_Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened_ He is not grown weaker than informer times, but is as omnipotent as ever he was; _neither his ear heavy_ Or dull of hearing: he is not like your idol gods, that have hands and cannot help, and ears and cannot hear. _But your iniquities have separated_ Have... [ Continue Reading ]
_Your hands are defiled with blood_ Here the prophet proceeds from a more general to a more particular charge against them. By _blood_, we are to understand, either murders and bloodshed, properly so called, or ways of injustice, extortion, oppression, and cruelties, whereby men are deprived of a li... [ Continue Reading ]
_None calleth for justice_ None seek to redress these wrongs and violences; they commit all rapines and frauds with impunity; _they trust in vanity_ In vain and empty words, void of all consistency; or, _in vain things_, such as their idols were, often called vanity and nothing, 1 Corinthians 8:4; o... [ Continue Reading ]
_They hatch cockatrice' eggs_ They contrive and execute wicked purposes and practices, whereby sure and sudden destruction is brought upon themselves and others. Of the _cockatrice_, or _basilisk_, as it should rather be rendered, see on Isaiah 14:29. One kind is put for any venomous creature. The s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Their feet run to evil_ This seems to be taken from Proverbs 1:16; where see the note. He had spoken of their hands, fingers, lips, tongues, &c., before, and now he speaks of their feet, to show that they were wholly set upon mischief. _Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity_ Their minds and heart... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore is judgment far from us_ Because we have no regard for justice or honesty, God will not plead our cause against our oppressors; _neither doth justice overtake us_ He does not defend our rights, nor avenge our wrongs; as if he had said, If we had executed judgment and equity among one anot... [ Continue Reading ]
_For our transgressions_ The word פשׁעונו, here used, signifies sins of a high nature, namely, such as were wilfully committed against light and knowledge; rebellious sins. _Are multiplied before thee_ They admit of no excuse; for they are committed _before thee_, and multiplied against thee, whereb... [ Continue Reading ]
_And judgment is turned away backward_ He speaks here of the sentences in courts of judicature, which were contrary to right and justice; as if he had said, God denies you justice, as you have denied it to others. _And justice standeth afar off_ Justice and judges are at a great distance from each o... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he saw there was no man_ Namely, to intercede, which is understood from the following words; or no man to help in such a case, and to appear in the behalf of equity. See Ezekiel 22:30. _And wondered_ Hebrew, וישׁתומם, _was amazed_, or _astonished_, an expression which denotes both God's solicit... [ Continue Reading ]
_For he put on righteousness as a breast-plate_ God, resolving to appear as a man of war, puts on his armour; he calls _righteousness_ his _breast-plate_, to show the justness of his cause, as also his faithfulness in making good his promises. _And a helmet of salvation upon his head_ As the breast-... [ Continue Reading ]
_So shall they fear the name of the Lord_ Worship the Lord; _from the west_ The western parts of the world. _And his glory_ The glorious God; _from the rising of the sun_ The eastern parts. The sum is, the whole world shall fear and worship God, and make his name renowned, laying aside their idolatr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_, or, _moreover, the Redeemer shall come to Zion_ To Jerusalem, or to his church, often signified by Zion, namely, Christ shall come, of whom the apostle expounds it, Romans 11:26; the prophets usually concluding their promises of temporal deliverances with the promises of spiritual, especially... [ Continue Reading ]