gant and Bishop Lowth. If I were to make any al. teration of the text as it now stands, it should be, in conformity to the version of the LXX, to omit the ' prefixed to the word, and to prefix > to PP. "Yes they are filled, as of old, with astrologers, like the Philistims."

.מקדם

Vitringa endeavours to expound the passage as it stands by a particular sense which he invents for the word, but his exposition does not satisfy me.

Upon repeated consideration of this passage, I am persuaded it requires no emendation, nor any forced interpretation of any of the words. It describes a general taste among the Jews for the abominations of their heathen neighbours on all sides, east and west, and represents them as taking pride in the general prevalence of the manners of idolaters. For the "children of strangers" are those who had revolted from their God, and forsaken his worship, to worship the idols of the heathen with heathen rites.

"They are filled from the east! they are even astrologers, like the Philistim!

They take pride and glory in an alien brood."

-"take pride and glory" So I paraphrase the

literally signifies to * smack the שפק ישפיקי Word

hands together,' in an ecstasy of joy and approbation; and the literal rendering of this line would be, "And at children of aliens they clap their hands."

The Jews were much addicted to magic in the time of our Saviour.

Verse 8.-" full of idols." Bishop Lowth (with Vitringa) imagines that "the idols here spoken of must be such as were designed for a private and secret use." For as this seems to have been one of the first of Isaiah's prophecies, it must have been delivered in the reign either of Uzziah or Jotham; and in their time the public exercise of idolatrous worship was not permitted. But the Prophet, in this passage, is describing that general corruption of the Jewish nation, which occasioned their final rejection, upon the publication of the gospel. And there is no reason to suppose, that the particulars of that description consist in crimes actually subsisting at the time when the prophecy is delivered. They might take their beginning in a much later period, and yet, having taken root among the people, might be among the causes of the final punishment of the nation.

The description of the guilt, which drew down the judgment, is made up chiefly of those crimes which directly express a neglect of God's commands and

promises, and a reliance on other means of strength and support than the Divine favour.

Verse 9. "And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself." The very same words occur in chap. v, 15, where the verbs are necessarily passive. Bishop Lowth takes them as passives here; but I think, here, they are active. They describe the corruption as so general, that men of all ranks, high and low, prostrate and humble themselves before idols.

-"forgive them not." The LXX render the verb in the first person: "I will not forgive them." If this verb was originally in the first person, God is the speaker from the middle of the 8th verse ["Yes, they are replenished," &c.] to this place. And the Prophet's admonition, which begins in the next verse, is founded upon the accusation which God, in his own person, brings against the Jews in this speech. Verses 10, 11. See Durell's and Bishop Lowth's emendations.

Verse 12. "For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be," &c. is properly the dative case, and the literal rendering of the Hebrew words is thus: [Est] enim Jehovæ exercituum dies adversus superbum et altum," &c. "For there is unto Jehovah

66

a day [i. e. Jehovah has appointed a day] against all pride and loftiness."

CHAP. iii, 2. -" and the prudent”— rather “the diviner," Bishop Lowth; "ariolum," Vulgate.

Verse 3. -" artificer." This word is ill changed into artist by Bishop Lowth. An artificer is one that is employed in common handicraft works;. a carpenter, a mason, a tailor, &c. An artist is a very superior workman; one that employs himself in the fine arts, painting, music, sculpture, &c.

-" and the eloquent orator;" rather, "the skilful in incantation."-" prudentem eloquii mystici," Vulgate; and to the same purpose Theodotion and Symmachus.

Verse 6. "When"- rather, "Therefore," Bishop Lowth.

I think Bishop Lowth's conjecture, that the word

has been lost out of the text between the words " and ", is very probable. But see Bishop Stock.

After ny, read, with Houbigant and Bishop Lowth,. See LXX, and Vulgate.

לאמר,Lowth

"Therefore shall a man take his brother, the head of his father's house, by the garment, saying, Be thou," &c.

Verse 7." In that day shall he swear, saying," JONS NI DI N. It should seem, from St Je

rome's note upon this passage, that the

was not found in his copies; and that for

.יאמר had

ישא

word NY,

N, they

"I will not be"- rather, with Queen Elizabeth's translators, "I cannot be❞—

Verse 10.-"for they shall eat"- Bishop Lowth, upon the authority of the Vulgate and one antient MS. reads in the singular," he shall eat;” i. e. the just shall eat. But there is no necessity to reject the plural verb, which has the suffrage of St Jerome and the LXX. If 8 be the true reading at the beginning of the former clause, the whole verse should be rendered thus:

"Say unto the just one, it is well:

For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds."

They, isti. This is the thing which the just one is told "is well," that those sinners shall eat the fruit of their evil deeds. For 77%, one good MS. of De Rossi's has 7. But upon these three verses (9, 10, 11) see the notes of the layman: his emendations, founded on the LXX, deserve great attention.

Verse 12. "As for my people children are their oppressors, and women rule over them."