I am, &c. — This in the primary sense of this text, is a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, upon the rejection of the Jews; for their contempt and crucifying of Christ, cannot be doubted by any, who will not arrogate to themselves a greater ability to interpret the prophesies of the Old Tes... [ Continue Reading ]
I have spread — Applied to the Jews, Romans 10:21. I have stretched out my hands, I have used all means to reduce them, I have stretched out the hands of a passionate orator to persuade them, of a liberal benefactor to load them with my benefits; this I have done continually in the whole course of m... [ Continue Reading ]
To my face — With the utmost impudence, not taking notice of God's omnipresence, and omniscience. In gardens, &c. — Directly contrary to the divine rule.... [ Continue Reading ]
Remain — They remained among the graves, there consulting with devils, who were thought to delight in such places; or to practice necromancy, all which were forbidden, Deuteronomy 18:11; Isaiah 8:19. Monuments — Some interpret it of idol temples, some of caves and dens, in which the Heathens used to... [ Continue Reading ]
Holier — Thus they esteemed themselves holier than others, though all their holiness lay in rituals, and those too, such as God never commanded. Of these God saith, These are a smoak in my nostrils, a fire that burneth all the day; that is, a continual provocation to me: as smoak is an offence to ou... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold — They may think I take no notice of these things; but I will as certainly remember them, as princes or great men that record things in writing which they would not forget.... [ Continue Reading ]
Together — Yea, and when I reckon with them, I will punish them, not only for their personal sins, but for the sins of their parents, which they have made their own, by imitation. Their former — I will not only punish the late sins that they have committed, but the former sins of this kind, which th... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus, &c. — These word's may be conceived as a gracious answer from God to the prophet, pleading God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. To this God replies, that he intended no such severity. His threatening should be made good upon the generality of this people. Blessing — But yet, as in a... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah — God farther promises to bring out of Judah, an inheritor of his mountains which refers to the Jews return out of the captivity of Babylon to Jerusalem, to worship God in his temple, upon mount Zion. Mine elect — My chosen ones. The term signifies such as are dignified with some special favou... [ Continue Reading ]
A fold — Sharon was a place of great fruitfulness for pastures. It was become like a wilderness, God here promises that it should again be a place for the flocks.... [ Continue Reading ]
Forget — To forget God's holy mountains, signifies not to regard the true worship of God. God calls Zion his holy mountain. That troop — The idols of the ten tribes, and of the Assyrians, were a troop, where as the God of Israel was one God. By preparing a table, here seems to be meant, the feasts t... [ Continue Reading ]
To the sword — A great number of you shall perish by the sword; or possibly the term number may refer to all in the next phrase, so that none of them should escape. God saith he will number them, tell them out one by one to the sword. Bow down — As you have bowed down to idols. I called — By my prop... [ Continue Reading ]
A curse — They shall use your names as examples, of the eminent wrath of God upon sinners. Another name — He will not suffer his own people to be called by a name by which idolaters are known.... [ Continue Reading ]
God of truth — Because they shall see what God promised is fulfilled. Are hid — That is, they are at an end.... [ Continue Reading ]
I create — I am about wholly to change the state not only of my people, but to bring a new face upon the world, which shall abide until a new heavens and earth appear, in which shall dwell nothing but righteousness. Not be remembered — That state of things shall be so glorious, that the former state... [ Continue Reading ]
You — The church, as well under the gospel, as under the law.... [ Continue Reading ]
An infant — Those that were now children, shall die at a great age. But — Yet none of these things shall be of any advantage to wicked men, but if any of them shall live to be an hundred years old, yet they shall die accursed.... [ Continue Reading ]
With them — Is blessed with them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Before they call — God promised, Isaiah 58:9, to answer them, when they called: here he promises to answer the words, as soon as they should be formed in their hearts before they could get them out of their lips. While — Yea, while they were speaking.... [ Continue Reading ]
The wolf, &c. — God here promises to take off the fierceness of the spirits of his peoples enemies, so that they shall live quietly and peaceably together. And dust — God promises a time of tranquility to his church under the metaphor of serpents eating the dust, their proper meat, Genesis 3:14, ins... [ Continue Reading ]