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COMMENTARY

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

Prophet ISAIAH

I

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The ARGUMENT of Chapter I.

The Prophet accufes the Jews of Ingratitude, Rebellion and an univerfal depravation of Manners threatens them with Hoftile Incurfions; tells them how infignificant their most coftly Sacrifices were, without inward Holiness; lets them know upon what Conditions they may be fure of God's Favour, and what would be the neceffary confequence of continuing in Rebellion against their Maker. Then at the twenty first Verfe, he breaks out into a passionate Exclamation at their furprizing degeneracy, and threatneth to purge away their Sins by the Fire of Affliction, meaning, as Gro-. tius thinks, the Invasion of Judea by Rezin and Pekah (a); (4) 2 Kings (b) as others, by Sennacherib; but, I think, it is a great deal 16. (b) Vatablus. more probable that the Prophet meaneth the Babylonian Captivity (c): Lower than this Period we must not feek for the (c) Sanctius Completion of this Prophecy, because the Perfons here Alapade. threatned are charg'd with Idolatry, which the Jews were. never guilty of after their Return from Chaldæa; and for this reafon the Prophet cannot be underflood of the GofpetTimes, as (d) fome think, who by Judges and Counsellors, (d) Hieron. will have the Prophet to mean the Apostles of Chrift.

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Cyrill.

Chapter
I.

Verse 1.

T

CHAP. I.

HE Vifion of Ifaiah the Son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Fudah and Ferufalem, in the in the days of Uzziah, Fotham, Abaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah.] By the Original Chazon Vision, which here ftands for the Plural, we must understand All the following Prophecies reveal'd by God, at different times, to Ifaiah; fo call'd, because, when the Spirit of God reveal'd them to him, he had as clear and diftinct Idea's of the things imprefs'd on his Mind, as if he had actually feen them with his Eyes. The Subject of these Prophecies concerns Judah and Ferufalem, that is, the Kingdom of Judah, comprehending the Tribe of Benjamin, as it stood separate and diftinct from the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, at the time of Ifaiah's prophecying: Not but that we meet with feveral Predi ctions relating to the Affairs of other Nations; in which, however, the Jews were fo much concern'd, that the Prophet thought fit to take notice of his own Country only; becaufe when he foretold the deftruction of the Affyrians, the Moabites, the Egyptians, or any other Nations, it was the fame in effect, as if he had foretold Deliverance to the Jews. The Reigns of the four Kings here mention'd, make 113 Years; fo that, if with Eufebius, we fix the time when Ifaiah began to prophecy, 17° Uzzia, he exercis'd that Function above 90 Years; which may ferve to leffen the wonder, that the Prophet fhould fo often denounce the fame Judgment against them in different Expreffions, as that of Sennacherib's Incurfion; which takes up a large part in thefe Prophecies: Since here is time enough for the Jews to forget them, time enough for that finful Nation to give him frequent occafions to remind them of God's Judgment, which they regarded no longer than they were ringing in their Ears. Much less will it be any juft caufe of wonder, that we are not able to point out exactly the Completion of every Minute-Circumftance here recorded, if we confider the shortness of the Jewish History: The Tranfactions

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of

I.

of 195 Years, from the Commencement of Ifaiah's pro- Chapter phetical Office, to the Babylonian Captivity, being included in Ten fmall Chapters, containing less than one of our Modern Monthly Journals (a).

(a) From the

Ver. 2. Hear, O Heaven's, and give Ear, O Earth; for 15th, to the the Lord bath spoken, I have nourished and brought up Chil- end of the 2d of Kings. dren, and they have rebelled against me.] He calls on Heaven and Earth, as if they were fenfible of what he faid, fignifying thereby to the Jews, that if they difregarded his Admonitions, Heaven and Earth fhould confpire to punish their Infenfibility, and things inanimate revenge the Affront put upon their Creator.

C. 13. Am

Ver. 3. The Ox knoweth his Owner, and the Afs his Mafter's Crib; but Ifrael doth not know, my People doth not confider.] As ftupid a Beaft as the Afs is, he knows the Mafter of his Crib, the Perfon who feeds him every day. In tauro ferocia, in Afino stupiditas non auferunt cog- (b) Foreria. nitionem five fenfum Dominorum (b). Calvin is roughly (c) Auguft. handled for justly blaming fome (c) of the Fathers for contra Fudeos, interpreting this Verfe of our Saviour's lying in the brof. lib. 2. Manger, between an Ox and an Afs, who by natural In- in luc. ftinet (fay they) knew the Dignity of his Perfon, and paid him fuitable Veneration. Such Romances the Roman Catholick Commentators abound with, but none more than Calvin's Genfurer (d). Ver. 4 db finful Nation, a People laden with Iniquity, Alapide. a Seed of evil Doers, Children that are Corrupters, they have forfaken the Lord, they have provoked the holy One of Ifrael unto Anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be Stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more, the whole bead is fick, and the whole heart faint.] Nal Me, which our Translators render why, maybe interpreted where;

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(d) Corneliu

In what part of the Body fhall I ftrike you? (e) Non (e) Ovid. 1. 4babet in vobis jam nova plaga locum, which, by the fol- de Ponto. lowing Similitude, of a corrupted Body, feems to have been the Prophet's meaning: Or, Quà Plagà vos percutiam; as if the Almighty had exhaufted his Store of Judgments, and had not one Plague left, which had not already prov'd unfuccessful.

Ver. 6. From the fole of the foot even unto the head, there is no foundness in it; but Wounds, and Bruifes, and putrify

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