corruption of man; Israel, the model nation, was chosen to illustrate his awful fact.

16. no man--namely, to atone by his righteousness for the unrighteousness of the people. "Man" is emphatic, as in 1Ki 2:2; no representative man able to retrieve the cause of fallen men (Is 41:28; 63:5, 6; Jr 5:1; Eze 22:30).

no intercessor--no one to interpose, "to help ... uphold" (Is 63:5).

his arm--(Is 40:10; 51:5). Not man's arm, but His alone (Psa 98:1; 44:3).

his righteousness--the "arm" of Messiah. He won the victory for us, not by mere might as God, but by His invincible righteousness, as man having "the Spirit without measure" (Is 11:5; 42:6, 21; 51:8; 53:11; 1Jo 2:1).

17. Messiah is represented as a warrior armed at all points, going forth to vindicate His people. Owing to the unity of Christ and His people, their armor is like His, except that they have no "garments of vengeance" (which is God's prerogative, Ro 12:19), or "cloak of zeal" (in the sense of judicial fury punishing the wicked; this zeal belongs properly to God, 2Ki 10:16; Ro 10:2; Php 3:6; "zeal," in the sense of anxiety for the Lord's honor, they have, Nu 25:11, 13; Psa 69:9; 2Co 7:11; 9:2); and for "salvation," which is of God alone (Psa 3:8), they have as their helmet, "the hope of salvation" (1Th 5:8). The "helmet of salvation" is attributed to them (Ep 6:14, 17) in a secondary sense; namely, derived from Him, and as yet only in hope, not fruition (Ro 8:24). The second coming here, as often, is included in this representation of Messiah. His "zeal" (Joh 2:15-17) at His first coming was but a type of His zeal and vengeance against the foes of God at His second coming (2Th 1:8-10; Re 19:11-21).

18. deeds--Hebrew, "recompenses"; "according as their deeds demand" [Maurer]. This verse predicts the judgments at the Lord's second coming, which shall precede the final redemption of His people (Is 66:18, 15, 16).

islands--(See on Is 41:1). Distant countries.

19. (Is 45:6; Mal 1:11). The result of God's judgments (Is 26:9; 66:18-20).

like a flood--(Jr 46:7, 8; Re 12:15).

lift up a standard--rather, from a different Hebrew root, "shall put him to flight," "drive him away" [Maurer]. Lowth, giving a different sense to the Hebrew for "enemy" from that in Is 59:18, and a forced meaning to the Hebrew for "Spirit of the Lord," translates, "When He shall come as a river straitened in its course, which a mighty wind drives along."

20. to Zion--Ro 11:26 quotes it, "out of Zion." Thus Paul, by inspiration, supplements the sense from Psa 14:7: He was, and is come to Zion, first with redemption, being sprung as man out of Zion. The Septuagint translates "for the sake of Zion." Paul applies this verse to the coming restoration of Israel spiritually.

them that turn from--(Ro 11:26). "shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob"; so the Septuagint, Paul herein gives the full sense under inspiration. They turn from transgression, because He first turns them from it, and it from them (Psa 130:4; La 5:21).

21. covenant with them ... thee--The covenant is with Christ, and with them only as united to Him (He 2:13). Jehovah addresses Messiah the representative and ideal Israel. The literal and spiritual Israel are His seed, to whom the promise is to be fulfilled (Psa 22:30).

spirit ... not depart ... for ever--(Jr 31:31-37; Mt 28:20).

His face - For פנים panim, faces, I read panaiv, his face. So the Syriac, Septuagint, Alexandrian, Arabic, and Vulgate. פני panai, MS. Forte legendum פני panai, nam מ mem, sequitur, et loquitur Deus; confer cap. Isa 58:14. "We should perhaps read פני panai; for מ mem follows, and God is the speaker." - Secker. I rather think that the speech of God was closed with the last chapter, and that this chapter is delivered in the person of the prophet. - L.

Your tongue "And your tongue" - An ancient MS., and the Septuagint and Vulgate, add the conjunction.

They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity - There is a curious propriety in this mode of expression; a thought or purpose is compared to conception; a word or act, which is the consequence of it, to the birth of a child. From the third to the fifteenth verse inclusive may be considered a true statement of the then moral state of the Jewish people; and that they were, in the most proper sense of the word, guilty of the iniquities with which they are charged.

Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace "Whoever goeth in them knoweth not peace" - For בה bah, singular, read בם bam, plural, with the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Chaldee. The ה he is upon a rasure in one MS. Or, for נתיבתיהם nethibotheyhem, plural, we must read נתיבתם nethibatham, singular, as it is in an ancient MS., to preserve the grammatical concord. - L.

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, נשגגה nishgegah, instead of the second, נגששה negasheshah, the repetition of which has a poverty and inelegance extremely unworthy of the prophet, and unlike his manner. 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.

But it is far off from us "And it is far distant from us" - The conjunction ו vau must necessarily be prefixed to the verb, as the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate found it in their copies; ורחקה verachakah, "and far off."

Justice standeth afar off - צדקה tsedakah, righteousness, put here, says Kimchi, for alms to the poor. This casts some light on Mat 6:1 : "Take heed that you do not your alms," ελεημοσυνην. But the best copies have δικαιοσυνην, righteousness; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original word.

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 conceive my idea of the matter if I endeavor to supply the supposed defect, I imagine it might have stood originally in this manner: - לו ויחר יהוה וירא lo veyachar Yehovah vaiyar משפט אין כי בעיניו וירע 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.

And wondered that there was no intercessor - This and the following verses some of the most 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 7:13; and elsewhere it is written, 'He cometh lowly, and riding upon an ass,' Zac 9:9. How can these texts be reconciled? Thus: If the Jews have merit, he will come unto them in the clouds of heaven; 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.

For clothing "For his clothing" - תלבשת tilbosheth. "I cannot but think that this word, תלבשת tilbosheth, is an interpolation.

1. It is in no one ancient version.

2. It is redundant in the sense, as it is before expressed in בגדי 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 בגדי 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 נקם nakam." - Dr. Jubb. Two sorts of armor 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.

According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay "He is mighty to recompense; he that is mighty to recompense will requite" - The former part of this verse, as it stands at present in the Hebrew 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, etc., et sic reddidit Pagnimus. "According to the height of their demerits, he will repay them to the height: fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies," etc. - 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 has at least the appearance of sense. However, I hope the case here is not quite desperate; the Chaldee leads us very fairly to the correction of the text, which is both corrupted and defective. The paraphrase runs thus: מרי גמליא הוא גמלא ישלם marey gumlaiya hu simla yeshallem, "The Lord of retribution, he will render recompense." He manifestly read בעל baal instead of כעל keal. מרי גמליא marey gumlaiya is בעל גמלות baal gemuloth; as מרי מרירותא marey merirutha is בעל אף baal aph. Pro 22:24. And so in the Chaldee paraphrase on Isa 35:4 : מרי גמליא יי הוא יתגלי marey gamlaiya yeya hu yithgeley, "The Lord of retribution, Jehovah himself, shall be revealed;" words very near to those of the prophet in this place.

The second כעל keal, which the Chaldee has omitted, must be read בעל 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: - הוא גמלות בעל hu gemuloth baal ישלם גמלות בעל yeshallem gemuloth baal The Lord of retributions he

The Lord of retributions, shall repay.

The כ caph in כעל keal twice seems to have been at first ב beth, in MS. This verse in the Septuagint is very imperfect. In the first part of it they give us no assistance: the latter part is wholly omitted in the printed copies; but it is thus supplied by MSS. Pachom. and 1. D. II: Τοις ὑπεναντιοις αυτου· αμυναν τοις εχθροις αυτου· ταις νησοις αποδομα αποτισει. - L.

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."

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 standard-bearer, 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. נוססה nosesah, pihel a נוס nus fugit. Kimchi says his father thus explained this word: נוססה nosesah interpretatur in significatione fugae, et ait, spiritus Domini fugabit hostem;-nam secundum eum נוססה nosesah est ex conjugatione quadrata, ejusque radix est נוס nus: "nosesah he interpreted in the signification of flight, - The Spirit of the Lord shall put the enemy to flight; for according to him the root of the word is נוס nus, he put to flight." The object of this action I explain otherwise. The conjunction ו vau, prefixed to רוח 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.

Unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob "And shall turn away iniquity from Jacob" - So the Septuagint and St. Paul, Rom 11:26, reading instead of לשבי leshabey and ביעקב beyaacob, והשיב veheshib and מיעקב meyaacob. The Syriac likewise reads והשיב veheshib; and the Chaldee, to the same sense, ולהשיב ulehashib. Our translators have expressed the sense of the present reading of the Hebrew text: "And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob."

This is my covenant with them "This is the covenant which I make with them" - For אותם otham, them, twenty-four MSS., (four ancient), and nine editions have אתם ittam, with them.

My Spirit that is upon thee - This seems to be an address to the Messiah; Kimchi says it is to the prophet, 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.

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.

Perverseness - Perverse words are such as are contrary to God's word. Words every way contrary to God's will.

None - None seek to redress these wrongs, and violences; they commit all rapines, and frauds with impunity. Bring forth - These two words of conceiving, and bringing forth, denote their whole contrivance, and perfecting their wickedness.

Cockatrice eggs - One kind put for any venomous creature, a proverbial speech signifying by these eggs mischievous designs, and by hatching them, their putting them in practice. Web - Another proverbial speech whereby is taught, both how by their plots they weave nets, lay snares industriously with great pains and artifice. And also how their designs will come to nothing, as the spider's web is soon swept away.

Webs - Their contrivances shall not be able to cover or defend them.

Wasting - They meditate on little or nothing else. Paths - In what way or work soever they are engaged, it all tends to ruin and destruction.

The way of peace - They live in continual contentions, and discords. Judgment - No justice, equity, faith, or integrity.

Justice - Judgment, and so justice is here taken for deliverance. God doth not defend our right, nor revenge our wrong, because of these outrages, and acts of violence, injustice, and oppression.

As dead men - He compares their captivity to men dead without hope of recovery.

Mourn - Their oppressing governors made the wicked roar like bears, and the good mourn like doves.

Transgressions - The word here signifies sins of an high nature, such as wherein there is much of man's will against light: rebellious sins. Multiplied - They admit of no excuse; for they are acted before thee, and multiplied against thee, whereby thou art justly provoked to deny us all help. Testify - As so many witnesses produced proves our guilt. Are with us - Are still unforgiven. We know - We are convinced of them.

Lying - Transgressing here, and lying, seem to be one and the same thing, inasmuch as in their transgressing the law of God, they broke their solemn engagement to God upon mount Sinai. Departing - Turning from God to idols. Speaking - As it were, talking of little else one among another, but how to oppress their neighbours, and apostatize from God. Uttering - That is, first contriving in their heart false accusations, false worship to the dishonour of God; laying the contrivances and uttering them. From the heart - And when they dealt with men in ways of fraud, it was from the heart, but when they spake with God it was but from the lip.

Judgment - He speaks here of the sentences in courts of judicature. Truth - Truth is cast to the ground, and justice trampled under foot, even in publick. Equity - No such thing will be admitted in their courts.

Faileth - All things are amiss, neither judgment or justice, or truth, is to be found among us. A prey - Or, as some render it, is accounted mad, is laughed at. Josephus tells us, that immediately before the destruction of Jerusalem, it was matter of scorn to be religions. The translators reach the meaning of the word by prey: the wicked, like wild beasts, endeavouring to devour such as are not as bad as themselves: where wickedness rules, innocency is oppressed.

No man - To appear in the behalf of equity. His arm - He would do his work without help from any other. Righteousness - His justice; seeing there could be no justice found among them, he would avenge the innocent himself.

For - God, resolving to appear as a man of war, puts on his arms; he calls righteousness his breast - plate, to shew the justness of his cause, as also his faithfulness in making good his promises. Vengeance - Or garments made of vengeance: as God is said to put on the former for their sakes, whom he would preserve, so he puts on these for their sakes, whom he will destroy, namely, his peoples enemies. Zeal - For his own honour, and for his own people. The sum of all these expressions is, to describe both the cause and effect together; the cause was righteousness and zeal in God, the effect, salvation to his people, and vengeance on his enemies.

Deeds - Heb. recompences or deserts. That is, he will recompence his adversaries with those effects of his fury that they have deserved. Islands - To those remoter nations under the king of Babylon, that thought themselves secure.

Fear - Worship the Lord. The west - The western part of the world. His glory - The glorious God. The rising of the sun - The eastern parts. When - At what time soever the devil, or his instruments shall make violent irruptions upon the church. A standard - God shall make known himself to take their part and defend them, by his spirit alone.

The Redeemer - Christ, of whom the apostle expounds it, Rom 11:26, the prophets usually concluding their promises of temporal deliverances with the promises of spiritual, especially such, of which the temporal were evident types.

My covenant - What I have promised, to them that turn from their iniquity. My words - Which thou hast uttered by virtue of my spirit. Of thy seed - A promise of the perpetual presence of his word and spirit with the prophets, apostles, and teachers of the church to all ages.

1 BEhold, the LORDS hand is not shortned , that it cannot save: neither his ear heavy , that it cannot hear.

He is not grown weaker, then in former times, as omnipotent as ever he was; hand is here by a Synecdoche put for arm, and so for strength, because the strength of a man doth generally put forth itself in his arm, and thus it is applied to God in his bringing Israel out of Aegypt, Psal. 136. 12.

Of thick of hearing, he is not like your Idol Gods, that have hands, and can not help, and ears, and cannot hear. The phrases are much to the same purpose, save onely, that they seem to be appropriated to the double cavil, or quarrel, that the Jews might have with God, as 1. Surely if God were not heavy, or hard of hearing, he could not but hear those strong cries that we put up in the days of our fast, or, 2. If he did hear, certainly he could not help us, and thus it may have respect to the beginning of the 58th chap. Or, the words may be by way of confirmation, and establishment, and so may relate to the close of it, to let them know, that if they sought him as they ought, and was before prescribed, he was not inexorable, but willing to hear, and able to make good all those promises that he had made from ver. 8. to the end. The sum is, to shew that the fault was not in God, that their fasts and cries were not regarded, for his [illegible: 1+ letters]ar was as quick to hear as ever; nor their services rewarded, for his hand was as able to help as ever, but the obstruction lay in their sins, which is positively asserted. ver. 2. and a more particular account given of them in the sequel.

Marginal references: Num. 11. 23 Chap. 37. 27. & 50. 2.

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God; and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear .

Have been as a thick wall between God and you, have set him at a great distance, Prov. 15. 29.

This may be put Synechdochically for the whole Person, and the Prophet speaking of God by an Anthropopathy may understand his presence and then it is, hath made him hide, or withdraw his presence as one that turns away his face from some noisom thing▪ or rather his favour, that though you cry to be delivered out of Babylon, yet you shall not find that favour.

i. e. He will not grant it, thus it is used, Psal. 45. 12. Hos. 5. 15. see on chap. 1. 15. see Iudg. 10. 13.

Marginal references: Or, have made him hide.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood , and your fingers with iniquity, your lips have spoken lies , your tongue hath uttered perverseness .

Here the Prophet comes from a more general, to a more particular charge against them; by blood we are to understand either murders, and bloodshed, properly so called, or ways of injustice, extortion, oppression, and cruelties, whereby men are deprived of a livelyhood; hence hating our Brother, is called murder, 1 Iohn 3. 15. and the inhabitants of Ierusalem called murderers, see how the Prophet phraseth their oppression, Mic. 3. 1, 2, 3.

This is not added to protract the discourse, but to aggravate their sin. q. d. Not only your hands, but your fingers, you are not free from the least part of injustice.

Not only properly so called, but perjuries, and wronging your Neighbours by slanders, and false accusations, wherein he shews they did not only offer violence by the hand, but they had ways of circumventing with their lips.

The verb doth properly signifie to muse, or meditate; then the meaning is, that what they mutter, or utter with the tongue, they do it out of premeditated malice from a perverse spirit; you may have a larger comment upon this▪ Ier. 9. 3, 4, 5, 6.

Perverse words are such as are contrary to Gods Word, and it is put here in the abstract, to intimate that their words were every way contrary to Gods Will.

Marginal references: Cha. 1. 15.

4 None calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity , and speak lies , they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

i. e. None seek to redress these wrongs, and violences, they commit all rapines, and frauds under impunity: Either 1. Because the Judges are corrupt. Or, 2. Because none will warn the judges of their duty. Or, 3. Because none seek to bring offenders to Justice. Or, 4. Because none will plead a righteous cause or plead it righteously, or countenance goodness, and this the next expression favours, and so Justice suffers, which the Hebrew word nis[illegible: 1+ letters]at being in the passive voice, seems to intimate; the sense is the same, and whereas it is said none, it is as much as to say very few, as we say few or none, the like Psal. 14. 3. Qu. How could this be charged upon them, when in the time of their [illegible: 1 word] the[illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word] no Courts? Answ. It is probable they had [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] themselves, to judge between one another by leave of the [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] Kings.

Either, 1. Relating to their lies, which are words empty, and void of all consistency, and so it is the same with the next expression, and speak lies. Or, 2. In their Idols, which are stocks and stones, and so o[illegible: 1+ letters]t called vanity and nothing, 1 Cor. 8. 4. For even in Babylon, they worshipped Idols as appears by Ier. 16. 11▪ 12, 18. Or, rather, 3. In their power, and craft, and policy, whereby, laying aside Justice, they can oppress others, and so he calls it vanity by a Metonymy of the Adjunct, because it would prove all vain in the end, and either, 1. Frustrate their ends. Or, 2. Not justify them against Gods proceedings with them. Or, 3. Bring all into emptiness and confusion; the word is tohu, whereby the confusion, and mingling of all things is expressed, before the world was brought into order, and from Gen. 1. 2.

It may refer both to the Judges, and to the Lawyers, and false Prophets, that tell them they shall not go into Captivity, they speak that which they know to be false.

k These two words of Conceiving, and Bringing forth, note their whole contrivance, and perfecting their wickedness, the former notes their plotting, the latter their execution of mischief; whatever is in the mind only out of sight, warmed, and formed there by cogitating and meditation, is called Conception, which being ripe, and produced to view, is called a Birth, intimating that the wicked sin not occasionally, and accidentally, but premeditatingly, and professedly, they grow big with it. The expression is Allegorical, and in the two next verses compared to the Cockatrices Eggs for the wickedness of it, and to a Spiders Web for the vanity of it.

Marginal references: Jer. 9. 4▪; Job 15. 35. Psal. 7. 14.

5 They hatch cockatrice-eggs , and weave the spiders web : he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed, breaketh out into a viper .

Or Adder, or Basilisk; one kind put for any venemous creature, a proverbial speech signifying by these Eggs mischievous designs, and by hatching them their putting them in practice; this is to shew, that mischief is natural to them, and they can do no otherwise, as poison is natural to these Eggs.

Another Proverbial speech, whereby is taught, both how by their plots they weave nets, lay snares industriously with great pains and artifice, whereby they may entangle, and involve their poor Neighbours in intricacies, and perplexities, and so devour them, as the Spider weaves her web to catch flies, and then to seed on them: And also how that they contrive nothing but what will [illegible: 1+ letters]end to their own ruine, as the is[illegible: 1+ letters]ue of the Viper is the death of the Mother; and they, and their designs will come to nothing, and not answer their end, as the Spiders web is soon swept away, and is seen no more, which doth well agree with what follows.

Here is a Catachrestical allusion noting, that he who hath commerce with them, and approves their Counsels, which are the Eggs which they hatch, will be poysoned with them.

If and be copulative here, then the sense is either, if any seek to crush, and disappoint their plots, or if they be sprinkled, or dispersed abroad (as the margin seems to favour) they will seek his ruine, will be as a Viper to him: But if and be Cau[illegible: 1+ letters]l, as it often is, and may be here, then the sense is, q. d. he dieth, because the Eggs being crushed, a poysonous Viper proceeds from it, the more you partake of their counsels, the more you are insected, there lies such a deadly poison embodied in them.

Marginal references: Or, adders.; Or, that which is sprinkled, is as if there brake out a viper.

6 Their webs shall not become garments , neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity , and the act of violence is in their hands .

i. e. Their contrivances, and deep designs shall not advantage them, they being like a thin, and raw garment, either, through which all their wretchedness, and malice will appear, as the next words intimate; or, for want of solidity, and substance, shall not be able to defend them from their impending evils.

i. e. Works of injustice, whereby they grieve and vex their Brethren, which the next words do clear.

i. e. They exercise themselves in all acts of violence, and oppression.

Marginal references: Job 8. 14. 15.

7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, wasting and destruction are in their paths .

This seems to be taken from Prov▪ 1. 16. See the note there. He had spoken of their Hands, Lips, and Heart, &c. before, and now of their Feet, to shew that they were wholly set upon mischief.

i. e. Their heart, and Mind, is set upon doing wrong▪ and injury, they not only do evil, but do it deliberately. You have the wicked described by this kind of working of their thoughts, Psal. 64. 6. they meditate on little or nothing else.

A Metaphor put for the behaviours and carriages of Men; in what way or work soever they are engaged▪ it all tends to ruine and destruction, a Metaphor taken from an overspreading torrent, or sweeping Plague, or Beasts of prey, that tear and devour whatsoever comes in their way.

Marginal references: Prov. 1. 16. Rom. 3. 15.; Heb. breaking.

8 The way of peace they know not , and there is no judgment in their goings : they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

Of such turbulent Spirits, living in such continual contentions, and discords, that, breaking in pieces they neither know 1. How to make and keep Peace; neither 2. Do they feel or enjoy the sweet fruits of it: And therefore by consequence 3. They take not the course that leads to Prosperi ty and Happiness. They are not friends to Peace.

i. e. No Justice, Equity, Faith or Integrity, which are the soundation of Judgment.

As Paths did note their habitual way or manner of living, so goings do signifie their actual progress in that way, or their works, thus I[illegible: 1+ letters]b 14. 16.

They walk by no rule, which should discover the crooked from the straight; they are full of unevennesses and uncertainties, contrary to what David speaks, Psal. 26. 12. The LXX render it perverse: Moses joins them both together, Deut. 32. 5. and so doth Solomon, speaking what Wisdom shall deliver from Prov. 2. 15. and it stands in opposition to them that walk uprightly, Prov. 28. 18. It may note 1. Their Hypocrisie, that pretend one thing, and do another, that oppress under a pretence of Justice. Or 2. Their professed and owned irregularities, and deviations from the rule of Justice.

i. e. Shall not experience it; Whosoever do as they do will be turbulent, and perverse, as they are, and have as little peace within, or Happiness without, as they have ch. 57. 21. They shall be poisoned by having converse with them, as in v. 5. which the next words do intimate.

Marginal references: Or, right.

9 Therefore is judgment far from us , neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light , but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness .

This seems to be spoken in the person of those Jews that did partake of these sins, giving the reason by way of complaint of those evils that they groaned under.

Iudgment, and so Justice is here taken for deliverance, Isa. 1. 27. q. d. God doth not defend our right, nor revenge our wrong, nor deliver us because of these outrages, and acts of violence, injustice, and oppression, that are committed among us, so that deliverance is called here Iudgment and Iustice by a Metonymy of the efficient. q. d. If we had executed Judgment, and Equity among one another, they would not now have been far from us; as works are somtimes put for the reward of works, Iob 7. 2. Psal. 109. 20. So Judgment and Justice is put for the reward of Judgment and Justice; or wicked men are in Power, and seats of Judicature, that execute no judgment or justice in the behalf of the oppressed.

How the Hebrews use Light and Darkness, see before on Ch. 58. 8, 10.

Or, mist, we are in such a thick mist, that which way soever we look, we see no way out, no hope of deliverance, we are still in Captivity, and like so to be, till we see Judgment and Justice excuted, and then we may expect good days.

Marginal references: Ver. 11, & 14.

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 :

As a blind man, that hath no other Eyes then his Hands, feels for the Wall, from whence he expects either [illegible: 1 word], o[illegible: 1+ letters] a resting place to lean on, so they expect Salvation as it were blindfold, not taking direction from the Prophets, but hoping to obtain it by their cries and Fasts, though they continued in their sins, and therefore may well be said to grope after it; See Deut. 28. 28, 29. Iob 12. 25.

As if we were stark blind, and being here put for yea, thereby aggravating the misery in repeating the expression.

This notes their exceeding blindness, as it must needs be with one that can discern no more at noon day, than if it were midnight, Iob 5. 14.

He compares their Captivity to men dead without hope of recovery, their bonds render them as free among the dead, Psal. 88. 5. They can see the way, or get out of their Captivity no more than dead men can out of their Graves; Thus a calamitous estate is set forth, Psal. 44. 19. great calamity and despair oft going together, they are as men cast out no more to be looked after. Compare Lam. 3. 6. All darkness is uncomfortable, but that of the grave terrible.

Marginal references: Deut. 28. 28, 29. Job 5. 14. Amos 8. 9.

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 from us ▪

This signifies the greatness of their anguish, that forced from them these loud outeries.

This notes some sense of their condition, that wrought in them these sorrowful Lamentations: Or, it may relate to the condition, that both sorts of people were in under their oppressing Governours. It made the wicked roar like Bears, and the godly mourn like Doves: It is thus expressed because these properties are peculiar to these creatures. The Bear, when robbed, goes into his den and roars: The Dove, when absent from her mate, sits solitary, and mourns.

See the Exposition of this last part of the verse, v. 9.

Marginal references: Ch. 38. 14.

12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee , and our sins testifie against us: for our transgressions are with us , and as for our iniquities we know them :

The word here signifies sins of an high nature, such as wherein there is much of Mans Will against Light, Rebellious Sins.

q. d. They admit of no excuse; for they are stain before thee, and multiplied against thee, whereby thou art justly provoked to deny us all help.

Every sin that is charged upon us is like so many Witnesses produced to prove the guilt of our Consciences; or, as the Hebrew word, do answer, and so some make it an elegant Metaphorical Allusion to the Eccho, which, as it returns the voice again, so those Judgments they cry out of, are but the meritorious Repercussion of their sins: They had been cruel to others, neither had they executed Judgment, and Justice, and here they suffer all kind of cruelties, and Indignities from the Chaldaeans, as the true and just representation or Eccho of their own works; See a personal instance in Adoni-bezek, Iudg. 1. 6, 7.

i. e. We he under the guilt of them, they are a burden to us, God hath not yet forgiven them.

We are convinced of them, our guilty Consciences must own and acknowledge them, Psal. 51. 3. It notes either their Conviction, or Sorrow, or both, See Ier. 14. 7. Or, we know what are those sins thou art so angry with us for: and this is favoured by the sequel, where they seem to particularize those sins in the following verses.

13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falshood .

Properly we rebel against God, so the word is ch. 1, 2. and have persisted in our Rebellion.

Being true to none of their Engagements, Vows, and Promises; some make transgressing here, and l[illegible: 1+ letters]ing to be one and the same thing, inasmuch as in their transgressing of the Law of God, they did break their solemn engagement to God upon Mount Sinai, Exod. 19. 8. & 24. 3. and elsewhere frequently, which is a down [illegible: 1+ letters]ight lying against God▪ For wherein do we more lye to God, than in a persidious withdrawing from him? So that by transgressing here he doth mean not a breach of one, or another of the Laws of God, but their being as it were fugitives, that would be under no yoke.

i. e. Turning from God to Idols.

As it were talking of little else one among another, but how to oppress their Neighbours, and apostatize from God.

i. e. First contriving and forging in their heart false accusations to the ruine of their Neighbour, and false Worship to the dishonour of God, laying the contrivance so, that it might be effectual, and then uttering it, or venting themselves one to another in their discourses, thereby encouraging each other in their perverse ways see v. 3. and whereas it is said from the heart, it notes a resoluteness in their wickedness, being a great deal worse, than now and then to deal falsly upon some occasion or temptation.

They are called words of falshood, both with reference to men, and to signifie slanders, and false accusations; as also to God, and so signifie their dealing falsly with God, as an Adulteress doth with her Husband, hence Idolaters are called the seed of falshood, ch. 57. 3, 4, 5. and it is said from the heart, to shew that when they dealt with men in ways of fraud, it was from the heart, but when they spake with God it was but from the lip.

He now enumerates some of those particular sins they pro[illegible: 1+ letters]ss themselves to be convinced of, whereby he doth not mean the sins of some particular persons, or some slight sins, but a general de[illegible: 1+ letters]ection and corruption of the whole body.

14 And judgment is turned away backward ▪ and justice standeth afar off : for truth is fallen in the street , and equity cannot enter .

He speaks here of the Sentences and Decrees in courts of Judicature, which are carried quite contrary to Right and Justice: God denies you Justice as you have denied help to others.

I[illegible: 1+ letters] notes the same thing with the former, to shew that Justice and Judges are far asunder.

A Metaphor taken from a feeble person, that wants support, without which he falls; thus Truth hath none to support or patronize it: the same, only otherwise expressed, with v. 16. Truth is cast upon the ground, and Justice trampled under foot.

i. e. in publick.

No such thing will be admitted in their Courts, all corrupt, so that all Equity and Justice is violently kept off by the authority of the great ones.

15 Yea, truth faileth , and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey : and the LORD saw it , and it displeased him , that there was no judgment.

q. d. Truth is more than fallen, which he had said in the former verse; It faileth. For being onely fallen it may recover itself again, but failing notes the loss of its very Vitals. As being every where neglected, in Court, in City, in Country, in inferiour as well as superiour Ranks▪ in the Streets, in the Gates, in the Markets, in the Fairs, in all publick places of commerce, the condition much like that under the Beast coming out of the Earth Rev. 13. 11. &c. See Ps. 10. 7. 8. &c. All things are amiss, neither Judgment, or Justice, or Truth is to be found among us, but Fraud, and Decei[illegible: 1+ letters], vet none troubled at it.

That separateth himself from evil things, and Persons, will not be as vile, as others.

Or, is accounted mad, is laughed at that talks of Justice, so some. Iosephus tells us, that immediately before the destruction of Ierusalem it was matter of scorn to be religious. Though there be no solid ground for, nor need of that marginal reading, yet is it a truth: The Translators reach the meaning by Prey: The wicked▪ like wild Beasts, endeavouring to devour such as are not as bad as themselves; where Wickedness rules, Innocency is oppressed, in bargaining, as buying, and selling, they that are simple, and innocent are outwitted by the crafty and fraudulent, as not willing, or rather daring to oppose fraud with fraud but to do all things in sincerity.

i. e. Took notice of it, 'tis spoken of God after the manner of men, as Gen. 11. 5. & 18. 21. and many other places.

[illegible: 1+ letters]. d. If you would know why God is so angry with you, it is for such things as these, the Lord takes notice of it, and it is a great evil in his eye.

Marginal references: Or, is accounted [illegible: 1 word].; [illegible: 1 word]. it [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

16 And he saw that there was no man , and wondred that there was no intercessour: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him , and his righteousness it sustained him.

Viz. To intercede▪ which is supplied from the following words; or no man to help in such a case, to shew himself, and appear in such a corrupt state in the behalf of equity, as ver. 4. the like circumstances we have Ezek. 22. 29, 30. or none fit to intercede.

Heb. [illegible: 1+ letters]istomen, was amazed, astonished, as it were, not knowing what to do: This notes both Gods sollicitousness about their condition, and their hypocrisie, as if God took no notice of them, together with their dulness, and blockishness, in not concerning themselves about it, especially considering they had been a people so well instructed, and yet under the guilt of such gross sins, should be no more sollicitous about pardon, which God would readily have granted, if any such could have been found▪ Ier. 5. 1.

Or, Yet, as it is used, ch. 7. 14. & 51. 21.

This may relate 1. To the parties thus oppressed: Or 2. To God, as that either 1. He would do his work without help from any other, ch. 51. 5. Or 2. He would avenge himself, his own honor; thus the word is used 1 Sam. 25. 26. and this may, and seems to be the meaning of the next clause: Or 3. He had made provision for the maintaining his own righteous cause, and peoples interest; this sense, that phrase, so like this, favours ch. 63. 5. Salvation unto me.

Viz. His Justice q. d. seeing there could be no Justice found among them, he would avenge the innocent himself, which agrees with ver. 8. and is justified by ch. 63. 5. where speaking of the destruction of the Idumaeans, you have the same words, onely the word F[illegible: 1+ letters]y changed for Righteousness. The literal meaning is God's taking vengeance on the Chaldeans for his Peoples sake. The mystical is Christs making use of his own Righteousness for the redemption of lost man, being destitute of all other.

Marginal references: Psal. 98. 1. Ch 63. 5.; Ch. 42. 21. & 63. 5.

17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate , and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

God, resolving to appear as a Man of War against Babylon, that did now oppress his People, puts on his Arms, Heb. wrapt himself, and particularly his Breast-plate which he calls Righteousness, to shew the justness of his Cause, as also his Faithfulness in making good his Promises to his People.

As the Breast-plate is to defend the Heart and vital parts, whereby God doth signifie the Innocency and justness of his Cause, as well as his Faithfulness; so the Helmet is to defend the Brain, the fountain of the animal Spirits, and therefore by this piece of armour would have us know that he is invincible▪ As by the other that he defends a just Cause in his Truth, and faithfulness, so by this, that he cannot be disappointed in it by reason of his Power, and Invincibleness.

Or Garments made of Vengeance, as God is said to put on the former for their sakes, whom he would preserve, so he puts on these for their sakes, whom he will destroy, viz. his Peoples Enemies▪ the Chaldeans, and other enemies of the Jews.

Either 1. Zeal to his own honour, which had been given to Idols; or 2. Zeal for his own People, who were now in distress: Or 3. Zeal, and Indignation against the Babylonians, who were such great oppressors of his People, which are the materials, that his garment of vengeance, and his cloak of Zeal is made of. It may be triffling to follow this Metaphor of Garments too close; see of the Phrase, Iudg. 6. 34. marg. The sum of all these expressions is this, to describe both the cause, and effect together, the cause was Righteousness and zeal in God, the effect Salvation to his People, and vengeance on his enemies, as is evident from the next verse.

Marginal references: Eph. 6. 14, 17. 1 Thes. 5. 8.

18 According to their deeds , accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies, to the islands he will repay recompense.

Heb. Recompenses or deserts, i. e. he will recompense his Adversaries with those effects of his fury that they have deserved.

A Metonymy of the Efficient; for the effects of his fury.

Or, Islanders, a Metonymy of the containing for the contained, either Mesopotamia, and other adjacent Islands, encompassed by Tygris and Euphrates; or those remoter Nations (for the Hebrews call Nations remote from Iudaea Islands, Gen. 10. 5. ch. 41. 1. See on ch. 20. 6. and the reason of it.) under the King of Babylon, that thought themselves secure.

Marginal references: Ch. 63▪ 6.; Heb. recompenses, or, deser[illegible: 1+ letters]s.

19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west , and his glory from the rising of the sun : when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

i. e. Either worship the Lord▪ For the name of God is put for God himself, as hath been often shewed, and Fear is put for his worship. Or, make his name renowned.

Viz. The western part of the world.

Or the glorious God.

Viz. the Eastern parts of the World: The summ is the whole World, either a Synecdoche of the part for the whole, or, if you divide the World through the poles, the one half will be East, and the other West, and so compriseth the whole World. It shall fear and worship God, and make his Name renowned, laying aside their Idolatries. whether you refer it to the deliverance of his people out of Babylon, when they shall hear how God hath executed vengeance on his Enemies; or, to the Redemption by Christ, and his calling of the Gentiles, Mal. 1. 11.

Either against the Babylonians, as some understand it, and so it is probably meant of Cyrus, who shall come like a violent flood, against which there is no head to be made: Him God would stir up against the Babylonians for the deliverance of the Jews. Or, against his own People, and so it may have either 1. A more particular respect to Ierusalem, when Sennacherib came up against it, which suits well with what God saith of him ch. 8. 7, 8. Or 2. More general at what time soever the Devil, or his Instruments shall make violent irruptions upon the Church, Rev. 12. [illegible: 1+ letters]5. for powerful Enemies invading a Country are o[illegible: 1+ letters] compared to a River. See on ch. 18. 2. It is an allusion to the overflowing of Euphrates, which by its violent inundations was wont to do much hurt and damage to the Babylonians.

And here again, if it be taken in the first sense, viz. against the Babylonians, then the meaning is, God himself shall as i[illegible: 1+ letters] were carry the standard in the midst of Cyrus his Army, the Medes and Persians, and that with a great deal of fury intimated here by the Spirit of the Lord: for Spirit is often used among the Hebrews for the passions of the Soul, as Anger, Wrath, Fury, &c. Or, as a violent blast, or gale of Wind shall help forward the violence of the tor [illegible: 1+ letters]ent, and if so, then him, by an Enallage of the Number, which is frequent, is put for them. But if in either of the other two senses, viz. with particular respect to Sennacherib, then the spirit of the Lord, as with a blast, onely shall pu[illegible: 1+ letters] him away, which was made good, Isa. 37. 7▪ 36, 37. Or, with more general reference to the violence of Enemies against the Church; then the meaning is God shall make known himself to take their part and defend them, Ps. 6. 3, 4, 5 and cause the Enemies to give back, or put them to flight, as in the margin, Isa. 17. 12, 13, 14. and that without Power, but by his Spirit alone▪ as easie as by a puff of wind. Zech. 4. 6. Again, if you take this (as some learned men do) in a spiritual sense, then it notes the suddenness of the Gospels spreading itself by the Spirit in the Ministry of the Apostles and Evangelists, bearing down like a flood, all that opposes it, the Lord Jesus Christ being lifted up in it as a Banner or Ensign; but this sense, though true, seems to be more forced, and as it relates to temporal deliverances, more genuine and natural: however the prophet being about to speak of the spiritual deliverances, and state of the Church by Christ, he seems to slide, as it were, into it by such plain Allusions, and Types, being to speak of it more directly in the following Chapters.

Marginal references: Rev. 12. 15.; Or, put him to flight.

20 And the redeemer shall come to Zion , and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob [illegible: 1+ letters]aith the LORD .

Moreover, or to wit. And being here not so much copulative as expositive.

The word notes a Redemption with power. viz. 1. Cyrus, the instrument for the efficient, viz. God the redeemer, ch. 43. 14. and 45. 13. Or 2. Christ of whom the Apostle expounds it, Rom. 11. 26. the Prophets usually concluding their Promises of temporal deliverances with the Promises of spiritual, especially such, of which the temporal were evident Types.

Viz. Ierusalem, to which though Cyrus came not in person, yet his favours, and the good effects of his Conquest over Babylon reached it, setting free the Citizens of Zion, as Christ also his Church, which is often called by the name of Zion, and Iacob, and Israel, &c.

Viz. Among the Jews, who were the children of Iacob, and he describes to whom of these, namely to them, and none else, that turn from transgression, such only, whose hearts God touched, and turned to Righteousness; And so to come to Sion here by the Propher, and out of Sion by the Apostle, is one and the same thing, see on Deut. 33. 2. for the Hebrew lamed is not only an Article of the Dative Case, but put often for mim, of or from, so that letsion is out of Sion: And for Christ to be given a Redeemer to Sion is the same thing, as his coming to take iniquity from Iacob. And so the Apostle doth by this expound that, taking an Apostolical Liberty not only to quote, but to expound this Text, and so by laying them together, and making them one, would teach us, that God must do for us what he requireth of us. Acts 3 26. or else, which is the opinion of some, he takes the last clause from some other Text, or Texts as Isa. 4. 4. I incline to the former, partly because there is no need of searching for any other Text, and partly because, as the Apostle quoteth it, it is agreeable to the LXX, which he frequently makes use of; and this the Apostle improves as an allegory to prove that the Jews toward the end of the world shall be converted, and saved, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in. q d. As this People of old were delivered out of a dark and dolesome estate, when they seemed as it were extinct, so toward the end of the world the remnant of the Jews, that seem to be rejected, God will again bring home unto himself.

Or, thus it is Decreed, and determined by the Lord; the Prophets are wont to se[illegible: 1+ letters] down these words as a sacred seal of certainty, security, or confirmation of such signal promises as this is of the Redeemer, like to that of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1. 15.

Marginal references: Rom. 11. 26.

21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD, My spirit that is upon thee , and my words which I have put in thy mouth , shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed , saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever .

Or what I have promised, and so am engaged to see fulfilled, viz. to them that turn from their iniquity, or rather, the promise of his word, and Spirit to abide in his Church, upon which account it is also, that the Spirit is promised in the next words, by which is understood, either the gift of Prophecy, or the Prophecy itself given here to Isaiah, and so to the Church. And being here, as in the foregoing verse explicative, not copulative, unless it note, that in an ordinary way the Spirit, and the Word go together wherever either of them are effectual, the Spirit impressing what the word expresses, Ioh. 14. 10, 17, 26. and it is the Spirit of Satan, that is different from the word.

See on Num. 11. 17, 25, &c. & 2 Kin. 2. 15.

Which thou hast uttered by vertue of my Spirit, it being the Churches great treasure, and happiness to have God present with his word.

The sense is either, these words, and the fulfilling of them shall be alwaies talked of wherever the mention of this deliverance shall come, as is said of [illegible: 1 word] ointment, Mat. 26. 13. Or, rather, he seems to promise the perpetual presence of his Word, and Spirit with the Prophets, Apostles, and Ministers, and Teachers of the Church to all succeeding ages thereof, and may have a special reference to the Gospel, or new Covenant in Christ.

i. e. for a long, though yet a definitive space of time, as it is often used.

Isa 59:1-2

This second prophetic address continues the reproachful theme of the first. In the previous prophecy we found the virtues which are well-pleasing to God, and to which He promises redemption as a reward of grace, set in contrast with those false means, upon which the people rested their claim to redemption. In the prophecy before us the sins which retard redemption are still more directly exposed. “Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not too short to help, nor His ear too heavy to hear; but your iniquities have become a party-wall between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.” The reason why redemption is delayed, is not that the power of Jehovah has not been sufficient for it (cf., Isa 50:2), or that He has not been aware of their desire for it, but that their iniquities (עונתיכם with the second syllable defective) have become dividers (מבדּלים, defective), have grown into a party-wall between them and their God, and their sins (cf., Jer 5:25) have hidden pânı̄m from them. As the “hand” (yâd) in Isa 28:2 is the absolute hand; so here the “face” pânı̄m) is that face which sees everything, which is everywhere present, whether uncovered or concealed; which diffuses light when it unveils itself, and leaves darkness when it is veiled; the sight of which is blessedness, and not to see which is damnation. This absolute countenance is never to be seen in this life without a veil; but the rejection and abuse of grace make this veil a perfectly impenetrable covering. And Israel had forfeited in this way the light and sight of this countenance of God, and had raised a party-wall between itself and Him, and that משּׁמוע, so that He did not hear, i.e., so that their prayer did not reach Him (Lam 3:44) or bring down an answer from Him.

Isa 59:3

The sins of Israel are sins in words and deeds. “For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips speak lies, your tongue murmurs wickedness.” The verb גּאל, to spot (see Isa 63:3), is a later softening down of גּעל (e.g., 2Sa 1:21); and in the place of the niphal נגאל (Zep 3:1), we have here, as in Lam 4:14, the double passive form נגאל, compounded of niphal and pual. The post-biblical nithpaël, compounded of the niphal and the hithpael, is a mixed form of the same kind, though we also meet with it in a few biblical passages (Deu 21:8; Pro 27:15; Eze 23:48). The verb hâgâh (lxx μελετᾶ) combines the two meanings of “thought” (meditation or reflection), and of a light low “expression,” half inward half outward.

Isa 59:4-6

The description now passes over to the social and judicial life. Lying and oppression universally prevail. “No one speaks with justice, and no one pleads with faithfulness; men trust in vanity, and speak with deception; they conceive trouble, and bring forth ruin. They hatch basilisks’ eggs, and weave spiders’ webs. He that eateth of their eggs must die; and if one is trodden upon, it splits into an adder. Their webs do not suffice for clothing, and men cannot cover themselves with their works: their works are works of ruin, and the practice of injustice is in their hands.” As קרא is generally used in these prophetic addresses in the sense of κηρύσσειν, and the judicial meaning, citare, in just vocare, litem intendere, cannot be sustained, we must adopt this explanation, “no one gives public evidence with justice” (lxx οὐδεὶς λαλεῖ δίκαια). צדק is firm adherence to the rule of right and truth; אמוּנה a conscientious reliance which awakens trust; משׁפּט (in a reciprocal sense, as in Isa 43:26; Isa 66:16) signifies the commencement and pursuit of a law-suit with any one. The abstract infinitives which follow in Isa 59:4 express the general characteristics of the social life of that time, after the manner of the historical infinitive in Latin (cf., Isa 21:5; Ges. §131, 4,b). Men trust in tōhū, that which is perfectly destitute of truth, and speak שׁוא, what is morally corrupt and worthless. The double figure און והוליד עמל הרו is taken from Job 15:35 (cf., Psa 7:15). הרו (compare the poel in Isa 59:13) is only another form for הרה (Ges. §131, 4,b); and הוליד (the western or Palestinian reading here), or הולד (the oriental or Babylonian reading), is the usual form of the inf. abs. hiph. (Ges. §53, Anm. 2). What they carry about with them and set in operation is compared in Isa 59:5 to basilisks’ eggs (צפעוני, serpens regulus, as in Isa 11:8) and spiders’ webs (עכּבישׁ, as in Job 8:14, from עכּב, possibly in the sense of squatter, sitter still, with the substantive ending ı̄sh). They hatch basilisks’ eggs (בּקּע like בּקע, Isa 34:15, a perfect, denoting that which has hitherto always taken place and therefore is a customary thing); and they spin spiders’ webs (ארג possibly related to ἀράχ-νη;Neither καῖρος nor ἀράχνη has hitherto been traced to an Indian root in any admissible way. Benfey deduces the former from the root dhvir (to twist); but this root has to perform an immense number of services. M. Müller deduces the latter from rak; but this means to make, not to spin. the future denoting that which goes on occurring). The point of comparison in the first figure is the injurious nature of all they do, whether men rely upon it, in which case “he that eateth of their eggs dieth,” or whether they are bold or imprudent enough to try and frustrate their plans and performances, when that (the egg) which is crushed or trodden upon splits into an adder, i.e., sends out an adder, which snaps at the heel of the disturber of its rest. זוּר as in Job 39:15, here the part. pass. fem. like סוּרה (Isa 49:21), with a - instead of ā - like לנה, the original ă of the feminine (zūrăth) having returned from its lengthening into ā to the weaker lengthening into ĕ. The point of comparison in the second figure is the worthlessness and deceptive character of their works. What they spin and make does not serve for a covering to any man (יתכּסּוּ with the most general subject: Ges. §137, 3), but has simply the appearance of usefulness; their works are מעשׂי־און (with metheg, not munach, under the Mem), evil works, and their acts are all directed to the injury of their neighbour, in his right and his possession.

Isa 59:7

This evil doing of theirs rises even to hatred, the very opposite of that love which is well-pleasing to God. “Their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness; wasting and destruction are in their paths.” Paul has interwoven this passage into his description of the universal corruption of morals, in Rom 3:15-17. The comparison of life to a road, and of a man’s conduct to walking, is very common in proverbial sayings. The prophet has here taken from them both his simile and his expressions. We may see from Isa 59:7, that during the captivity the true believers were persecuted even to death by their countrymen, who had forgotten God. The verbs ירוּצוּ and וימהרוּ (the proper reading, with metheg, not munach, under the מ) depict the pleasure taken in wickedness, when the conscience is thoroughly lulled to sleep.

Isa 59:8

Their whole nature is broken up into discord. “The way of peace they know not, and there is no right in their roads: they make their paths crooked: every one who treads upon them knows no peace.” With דּרך, the way upon which a man goes, the prophet uses interchangeably (here and in Isa 59:7) מסלּה, a high-road thrown up with an embankment; מעגּל (with the plural in ı̂m and ôth), a carriage-road; and נתיבה, a footpath formed by the constant passing to and fro of travellers. Peaceable conduct, springing form a love of peace, and aiming at producing peace, is altogether strange to them; no such thing is to be met with in their path as the recognition of practice of right: they make their paths for themselves (להם, dat. ethicus), i.e., most diligently, twisting about; and whoever treads upon them (bâh, neuter, as in Isa 27:4), forfeits all enjoyment of either inward or outward peace. Shâlōm is repeated significantly, in Isaiah’s peculiar style, at the end of the verse. The first strophe of the prophecy closes here: it was from no want of power or willingness on the part of God, that He had not come to the help of His people; the fault lay in their own sins.

Isa 59:9-11

In the second strophe the prophet includes himself when speaking of the people. They now mourn over that state of exhaustion into which they have been brought through the perpetual straining and disappointment of expectation, and confess those sins on account of which the righteousness and salvation of Jehovah have been withheld. The prophet is speaking communicatively here; for even the better portion of the nation was involved in the guilt and consequences of the corruption which prevailed among the exiles, inasmuch as a nation forms an organized whole, and the delay of redemption really affected them. “Therefore right remains far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold darkness; for brightness - we walk in thick darkness. We grope along the wall like the blind, and like eyeless men we grope: we stumble in the light of noon-day as in the darkness, and among the living like the dead. We roar all like bears, and moan deeply like doves: we hope for right, and it cometh not; for salvation - it remaineth far off from us.” At the end of this group of verses, again, the thought with which it sets out is palindromically repeated. The perfect רחקה denotes a state of things reaching from the past into the present; the future תשּׂיגנוּ a state of things continuing unchangeable in the present. By mishpât we understand a solution of existing inequalities or incongruities through the judicial interposition of God; by tsedâqâh the manifestation of justice, which bestows upon Israel grace as its right in accordance with the plan of salvation after the long continuance of punishment, and pours out merited punishment upon the instruments employed in punishing Israel. The prophet’s standpoint, whether a real or an ideal one, is the last decade of the captivity. At that time, about the period of the Lydian war, when Cyrus was making one prosperous stroke after another, and yet waited so long before he turned his arms against Babylon, it may easily be supposed that hope and despondency alternated incessantly in the minds of the exiles. The dark future, which the prophet penetrated in the light of the Spirit, was indeed broken up by rays of hope, but it did not amount to light, i.e., to a perfect lighting up (negōhōth, an intensified plural of negōhâh, like nekhōchōth in Isa 26:10, pl. of nekhōchâh in Isa 59:14); on the contrary, darkness was still the prevailing state, and in the deep thick darkness ('ăphēlōth) the exiles pined away, without the promised release being effected for them by the oppressor of the nations. “We grope,” they here complain, “like blind men by a wall, in which there is no opening, and like eyeless men we grope.” גּשּׁשׁ (only used here) is a synonym of the older משּׁשׁ (Deu 28:29); נגשׁשׁה (with the elision of the reduplication, which it is hardly possible to render audible, and which comes up again in the pausal נגשּׁשׁה) has the âh of force, here of the impulse to self-preservation, which leads them to grope for an outlet in this ἀπορία; and עינים אין is not quite synonymous with עורים, for there is such a thing as blindness with apparently sound eyes (cf., Isa 43:8); and there is also a real absence of eyes, on account of either a natural malformation, or the actual loss of the eyes through either external injury or disease.

In the lamentation which follows, “we stumble in the light of noon-day (צהרים, meridies = mesidies, the culminating point at which the eastern light is separated from the western) as if it were darkness, and בּאשׁמנּים, as if we were dead men,” we may infer from the parallelism that since בּאשׁמנּים must express some antithesis to כּמּתים, it cannot mean either in caliginosis (Jer., Luther, etc.), or “in the graves” (Targ., D. Kimchi, etc.), or “in desolate places” (J. Kimchi). Moreover, there is no such word in Hebrew as אשׁם, to be dark, although the lexicographers give a Syriac word אוּתמנא, thick darkness (possibly related to Arab. ‛atamat, which does not mean the dark night, but late in the night); and the verb shâmēn, to be fat, is never applied to “fat, i.e., thick darkness,” as Knobel assumes, whilst the form of the word with נ c. dagesh precludes the meaning a solitary place or desert (from אשׁם = שׁמם). The form in question points rather to the verbal stem שׁמן, which yields a fitting antithesis to כמתים, whether we explain it as meaning “in luxuriant fields,” or “among the fat ones, i.e., those who glory in their abundant health.” We prefer the latter, since the word mishmannı̄m (Dan 11:24; cf., Gen 27:28) had already been coined to express the other idea; and as a rule, words formed with א prosth. point rather to an attributive than to a substantive idea. אשׁמן is a more emphatic form of שׁמן (Jdg 3:29);The name of the Phoenician god of health and prosperity, viz., Esmoun, which Alois Müller (Esmun, ein Beitrag zur Mythologie des orient. Alterthums. 1864) traces to חשׁמן (Psa 68:32) from אשׁם = חשׁם, “the splendid one (illustris),” probably means “the healthy one, or one of full health” (after the form אשׁחוּר, אשׁמוּרה), which agrees somewhat better with the account of Photios:  ̓́Εσμουνον ὑπὸ Φοινίκων ὠνομασμένον ἐπὶ τῇ θέρμη τῆς ζωῆς. and אשׁמנּים indicates indirectly the very same thing which is directly expressed by משׁמנּים in Isa 10:16. Such explanations as “in opimis rebus” (Stier, etc.), or “in fatness of body, i.e., fulness of life” (Böttcher), are neither so suitable to the form of the word, nor do they answer to the circumstances referred to here, where all the people in exile are speaking. The true meaning therefore is, “we stumble (reel about) among fat ones, or those who lead a merry life,” as if we were dead. “And what,” as Doederlein observes, “can be imagined more gloomy and sad, than to be wandering about like shades, while others are fat and flourishing?” The growling and moaning in Isa 59:11 are expressions of impatience and pain produced by longing. The people now fall into a state of impatience, and roar like bears (hâmâh like fremere), as when, for example, a bear scents a flock, and prowls about it (vespertinus circumgemit ursus ovile: Hor. Ep. xvi. 51); and now again they give themselves up to melancholy, and moan in a low and mournful tone like the doves, quarum blanditias verbaque murmur habet (Ovid). הגה, like murmurare, expresses less depth of tone or raucitas than המה. All their looking for righteousness and salvation turns out again and again to be nothing but self-deception, when the time for their coming seems close at hand.

Isa 59:12-13

The people have already indicated by על־כּן in Isa 59:9 that this benighted, hopeless state is the consequence of their prevailing sins; they now come back to this, and strike the note of penitence (viddui), which is easily recognised by the recurring rhymes ānu and ênu. The prophet makes the confession (as in Jer 14:19-20, cf., Isa 3:21.), standing at the head of the people as the leader of their prayer (ba‛al tephillâh): “For our transgressions are many before Thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are known to us, and our evil deeds well known: apostasy and denial of Jehovah, and turning back from following our God, oppressive and false speaking, receiving and giving out from the heart words of falsehood.” The people acknowledge the multitude and magnitude of their apostate deeds, which are the object of the omniscience of God, and their sins which bear witness against them (ענתה the predicate of a neuter plural; Ges. §146, 3). The second כּי resumes the first: “our apostate deeds are with us (את as in Job 12:3; cf., עם, Job 15:9), i.e., we are conscious of them; and our misdeeds, we know them” (ידענוּם for ידענון, as in Gen 41:21, cf., Isa 59:8, and with ע, as is always the case with verbs ל ע before נ, and with a suffix; Ewald, §§60). The sins are now enumerated in Isa 59:13 in abstract infinitive forms. At the head stands apostasy in thought and deed, which is expressed as a threefold sin. בּה (of Jehovah) belongs to both the “apostasy” (treachery; e.g., Isa 1:2) and the “denial” (Jer 5:12). נסוג is an inf. abs. (different from Psa 80:19). Then follow sins against the neighbour: viz., such speaking as leads to oppression, and consists of sârâh, that which deviates from or is opposed to the law and truth (Deu 19:16); also the conception (concipere) of lying words, and the utterance of them from the heart in which they are conceived (Mat 15:18; Mat 12:35). הרו and הגו are the only poel infinitives which occur in the Old Testament, just as שׁושׂתי (Isa 10:13) is the only example of a poel perfect of a verb ל ה. The poël is suitable throughout this passage, because the action expressed affects others, and is intended to do them harm. According to Ewald, the poel indicates the object or tendency: it is the conjugation employed to denote seeking, attacking, or laying hold of; e.g., לושׁן, lingua petere, i.e., to calumniate; עוין, oculo petere, i.e., to envy.

Isa 59:14-18

The confession of personal sins is followed by that of the sinful state of society. “And right is forced back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the market-place, and honesty finds no admission. And truth became missing, and he who avoids evil is outlawed.” In connection with mishpât and tsedâqâh here, we have not to think of the manifestation of divine judgment and justice which is prevented from being realized; but the people are here continuing the confession of their own moral depravity. Right has been forced back from the place which it ought to occupy (hissı̄g is the word applied in the law to the removal of boundaries), and righteousness has to look from afar off at the unjust habits of the people, without being able to interpose. And why are right and righteousness - that united pair so pleasing to God and beneficial to man - thrust out of the nation, and why do they stand without? Because there is no truth or uprightness in the nation. Truth wanders about, and stands no longer in the midst of the nation; but upon the open street, the broad market-place, where justice is administered, and where she ought above all to stand upright and be preserved upright, she has stumbled and fallen down (cf., Isa 3:8); and honesty (nekhōchâh), which goes straight forward, would gladly enter the limits of the forum, but she cannot: people and judges alike form a barrier which keeps her back. The consequence of this is indicated in Isa 59:15: truth in its manifold practical forms has become a missing thing; and whoever avoids the existing voice is mishtōlēl (part. hithpoel, not hithpoal), one who is obliged to let himself be plundered and stripped (Psa 76:6), to be made a shōlâl (Mic 1:8), Arab. maslûb, with a passive turn given to the reflective meaning, as in התחפּשׂ, to cause one’s self to be spied out = to disguise one’s self, and as in the so-called niphal tolerativum (Ewald, §133, b, 2).

The third strophe of the prophecy commences at Isa 59:15 or Isa 59:16. It begins with threatening, and closes with promises; for the true nature of God is love, and every manifestation of wrath is merely one phase in its development. In consideration of the fact that this corrupt state of things furnishes no prospect of self-improvement, Jehovah has already equipped Himself for judicial interposition. “And Jehovah saw it, and it was displeasing in His eyes, that there was no right. And He saw that there was not a man anywhere, and was astonished that there was nowhere an intercessor: then His arm brought Him help, and His righteousness became His stay. And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and the helmet of salvation upon His head; and put on garments of vengeance as armour, and clothed Himself in zeal as in a cloak. According to the deeds, accordingly He will repay: burning wrath to His adversaries, punishment to His foes; the islands He will repay with chastisement.” The prophet’s language has now toilsomely worked its way through the underwood of keen reproach, of dark descriptions of character, and of mournful confession which has brought up the apostasy of the great mass in all the blacker colours before his mind, from the fact that the confession proceeds from those who are ready for salvation. And now, having come to the description of the approaching judgment, out of whose furnace the church of the future is to spring, it rises again like a palm-tree that has been violently hurled to the ground, and shakes its head as if restored to itself in the transforming ether of the future. Jehovah saw, and it excited His displeasure (“it was evil in His eyes,” an antiquated phrase from the Pentateuch, e.g., Gen 38:10) to see that right (which He loves, Isa 61:8; Psa 37:28) had vanished form the life of His nation. He saw that there was no man there, no man possessing either the disposition or the power to stem this corruption (אישׁ as in Jer 5:1, cf., 1Sa 4:9; 1Ki 2:2, and the old Jewish saying, “Where there is no man, I strive to be a man”). He was astonished (the sight of such total depravity exciting in Him the highest degree of compassion and displeasure) that there was no מפגּיע, i.e., no one to step in between God and the people, and by his intercession to press this disastrous condition of the people upon the attention of God (see Isa 53:12); no one to form a wall against the coming ruin, and cover the rent with his body; no one to appease the wrath, like Aaron (Num 17:12-13) or Phinehas (Num 25:7).

What the fut. consec. affirms from ותּושׁע onwards, is not something to come, but something past, as distinguished form the coming events announced from Isa 59:18 onwards. Because the nation was so utterly and deeply corrupt, Jehovah had quipped Himself for judicial interposition. The equipment was already completed; only the taking of vengeance remained to be effected. Jehovah saw no man at His side who was either able or willing to help Him to His right in opposition to the prevailing abominations, or to support His cause. Then His own arm became His help, and His righteousness His support (cf., Isa 63:5); so that He did not desist from the judgment to which He felt Himself impelled, until He had procured the fullest satisfaction for the honour of His holiness (Isa 5:16). The armour which Jehovah puts on is now described. According to the scriptural view, Jehovah is never unclothed; but the free radiation of His own nature shapes itself into a garment of light. Light is the robe He wears (Psa 104:2). When the prophet describes this garment of light as changed into a suit of armour, this must be understood in the same sense as when the apostle in Eph speaks of a Christian’s panoply. Just as there the separate pieces of armour represent the manifold self-manifestations of the inward spiritual life so here the pieces of Jehovah’s armour stand for the manifold self-manifestations of His holy nature, which consists of a mixture of wrath and love. He does not arm Himself from any outward armoury; but the armoury is His infinite wrath and His infinite love, and the might in which He manifests Himself in such and such a way to His creatures is His infinite will. He puts on righteousness as a coat of mail (שׁרין in half pause, as in 1Ki 22:34 in full pause, for שׁריון, ō passing into the broader a, as is generally the case in יחפּץ, יחבשׁ; also in Gen 43:14, שׁכלתי; Gen 49:3, עז; Gen 49:27, יטרף), so that His appearance on every side is righteousness; and on His head He sets the helmet of salvation: for the ultimate object for which He goes into the conflict is the redemption of the oppressed, salvation as the fruit of the victory gained by righteousness. And over the coat of mail He draws on clothes of vengeance as a tabard (lxx περιβόλαιον), and wraps Himself in zeal as in a war-cloak. The inexorable justice of God is compared to an impenetrable brazen coat of mail; His joyful salvation, to a helmet which glitters from afar; His vengeance, with its manifold inflictions of punishment, to the clothes worn above the coat of mail; and His wrathful zeal (קנאה from קנא), to be deep red) with the fiery-looking chlamys. No weapon is mentioned, neither the sword nor bow; for His own arm procures Him help, and this alone. But what will Jehovah do, when He has armed Himself thus with justice and salvation, vengeance and zeal? As Isa 59:18 affirms, He will carry out a severe and general retributive judgment. גּמוּל and גּמלה signify accomplishment of (on gâmal, see at Isa 3:9) a ῥῆμα μέσον; גּמלות, which may signify, according to the context, either manifestations of love or manifestations of wrath, and either retribution as looked at from the side of God, or forfeiture as regarded from the side of man, has the latter meaning here, viz., the works of men and the double-sided gemūl, i.e., repayment, and that in the infliction of punishment. כּעל, as if, as on account of, signifies, according to its Semitic use, in the measure (כּ) of that which is fitting (על); cf., Isa 63:7, uti par est propter. It is repeated with emphasis (like לכן in Isa 52:6); the second stands without rectum, as the correlate of the first. By the adversaries and enemies, we naturally understand, after what goes before, the rebellious Israelites. The prophet does not mention these, however, but “the islands,” that is to say, the heathen world. He hides the special judgment upon Israel in the general judgment upon the nations. The very same fate falls upon Israel, the salt of the world which has lost its savour, as upon the whole of the ungodly world. The purified church will have its place in the midst of a world out of which the crying injustice has been swept away.

Isa 59:19-20

The prophet now proceeds to depict the ישׁוּעה, the symbol of which is the helmet upon Jehovah’s head. “And they will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun: for He will come like a stream dammed up, which a tempest of Jehovah drives away. And a Redeemer comes for Zion, and for those who turn from apostasy in Jacob, saith Jehovah.” Instead of ויראוּ, Knobel would strike out the metheg, and read ויראוּ, “and they will see;” but “seeing the name of Jehovah” (the usual expression is “seeing His glory”) is a phrase that cannot be met with, though it is certainly a passable one; and the relation in which Isa 59:19 stands to Isa 59:19 does not recommend the alteration, since Isa 59:19 attributes that general fear of the name of Jehovah (cf., Deu 28:58) and of His glory (see the parallel overlooked by Knobel, Psa 102:16), which follows the manifestation of judgment on the part of Jehovah, to the manner in which this manifestation occurs. Moreover, the true Masoretic reading in this passage is not ויראו (as in Mic 7:17), but וייראו (see Norzi). The two מן in ממּערב (with the indispensable metheg before the chateph, and a second to ensure clearness of pronunciation)See the law in Bär’s Metheg-Setzung, §29. and וּממּזרח־שׁמשׁ (also with the so-called strong metheg)See idem, §28. indicate the terminus a quo. From all quarters of the globe will fear of the name and of the glory of Jehovah become naturalized among the nations of the world. For when God has withdrawn His name and His glory from the world’s history, as during the Babylonian captivity (and also at the present time), the return of both is all the more intense and extraordinary; and this is represented here in a figure which recals Isa 30:27-28; Isa 10:22-23 (cf., Eze 43:2). The accentuation, which gives pashta to כנּהר, does indeed appear to make צר the subject, either in the sense of oppressor or adversary, as in Lam 4:12, or in that of oppression, as in Isa 25:4; Isa 26:16; Isa 30:20. The former is quite out of the question, since no such transition to a human instrument of the retributive judgment could well take place after the לצריו חמה in Isa 59:18. In support of the latter, it would be possible to quote Isa 48:18 and Isa 66:12, since צר is the antithesis to shâlōm. But according to such parallels as Isa 30:27-28, it is incomparably more natural to take Jehovah (His name, His glory) as the subject. Moreover, בּו, which must in any case refer to כנהר, is opposed to the idea that צר is the subject, to which בו would have the most natural claim to be referred - an explanation indeed which Stier and Hahn have really tried, taking נוססח as in Psa 60:4, and rendering it “The Spirit of Jehovah holds up a banner against him, viz., the enemy.” If, however, Jehovah is the subject to יבא, צר כנּהר must be taken together (like מכסּים ... כּמּים, Isa 11:9; טובה רוּחך, Psa 143:10; Ges. §111, 2,b), either in the sense of “a hemming stream,” one causing as it were a state of siege (from tsūr, Isa 21:2; Isa 29:3), or, better still, according to the adjective use of the noun צר (here with tzakeph, צר from צרר) in Isa 28:20; Job 41:7; 2Ki 6:1, a closely confined stream, to whose waters the banks form a compressing dam, which it bursts through when agitated by a tempest, carrying everything away with it.

Accordingly, the explanation we adopt is this: Jehovah will come like the stream, a stream hemmed in, which a wind of Jehovah, i.e., (like “the mountains of God,” “cedars of God,” “garden of Jehovah,” Isa 51:3, cf., Num 24:6) a strong tempestuous wind, sweeps away (בּו נססה, nōsesa-b-bô, with the tone drawn back and dagesh forte conj. in the monosyllable, the pilel of nūs with Beth: to hunt into, to press upon and put to flight) - a figure which also indicates that the Spirit of Jehovah is the driving force in this His judicially gracious revelation of Himself. Then, when the name of Jehovah makes itself legible once more as with letters of fire, when His glory comes like a sea of fire within the horizon of the world’s history, all the world form west to east, from east to west, will begin to fear Him. But the true object of the love, which bursts forth through this revelation of wrath, is His church, which includes not only those who have retained their faith, but all who have been truly converted to Him. And He comes (וּבא) a continuation of יבא) for Zion a Redeemer, i.e., as a Redeemer (a closer definition of the predicate), and for those who turn away from apostasy (פשׁע שׁבי, compare Isa 1:27, and for the genitive connection Mic 2:8, מלחמה שׁוּבי, those who have turned away form the war). The Vav here does not signify “and indeed,” as in Isa 57:18, but “more especially.” He comes as a Redeemer for Zion, i.e., His church which has remained true, including those who turn again to Jehovah from their previous apostasy. In Rom 11:26 the apostle quotes this word of God, which is sealed with “Thus saith Jehovah,” as a proof of the final restoration of all Israel; for יהוה (according to the Apocalypse, ὁ ὤν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος) is to him the God who moves on through the Old Testament towards the goal of His incarnation, and through the New Testament towards that of His parousia in Christ, which will bring the world’s history to a close. But this final close does not take place without its having become apparent at the same time that God “has concluded all in unbelief that He may have compassion upon all” (Rom 11:32).

Isa 59:21

Jehovah, having thus come as a Redeemer to His people, who have hitherto been lying under the curse, makes an everlasting covenant with them. “And I, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: My Spirit which is upon thee, and my word which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, and out of the mouth of thy seed, and out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.” In the words, “And I, this is my covenant with them,” we have a renewal of the words of God to Abram in Gen 17:4, “As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee.” Instead of אתּם we have in the same sense אתם (not אותם, as in Isa 54:15); we find this very frequently in Jeremiah. The following prophecy is addressed to Israel, the “servant of Jehovah,” which has been hitherto partially faithful and partially unfaithful, but which has now returned to fidelity, viz., the “remnant of Israel,” which has been rescued through the medium of a general judgment upon the nations, and to which the great body of all who fear God from east to west attach themselves. This church of the new covenant has the Spirit of God over it, for it comes down upon it from above; and the comforting saving words of God are not only the blessed treasure of its heart, but the confession of its mouth which spreads salvation all around. The words intended are those which prove, according to Isa 51:16, the seeds of the new heaven and the new earth. The church of the last days, endowed with the Spirit of God, and never again forsaking its calling, carries them as the evangelist of God in her apostolic mouth. The subject of the following prophecy is the new Jerusalem, the glorious centre of this holy church. Judgment of Devastation upon the Vineyard of Jehovah - Isaiah 5

The foregoing prophecy has run through all the different phases of prophetic exhortation by the time that we reach the close of Isa 4:1-6; and its leading thought, viz., the overthrow of the false glory of Israel, and the perfect establishment of true glory through the medium of judgment, has been so fully worked out, that chapter 5 cannot possibly be regarded either as a continuation or as an appendix to that address. Unquestionably there are many points in which chapter 5 refers back to chapters 2-4. The parable of the vineyard in Isa 5:1-7 grows, as it were, out of Isa 3:14; and in Isa 5:15 we have a repetition of the refrain in Isa 2:9, varied in a similar manner to Isa 2:17. But these and other points of contact with chapters 2-4, whilst they indicate a tolerable similarity in date, by no means prove the absence of independence in chapter 5. The historical circumstances of the two addresses are the same; and the range of thought is therefore closely related. But the leading idea which is carried out in chapter 5 is a totally different one. The basis of the address is a parable representing Israel as the vineyard of Jehovah, which, contrary to all expectation, had produced bad fruit, and therefore was given up to devastation. What kind of bad fruit it produced is described in a six-fold “woe;” and what kind of devastation was to follow is indicated in the dark nocturnal conclusion to the whole address, which is entirely without a promise.

The Prevalence and Effects of Sin. (b. c. 706.)

1 Behold, the Lord 's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. 6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. 8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

The prophet here rectifies the mistake of those who had been quarrelling with God because they had not the deliverances wrought for them which they had been often fasting and praying for, ch. lviii. 3. Now here he shows,

I. That it was not owing to God. They had no reason to lay the fault upon him that they were not saved out of the hands of their enemies; for, 1. He was still as able to help as ever: His hand is not shortened, his power is not at all lessened, straitened, or abridged. Whether we consider the extent of his power or the efficacy of it, God can reach as far as ever and with as strong a hand as ever. Note, The church's salvation comes from the hand of God, and that has not waxed weak nor is it at all shortened. Has the Lord's hand waxed short? (says God to Moses, Num. xi. 23). No, it has not; he will not have it thought so. Neither length of time nor strength of enemies, no, nor weakness of instruments, can shorten or straiten the power of God, with which it is all one to save by many or by few. 2. He was still as ready and willing to help as ever in answer to prayer: His ear is not heavy, that it cannot hear. Though he has many prayers to hear and answer, and though he has been long hearing prayer, yet he is still as ready to hear prayer as ever. The prayer of the upright is as much his delight as ever it was, and the promises which are pleaded and put in suit in prayer are still yea and amen, inviolably sure. More is implied than is expressed; not only his ear is not heavy, but he is quick of hearing. Even before they call he answers, ch. lxv. 24. If your prayers be not answered, and the salvation we wait for be not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearing prayer, but because we are weary of praying, not because his ear is heavy when we speak to him, but because our ears are heavy when he speaks to us.

II. That it was owing to themselves; they stood in their own light and put a bar in their own door. God was coming towards them in ways of mercy and they hindered him. Your iniquities have kept good things from you, Jer. v. 25.

1. See what mischief sin does. (1.) It hinders God's mercies from coming down upon us; it is a partition wall that separates between us and God. Notwithstanding the infinite distance that is between God and man by nature, there was a correspondence settled between them, till sin set them at variance, justly provoked God against man and unjustly alienated man from God; thus it separates between them and God. "He is your God, yours in profession, and therefore there is so much the more malignity and mischievousness in sin, which separates between you and him." Sin hides his face from us (which denotes great displeasure, Deut. xxxi. 17); it provokes him in anger to withdraw his gracious presence, to suspend the tokens of his favour and the instances of his help; he hides his face, as refusing to be seen or spoken with. See here sin in its colours, sin exceedingly sinful, withdrawing the creature from his allegiance to his Creator; and see sin in its consequences, sin exceedingly hurtful, separating us from God, and so separating us not only from all good, but to all evil (Deut. xxix. 21), which is the very quintessence of the curse. (2.) It hinders our prayers from coming up unto God; it provokes him to hide his face, that he will not hear, as he has said, ch. i. 15. If we regard iniquity in our heart, if we indulge it and allow ourselves in it, God will not hear our prayers, Ps. lxvi. 18. We cannot expect that he should countenance us while we go on to affront him.

2. Now, to justify God in hiding his face from them, and proceeding in his controversy with them, the prophet shows very largely, in the following verses, how many and great their iniquities were, according to the charge given him (ch. lviii. 1), to show God's people their transgressions; and it is a black bill of indictment that is here drawn up against them, consisting of many particulars, any one of which was enough to separate between them and a just and a holy God. Let us endeavour to reduce these articles of impeachment to proper heads.

(1.) We must begin with their thoughts, for there all sin begins, and thence it takes its rise: Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, v. 7. Their imaginations are so, only evil continually. Their projects and designs are so; they are continually contriving some mischief or other, and how to compass the gratification of some base lust (v. 4): They conceive mischief in their fancy, purpose, counsel, and resolution (thus the embryo receives its shape and life), and then they bring forth iniquity, put it in execution when it is ripened for it. Though it is in pain perhaps that the iniquity is brought forth, through the oppositions of Providences and the checks of their own consciences, yet, when they have compassed their wicked purpose, they look upon it with as much pride and pleasure as if it were a man-child born into the world; thus, when lust has conceived, it bringeth forth sin, Jam. i. 15. This is called (v. 5) hatching the cockatrice' egg and weaving the spider's web. See how the thoughts and contrivances of wicked men are employed, and about what they set their wits on work. [1.] At the best it is about that which is foolish and frivolous. Their thoughts are vain, like weaving the spider's web, which the poor silly animal takes a great deal of pains about, and, when all is done, it is a weak insignificant thing, a reproach to the place where it is, and which the besom sweeps away in an instant: such are the thoughts which worldly men entertain themselves with, building castles in the air, and pleasing themselves with imaginary satisfaction, like the spider, which takes hold with her hands very finely (Prov. xxx. 28), but cannot keep her hold. [2.] Too often it is about that which is malicious and spiteful. They hatch the eggs of the cockatrice or adder, which are poisonous and produce venomous creatures; such are the thoughts of the wicked who delight in doing mischief. He that eats of their eggs (that is, he is in danger of having some mischief or other done him), and that which is crushed in order to be eaten of, or which begins to be hatched and you promise yourself some useful fowl from it, breaks out into a viper, which you meddle with at your peril. Happy are those that have least to do with such men. Even the spider's web which they wove was woven with a spiteful design to catch flies in and make a prey of them; for, rather than not be doing mischief, they will play at small game.

(2.) Out of this abundance of wickedness in the heart their mouth speaks, and yet it does not always speak out the wickedness that is within, but, for the more effectually compassing the mischievous design, it is dissembled and covered with much fair speech (v. 3): Your lips have spoken lies; and again (v. 4), They speak lies, pretending kindness where they intend the greatest mischief; or by slanders and false accusations they blasted the credit and reputation of those they had a spite to and so did them a real mischief unseen, and perhaps by suborning witnesses against them took from them their estates and lives; for a false tongue is sharp arrows, and coals of juniper, and every thing that is mischievous. Your tongue has muttered perverseness. When they could not, for shame, speak their malice against their neighbours aloud, or durst not, for fear of being disproved and put to confusion, they muttered it secretly. Backbiters are called whisperers.

(3.) Their actions were all of a piece with their thoughts and words. They were guilty of shedding innocent blood, a crime of the most heinous nature: Your hands are defiled with blood (v. 3); for blood is defiling; it leaves an indelible stain of guilt upon the conscience, which nothing but the blood of Christ can cleanse it from. Now was this a case of surprise, or one that occurred when there was something of a force put upon them; but (v. 7) their feet ran to this evil, naturally and eagerly, and, hurried on by the impetus of their malice and revenge, they made haste to shed innocent blood, as if they were afraid of losing an opportunity to do a barbarous thing, Prov. i. 16; Jer. xxii. 17. Wasting and destruction are in their paths. Wherever they go they carry mischief along with them, and the tendency of their way is to lay waste and destroy, nor do they care what havoc they make. Nor do they only thirst after blood, but with other iniquities are their fingers defiled (v. 3); they wrong people in their estates and make every thing their own that they can lay their hands on. They trust in vanity (v. 4); they depend upon their arts of cozenage to enrich themselves with, which will prove vanity to them, and their deceiving others will but deceive themselves. Their works, which they take so much pains about and have their hearts so much upon, are all works of iniquity; their whole business is one continued course of oppressions and vexations, and the act of violence is in their hands, according to the arts of violence that are in their heads and the thoughts of violence in their hearts.

(4.) No methods are taken to redress these grievances, and reform these abuses (v. 4): None calls for justice, none complains of the violation of the sacred laws of justice, nor seeks to right those that suffer wrong or to get the laws put in execution against vice and profaneness, and those lewd practices which are the shame, and threaten to be the bane, of the nation. Note, When justice is not done there is blame to be laid not only upon the magistrates that should administer justice, but upon the people that should call for it. Private persons ought to contribute to the public good by discovering secret wickedness, and giving those an opportunity to punish it that have the power of doing so in their hands; but it is ill with a state when princes rule ill and the people love to have it so. Truth is opposed, and there is not any that pleads for it, not any that has the conscience and courage to appear in defence of an honest cause, and confront a prosperous fraud and wrong. The way of peace is as little regarded as the way of truth; they know it not, that is, they never study the things that make for peace, no care is taken to prevent or punish the breaches of the peace and to accommodate matters in difference among neighbours; they are utter strangers to every thing that looks quiet and peaceable, and affect that which is blustering and turbulent. There is no judgment in their goings; they have not any sense of justice in their dealings; it is a thing they make no account of at all, but can easily break through all its fences if they stand in the way of their malicious covetous designs.

(5.) In all this they act foolishly, very foolishly, and as much against their interest as against reason and equity. Those that practise iniquity trust in vanity, which will certainly deceive them, v. 4. Their webs, which they weave with so much art and industry, shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves, either for shelter or for ornament, with their works, v. 6. They may do hurt to others with their projects, but can never do any real service or kindness to themselves by them. There is nothing to be got by sin, and so it will appear when profit and loss come to be compared. Those paths of iniquity are crooked paths (v. 8), which will perplex them, but will never bring them to their journey's end; whoever go therein, though they say that they shall have peace notwithstanding they go on, deceive themselves; for they shall not know peace, as appears by the following verses.

The Prevalence and Effects of Sin. (b. c. 706.)

9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: 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 noonday 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; 13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord , and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving 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 maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

The scope of this paragraph is the same with that of the last, to show that sin is the great mischief-maker; as it is that which keeps good things from us, so it is that which brings evil things upon us. But as there it is spoken by the prophet, in God's name, to the people, for their conviction and humiliation, and that God might be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges, so here it seems to be spoken by the people to God, as an acknowledgment of that which was there told them and an expression of their humble submission and subscription to the justice and equity of God's proceedings against them. Their uncircumcised hearts here seem to be humbled in some measure, and they are brought to confess (the confession is at least extorted from them), that God had justly walked contrary to them, because they had walked contrary to him.

I. They acknowledge that God had contended with them and had walked contrary to them. Their case was very deplorable, v. 9-11. 1. They were in distress, trampled upon and oppressed by their enemies, unjustly dealt with, and ruled with rigour; and God did not appear for them, to plead their just and injured cause: "Judgment is far from us, neither does justice overtake us, v. 9. Though, as to our persecutors, we are sure that we have right on our side; and they are the wrong-doers, yet we are not relieved, we are not righted. We have not done justice to one another, and therefore God suffers our enemies to deal thus unjustly with us, and we are as far as ever from being restored to our right and recovering our property again. Oppression is near us, and judgment is far from us. Our enemies are far from giving our case its due consideration, but still hurry us on with the violence of their oppressions, and justice does not overtake us, to rescue us out of their hands." 2. Herein their expectations were sadly disappointed, which made their case the more sad: "We wait for light as those that wait for the morning, but behold obscurity; we cannot discern the least dawning of the day of our deliverance. We look for judgment, but there is none (v. 11); neither God nor man appears for our succour; we look for salvation, because God (we think) has promised it, and we have prayed for it with fasting; we look for it as for brightness, but it is far off from us, as far off as ever for aught we can perceive, and still we walk in darkness; and the higher our expectations have been raised the sorer is the disappointment." 3. They were quite at a loss what to do to help themselves and were at their wits' end (v. 10): "We grope for the wall like the blind; we see no way open for our relief, nor know which way to expect it, or what to do in order to it." If we shut our eyes against the light of divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace; and, if we use not our eyes as we should, it is just with him to let us be as if we had no eyes. Those that will not see their duty shall not see their interest. Those whom God has given up to a judicial blindness are strangely infatuated; they stumble at noon-day as in the night; they see not either those dangers, or those advantages, which all about them see. Quos Deus vult perdere, eos dementat—God infatuates those whom he means to destroy. Those that love darkness rather than light shall have their doom accordingly. 4. They sunk into despair and were quite overwhelmed with grief, the marks of which appeared in every man's countenance; they grew melancholy upon it, shunned conversation, and affected solitude: We are in desolate places as dead men. The state of the Jews in Babylon is represented by dead and dry bones (Ezek. xxxvii. 12) and the explanation of the comparison there (v. 11) explains this text: Our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts. In this despair the sorrow and anguish of some were loud and noisy: We roar like bears; the sorrow of others was silent, and preyed more upon their spirits: "We mourn sore like doves, like doves of the valleys; we mourn both for our iniquities (Ezek. vii. 16) and for our calamities." Thus they owned that the hand of the Lord had gone out against them.

II. They acknowledge that they had provoked God thus to contend with them, that he had done right, for they had done wickedly, v. 12-15. 1. They owned that they had sinned, and that to this day they were in a great trespass, as Ezra speaks (Ezra x. 10): "Our transgressions are with us; the guilt of them is upon us, the power of them prevails among us, we are not yet reformed, nor have we parted with our sins, though they have done so much mischief. Nay, our transgressions are multiplied; they are more numerous and more heinous than they have been formerly. Look which way we will, we cannot look off them; all places, all orders and degrees of men, are infected. The sense of our transgression is with us, as David said, My sin is ever before me; it is too plain to be denied or concealed, too bad to be excused or palliated. God is a witness to them: They are multiplied before thee, in thy sight, under thy eye. We are witnesses against ourselves: As for our iniquities, we know them, though we may have foolishly endeavoured to cover them. Nay, they themselves are witnesses: Our sins stare us in the face and testify against us, so many have they been and so deeply aggravated." 2. They owned the great evil and malignity of sin, of their sin; it is transgressing and lying against the Lord, v. 13. The sins of those that profess themselves God's people, and bear his name, are upon this account worse than the sins of others, that in transgressing they lie against the Lord, they falsely accuse him, they misrepresent and belie him, as if he had dealt hardly and unfairly with them; or they perfidiously break covenant with him and falsify their most sacred and solemn engagements to him, which is lying against him: it is departing away from our God, to whom we are bound as our God and to whom we ought to cleave with purpose of heart; from him we have departed, as the rebellious subject from his allegiance to his rightful prince, and the adulterous wife from the guide of her youth and the covenant of her God. 3. They owned that there was a general decay of moral honesty; and it is not strange that those who were false to their God were unfaithful to one another. They spoke oppression, declared openly for that, though it was a revolt from their God and a revolt from the truth, by the sacred bonds of which we should always be tied and held fast. They conceived and uttered words of falsehood. Many ill thing is conceived in the mind, yet is prudently stifled there, and not suffered to go any further; but these sinners were so impudent, so daring, that whatever wickedness they conceived, they gave it an imprimatur—a sanction, and made no difficulty of publishing it. To think an ill thing is bad, but to say it is much worse. Many a word of falsehood is uttered in haste, for want of consideration; but these were conceived and uttered, were uttered—deliberately and of malice prepense. They were words of falsehood, and yet they are said to be uttered from the heart, because, though they differed from the real sentiments of the heart and therefore were words of falsehood, yet they agreed with the malice and wickedness of the heart, and were the natural language of that; it was a double heart, Ps. xii. 2. Those who by the grace of God kept themselves free from these enormous crimes yet put themselves into the confession of sin, because members of that nation which was generally thus corrupted. 4. They owned that that was not done which might have been done to reform the land and to amend what was amiss, v. 14. "Judgment, that should go forward, and bear down the opposition that is made to it, that should run in its course like a river, like a mighty stream, is turned away backward, a contrary course. The administration of justice has become but a cover to the greatest injustice. Judgment, that should check the proceedings of fraud and violence, is driven back, and so they go on triumphantly. Justice stands afar off, even from our courts of judicature, which are so crowded with the patrons of oppression that equity cannot enter, cannot have admission into the court, cannot be heard, or at least will not be heeded. Equity enters not into the unrighteous decrees which they decree, ch. x. 1. Truth is fallen in the street, and there she may lie to be trampled upon by every foot of pride, and she has never a friend that will lend a hand to help her up; yea, truth fails in common conversation, and in dealings between man and man, so that one knows not whom to believe nor whom to trust." 5. They owned that there was a prevailing enmity in men's minds to those that were good: He that does evil goes unpunished, but he that departs from evil makes himself a prey to those beasts of prey that were before described. It is crime enough with them for a man not to do as they do, and they treat him as an enemy who will not partake with them in their wickedness. He that departs from evil is accounted mad; so the margin reads. Sober singularity is branded as folly, and he is thought next door to a madman who swims against the stream that runs so strongly. 6. They owned that all this could not but be very displeasing to the God of heaven. The evil was done in his sight. They knew very well, though they were not willing to acknowledge it, that the Lord saw it; though it was done secretly, and gilded over with specious pretences, yet it could not be concealed from his all-seeing eye. All the wickedness that is in the world is naked and open before the eyes of God; and, as he is of quicker eyes than not to see iniquity, so he is of purer eyes than to behold it with the least approbation or allowance. He saw it, and it displeased him, though it was among his own professing people that he saw it. It was evil in his eyes; he saw the sinfulness of all this sin, and that which was most offensive to him was that there was no judgment, no reformation; had he seen any signs of repentance, though the sin displeased him, he would soon have been reconciled to the sinners upon their returning from their evil way. Then the sin of a nation becomes national, and brings public judgments, when it is not restrained by public justice.

The Kind Interposition of God; Evangelical Promises. (b. c. 706.)

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. 17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. 19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord . 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord ; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord , from henceforth and for ever.

How sin abounded we have read, to our great amazement, in the former part of the chapter; how grace does much more abound we read in these verses. And, as sin took occasion from the commandment to become more exceedingly sinful, so grace took occasion from the transgression of the commandment to appear more exceedingly gracious. Observe,

I. Why God wrought salvation for this provoking people, notwithstanding their provocations. It was purely for his own name's sake; because there was nothing in them either to bring it about, or to induce him to bring it about for them, no merit to deserve it, no might to effect it, he would do it himself, would be exalted in his own strength, for his own glory.

1. He took notice of their weakness and wickedness: He saw that there was no man that would do any thing for the support of the bleeding cause of religion and virtue among them, not a man that would execute judgment (Jer. v. 1), that would bestir himself in a work of reformation; those that complained of the badness of the times had not zeal and courage enough to appear and act against it; there was a universal corruption of manners, and nothing done to stem the tide; most were wicked, and those that were not so were yet weak, and durst not attempt any thing in opposition to the wickedness of the wicked. There was no intercessor, either none to intercede with God, to stand in the gap by prayer to turn away his wrath (it would have pleased him to be thus met, and he wondered that he was not), or, rather, none to interpose for the support of justice and truth, which were trampled upon and run down (v. 14), no advocate to speak a good word for those who were made a prey of because they kept their integrity, v. 15. They complained that God did not appear for them (ch. lviii. 3); but God with much more reason complains that they did nothing for themselves, intimating how ready he would have been to do them good if he had found among them the least motion towards a reformation.

2. He engaged his own strength and righteousness for them. They shall be saved, notwithstanding all this; and, (1.) Because they have no strength of their own, nor any active men that will set to it in good earnest to redress the grievances either of their iniquities or of their calamities, therefore his own arm shall bring salvation to him, to his people, or to him whom he would raise up to be the deliverer, Christ, the power of God and arm of the Lord, that man of his right hand whom he made strong for himself. The work of reformation (that is the first and principal article of the salvation) shall be wrought by the immediate influences of the divine grace on men's consciences. Since magistrates and societies for reformation fail of doing their part, one will not do justice nor the other call for it, God will let them know that he can do it without them when his time shall come thus to prepare his people for mercy, and then the work of deliverance shall be wrought by the immediate operations of the divine Providence on men's affections and affairs. When God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, and brought his people out of Babylon, not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, then his own arm, which is never shortened, brought salvation. (2.) Because they have no righteousness of their own to merit these favours, and to which God might have an eye in working for them, therefore his own righteousness sustained him and bore him out in it. Divine justice, which by their sins they had armed against them, through grace appears for them. Though they can expect no favour as due to them, yet he will be just to himself, to his own purpose and promise, and covenant with his people: he will, in righteousness, punish the enemies of his people; see Deut. ix. 5. Not for thy righteousness, but for the wickedness of these nations they are driven out. In our redemption by Christ, since we had no righteousness of our own to produce, on which God might proceed in favour to us, he brought in a righteousness by the merit and mediation of his own Son (it is called the righteousness which is of God by faith, Phil. iii. 9), and this righteousness sustained him, and bore him out in all his favours to us, notwithstanding our provocations. He put on righteousness as a breast-plate, securing his own honour, as a breast-plate does the vitals, in all his proceedings, by the justice and equity of them; and then he put a helmet of salvation upon his head; so sure is he to effect the salvation he intends that he takes salvation itself for his helmet, which therefore must needs be impenetrable, and in which he appears very illustrious, formidable in the eyes of his enemies and amiable in the eyes of his friends. When righteousness is his coat of arms, salvation is his crest. In allusion to this, among the pieces of a Christian's armour we find the breast-plate of righteousness, and for a helmet the hope of salvation (Eph. vi. 14-17; 1 Thess. v. 8), and it is called the armour of God, because he wore it first and so fitted it for us. (3.) Because they have no spirit or zeal to do any thing for themselves, God will put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and clothe himself with zeal as a cloak; he will make his justice upon the enemies of his church and people, and his jealousy for his own glory and the honour of religion and virtue among men, to appear evident and conspicuous in the eye of the world; and in these he will show himself great, as a man shows himself in his rich attire or in the distinguishing habit of his office. If men be not zealous against sin, God will, and will take vengeance on it for all the injury it has done to his honour and his people's welfare; and this was the business of Christ in the world, to take away sin and be revenged on it.

II. What the salvation is that shall be wrought out by the righteousness and strength of God himself.

1. There shall be a present temporal salvation wrought out for the Jews in Babylon, or elsewhere in distress and captivity. This is promised (v. 18, 19) as a type of something further. When God's time shall come he will do his own work, though those fail that should forward it. It is here promised, (1.) That God will reckon with his enemies and will render to them according to their deeds, to the enemies of his people abroad, that have oppressed them, to the enemies of justice and truth at home, that have oppressed them, for they also are God's enemies; and, when the day of vengeance shall have come, he will deal with both as they have deserved, according to retribution (so the word is), the law of retributions (Rev. xiii. 10), or according to former retributions; as he has rendered to his enemies formerly, accordingly he will now repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; his fury shall not exceed the rules of justice, as men's fury commonly does. Even to the islands, that lie most remote, if they have appeared against him, he will repay recompence; for his hand shall find out all his enemies (Ps. xxi. 8), and his arrows reach them. Though God's people have behaved so ill that they do not deserve to be delivered, yet his enemies behave so much worse that they do deserve to be destroyed. (2.) That, whatever attempts the enemies of God's people may afterwards make upon them to disturb their peace, they shall be baffled and brought to nought: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, like a high spring-tide, or a land-flood, which threaten to bear down all before them without control, then the Spirit of the Lord by some secret undiscerned power shall lift up a standard against him, and so (as the margin reads it) put him to flight. He that has delivered will still deliver. When God's people are weak and helpless, and have no standard to lift up against the invading power, God will give a banner to those that fear him (Ps. lx. 4), will by his Spirit lift up a standard, which will draw multitudes together to appear on the church's behalf. Some read it, He shall come (the name of the Lord, and his glory, before foreseen of the Messiah promised) like a straight river, the Spirit of the Lord lifting him up for an ensign. Christ by the preaching of his gospel shall cover the earth with the knowledge of God as with the waters of a flood, the Spirit of the Lord setting up Christ as a standard to the Gentiles, ch. xi. 10. (3.) That all this should redound to the glory of God and the advancement of religion in the world (v. 19): So shall they fear the name of the Lord and his glory in all nations that lie eastward or westward. The deliverance of the Jews out of captivity, and the destruction brought on their oppressors, would awaken multitudes to enquire concerning the God of Israel, and induce them to serve and worship him and enlist themselves under the standard which the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up. God's appearances for his church shall occasion the accession of many to it. This had its full accomplishment in gospel times, when many came from the east and west, to fill up the places of the children of the kingdom that were cast out, when there were set up eastern and western churches, Matt. viii. 11.

2. There shall be a more glorious salvation wrought out by the Messiah in the fulness of time, which salvation all the prophets, upon all occasions, had in view. We have here the two great promises relating to that salvation:—

(1.) That the Son of God shall come to us to be our Redeemer (v. 20): Thy Redeemer shall come; it is applied to Christ, Rom. ix. 26. There shall come the deliverer. The coming of Christ as the Redeemer is the summary of all the promises both of the Old and New Testament, and this was the redemption in Jerusalem which the believing Jews looked for, Luke ii. 38. Christ is our Goël, our next kinsman, that redeems both the person and the estate of the poor debtor. Observe, [1.] The place where this Redeemer shall appear: He shall come to Zion, for there, on that holy hill, the Lord would set him up as his King, Ps. ii. 6. In Zion the chief corner-stone was to be laid, 1 Pet. ii. 6. He came to his temple there, Mal. iii. 1. There salvation was to be placed (ch. xlvi. 13), for thence the law was to go forth, ch. ii. 3. Zion was a type of the gospel church, for which the Redeemer acts in all his appearances: The Redeemer shall come for the sake of Zion; so the LXX. reads it. [2.] The persons that shall have the comfort of the Redeemer's coming, that shall then lift up their heads, knowing that their redemption draws nigh. He shall come to those that turn from the ungodliness in Jacob, to those that are in Jacob, to the praying seed of Jacob, in answer to their prayers; yet not to all that are in Jacob, that are within the pale of the visible church, but to those only that turn from transgression, that repent, and reform, and forsake those sins which Christ came to redeem them from. The sinners in Zion will fare never the better for the Redeemer's coming to Zion if they go on still in their trespasses.

(2.) That the Spirit of God shall come to us to be our sanctifier, v. 21. In the Redeemer there was a new covenant made with us a covenant of promises; and this is the great and comprehensive promise of that covenant, that God will give and continue his word and Spirit to his church and people throughout all generations. God's giving the Spirit to those that ask him includes the giving of them all good things, Luke xi. 13; Matt. vii. 11. This covenant is here said to be made with them, that is, with those that turn from transgression; for those that cease to do evil shall be taught to do well. But the promise is made to a single person—My Spirit that is upon thee, being directed either, [1.] To Christ as the head of the church, who received that he might give. The Spirit promised to the church was first upon him, and from his head that precious ointment descended to the skirts of his garments; and the word of the gospel was first put into his mouth; for it began to be spoken by the Lord. And all believers are his seed, in whom he prolongs his days, ch. liii. 10. Or, [2.] To the church; and so it is a promise of the continuance and perpetuity of the church in the world to the end of time, parallel to those promises that the throne and seed of Christ shall endure for ever, Ps. lxxxix. 29, 36; xxii. 30. Observe, First, How the church shall be kept up, in a succession, as the world of mankind is kept up, by the seed and the seed's seed. As one generation passes away another generation shall come. Instead of the fathers shall be the children. Secondly, How long it shall be kept up—henceforth and for ever, always, even unto the end of the world; for, the world being left to stand for the sake of the church, we may be sure that as long as it does stand Christ will have a church in it, though no always visible. Thirdly, By what means it shall be kept up; by the constant residence of the word and Spirit in it. 1. The Spirit that was upon Christ shall always continue in the hearts of the faithful; there shall be some in every age on whom he shall work, and in whom he shall dwell, and thus the Comforter shall abide with the church for ever, John xiv. 16. 2. The word of Christ shall always continue in the mouths of the faithful; there shall be some in every age who, believing with the heart unto righteousness, shall with the tongue make confession unto salvation. The word shall never depart out of the mouth of the church; for there shall still be a seed to speak Christ's holy language and profess his holy religion. Observe, The Spirit and the word go together, and by them the church is kept up. For the word in the mouths of our ministers, nay, the word in our own mouths, will not profit us, unless the Spirit work with the word, and give us an understanding. But the Spirit does his work by the word and in concurrence with it; and whatever is pretended to be a dictate of the Spirit must be tried by the scriptures. On these foundations the church is built, stands firmly, and shall stand for ever, Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.

CHAP. LIX.

Ver. 1. BEhold the Lords hand is not ſhortened] That their Faſts were not regarded, their Sabbath-keeping rewarded, as chap. 58.3, 14. their prayers anſwered, chap. 59.1, 2. according to expectation; the fault is not at all in God, ſaith the Prophet, as if he were now grown old, impotent, deafiſh, or biſon (as they were apt to conceit it) but meerly in themſelves, as appeareth by the following catalogue of ſins; which he therefore alſo, in his own and their names confeſſeth to God, and aſſigneth for the cauſe of their ſo long-laſting calamity.

Ver. 2. But your iniquities have ſevered] i. e. Have ſet you at a very great diſtance (hinted alſo by the redundancy of ſpeech that is here in the Original) or rather defiance, Pſal. 5.5. Prov. 15.29. chap. 29.13. Nothing intricates our actions more than our ſins, which do likewiſe enſnare our ſouls whiles they are as a wall of ſeparation between God and us, Ezek. 43.8. and as an interſtitium, ſuch as is the firmament that divideth the upper and the lower waters, Gen. 1.6.

Mimus. And your ſins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear] Crudelem medicum intemperant aeger facit. Sin is as a devil in the ayre, ſaith one, to hinder our prayers: turning from ſin will charm the devil, and make him fall from heaven.

Ver. 3. For your hands are defiled with blood] The Prophet well knew, that theſe perverſe Jews would ſtand upon their juſtification, and put God to his proofs (as their poſterity alſo did, Jer. 2.35.) catalogum ergo bene longum texit, therefore he here brings in a long bedrol of their ſins; wherein their hands, lips, heart, feet, &c. were found guilty of high offence. See chap. 1.15.

Your lips have ſpoken lyes] Thoſe very lips of yours that have uttered prayers, have muttered lyes. See James 3.10.

And your tongue hath muttered perverſeneſſe] How this was done, none hath better ſet forth than the Prophet Jeremy, chap. 9.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Ver. 4. None calleth for juſtice] Mindeth the Judges of their duty, but rather connive, collogue, partake, &c. The Chaldee hath it, There is none that delivereth the poor and needy.

They truſt in vanity] As thoſe did, Jer. 7.4. making a bridge of their own ſhadows, they fall into the brook.

They conceive miſchief, &c.] This is taken out of Pſal. 7.14. See the Note there: as alſo on Job. 15.35. Heb. Going great with grievance, and bringing forth vexation.

Ver. 5. They hatch cockatrice egges] i. e. Poiſonous and pernicious deſignes; there are that interpret it of falſe doctrines, as deſtructive to mens ſouls: as Cockatrice egges-eaten, or but broken, would be to their bodies. As the bird that ſitteth on the ſerpents egges, by breaking and hatching them, bringeth forth a perilous brood, to her own deſtruction: ſo here.

And weave the ſpiders web] Good for nothing but to catch flyes. The natural man is ever either weaving ſpiders webs (which are futiles and fragiles) or hatching Cockatrice-egges. Vanity or villany is his whole ſtudy and practice.

Ver. 6. Their webs ſhall not become garments] Garments quaſi gardments; one uſe of them being to guard our bodies from the injury of wind and weather. Wicked devices and falſe doctrines profit not thoſe that are therein occupied, as Heb. 13.9. In the day of Gods wrath, they will prove but as a coat of cobweb.

Their works are works of iniquity] Here Miniſters may learn roundly to reprove the ſins of the people.

Ver. 7. Their feet run unto evil, &c.] They trot apace toward hell; they take long ſtrides, as if they feared leaſt hell ſhould be full before they come thither.

And they make haſte to ſhed innocent blood] This is taken from Prov. 1.16. and fitly applyed by St. Paul to the whole race of mankind, Rom. 3.15. ſith by nature there's never a better of us: we are all in a pickle; Ecce hic te las aranearum & ova aſpidum explicat. A [illegible: 1 letter]apide.

Waſting and deſtruction are in their paths] A Metaphor from torrents or tempeſts: or from a peſtilence that ſweepeth all, as now it doth at Genna, and as it did not long ſince at Naples.

Ver. 8. The way of peace they know not] Like Salamanders, they love to live in the fire of contention, to ſwim againſt the ſtream with the Trout, to ſow ſedition, as the devil, &c.

Shall not know peace] Shall not know what it meaneth.

Ver. 9. Therefore is Judgement far from us] Here followeth, the complaint of the godly party, together with their confeſſion: this they knew well to be the readieſt way to get off with comfort. God, ſay they here, hath neither avenged us on our enemies, nor ſhewed us favour: he letteth our foes deal with us, as we have dealt one with another.

We wait for light, but behold obſcurity] We promiſed our ſelves a better eſtate: but the matter mendeth with us, quoth that Martyr, as ſowr ale doth in ſummer.

Ver. 10. We grope for the wall like the blind] We are altogether to ſeek, utterly deſtitute of good counſel or advice: neither can we enjoy thoſe comforts that we have.

We are in deſolate places as dead men] As free among the dead, free of that company, Pſal. 88.5. Leo Judae rendreth it, we are in our graves as dead carcaſſes. Piſcator thus, In fatneſſes (that is, in the abundance of all things) we are as dead men.

Ver. 11. We roar all like bears] Fremimus, ac gemimus. The bear, when hurt or robbed, runs into his den and roareth. Doves, when bereft of their mates, ſit ſolitary and groan. So do we indiſinenter & intimè gemimus, make pittiful moan: and that's all we can do.

Ver. 12. For our tranſgreſſions are multiplied before thee] When complaints end in confeſſions, it is right: the Phyſick worketh kindly. Some furious fools have brutiſh and fell affections, full of rage, when in pain or grief they fly upon God and man, and all that comes next hand; hoping to eaſe themſelves, not by confeſſion or reformation, but by revenge.

And our ſins teſtifying againſt us] Sin put a ſting into their croſſes: and hence it was they lay ſo heavy. This brought ſuch roarings and groanings upon them, Heb. Peccatū reſpondit. l. c. peccatorum unumquodque. and that alſo when ſalvation was looked for.

For our tranſgreſſions are with us] They lie like a lo[illegible: 1 letter]d of lead upon our conſciences, where they are yet unpardoned.

And as for our iniquities, we know them] Our conſciences are burdened with them, and we feel the terrours of God in our ſouls. Conſcientia nihil aliud eſt quam cordis ſcientia: Conſcience is the reflection of the ſoul upon it ſelf. See 1 Cor. 4.4. So here, As for our iniquities we know them, namely by a ſecond act of the underſtanding, whereby, after we think or know a thing, we think what we think, and know what we know, and this is properly the action of Conſcience.

Ver. 13. In tranſgreſſing and lying againſt the Lord] Or dealing diſloyally with him. This is to lay on load; to be full in the mouth, to enter into particulars, and to confeſs them all with utmoſt aggravation.

Ver. 14. And judgement is turned away backward] Nihil amplius ex aequo & bono agitur: All's out of order: cauſes are carried the contrary way.

Truth is fallen in the ſtreets] When the diſputation at Oxford with Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer Martyrs was finiſhed, Weſton the Prolocutor triumphed with Vicit Veritas: whereas he ſhould rather have ſaid, Vicit Potestas, Act. & Mon. 1300. not Truth but Force hath carried it. In the Convocation at Pauls about the ſame time, when Philpot and other good men argued for the truth againſt the Popiſh Prelates, it was ſaid, that thoſe diſtreſſed Miniſters had the Word for them, but the Prelates had the ſword on their ſide, and would therefore get the better.

Ver. 14. Yea truth faileth] See ver. 13.

And he that departeth from evil, maketh himſelf a prey] Praedae patet, is like to ſuffer for his ſingularity and preciſeneſs. The luxurious Epheſians once made this decree, [non-Latin text not transcribed], Let there be never a ſober man ſuffered to live amongſt us. The Athenians were wont to caſt good men out of their Common-wealth by an Oſtraciſme. Thraſcaes was commanded by Nero to dye, becauſe he was a better man then was fit to live in ſo looſe an age. Joſephus ſaith, that before the laſt deſtruction of Jeruſalem, Religion was not only a matter of form, but of ſcorn. Bede reporteth of the ancient Brittons immediately before their deſtruction by the Saxons, that they were come to that height of wickedneſſe, as to caſt odium in religionis profeſſores tanquam in adverſarios, hatred upon profeſſours of religion, looking upon them as their adverſaries.

Ver. 15. And wondred] The vulgar hath it Aporiatus eſt.

That there was no Interceſſour] No Interpoſer (as Job 36.32.) that would ſtickle for truth and right, as did Nehemiah, Athanaſius, Luther, &c.

Therefore his arm brought ſalvation—and his righteouſneſſe] i. e. Chriſt, the power of God,Jun. and the wiſdom of God, 1 Cor. 1.24, 30.

Ver. 17. For he put on righteouſneſſe as a breſt-plate] i. e. Chriſt did; and ſo muſt every Chriſtian, Eph. 6.14. where the Apoſtle Paul ſoundeth the Alarm, and deſcribeth his weapons as here, defenſive and offenſive; alluding likely to this text.

Ver. 18. Fury to his adverſaries] Viz. The Devil and his Agents, his peoples adverſaries.

Ver. 19. So they ſhall fear the Name of the Lord] Chriſt ſhall get him a great Name, as a renowned Conquerour.

When the enemy ſhall come in like a flood] When they ſhall pour out a deluge of evils upon the Church, Rev. 12.15.

The Spirit of the Lord ſhall lift up a ſtandard againſt him] i. e. Againſt ſtrong temptations, corruptions, perſecutions: the Motto ſhall be (as once) Chriſtus nobiſcum: ſtate.

Ver. 20. And the Redeemer] Shall come to the Iſrael of God.

That turn from tranſgreſſion] See Rom. 11.26. with the Note.

Ver. 21. My ſpirit which is upon thee, and my words] The efficacy of the Word is by the Spirit; the expreſſion of the Spirit by the Word: both are here promiſed to the Church, as her true goods, Iſa. 30.20, 21. Joh. 14.16, 26. It is with the Word and Spirit, as with the veines and arteries in the body: as the veines carry the blood, ſo the arteries carry the ſpirits to quicken the blood.