_Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof._ Ver. 1. _Behold the Lord emptieth._] It must needs be a matter of some rare and marvellous consequence, that "Behold" - the "oh yes!" of the Holy Ghost - is thu... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. Ver. 2. _And it s... [ Continue Reading ]
The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. Ver. 3. _The land shall be utterly emptied._] See on Isaiah 24:1 . _ For the Lord hath spoken this word._] And his words are not in vain. Doth he say, and shall he not do it? Num 23:23... [ Continue Reading ]
The earth mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. Ver. 4. _The earth mourneth and fadeth away._] _Luxit et diffiuxit,_ waileth and faileth; gallant rhetoric in the original, as this is a stately chapter all along: all the rol... [ Continue Reading ]
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Ver. 5. _The earth also is defiled,_] _a_ viz., With sin, and therefore so decayed; yea, the very visible heavens are defiled with man's sin, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left._ Ver. 6. _Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth._] The Chaldee and Vatablus render it the perjury - viz., in transgressing the laws, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. Ver. 7. _The new wine mourneth._] As being spilled and spoiled by the enemy. _ All the merry hearted do sigh._] Who were wont to sing away care, and to call for their cups.... [ Continue Reading ]
The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. Ver. 8. _The mirth of tabrets ceaseth._] _Quicquid laetitiarum fuit, in luctum vertitur._... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it._ Ver. 9. _They shall not drink wine with a song._] Revel it as they had wont to do: _non convivabuntur pergraecando._ We use to call such merry griggs - that is, Greeks.... [ Continue Reading ]
The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. Ver. 10. _The city of confusion._] _Urbs desolanda,_ destined to desolation: whether it be Babylon, Tyre, Jerusalem, or any other. _Mundum intellige in quo nihil nisi vanum,_ saith Oecolampadius: that is, by this... [ Continue Reading ]
Isaiah 24:11 [There is] a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. Ver. 11. _There is a crying for wine._] The drunkards weep, the ale stakes yell, because the new wine is cut off from their mouths. Joe 1:5 _ All joy is darkened._] Heb., It is eventide wi... [ Continue Reading ]
In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. Ver. 12. _In the city is left desolation._] There is nothing of any worth left, but havoc made of all; it is plundered to the life, as now we phrase it. Since the Swedish wars custom is the sole mint master of current words.... [ Continue Reading ]
When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, [there shall be] as the shaking of an olive tree, [and] as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. Ver. 13. _When thus it shall be in the midst of the land._] Or, For so it shall be in the land among the people, as in the beatin... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Ver. 14. _They shall lift up their voice, &c._] _Laudabunt Deum et laetabuntur:_ this elect remnant in all countries shall be filled with spiritual joy and peace through the belief of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, [even] the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. Ver. 15. _Glorify ye God in the fires._] _In ipsis ignibus,_ in the hottest fires of afflictions, "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation"; praise God for crosses also: this is _Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, [even] glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. Ver. 16. _From the uttermost part of the land hav... [ Continue Reading ]
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. Ver. 17. _Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee._] _Metaphora a venatoribus,_ a metaphor from hunters, elegantly expressed in the original by words of a like sound. God hath variety of plagues at command; his qu... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. Ver. 18. _He who fleeth from the noise... [ Continue Reading ]
The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. Ver. 19. _The earth is utterly broken down._] This he had said before. Oil, if not well rubbed in, pierceth not the skin. Menaces must be inculcated, or else they will be but little regarded. Let preache... [ Continue Reading ]
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. Ver. 20. _The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard._] As the inhabitants thereof had drunk in iniquity like water... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. Ver. 21. _The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high._] _Altitudinis in excelso._ Hereby he may mean the Jews, God's "fi... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Ver. 22. _And they shall be gathered together, &c._] _Id quod de poenis Iudaeorum intelligimus,_ saith an interpreter - that is, This we unders... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. Ver. 23. _Then the moon shall be confounded._] The glory of Christ's kingdom shall be so great, that in comparison to it the sun and moon s... [ Continue Reading ]