ut' faber æris, argenti, ligni;' et x,faber lapidis,' sive in lapide.'

p. 500, 1.

Vitringa in Is. vol. ii,

-"or thy work, he hath no hands." Read, with Houbigant,

ולפעלו אין ידים לו

Or to him that worketh it, thou hast no hands.

Verse 10." [his] father-the woman;" rather, "a father-a woman.' The Jews considering themselves exclusively as God's children, and envious of the extension of his mercy to the Gentiles, are angry that God, having them for his children, should beget any more. The prophet therefore says, Wo to him who says to a father, to one who is already a father, Why goest thou about to beget children? and to a woman, already a mother, Why art thou again bringing forth?

Vitringa, a Calvinist, has an excellent remark upon the true interpretation of the doctrine of God's sovereignty, as stated in this passage: "Nec tamen hæc sententia, ad Deum applicata, extendi debet extra limites suos contra scopum Dei et prophetæ ; ac si potestas Dei in hominem tam sit absoluta atque infinita, ut nihil planè sit, quod ejus exercitium circumscribat, ut eam Twissius et alii inter

pretantur. Sane quidem extra Deum nihil est, quod potestatem ejus limitet. Sed potestas divina ab ipsâ naturâ ejus limitatur. Sunt in Deo justitia, æquitas, bonitas, veracitas, fides, amor majestatis suæ (virtutis ipsi naturales) quæ exercitium divinæ potestatis moderantur; ut potestas divina absoluta sit in creaturas intelligentes, in populum et ecclesiam suam, salvâ σ Dei morali erga homines. Nec aliter apostolus, ubi hanc sententiam et similitudinem applicat ad consilium electionis et reprobationis, spectari vult." Vitringa in Is. vol. ii, p. 501, 1.

Verse 11. "Thus saith-my sons." For I

ויוצרו

ויוצר אתו התשאלוני I would read האתיות שאלוני

Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of his Israel, and his Maker, Will ye question me concerning my sons,

And give me directions concerning the work of my hands ?

Verse 13. "I have raised him up." Raised up whom? We shall search the context in vain for an antecedent which this pronoun may rehearse. It can be expounded therefore of Him only, who in the most eminent sense was raised up by God, and he is described here by his work of gratuitous redemption. In whatever sense some may fancy this verse applicable to Cyrus, it is more clearly and naturally

applicable to Christ. Compare chap. xlviii, 14; and see the xvth of Vitringa's canons.

Verse 14. "The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans," &c. I take these phrases, labour of Egypt, merchandise of Ethiopia,' to be analogous to ẞmn 'Hganλnsin, and to be descriptive of persons, by their qualities or occupations.

The labourer of Egypt, and the merchant of Ethiopia,

And the Sabeans of tall stature.

See Blaney on Jer. xx, 5; and the Layman on this place.

-"Surely in thee is God," &c.

Surely in thee is God,

And none else than God himself.

Verse 15. "Verily," &c.

Verily thou art a God concealed [or concealing thyself],
The God of Israel, the Saviour !

These words plainly allude to the concealment of the Divinity under the human form in the person of our Lord. They are not the prophet's; they are part of the devout confession of the labourer of Egypt and the merchant of Ethiopia, &c. " Quocunque se verterint, non valebunt laqueos veritatis effugere. Fac enim esse in Cyro Deum, et non esse

alium præter eum qui sit in Cyro Deus, quomodo Cyri personæ dici conveniet, Vere tu es Deus absconditus, Deus Israel, Salvator.' Ergo Deus, in quo est Deus, Dominus noster Jesus Christus rectius intelligitur et verius, qui in evangelio loquitur, 'Ego et Pater unum sumus.' Qui Deus appellatur absconditus, propter assumpti corporis sacramentum, et Deus Israel, Salvator,' quod interpretatur Jesus." Hieronym. ad locum. And again, "Hebræi stultâ contentione nituntur asserere, usque ad eum locum ubi legitur, Tantum in te est Deus, et non est absque te Deus,' vel ad Hierusalem, vel ad Cyrum dici. Hoc autem quod sequitur, Vere tu es Deus absconditus, Deus Israel, Salvator,' subitò ad omnipotentem Deum, apostropham fieri: cùm etiam stultis perspicuum sit, unum contextum esse sermonis, nec posse sensum dividi, qui in ipso narrationis ordine, et ratione, conjunctus est." Hieronym. ad locum.

Verse 16. "They shall be ashamed, and also confounded all of them." After the verb ", Bishop Lowth, upon the authority of the LXX, inserts 1, which greatly improves the elegance of this distich.

They are ashamed, and even confounded all his adversaries. The emendation however is not necessary to the

sense.

Verse 19." I said not to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain: I the Lord," &c. This passage

seems to contain an oblique hint at least, of a future accomplishment of the promises to the seed of Jacob in a literal sense. 66 Notwithstanding the scheme of general mercy, and the temporary rejection of the Israelites, my promises to them shall not ultimately fail. I Jehovah speak in righteousness, with veracity, and declare upright things. I speak not in terms of equivocation like the oracles of the heathen gods."

אל

Verse 21. " a just God, and a Saviour.' "God, the Just One and the Saviour."

צדיק ומושיע

Verse 23." the word is gone out of

my mouth

-" justice

in righteousness, and shall not return." is gone forth from my mouth: the word is spoken, and shall not be revoked." -"justice is gone forth," i. e. the just sentence; or rather, the merciful sentence of pardon. Upon the forensic sense of the word, see my notes upon Hosea.

Verse 24. "Surely," &c. For D, I would read. See Bishop Lowth. And without any other emendation, I render the whole verse thus,

Surely to Jehovah it belongeth to speak truth, and Might is
his
gorgeous robe.

He shall come: and all that quarrel with him shall be ashamed.