Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 17

THE burden of Damascus : Behold Damascus is taken away from being a City, and it shall be a ruinous heap .

Both of that City and Kingdom, as appears from v. 2, 3.

This was fulfilled by Tiglath-pileser, 2 Kings 16. 9. although afterwards it was re-edified and possessed by another sort of Inhabitants.

Marginal references: Jer. 49. 23. Amos 1. 3. Zech. 9. 1.

2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid .

Of that part of Syria called Aroer, from a great City of that name; of which see Deut. 2. 36. & 3. 12. These Cities were possessed by the Reubenites and Gadites, whom Tiglath-Pileser carried into Captivity, 1 Chron. 5. 26. These he mentions here, as he doth Ephraim in the next Verse, because they were Confederate with Syria against Iudah.

Because the Land shall be desolate, and destitute of Men who might disturb them.

3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria : they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.

Either Samaria, their chief Fortress; or all their Fortresses or Strong Holds, the Singular Number being put for the Plural▪ or all their Strength and Glory; which answers to the kingdom in the next Clause.

Or, and from (which Particle is easily understood from the former Clause) the remnant of Syria. So the sence is, The Remainders of Damascus and of Syria shall be an Headless Body, a People without a King.

An Ironical Speech, implying their contemptible Condition; for their Glory is supposed to be departed from them, by what he had already said of them. The sence is, Syria shall have as much Glory as Israel, i. e. neither of them shall have any at all.

4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin , and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.

Or, shall be emptied, as this Word is rendred Isa. 19. 6.

5 And it shall be as when the harvest-man gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm , and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the Valley of Rephaim .

Taking care, as far as may be, that all may be gathered in, and nothing left. So shall the whole Body of the Ten Tribes be carried away Captive, some few Gleanings onely being left of them, as it is in the Harvest.

A very fruitful Place near Ierusalem, Ios. 15. 8. & 18. 16.

6 Yet gleaning-grapes shall be left in it , as the shaking of an olive-tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.

Some few Israelites were left after their Captivity, who joyned themselves to the Kingdom of Iudah, and were carried Captive to Babylon with them, from whence also they returned with them, as we find in the History of their Return in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Marginal references: Chap. 24. 13.

7 At that day shall a man look to his maker , and his eyes shall have respect to the holy One of Israel.

Those few Men that are left.

They shall sincerely respect, and trust, and worship (all which are understood by looking to) God, and God onely, as the next Verse explains it. Their Afflictions shall at last bring them to Repentance.

8 And he shall not look to the altars , the work of his hands , neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves , or the the images .

Not resort or trust to them, or to the Worship offered [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]dols upon them.

Their own Inventions; for oth[illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word] the Altars made by God's Command were the Wo[illegible: 1+ letters] of Mens Hands.

Which were devised and planted by Men, as fit Places for the Worship of their Gods; and therefore were forbidden, Deut. 16. 21. 1 Kings 14. 15.

Worshipped in their Groves. The Word properly signifies images of the sun, either having the Form and Shape of the Sun, or at least erected to his Honour and Worship; of which see Deut. 4. 19. & 17. 3. 2 Kings 2[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ 5, 11. Ier. 8. 2. & 7. 18. & 44. 17, 18.

Marginal references: Or, sun-images.

9 In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch , which they left, because of the children of Israel : and there shall be desolation.

In the day of Iacob's Trouble, of which he spake v. 4. and continueth his Speech unto these Words, and afterwards.

Which he that pruneth the Tree neglecteth, either because he esteems it useless and inconsiderable, or because he cannot reach it.

The sence is, either, 1. Which they, to wit, the Enemies, left, or, which shall be left (the Active Verb being put Impersonally, as it frequently is in the Hebrew Text) because of or for the children of Israel; which God inclined their Hearts to leave or spare, out of his Love to his Israel. Thus this is mentioned as a Mercy, or Mitigation of the Calamity. But this seems not to agree either with the foregoing or following Words, both which manifestly speak of the greatness of the Judgment. And that their strong Cities were not left for them▪ but taken from them, seems evident from v. 3, 4. Or, 2. As the Cities (which Words are easily understood out of the former part of the Verse, where they are expressed) which they (to wit, the Canaanites, as the Seventy Interpreters express it; and it was needless to name them, because the History was so well known to them to whom the Prophet writes) left or forsook (which they did either by departing from them, or being destroyed out of them) because of (or before, or for fear of) the children of Israel. And this was a very fit Example, to awaken the Israelites to a serious belief of this Threatning, because God had inflicted the same Judgment upon the Canaanites, and that for the same Sins of which they were guilty.

10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength : therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants , and shalt set it with strange slips:

O Israel.

That God who was thy onely sure Defence.

Excellent Flowers and Fruit-trees.

Fetched from far Countries, and therefore highly esteemed. The sence is, Thou shalt use much Industry and Cost, but to no purpose, as it follows.

Marginal references: Or, plants of pleasant fruits

11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish : but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of greif, and of desperate sorrow .

Thou shalt from day to day, beginning early in the Morning, use all Care and Diligence that what thou hast planted and sown may thrive; and thou shalt see some Effect of thy Labours, and some Hopes of Success.

The sence of the Words thus rendred is this; But in the time of your grief, &c. or when this grievous Calamity shall come, all your Harvest shall be but one Heap, which in it self is very inconsiderable, and is easily carried away by your Enemies. But the Place is and may be otherwise rendred, and that very ageeeably both to the Words and Order of the Hebrew Text; But the heap (or, heaps, the Singular Number being most commonly put for the Plural) of the harvest (i. e. in stead of those Heaps of Corn which thou didst expect, and which Men usually reap in Harvest) in the day or time (to wit, of the Harvest; or, in the day of Calamity, of which I have spoken v. 4, 9. or, in a day, i. e. speedily or suddenly) shall be (or, thou shalt have) grief and desperate sorrow. This shall be all thy Harvest, and the Event of thy Labours.

Marginal references: Or, removed in the day of inheritance, and there shall be deadly sorrow.

12 Wo to the multitude of many people , which make a noise like the noise of the seas ; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters.

This is a new Prophecy, added for the present support and comfort of God's People.

Combined together against Iudah. It matters not whether you understand this of the Syrians and Israelites who were united against Iudah, or of the Assyrians, whose Army consisted of vast numbers, and of men of several Nations. The following Words agree to either of them.

Which invade my Land and P[illegible: 1+ letters]ple with great force and fary, as the Sea doth, either in its [illegible: 1+ letters]n Channel, or when it enters into the Land by a Breach.

Marginal references: Or, many, or, noise.; Or, many.

13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them , and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Not in Words▪ but Deeds; shall discomfit and over [illegible: 1+ letters] them.

Which is easily moved by every sleight touch, and much more by a violent Wind. Or, like a wis[illegible: 1+ letters], to wit, of Straw, which is sometimes rolled together.

Marginal references: Or, thistledown.

14 And▪ behold at evening-tide trouble, and before the morning he is not : this is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us .

At Even there is a great Terrour and Consternation among God's People, for fear of their Enemies; and ere the Morning cometh, their Enemies are cut off by the Hand of God. This was literally and eminently fulfilled in the Destruction of Sennacherib's Army before Ierusalem. Although the Words may be more generally understood of any great and sudden Change, and unexpected Deliverance, granted to God's People, when their Enemies were ready to devour them. And this Place may be compared with that in Psal. 30. 5.—weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

This is a triumphant Conclusion, uttered by the Prophet in the name of God's People.