1._In the year that king Uzziah died. _This is usually the beginning of the sixth chapter; but some think that it is the beginning of the book itself, and that in collecting the prophecies of Isaiah an error was committed. The reason which they assign is, that the Prophet here declines the office of... [ Continue Reading ]
2._And the seraphim stood upon it. _Having declared that God appeared to him full of majesty and of glory, he adds, that God was attended by angels, whom the Prophet calls _seraphim _on account of their fervor. Though the etymology of this word is well known, yet various reasons are adduced. Some th... [ Continue Reading ]
3._And they cried one to another. _It was necessary that all these things should be presented to the Prophet in vision, in order to produce a stronger impression on the people, and on Isaiah himself; for the vision was not less necessary to him than to the whole nation, because sharp and painful str... [ Continue Reading ]
4._And the lintels of the posts were moved. _This noise was an indication that it was not a human voice which the Prophet had heard; for no mortal man has a voice so powerful as to be capable of making the _lintels _and _posts _shake. Now, the Lord intended not only to establish the authority of his... [ Continue Reading ]
5._Wo to me! for I am undone. _The Prophet now relates how powerfully he was affected by that vision; namely that he was so terrified by seeing God; that he expected immediate destruction. He assigns the reason for believing that it is all over with him; _because_, says he, _I am a man of unclean li... [ Continue Reading ]
6._Then flew one of the seraphim to me. _The Prophet shows what kind of relief was brought to him, when he was so terrified as to think that he was a dead man; and this confirms what we have already said, that purity of _lips _comes from God alone; for men can produce nothing of themselves but what... [ Continue Reading ]
7._And applying it to my mouth. _(94) We see how God condescends to meet the weakness of human sense. He puts _the tongs _into the hand of a seraph, that by means of it he may take _a coal from the altar _and apply it to the Prophet’s mouth. This was, no doubt, done in vision; but by the aid of the... [ Continue Reading ]
8._Afterwards I heard the voice of the Lord. _The Prophet now begins to discourse about the design of this vision, why God appeared to him with such glorious majesty, in order to ordain him anew as a prophet. It was because he was called to deliver an incredible message about blinding the Jews. On t... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Then he said, Go, and tell that people. _(95) This shows still more clearly how necessary the vision was, that Isaiah might not all at once fail in his course. It was a grievous stumblingblock, that he must endure such obstinacy and rebellion in the people of God, and that not only for a year or... [ Continue Reading ]
10._Harden the heart of this people. _(96) Here the former statement is more fully expressed; for God informs Isaiah beforehand, not only that his labor in teaching will be fruitless, but that by his instruction he will also blind the people, so as to be the occasion of producing greater insensibili... [ Continue Reading ]
11._And I said, How long, O LORD? _Although the Prophets are severe in denouncing the wrath of God against men, yet they do not lay aside human feelings. It is therefore necessary that they sustain a twofold character; for they must proclaim the judgment of God with high and unshaken courage, so tha... [ Continue Reading ]
12._Till the Lord have removed men far away. _These words contain nothing new, but merely an explanation of the former verse, and a description by other words of the ruin that shall overtake Judea; namely, that God will send the inhabitants _far away_. He asserts that those who shall survive the war... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Till there shall be in it a tenth _(99) There is some obscurity in the words; but let us first ascertain the meaning, and then we shall easily find out what is the signification of the words. There are two ways of explaining this passage. Some explain עשיריה (_asiriyah_) to mean _decimation_; ot... [ Continue Reading ]