Isaiah 33:1
To thee — Sennacherib, who wasted the land of Judah.... [ Continue Reading ]
To thee — Sennacherib, who wasted the land of Judah.... [ Continue Reading ]
O Lord — The prophet contemplating the judgment which was now coming upon God's people, directs his prayer to God for them. Their arm — Our arm or strength. The change of persons is frequent in prophetical writings. Every morning — When we offer the morning sacrifice, and call upon thee: which yet i... [ Continue Reading ]
The noise — Which the angel shall make in destroying the army. The people — Those of the army, who escaped that stroke. The nations — The people of divers nations, which made up this army.... [ Continue Reading ]
Your spoil — That treasure which you have raked together, by spoiling divers people. Gathered — By the Jews at Jerusalem, when you flee away. Like the caterpillar — As caterpillars gather and devour the fruits of the earth. As locusts — As locusts, especially when they are armed by commission from G... [ Continue Reading ]
Exalted — By the destruction of so potent an army; and by the defence of this people.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy times — He turns his speech to Hezekiah. Thy throne shall be established upon the sure foundations of wisdom and justice. And strength — Thy strong salvation. The fear — Thy chief treasure is in promoting the fear and worship of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold — That the mercy promised might be duly magnified, he makes a lively representation of their great danger and distress. The ambassadors — Whom he shall send to beg peace of the Assyrian. Shall weep — Because they cannot obtain their desires.... [ Continue Reading ]
The covenant — Sennacherib broke his faith, given to Hezekiah, of departing for a sum of money, 2 Kings 18:14, 2 Kings 18:17. Cities — The defenced cities of Judah, which he contemned, and easily took.... [ Continue Reading ]
Mourneth — Being desolate and neglected. Hewn — By the Assyrians. Bashan — Two places eminent for fertility, are spoiled of their fruits.... [ Continue Reading ]
Stubble — Instead of solid corn. Your great hopes and designs, shall be utterly disappointed. Your breath — Your rage against my people shall bring ruin upon yourselves.... [ Continue Reading ]
The people — Shall be burnt as easily and effectually as chalk is burned to lime.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sinners — This is spoken of the Jews. The prophet having foretold the deliverance of God's people, and the destruction of their enemies, gives a lively representation of the unbelieving condition, in which the Jews were, before their deliverance came. Who — How shall we be able to endure, or avo... [ Continue Reading ]
He — Who is just in all his dealings. From hearing — Who will not hearken to any counsels, tending to shed innocent blood. From seeing — That abhors the very sight of sin committed by others, and guards his eyes from beholding occasions of sin.... [ Continue Reading ]
On high — Out of the reach of danger. His waters — God will furnish him with all necessaries.... [ Continue Reading ]
The king — First Hezekiah, and then Christ, triumphing over all enemies, and ruling his own people with righteousness. Very far — Thou shalt not be shut up in Jerusalem, but shalt have free liberty to go abroad with honour and safety.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thine heart — This is a thankful acknowledgment of deliverance from their former terrors and miseries. Where — These words they spoke in the time of their distress. The scribe, whom we call muster — master, was to make and keep a list of the soldiers, and to call them together as occasion required:... [ Continue Reading ]
A fierce — That fierce and warlike people, whom thou hast seen with terror, near the walls of Jerusalem, thou shalt see no more. A people — A foreign nation, whose language is unknown to thee.... [ Continue Reading ]
Look upon — Contemplate Zion's glorious and peculiar privileges. Solemnities — This was the chief part of Zion's glory, that God was solemnly worshipped, and the solemn assemblies and feasts kept in her. Quiet — This was but imperfectly fulfilled in the literal Zion; but clearly and fully in the mys... [ Continue Reading ]
There — In and about Zion. Rivers — Tho' we have nothing but a small and contemptible brook to defend us; yet God will be as sure a defence to us, as if we were surrounded with great rivers. No galley — No ships of the enemies shall be able to come into this river to annoy them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Is judge — To plead our cause against our enemies. Lawgiver — Our chief governor, to whom it belongs, to give laws, and to defend his people.... [ Continue Reading ]
Tacklings — He directs his speech to the Assyrians; and having designed their army under the notion of a gallant ship, Isaiah 33:21, he here represents their undone condition, by the metaphor of a ship, tossed in a tempestuous sea, having her cables broke, and all her tacklings loose, so that she co... [ Continue Reading ]
The inhabitant — Of Jerusalem. Sick — Shall have no cause to complain of any sickness or calamity. Forgiven — They shall not only receive from me a glorious temporal deliverance; but, which is infinitely better, the pardon of all their sins, and all those spiritual and everlasting blessings, which a... [ Continue Reading ]