quam de singulis gentibus, sed de cunctis pariter prophetatur."

"Solenne est Isaiæ, ut quoties in vaticiniis suis offertur aliqua umbra eorum quæ in novissimis temporibus accident, statim ad illa`animum et verba convertat. Erat Tyrus viva totius orbis effigies, cum eò omnia regna confluerent. Cum ergo microcosmi hujus interitus esset a prophetâ descriptus, ad describendam majoris mundi vastitatem assurgit. Sicut Christus ab eversione Hierosolymæ ad mundi excidium et universale judicium sermonem ducit.” Sanctius apud Poole.

The first twelve verses of this chapter seem to describe the extermination of the Jews by the Romans. In the 13th, 14th, 15th, and former part of the 16th verse, the prophet describes the successful preaching of the gospel, and the consequent conversion of the Gentiles, by the first Hebrew converts scattered over the whole world; for they seem to be meant by the after picking of the olive tree, and the gleaning grapes after the vintage. The remainder of the chapter from the 16th verse, describes the commotions in the latter ages of the world, the judgments to be executed upon the adversaries of the true religion, and the final triumph of the church. In this

part the prophecy is very obscure, the accomplish

ment being yet distant.

Verse 1." the earth," rather "the land." Verse 4. "The earth," rather "The land."

-"the haughty people of the earth do languish." -" excelsa simul et ima terræ collabescunt." Houbigant. The plural verb has led interpreters to expound the singular nominative as a collective. The Vulgate seems to have had the singular verb

; and with the singular verb, the most obvious interpretation of this clause would be this: "Together with the earth the heaven is decayed."

, as we might say, the upper region,' is often used for the heavens, or the sky. It seems to be so

used below, verse 21.

Verse 5. "The earth," rather "The land."

Verse 6." the earth," rather "the land."

"and they that dwell therein are desolate;" rather," because the inhabitants thereof are found guilty." Vitringa and Bishop Lowth.

"of the earth," rather " of the land."

-"are burnt." If any emendation be necessary here, I should propose for 1 to read. See Ps. cii, 4. The formative of the verb might easily be

4

omitted, when the next preceding word ends with the same letter. But compare Job Xxx, 30.

Verse 7. "The new wine mourneth".

new wine is become vapid"

"The

Verse 8.-" the noise of them that rejoice;" rather, "the noise of the riotous."

Verse 9.-"strong drink"- rather, "the datewine"

Verse 10. "The city of desolation is broken down;" rather, "The city is broken down; it is a ruin." See Bishop Lowth.

. Bishop

Verse 11. "all joy is darkened." Lowth, with Archbishop Secker, would ready. But I find that the verb in the Arabic language renders these senses: abfuit, distitit, longius recessit; ablegabit, extorrem fecit, in exilium expulit, perigrinatus fuit, peregrinus evasit, subtraxit se:' and in the Samaritan, expulit, exterminabit, exhæredavit.' See Castell's Lexicon.

Verse 12.-" and the gate is smitten with destruction;" rather, with Bishop Lowth, " and with a great tumult the gate is battered down."

Verse 13. In the original, put a semicolon be

בתוך and הארץ tween

When thus it shall be in the midst of the land [that is, the land of Judea],

Amongst the peoples [there shall be] as the after-picking of an olive tree,

As the gleaning-grapes when the vintage is finished.

Verse 14. "6 They"— rather "These," this small

remnant.

But these shall lift up their voice, they shall sing:

Resound, O ye waters, with the exaltation of Jehovah.

Bishop Lowth. I am much in doubt about the latter line. " from the sea," may signify" in the western quarters of the globe," or, generally "from the outmost shores," a cingente omnia oceano.

.בארים

Verse 15. " in the fires," . This word deserves much consideration. Twenty-three of Kennicott's MSS. and among these some of the first au

-"but I said, My leanness, my leanness," &c. The prophet hearing songs of praise to the Just One, is naturally led to think of the general corruption of

human nature, and of the base treatment which the Just One met with from the Jews; which two things he pathetically deplores in the sequel of this verse. By his leanness, he means the deficiency of his own righteousness, which was such that he had need to clothe himself with the merits of the Just One. The perfidious dealers are the unbelieving Jews of our Lord's time, who, by rejecting their Saviour, became apostates from their God.

Verse 17. "Fear, and the pit," &c. Fired with indignation at the scene of the treatment of the Just One, the prophet threatens the guilty world with instant vengeance.

Verse 21. " shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high;" literally, "shall visit upon the host of the height in the height," or, "of the upper region in the upper region." "animadvert

Jova, et in sublimem exercitum in sublimi." Castalio. -"visitabit Dominus super militiam cæli in excelso.” Vulg. έπαξει ὁ Θεὸς ἐπι τον κόσμον του οὐρανου την χειρα. Thy Neiga. LXX. The antithesis between this "host of the upper region in the upper region, and the kings of the earth upon the earth," clearly shews that heaven is meant by, the height, or upper region.' Whether this host of heaven be the visible

VOL. II.

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