ISAIAH CHAPTER 30 The prophet threateneth the people for their confidence in Egypt, ISAIAH 30:1, and contempt of God's word, ISAIAH 30:8; wherefore they shall be destroyed, ISAIAH 30:12. God's mercies towards the church, ISAIAH 30:18. God's wrath and his people's joy in the destruction of Assyria, I... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WALK TO GO DOWN INTO EGYPT; that send ambassadors to Egypt for succour, as we read, ISAIAH 30:4, which the Jews were forward to do upon all occasions, and did now upon the invasion of the king of Assyria, as is evident from ISAIAH 20:5,6, and did the like against the king of Babylon, JEREMIAH 3... [ Continue Reading ]
As being not only unprofitable, but mischievous to you.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS PRINCES; the princes of Judah, either sent by the king, or by the appointment of their brethren. HANES; an eminent city of Egypt, called more largely _Tahapanes_, and _Tahpanhes_, JEREMIAH 2:16, JEREMIAH 43:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY; both the messengers, and they who sent them.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURDEN; either 1. The prophecy; which if oft called _the burden_; or rather 2. The burden of riches or treasures, as it is explained in the latter part of the verse. OF THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTH; which is carried upon asses or camels, as it follows, into Egypt, which lay southward from Judea. INT... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING THIS; concerning this counsel or practice. Or, _to her_; to Jerusalem or Judah. THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL; it is safer and better for them to sit quietly at home, seeking to me for help. He seems industriously to use an ambiguous word, _Rahab_, which signifies both strength, as JOB 9... [ Continue Reading ]
WRITE IT; write this prophecy and warning which I have now delivered. BEFORE THEM; in their presence, in the public assembly; for the prophets were many times commanded to do such actions, as well as to deliver their messages. IN A TABLE, AND NOTE IT IN A BOOK; so this was to be written twice over;... [ Continue Reading ]
LYING CHILDREN; which profess one thing, and practise another. THE LAW OF THE LORD; the commands of God, either contained in Scripture, or delivered by my mouth, whereby these practices are expressly forbidden to them.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SPEAKS not of the words of their mouths; for none could be so mad of impudent as to have or profess a desire to be cheated, but of the language of their actions. They do so discourage and threaten God's faithful prophets, and so encourage their own false prophets, as if they had rather be deceive... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF THE WAY in which you now walk, out of you present course of preaching unsavoury and frightful things to us. CAUSE THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL TO CEASE FROM BEFORE US; do not trouble us with harsh and repeated messages from God, as you used to do.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN OPPRESSION; in the wealth which you have gotten by oppression, whereby you now think to procure Egyptian succours; of which SEE POOLE ON "ISAIAH 30:6". AND PERVERSENESS; and in your perverse and rebellious course of sending to Egypt for help.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS INIQUITY, of sending and trusting to Egypt for succour. WHOSE BREAKING COMETH SUDDENLY AT AN INSTANT; like a wall which is high, and seems to be strong, but swelling forth in some parts, which upon the least accident falleth down suddenly to the ground. Such shall be the issue of your high and... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL BREAK IT; he, either God, or he whom God shall send against them. Or, _it shall be broken_; for such phrases are oft taken indefinitely and passively; it, this iniquity last mentioned, ISAIAH 30:13, your carnal confidence and all the grounds of it, and you that lean upon it.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN RETURNING, either from your present purpose of sending to Egypt, or unto God, as the LXX., and Syriac, and Arabic translators render it. Or, IN QUIETNESS; for the verb from which this word come is elsewhere used in that sense, as PSALMS 23:2 JER 30 10 46:27. IN QUIETNESS; in sitting still, and qu... [ Continue Reading ]
WE WILL FLEE out of this land from the king of Assyria; which is very probable divers of the richer sort did, having sent their treasures before them, as we read ISAIAH 30:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL FLEE; which words are fitly supplied out of the following clause. AT THE REBUKE; either, 1. At his real rebuke, upon his assault or onset; or rather, 2. At his verbal rebuke, upon his mere threats, as fearing that he will proceed from words to blows. SHALL YE FLEE; all of you, how numerous s... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE; because of your general destruction and great misery; which is frequently mentioned in Scripture as a motive to God's mercy, as DEUTERONOMY 32:36, and in many other places, as hath been oft observed already. But some rendered this Hebrew particle _yet_, or _notwithstanding_, as it is supp... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL DWELL IN ZION AT JERUSALEM; for although the time is coming, when the people shall be banished from Jerusalem, and carried captives into Babylon; yet after a set time they shall return to Jerusalem, and have a fixed and comfortable abode there: which was in part accomplished upo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOUGH THE LORD GIVE YOU THE BREAD OF ADVERSITY, AND THE WATER OF AFFLICTION; and although in that time and state of the church you will be subject to many outward straits and afflictions. This phrase is borrowed from DEUTERONOMY 16:3 1 KINGS 22:27. He seems to allude to the condition of besiege... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE EARS SHALL HEAR A WORD; as oft as need requires thou shalt hear the voice of God's word and Spirit directing thee in thy course. HEAR A WORD BEHIND THEE; a metaphor borrowed either, 1. From the custom of shepherds, who use to follow their sheep, and to recall them when they go out of the way.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL DEFILE, to show your contempt of it, and to make it unfit for your own or any other's use. THE COVERING; the leaves or plates wherewith their wooden images were frequently covered; of which see EXODUS 38:17,19 NUM 16:38,39. THE ORNAMENT; or, _the coat_ or _covering_. Heb. _the ephod_, as th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RAIN OF THY SEED; or rather, as others render it; to or for thy seed, when thou hast newly sown thy seed, which was called the _former rain_; or such as thy seed requires, which may include both the former and the latter rain. Their sins, the cause of all God's judgments which had befallen them,... [ Continue Reading ]
CLEAN PROVENDER; or, as learned Mr. Gataker renders it, threshed, which agrees well with the following clause, corn being first threshed, and then winnowed. The sense is, there should be such plenty of corn, that their very beasts, instead of straw, should eat corn; and that not in the ear, or with... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON EVERY HIGH MOUNTAIN, and upon every high hill; which are commonly dry and barren, and destitute of rivers. IN THE DAY OF THE GREAT SLAUGHTER; when God shall destroy the enemies of his people, he will shower down his blessings upon his church. THE TOWERS; either properly, the towers of Babylon,... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, for constancy and brightness; which, as also the following clause, is to be understood metaphorically, of the most glorious and comfortable condition of God's church, far surpassing what it was in former ages. And so this, as well as other passages in this chapter, concerns... [ Continue Reading ]
Here begins the last part of the chapter, wherein he gives them an earnest of those greater mercies promised for times to come, by assuring them of the approaching destruction of the Assyrian forces. THE NAME OF THE LORD; the Lord himself: for as the names of men are oft put for the men themselves,... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS BREATH; either, 1. _The breath of his nostrils_, as it is called, JOB 4:9; or the blast of the breath of his nostrils, as PSALMS 18:15; in both which places it is mentioned as a sign and effect of God's anger, and the cause of the destruction of those against whom it is directed. And the express... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL HAVE A SONG; you shall have occasion of great joy and songs of praise for your stupendous deliverance from that formidable enemy. _Are in the night when a holy solemnity is kept_: he mentions the night, either because the Jewish feasts begun at the evening, and were celebrated with great jo... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS GLORIOUS VOICE; his thunder, which is Called God's voice, and said to be full of majesty, PSALMS 29:4. But then thunder is metaphorically taken for some terrible judgment, as it is in many places of Scripture. THE LIGHTNING DOWN OF HIS ARM upon the Assyrian, whom he will smite with a deadly blow... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VOICE OF THE LORD; that voice mentioned in the last verse. WHICH SMOTE WITH A ROD; which was the rod wherewith God smote his and other people, ISAIAH 10:5,6. He who used to smite others shall now be smitten himself. Or, as the words may be, and by others are, rendered, _he_ (the Lord last mentio... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GROUNDED STAFF, Heb. _the founded rod_; the judgment of God, which is frequently called a rod in Scripture, and may be here called a _founded rod_, or the _rod of foundation_, either because it was firmly established, and certainly to come, by God's immutable purpose and appointment; or because... [ Continue Reading ]
TOPHET was a place near Jerusalem, in which the idolatrous Israelites used cruelly to offer up their children to Moloch, 2 CHRONICLES 28:3, 2 CHRONICLES 33:6; see also JEREMIAH 7:31, JEREMIAH 19:6; and it may be put synecdochically for any place of torment or misery; and particularly it is put for h... [ Continue Reading ]