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Chapter battle to the gate; that is, thofe that return from the BatXXVIII. tle to the Gates of Jerufalem with Victory, or those that make their Enemies fly before them to the Gates of their own Cities.

Vatablus,
Fererius,
Sandius.

mus,
Haymo,
Lyranus.
(b) Vatablus,

Ver. 7, 8. But they also have erred through wine, and through ftrong drink are out of the way: the priest and the prophet have erred through ftrong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink, they err in vifion, they ftumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, fo that there is no place clean.] The two remaining Tribes, to whom God vouchfafes thefe Favours, who now during the exemplary Reign of good Hezekiah, perfevere in the Worship of God, and a due obfervance of his Laws, when he is gone will fall into the fame Senfuality and Excefs; even their Priests and their Prophets, I forefee, will prove as debauch'd as the People, and they who fhould fet them an Example of Vertue and Sobriety, be as deep in the Mire of Drunkennefs as the rest.

Ver. 9. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall be make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.] As if he had faid, But if their Teachers were fober and diligent, and ready to inftruct the People under their Care, the People themfelves will be fo fottish and stupid as to render their Inftructions to no purpose, they will be as incapable of receiving any advantage by the plaineft Leffons of Morality that can be read to them, as Children at the Mother's Breaft: This to me feems the most natural Interpretation, tho' Grotius gives the words a different turn, Shall I addrefs my Difcourfes to the younger fort, fince the old ones difregard them?

Ver. 1o. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon (a) Hieroni- precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little.] This is one of thofe difficult places at which Commentators are very much puzzled. (a) Some think he repeats the words of the Scoffers at Religion in those days, who us'd to turn the words of the Prophet into Ridicule, and prophanely banter him in his own Expreffions, Command, command Ifaiah; but the literal ExForerius. pofition of (6) thofe who for their plainnefs are faid.

Ifidorus,
Clarius,

Pagninus,

to

to give a frigid Interpretation of them by A Lapide, to Chapter to me feems the most natural, They must be taught like XXVIII. little Children, whofe narrow Capacities not enabling them to receive much at a time, require that their Leffons be diftributed in fmall Divifions, fuch as their Memory may be able to retain.

Ver. 11. For with ftammering lips and another tongue will he fpeak to this people.] That is, for with ftammering lips and another tongue will be feem to fpeak, who endeavours to bring this People to a fenfe of their Duty; as if the Prophet had faid, They are grown to that height of Stupidity and Senfelefsnefs, that they no more understand what is faid to them, tho' never fo plainly, than if it were deliver'd in a ftrange barbarous Language: But others, whom our Tranflators feem to have follow'd, understand it of God, who having spoken to them by his Prophets to no purpose, would fpeak to them hereafter not by words, as to Rational Creatures, but as Men are us❜d to speak to Brutes, by Blows and Stripes, by bringing upon them a People of a strange Language, the Affyrians or Chaldeans.

Ver. 12, 13. To whom he faid, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to reft, and this is the refreshing: yet they would not bear. But the word of the Lord was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little, that they might go and fall backward, and be broken, and fnared and taken. I In the former Verfe he defcrib'd the Stupidity of the Jews, on whom Inftruction was flung away; for he that at any time undertook to put them in mind of their Duty, would no more command their Attention, than if he fpoke in another Language. In this, as I undertand the words, he gives a Reafon why he pronounced them fo infenfible, To this People he faid, that is, God has often, by the Mouth of his Prophets, declar'd, that all that he requir'd of them was to have a tender regard to their fuffering Brethren, to relieve one another in diftrefs; this would be reft and refreshment unto me, faith the Lord. This tender Concern for one another's Welfare was so often infifted upon by the Prophets in their Popular Exhortations, that Zechariah fays to the Jews, af-,

ter

Chapter ter their return from their Captivity, Should ye not hear the XXVIII. words which the Lord hath cry'd by the former Prophets, when Jerufalem was inhabited, and in Profperity, faying, Execute true Judgment, and fhew Mercy and Compaffion every Chap. 7. 7. one to his Brother: But they would not hear, tho' the word of the Lord was unto them Precept upon Precept, Line upon Line, here a little and there a little. That is, tho' it was deliver'd to them in fhort Difcourfes, with all poffible plainnefs, and repeated to them over and over again: That they might, that is, therefore they fhall go and fall backward, and be broken and fnared and taken; they fhall learn to pity others by a fenfe of their own Sufferings, they fhall be taken by the Enemies, like wild Beafts in a Toil, and undergo a great deal of Hardship at their hands, as many of them were taken Captives upon this Invafion of Sennacherib, and the whole Nation afterward by Nebuchadnezzar.

Ver. 14, 15. Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye fcornful men that rule this people which is in Jerufalem. Because ye have faid, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement, when the overflowing fcourge fhall pafs through, it shall come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falfhood have we bid our felves.] Tho' ye have faid within your felves, we will make a League with Sennacherib our deadly Enemy, and footh him into good Humour by foft Words and appealing Prefents. Thus Grotius. But the Prophet may be fuppos'd to speak of Death and the Grave, (for fo Seol fhould be render'd here) as Perfons whom they thought they had fo firmly engag'd in their Intereft that they had nothing to fear from them; becaufe ye are confident and prefumptuous, as if ye had a Leafe of your Lives, and Death by a folemn Contract were oblig'd to fpare you for fo many Years, when Sennacherib, like a Rapid Torrent, over-runs the rest of Judea, we fhall be fafe, as if feated on a lofty Hill, far enough out of the reach of the rifing Waters; or if the worst comes to the worst, we will make Lies our Refuge, and under Falfhood will we hide our felves; we will flatter the mighty Monarch, and fecure our felves by the most humble Submiflion, and pretended Compliance with the Religion he profeffes; tho' others understand by

Lies and Falfhood their Idols, which they thought them- Chapter felves fufficiently guarded by, others their Wealth difho- XXVIII. neftly got, by which they were fure to make their Peace with the Affyrian.

Ver. 16, 17. Therefore thus faith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a fure foundation: be that believeth fhall not make hafte. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail fhall fweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters fhall overflow the hiding place.] The meaning of thefe Two Verfes is plainly this, Therefore because ye are fo fecure as if no Danger could come at you, behold I will lay in Sion a Foundation for those who believe, but yet I will lay Fudgment to the Line for thofe who believe not; as if he had faid, Ye may flatter your felves with vain Hopes of escaping the Fury of the Affyrian by Tricks and Prefents, but Jerufalem is the only Place ye can be fecure in, there I have laid fuch a Foundation for your Security as fhall not be mov'd, if ye rely on my Promifes, and 'put your Confidence in me only. A ftone, a tried stone, a precious corner ftone, a foundation, are all fynonymous Terms, by which the Prophet expreffes the Security they fhould enjoy in Jerufalem, under the wife Conduct of Hezekiah. He that believes fhall not make hafte, that is, he fhall have no occafion to hurry away into diftant Countries; but it is very probable Lo Jebifh was the original reading, instead of Lo Fechish, because the LXX reader it, un nagud, and Rom. 9. 33. fo it is quoted in the New Teftament, where the Apostles 1 Pet. 2, apply it in the spiritual Senfe to Chrift; affure your felves however, tho' I lay this Foundation in Jerufalem, I will also Lay Judgment to the Line, and Righteoufnefs to the Plummet; that is, I will not in the leaft depart from my Threats, or make any Abatement in the Severity of them, but will fulfil them with fuch a nice Exactness as is obferv'd by accurate Architects, who do every thing by Rule and Measure.

Ver. 18. And your covenant with death fhall be difanulled, and your agreement with hell fhall not ftand; when the overflowing fcourge fhall pass through, then ye shall be troden down by it.]. The Agreement ye have made with Death and the Grave, by which ye think your felves fecur'd from Danger, fhall

fignify

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Chapter fignify nothing when Sennacherib comes among you, an XXVIII. Arbitrary Tyrant, who has no regard to Covenants folemnly agreed to by himself, and therefore very unlikely

to be ty'd up to your imaginary Contract.

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Ver. 19. From the time that it goeth forth, it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night, and it fhall be a vexation only to understand the report.] The Words may be better render'd, As it paffes over your Land it fhall fweep you away with it, like an overflowing Flood, which furprizes an unwary Traveller on the Beach; every Morning in a conftant continu'd Course it shall overfpread the Land Day after Day, and Night after Night; that is, it fhall pursue you without any Stop or Interruption, nothing to check or contract the prevailing Stream; and the Effects of this Inundation fhall be fo terrible, that a bare Narration of it fhall be very afflicting.

Ver. 20. For the bed is fhorter, then that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower, then that he can wrap himfelf in it.] The Prophet by these Proverbial Expreffions means, that they fhould be reduc'd to fuch Straits and Diftrefs, that all their Wiles and Shifts fhould not be able to fecure them; the Speech is Metaphorical (fays Sixt. Amama. Kimchi) as a Man who lies in a Bed too fhort for him, Antibarb. Bi- and under a Covering too fhort, cannot ftretch out his blic. 1. 4. Legs at length, nor cover all his Body; fo fhall it be with

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the Jews, nothing fhall be left them but the City Jerusalem, and that shall be too narrow to hold them all, fo that a great many of them muft unavoidably fall into the Hands of the Affyrians.

Ver. 21. For the Lord fhall rise up as in mount Perizim, he Shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.] The Hiftories to which the Prophet refers may be read, the first in the Second Book of Samuel, the other in that of Joshua, by which he defign'd only to fet forth the Suddennefs of this Invafion of Sennacherib, against which the Jews fhould have no Time to prepare for their Defence ; God fhall rife up against his own People as he did in Mount Perizim against the Philistines, and he fhall be angry with them as he was with their Enemies in the valley of Gibeon, when he caus'd the Sun to ftand ftill that their Slaughter

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