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id thine health shall spring forth Deedily and thy righteousness shall go efore thee; the glory of the LORD shall e thy rereward (u). 9. Then shalt thou all, and the LORD shall answer; thou alt cry, and he shall say," Here I am :" thou take away from the midst of nee the yoke, the putting forth of the nger (x), and speaking vanity (y); o. And if thou draw out thy soul (z) the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted oul; then shall thy light rise (a) in obcurity, and thy darkness be as the noonay. 11. And the LORD shall guide hee continually, and satisfy thy soul in rought (b), and make fat thy bones: nd thou shalt be like a watered garden, nd like a spring of water, whose waters Fail not. 12. And they that shall be of hee (c) shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations (d); and thou shalt be called, "The repairer of the breach, The

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(x) v. 9. "The putting forth of the finger," "in scorn and derision;" scornful habits." (y) v.9. "Vanity," or “falsehood.” (x) v. 10. "Draw out thy soul," i. e. open thy heart;""liberally and cheerfully supply his wants."

(a) v. 10. "Rise in," or rather "burst forth from."

(b) v. 11. "Drought," or "scarcity." (c) v. 12. "They that shall be of thee," e. "thy children;" or, "they shall build in thee the old waste places," i. e. "all the Fruins within thy territories shall be repaired."

(d) v. 12. "The foundations of many generations," i. e. " buildings of ancient times, that have gone to decay." In Is. lxi. 4. mongst the promises of future joy and comort this is one, "They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations."

(e) v. 13. The Sabbath." The observance of the sabbath is pressed, Isaiah Ivi. 2. 4. 6.; and the prosperity of the nation is made to depend upon it, Jer. xvii. 24 to 27. " It shall 66 come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto "me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath

"restorer of paths to dwell in." 13. If "thou turn away thy foot from the sab"bath (e), from doing thy pleasure on my "holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, "the holy of the LORD, honourable; and "shalt honour him, not doing thine own "ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, "nor speaking thine own words: 14. Then "shalt thou delight thyself in (f) the LORD; " and I will cause thee to ride (g) upon the "high places of the earth, and feed thee "with the heritage of Jacob thy father: "for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken «< it."

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"day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no "work therein; then shall there enter into the "gates of this city kings and princes sitting

upon the throne of David, &c. and this city "shall remain for ever, &c. but if you will not "hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, "and not to bear a burden, even entering in "at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day : "then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, "and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, " and it shall not be quenched." See note on "Isaiah lvi. 4.

(f) v. 14. "Delight thyself in," i. e. (probably) "have many supplies and sources of "delight from."

(g) v. 14. "Ride, &c." figuratively, to denote great exaltation and prosperity; so in the song of Moses, Deuter. xxxii. 13. The Lord" made him ride on the high places of "the earth, that he might cat the increase of "the fields, and he made him to suck honey "out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty "rock," or "bed of flint."

(b) Sin the obstacle to God's assistance: an acknowledgement by the people of their sins, and a promise by God of interference by the Messiah, when signal vengeance should be executed upon God's opponents, and protection shewn to his people. The date ascribed to this chapter is 698 years before the birth of Christ, about 92 years before the commencement of the Babylonish captivity: just upon the close of Hezekiah's reign.

"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 plead"eth for truth: they trust in vanity and "speak lies; they conceive mischief, and "bring forth iniquity. 5. They hatch (i) "cockatrice-eggs (k), and weave the spiders "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 destruc❝tion are in their paths. 8. The way of 66 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. 66 9. Therefore is judgment far from us, "neither doth justice overtake us: "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 (1) as if we had no eyes: "we stumble at noon-day as in the night; "we are in desolate places as dead men. "1. We roar all like bears, and mourn "sore like doves: we look for judgment "but there is none; for salvation, but it is

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(i) v. 5. "Hatch cockatrice eggs," i. e. put into practice the most mischievous "designs."

(k) v. 5. "Cockatrice eggs," which poison those who eat them, and if hatched, produce venomous serpents.

(1) v. 10. "grope" or "wander."

(m) v. 13. An enumeration of the sins they acknowledge.

(n) v. 15. Faileth," i. e. (probably) "cannot stand against the opposition it finds." (0) v. 15. "Maketh himself a prey," i. e. "exposeth himself to plunder or persecu"tion."

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(p) v. 16. "No man, &c." An intimation that more than human means were to be employed. So Is. lxiii. 5. where the Messiah is considered as speaking: I looked, and there "was none to help, and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it

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"far off from us. 12. For our transgres ❝sions are multiplied before thee, and our "sins testify against us: for our transgres ❝sions are with us, and as for our iniqui "ties, we know them; 13. In (m) trans"gressing and lying against the LORD, and "departing away from our God, speaking " oppression and revolt, conceiving and "uttering from the heart words of false "hood. 14. And judgment is turned "away backward, and justice standeth a "off: for truth is fallen in the street, "equity cannot enter. 15. Yea, truth "faileth (n), and he that departeth from ev "maketh himself a prey (o): and the LORD "saw it, and it displeased him that there ar "no judgment. 16. And he saw that there "was no man (p), and wondered that there "was no intercessor: therefore his arm (q) 66 brought salvation unto him, and his righ"teousness, it sustained him. 17. For "he (r) put on righteousness as a breast "plate, and an helmet of salvation upon

his head; and he put on the garments f "vengeance for clothing, and was clad "with zeal as a cloke. 18. According to "their deeds, accordingly he will repar "fury to his adversaries, recompence to "his enemies; to the islands (1) 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 (u): when the enemy shall come "in like a flood, the spirit (x) of the LORD

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all lift up a standard against him. . And the Redeemer shall come to ion, and unto them that turn from ansgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 1. As for me, this is my covenant with em (y) saith the LORD, my spirit (z) at is upon thee, and my words which have put in thy mouth, shall not depart at of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth f thy seed, nor out of the mouth of y seed's seed, saith the LORD, from enceforth and for ever.”

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() v. 21. Them," i. e. " those that turn from transgression," "the converts of the true religion."

(*) v.21. "My spirit, &c." i. e. (perhaps) God's spirit and his promises shall on the one hand aid and attend his church to the end of time; but on the other hand his church must take care to follow the dictates of his spirit, and obey his commands." The same meaning obably with Jer. xxxi. 33. "This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, saith the Lord: I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people."

(a) An earnest prayer to God for deliverce, acknowledging their unworthiness, and escribing the misery to which they were reuced. The date ascribed to it is 698 years efore the birth of Christ.

(b) v. 2. "As when, &c." i. e. " that the mountains would flow down as metals when the fire melteth them, or as water when it boils over." The idea of the mountains flowing own or melting at God's presence, occurs in the ong of Deborah and Barak, and in other pasages: "Lord when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of - Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even 'that Sinai from before the God of Israel."

"we looked not for, thou camest down, "the mountains flowed down at thy pre❝sence. 4. For since the beginning of the "world men have not heard (c), nor per"ceived by the ear, neither hath the eye "seen, O God, befides thee, what he hath "prepared (d) for him that waiteth for "him. 5. Thou meetest (e) him that re"joiceth (f) and worketh righteousness, "those that remember thee in thy ways: "behold, thou art wroth, for we have "sinned (g) in those is continuance, and c6 we shall be saved. 6. But we are all as "an unclean thing, and all our righteous"nesses (b) are as filthy rags, and we all do "fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like "the wind, have taken us away. 7. And "there is none that calleth upon thy name, "that stirreth up himself to take hold of "thee: for thou hast hid (i) thy face from ❝us, and hast consumed us because of our "iniquities. 8. But now, O Lord, thou "art our father: we are the clay, and

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"thou our potter, and we all are the work "of thy hand. 9. Be not wroth very sore, "O LORD, neither remember iniquity for "ever behold, see (k), we beseech thee, "we are all thy people. 10. Thy holy "cities are a wilderness, Zion (/) is a wilder66 ness, Jerusalem (1) a desolation. 11. Our "holy and our beautiful house, where our "fathers praised thee, is burnt (m) up "with fire: and all our pleasant things are ❝laid waste. 12. Wilt thou refrain thy"self for these things, O LORD? wilt "thou hold thy peace, and afflict (n) us " very sore ?"

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(k) v. 9. "See," or "look upon us." () v. 1o. "Zion," and "Jerusalem," different parts of the same city.

(m) v. 11. "Is burnt." This probably alludes prophetically, either to the burning of the temple by Nebuzaradan, a servant of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, about 586 years before the birth of Christ, when he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. (See 2 Kings xxv. 9.-Jer. lii. 13.-Ps. lxxvi. 8.) or to the burning of the second temple by the Romans, within 40 years after the crucifixion.

(n) v. 12. " And afflict, &c." or, " and still "grievously afflict us."

(2) The call of the Gentiles foretold: the rejection of the Jews justified on account of their rejection of God, their apostacy and spiritual pride an intimation, however, that of them some should be excepted: the severest denunciations against those who should continue in their apostacy and sins, and promises of new times and great blessings to the righteous. The chapter looks to the times of the Messiah, and possibly in some parts to times not yet arrived. The date ascribed to it is 698 years before the birth of Christ.

(p) v. 1. "Them that asked not for me," "them that sought me not," i. e. "the Gen"tiles." St. Paul quotes this passage Rom. x. 20. "Esaias is very bold, and saith, "I was "found of them that sought me not; I was "made manifest to them that asked not after "me."

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"ple (q), which walketh in a way that was "not good, after their own thoughts: 3. A people that provoketh me to anger "continually to my face, that sacrificeth "in gardens (r), and burneth incense upon "altars of brick (s): 4. Which remain 66 among the graves, and lodge in the mo "numents (1), which eat swine's flesh (#) ❝and broth of abominable things (x) is in "their vessels: 5. Which say (y), "Stand "by thy self, come not near to me, for lan "holier than thou;" these are a smoke " in my nose, a fire (a) that burneth all tha "day. 6. Behold, it is written before me; "I will not keep silence, but will recom "pence, even recompence into their bosom, "7. Your (b) iniquities, and the iniquities of "your (b) fathers, together, (saith the LORD "which have burnt incense upon the moun"tains, and blasphemed (c) me upon the "hills therefore will I measure (4) their "former work into their bosom. 8. Thus

(q) v. 2. "A rebellious people," ie the "Jews."

(r) v. 3. “In gardens,” a heathen idolatrous practice.

(s) v.3. "Of brick," which was contrary to the mosaic ordinance, Exod. xx. 24, 25 their altars were to be of earth, or of unhewn

stone.

(t) v. "Remain v. 4. and the among graves, "lodge in the monuments," i. e. "sleep in se "pulchres and tombs," to obtain dreams. A practice in heathen nations.

(u) v. 4. "Eat swine's flesh," which was expressly forbidden, Lev. xi. 7.

(x) v. 4. "Abominable things," i. e. "pr

"hibited animals:" which were to be " "abomination" unto them. See Levit.xi.

(y) v. 5. "Say," i. e. (perhaps) "to th "about them :" a mark of their spiritual pri (x) v.5. "A smoke," &c." as offensins "smoke, &c." probably a proverb.

(a) v. 5. "A fire, &c." probably "aper "tual provocation: heating my indignation a "day long."

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(b) v. 0.7. "Your," or "their." Sept. (c) v. 7. Blasphemed me," by following. the forbidden practices of the heathen: depising me yourselves, and causing me to be spoken of lightly and irreverently by others.

(d) v.7. "Measure, &c." i. e. "I will pour ❝ into their bosom a full recompence for ther

"former sins."

th the LORD, "As the new wine (e) is and in the cluster, and one saith, "Deoy it not for a blessing is in it :" so will o for my servants sakes, that I may not stroy them all. 9. And I will bring rth a seed out of Jacob, and out of dah an inheritor of my mountains: and ne elect shall inherit it, and my servants all dwell there. 1o. And Sharon (ƒ) all be a fold of flocks, and the valley of hor (f) a place for the herds to lie down , for my people that have sought me. 1. But ye are they that forsake the LORD, at forget my holy mountain (g), that repare a table for that troop (b), and at furnish the drink-offering unto that umber(b). 12. Therefore will I number ou (i) to the sword, and ye shall all bow own to the slaughter: because when I alled, ye did not answer; when I spake, e did not hear, but did evil before mine yes, and did choose that wherein I de

"lighted not (k). 13. Therefore thus "saith the Lord GOD, "Behold, my ser"vants shall eat, but ye shall be hun

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gry: behold, my servants shall drink, "but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my ser"vants shall rejoice, but ye shall be "ashamed: 14. Behold, my servants shall "sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vex"ation of spirit. 15. And ye shall leave your name for a curse (1) unto my cho"sen; for the Lord GoD shall slay thee, "and call his servants by another name (m): "16. That he who blesseth himself in the "earth, shall bless himself in the God of "truth; and he that sweareth in the earth, "shall swear by the God of truth; because "the former troubles (n) are forgotten, and "because they are hid from mine eyes. "17. For behold, I create new heavens, "and a new earth (0): and the former shall "not be remembered, nor come into mind.

e) 8. 8." As the new wine, &c." or rather, is when a good grape, &c." The meaning as a few good grapes upon a vine prevent owner from cutting it down, so shall the righteous that remain in the nation pret me from destroying it altogether: the od shall be spared and prosper, the bad only ll be cut off. See verses 13. 14. and see ante, 3. Is. xxiv. 13.

(f) v. io. "Sharon" and "the valley, of Achor" two of the most fertile parts of dea.

(g) v. 11. "My holy mountain" i. e. " the worship God had required."

(b) v. 11. "For "that troop" and "that number," read "Gad" and "Meni," two objects heathen worship. The Hebrew word "meni" ten signifies "number" and "gad" "to cut off;" and in allusion to those senses of these ords are the denunciations in the next verse that shall be numbered to the sword, and bowed ley wn to the slaughter; to intimate what would e brought upon them by their idolatrous worпр. Sept. reads for " that troop" "the devil," and for " that number" " fortune.” (i) v12. "Therefore will I number you" r rather " even you will I number." (k) v. 12. "Wherein I delighted not," i. e. 'which I abhorred."

= (1) v. 15. "For a curse, &c." " that it may "be a common form of imprecation to call down "such vengeance as shall have fallen upon you:" a strong intimation of the heavy judgments they

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might expect. So Jer. xxix. 22. " of them "(viz. Ahab and Zedekiah) shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah, saying "the Lord make thee like Zedekiah, and like "Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in "the fire." If this passage in Isaiah looks forward to the times of the Messiah, when did heavier judgments fall upon any nation than those which happened to the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem; and have they not been from that time, to use the language of the prophetic denunciation against them in Deut. xxviii. 37. 66 an astonishment, a proverb and a bye-word?" See ante, 620. note on Is. xliii. 18.

(m) v. 15. "Another name," referring (possibly) to that of "Christians" a plain intimation of an important change!

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(n) v. 16. "Former troubles," i. e. (perhaps) "the peculiarities which kept the gentiles from " forming part of God's people, what is called, Ephes. ii. 14. 15. "The middle wall of par"tition between us" and "the enmity."

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(0) v 17. "New heavens and a new earth," i. e. (probably)" a new religious system," superseding that of Moses, which was confined wholly to the Jews: one that shall admit all people. It is probably, in allusion to this pasthat St Peter says (2 Pet. iii. 13.) sage, 66 we, according to his promise, look for new "heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth " righteousness." See 2 Lightf. 626. 1075. St. Peter's epistle was written before the destruction of the Jewish establishment.

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