Verse 2.-Ephraim. This being the chief of the ten tribes of Israel, is often put for the whole of them.

And his heart was moved,]Or terrified; that is, the heart of all the house of David, or Judah.

4.-the two tails of these smoking firebrands,] Meaning Rezin and Pekah, so called because they were so far from being able to consume any thing else, that they were almost extinguished themselves;

-12. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.] These words of Abaz, though they have a shew of piety, proceeded really from despair and unbelief, as appears from the prophets answer, ver. 13.

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14.-a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, &c.] Upon occasion of the terrible fear of the house of David, and the perverseness of Ahaz, refusing to ask a sign, though invited, it pleased God to afford the greatest and most comfortable sign of His mercy to the House of David in particular, and to all mankind in general. So far was God from meaning to give up the Jews, He declares He will in His own time break through the course of nature, and cause even a virgin of their nation to conceive, and bear an extraordinary son, who shall be Immanuel, or God with us, God and man in one person. This miraculous conception is perhaps implied in the first promise Gen. iii. 15. that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head" and it is more distinctly referred to, Jer. xxxi. 22, i a woman shall compass a man."

15. Butter and honey shall be eat,] That is, He shall have a true human body; and shall be sustained with that ordinary nourishment, with which children are wont to be fed.

16-before the child shall know to refuse the evil, &c.] The prophet's object here is to express the shortness of the time, in which destruction should come upon the two kings, Rezin and Pekah; and as he has in the preceding verses been mentioning Immanuel, and has Him in a manner before his eyes, he may be understood to say, " In so short a time as it shall take Him to reach years of distinguishing, shall the kings be overthrown."

18.-the Lord shall hiss for the fly—and for the bee &c.] That is, shall call for hostile armies ; which are often compared to flies, bees, and other insects, both for their number, and the destruction they make.

20.—In the same day shall the Lord shave with rasor that is hired, &c.] The meaning is, that God will employ the Assyrian power to inflict great calamities on the Jews. The Assyrian is called a "hired rasor," because God often rewards those whom He makes the instruments, of His vengeance upon sinners, which is expressed by giving them their " wages."

21.—a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep] The remainder of the chapter is an elegant and expressive description of a country laid waste, and left to run wild; the vineyards and cornfields, before well cultivated, now overrun with briers and thorns; much grass, so that the few cattle which are left have abundant pasture; so as to yield milk in plenty to the scanty family of the owner; the thinly scattered people living, not on corn, wine, oil, the produce of cultivation, but on milk and honey, the gifts of nature; and the whole land given up to the wild beasts; so that the inhabitants are forced to go out armed with bows and arrows, either to defend themselves against the wild beasts; or to supply themselves with necessary food by hunting..."

23.at a thousand, silverlings,] Or pieces of Diver that is, set for so much.

CHAP. VIII.'

Verse 3. the prophetess;] Meaning the wife of Isaiah.

This

Call his name Maker-shalal-hash-baz.] name signifies to run swiftly to the spoil and muke haste to the prey; and was thus intended to denote the speedy destruction of the confederate kings of Syria and Israel.

9. Associate yourselves, @ye people, and ye shall be broken &c. The prophet insults over the con. federacy of Israel and Syria, against Judah, and assures the enemies of God's people, that their attempts shall be fruitless. The most distant times and countries may be fitly said to be concerned in the admonitions here given; the import of which is, that the kingdom of the Messiah will prosper, though all nations combine against it.

11.-the Lord spake thus to me &c.] The prophet is commanded to arm those that heard him against the prevalent fears of the confederacy of Syria and Israel, and exhorts them not to join in the popular ory in that matter, which was full of despondency and distrust of God.

14.-but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence &c.] God, and His promises, which should be man's refuge and security, become the occasion of mischief and hurt to unbelievers. This prophecy is interpreted of Christ in the New TeaSee 1 Pet. ii. 8. Rom. ix. 33.

tament.

16. Bind up the testimony, seal the law &c.] The prophets sometimes declare concerning their prophetical discourses and actions, that they were dark and as yet unintelligible, and should be more clearly understood about the latter times, în which they were to find their completion.

In 20To the law and to the testimony:] If ye would truly consult your own welfare, have recourse to the "law and to the testimony," to the

Verse 1: Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such &c.] This verse would be better translated,

As at the first time He," (that is God)" made vile" (or greatly afflicted) " the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali," (by means of the King of Assyria; see 2 Kings xv. 29.) "so hereafter He shall make glorious" (these two lands, which lye by)" the way of the sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles." See the application of this prophecy to Christ. Matt. iv. 13. 14. &c. 3.and not increased the joy:] Rather, (as it is translated in the margin of the Bible,) " and increased the joy to him, or it." Or the words may be read as a question, "Wilt thou not increase the joy?""The joy in harvest" is a proverbial expression for great joy.

4.-the yoke of his burden,the staff of his shoulder,] These expressions denote the weight of the burthens, whether temporal or spiritual, from which they were to be delivered.

as in the day of Midian.] When the Israelites, under Gideon, overcame the Midianites. Judges vii.

5.-but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.] The sense seems to be, that all instruments of warfare should be destroyed and become fuel for fire, as in Ps. xlvi. 9, where the image is employed to express complete victory and a perfect establishment of peace.

Bhis name shall be called Wonderful, &c.] Thatis, He shall be Wonderful, &c. This is a most clear and distinct, prophecy of the Messiah or Christ.

7.-upon the throne of David,] The Messiah is said to sit upon the throne of David, because all the promises concerning the perpetuity of David's family and kingdom did chiefly relate to Christ, and were fulfilled in Him.,

10. The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones:] By this figurative speech, the people of Israel boast that they easily shall be able to repair their present losses, and to bring their affairs to a more flourishing state than ever.

11.-the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Resin against him;] When the king of Assyria had subdued, the Syrians, be made them join him in invading Israel.

18.it shall devour the briers and thorns,] Briers and thorns are often put for the wicked, as useless and unprofitable, proper objects of God's wrath, to be burnt up.

20.-they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:] This, and what goes before, signify that they should plunder and devour those of their own Country and blood.

CHAP. X.

Verse 5.0 Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, &c.] O Assyrian, come and execute My just judgment upon My people; for thou art the rod of Miue anger; and the weapons, which are in thy hand, whereby thou fightest against Judah, are wielded by Mine indignation.

7. Howbeit he meaneth not so,] Namely, that in what he does to other nations, he is only the instrument of God's wrath towards them. The Assyrian's design was purely to extend his couquests, and gratify his own ambition; but God, who bringeth good out of evil, makes the wickedness of some nations the means of correcting that of others; and the worst of men, in the worst of their crimes, the undesigning instruments of His righteous purposes. Thus the various instruments of Satan, who combined to bring about the death of our Saviour, did in fact each contribute to finish the great work of man's redemption, which some of them knew not of, others opposed, and none of them in the least intended.

9. Is not Calno as Carchemish? &c.] These are places against which he boasts of having been successful. Is not Calno conquered, as well as Carchemish? &c.

15.

Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith?] Is not the Assyrian as My ax to hew down Judab? And shall this ax magnify itself against the hand that wieldeth it? as if the in strument could do aught without or against the arm that moves it.

16. under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire] This alludes to the pestilen tial blast by which Sennacherib's army was to be destroyed. 2 Kings xix. 7, 35.

19. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.] So few men of note shall be left in his army, that a child may be able to keep the muster-roll.

20.-it shall come to pass in that day, that &c.] That is, A time shall come, when &c.

22.-yet a remnant—shall return:] That is, only a remnant.

27.-because of the anointing.] For the sake of God's chosen people, who are called "His anointed," Ps. cv. 15, and especially for the sake of Christ, or the Anointed emphatically so called, who was to descend from the tribe of Judah.

28. He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migront &c.] Here follows a description of the march of Sennacherib's army, and of the terror and confusion spreading through the several places in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.

33.-the Lord-shall lop the bough with terror:] This alludes to the terrible and miraculous over throw of Sennacherib's army.

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34, he shall cut down the thickets of the forest

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with iron, &c. Here again Sennacherib's army is compared to the trees of a. forest (as at ver. 19.) and even to the forest at Lebanon, for its multitude and strength.

CHAP. XI.

This chapter is a prophetick account of the character of the Messiah, and the peaceable nature of His kingdom, of the call of the Gentiles, and re storation of the Jews.""

Verse 1.-there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,]"A rod," and " a branch," meaning the Messiah. Though the nation might have been so reduced, that they might be com pared to a tree which had nothing left but stem and roots, yet from thence should a rod or shoot come forth, and a branch grow. Jesse, being the Father of David, was, according to natural descent, an ancestor of the Messiah.

3. he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, &c.] He shall not judge after the appearance, but shall judge righteous judgment; as our Saviour speaks, Joh. vii. 24.

4.-he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth,] He shall reprove the wicked by His word, the word of God containing threats and judgments against sinners, which is described as being" sharper than any two-edged sword."

6-8. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, &c.] The expressions here used are plainly designed to shew, in a figurative way, that there should be as great a change wrought upon the world, as there would be, if the natures of the creatures here mentioned were so changed, as the figures represent them. Though it is the natural tendency of Christianity to produce peace upon earth, and good will between man and man, so that there would be no wars and dissentions if its dictates were universally followed, yet it is probable that this description refers to a period not yet arrived.

10.-a root of Jesse,] That is, Christ the Messiah.

-to it shall the Gentiles seek :] Another pro phecy of the coming in of the Gentiles; of their adopting Christ's religion.

The remainder of this chapter foretels those glorious times of the Church, which shall be ushered in by the restoration of the Jewish nation; when they shall embrace the Gospel, and return from the several dispersions where they were scattered.

14the islands of the sea.]. By this expression are to be understood, in the Scripture style, not only islanders, but all who dwelt on the sea coast, or indeed, all distant nations.

14.they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines &c.] The meaning seems to be, they shall make common cause against the Philistines, &c. The people here mentioned all bordered upon the Jews, and took all occasions of shewing their illwill against them: on which account, in the prophetick language they are often used in a general sense for the enemies of God's truth and people. It is the style and genius of the prophetical books, to set whole countries, and kingdoms, and societies of men, to signify, not those places, and persons, and powers only, but others also who should be in after ages like them, in the same sins and circumstances.

15.-the tongue of the Egyptian sea; That is, probably, the bay of the Red sea; or it may mean a narrow piece of land running into the sea. This and the next verse are figurative; and import the removing of all impediments that might hinder the return of God's people.

CHAP. XII.

This chapter is an hymn of praise, proper to be used in the triumphant state of the church, described in the foregoing chapter,

Verse 3.-with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.] That is, from God's inexhaustible bounty, which is the fountain of all blessings in Jesus Christ.

CHAP. XIII.

Verse 1. The burden of Babylon,] A prophecy threatening ruin, or some severe punishment. The destruction of Babylon føretold in this and the next chapter, took place about 200 years after the prophecy was delivered.

2, 3. Lift ye up a banner &c.] The prophecy opens with the command of God to gather the forces ("His sanctified ones") which He had destined to His service against Babylon: upon which the Prophet immediately hears the tumultuous noise of the different nations crowding together to the standard; he sees them advancing prepared to execute the Divine wrath, ver. 4, 5, and proceeds to describe the dreadful consequences of this visi tation, and the consternation which will seize those that are objects of it.

10.-the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: &c.] When the Prophets represent the destruction and overthrow of kingdoms, they speak of the stars being obscured, the sun and moon withdrawing their light, the earth quaking and the heavens trembling, &c. See Joel ii. 10; Matt. xxiv. 29. Such expressious are the natural language of the Eastern nations;

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and no more would be understood by them, than that Babylon should be utterly destroyed, and the government ruined, &c.

12. I will make a man more precious than fine gold;] The meaning is, that such will be the destruction of men fit to bear arms, that they will become very scarce.

17.-which shall not regard silver;] That is, shall not be induced to spare by large offers of

ransom.

20.-neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there} neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.] This is a proper representation of complete and entire desolation; for it is common in the East for shepherds to make use of remaining ruins to shelter their flocks in: and it implies a great degree of solitude, when it is said, that the place where great citres stood should be turned into pasturage; but it is predicted that the rains of Babylon shall be fit for wild creatures only to resort to! This prophecy of the ruin and desolation of Babylon has long since been fully accomplished.

CHAP. XIV.

Verse 1.-the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel,] He will deliver them from their captivity in Babylon, and also in time will bless them by sending the Messiah. It may be observed generally, that whenever the prophets speak of the blessings to follow upon the return from the captivity, it is to be understood, that the beginnings of their promises are to take place in that temporary restoration of the Jewish state; but that their full and final completion is to be looked for only in the days of the Messiah. This is the true light to guide us to the interpretation of prophecy.

4.- proverb] Taunting speech, namely, this triumphant song (verse 4-28) on the overthrow of Babylon.

8.-the fir trees rejoice at thee, &c.] Under the image of fir trees and cedars of Lebanon (frequently used to express anything great and majestick) are here represented the princes oppressed by the king of Babylon, as rejoicing at his overthrow.

Hell from beneath is moved for thee &c.] The spirits of departed monarchs are here represented as rising out of their places in the regions of the dead, and advancing to meet the king of Babylon, and to receive him with insults on his fall.

12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,] Princes and rulers are figuratively expressed by the host of heaven; and the king of Babylon, who outshone others, is here represented by the morning star.

13.-I will wit also upon the mount of the con. gregation, &c.] In the temple of God, which is on Mount Sion, and on the north side of Jerusalem.

18.-every one in his own house.] Meaning, in his own splendid sepulchre.

29.- whole Palestina,] All the tribes of the Philistines.

out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, &c.] As a cockatrice or fiery serpent is more to be dreaded than a common viper, so much more reason had the Philistines to fear Hezekiah, than his great grandfather Uzziah. Hezekiah dispossessed the Philistines of almost all their country..

30.—the firstborn of the poor shall feed,] That is, the very poorest. This speaks of the plenty and security that should ensue under the government of Hezekiah.

32. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation?] The ambassadors of the nations, that send to congratulate the Jews upon their victories? This will be a proper answer, That the Lord is their protector.

CHAP. XV.

This and the following chapter, taken together, make one entire prophecy, being a denunciation of vengeance against Moab.

Verse 2. He is gone to Bajith,] "He" is used for the people of Moab.

- on all their heads shall be baldness, &c.] In token of great mourning. See. Ezra ix. 3.

5.-an heifer of three years old :) The meaning seems to be, that the cry of Moab should be continued on from city to city, till the whole country resounded as with the lowing of a young cow, that runs from place to place in search of her calf, that has been taken from her.

7.-the brook of the willows.] That abundance which the Moabites have gotten, their enemies shall carry away to Babylon, or, as in the margiu of the Bible, to "the valley of the Arabians."

CHAP. XVI.

Verse 1. Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land &c.] The Moabites were subdued by David and become his tributaries. And the king of Moab sent 100,000 lambs, 2 Kings iii. 4. To something of this kind the prophet seems, here to allude, exhorting the Moabites to renew to the heir of David's family an acknowledgment which probably had been discontinued.

3.-make thy shadow as the night in the midst of noon day;] The prophet speaks by way of ad vice to the Moabites to shew kindness to the Jews,

and afford them help which would be as refreshing as the cool of the night under the mid-day sun.

5 he shall sit upon it in truth] "He," that is, Hezekiah, who should govern with justice and - mercy, and therein prefigure the Messiah.

6.but his lies shall not be so.] That is, the predictions of such as take upon them to foretel things, shall not have events agreeable to their pride and wrath.

11my bowels shall sound like an harp for Monb, My bowels shall yearu for Moab, I will greatly lament her.

12.when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, &c.] Finding no relief in offering sa crifices in his high places, he shall come to the temple of his god Chemosh, but without effect. 13. since that time.] Rather, 66 a good while ago.">

14. as the years of an hireling,] Within three years, which was the usual number of years that hired servants were hired for.

CHAP. XVII.

Verse 3. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim,] The burden of Damascus naturally brings the prophet to speak of the subversion of Ephraim, that is, of the kingdom of Israel, which was in those days in alliance with the Syrians, and to be overthrown by the same enemy, at the same time, chap. viii. 4.

they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel,] They, that is, the Syrians shall be in a declining state, as the kingdom of Israel had been for å long time.

5.-as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim,] The meaning is, the kingdom shall at length be quite destroyed, as reapers make a clear riddance of the corn. The valley of Rephaim celebrated for its corn, is here used for any fruitful valley.

6-as the shaking of an olive tree,] The remnant that shall escape, is here compared to the few berries left on an olive tree after the crop has been gathered.

10, 11.therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, &c.] The pleasant plants, and shoots from a foreign soil, are allegorical expressions for strange and idolatrous worship; vicious and aboiminable practices connected with it; reliance on human aid, and on alliances entered into with the neighbouring countries; to all which the Israelites were greatly addicted, and in their expectations from which

pointed. ey should be grievously disap

11-in the morning shalt thou make] When the Hebrews would signify doing a thing speedily, with care and diligence, they often thus express it. See Ps. xlvi. 5.

12-14. These verses seem to relate to the formidable invasion of the Assyrians upon Judea, and their sudden overthrow; ver. 14 fitly representing the condition of Sennacherib's army, which caused great consternation over night, but was destroyed before the next morning, 2 Kings xix. 35.

CHAP. XVIII.

This is one of the most obscure prophecies of Isaiah: the design of it, the people to whom it is addressed, &c. are all doubtful. Probably the prophecy relates to the final restoration of thẻ Israelites, and the time of its completion is yet future, being the second coming of our Lord.

Verse 2.-vessels of butrushes] Meaning probably, quick-sailing vessels, like those made of the reed called papyrus which are in use among the Egyptians.

to a nation scattered and peeled,]. The description of the nation here given, applies very well to the Jews.

-whose land the rivers have spoiled!] That is, armies of conquerers, which long since have spoiled the land of the Jews. The inundation of rivers is an image frequently used for the ravages of armies of foreign invaders.

3.-an ensign on the mountains; &c. This "ensigu" is probably the standard of the Cross of Christ; and the " trumpet" that of the Gospel; The verse therefore may be understood as a summons to all nations to embrace Christianity.

4.-I will consider in my dwelling place] Rather, as in the margin of the Bible," I will re ard my set dwelling." The sentiment is, that, notwithstanding a long suspension of extraordinary manifestations of God's power, which is here described under the image of that stillness of the air which takes place in extreme heats, His providence is not asleep; He is all the while regarding the conduct and the fortunes of His people, and at all times directing every thing, though often by a silent and secret operation, to their ultimate prosperity, and to the universal establishment of the true religion.

5.-fore the harvest,-he shall-cut off the sprigs &c. The harvest is the constant image of that season, when God shall gather His elect from the four winds of heaven. This is to be immédiately preceded by a pruning of the useless shoots and. unfruitful brauches, that is, a destruction of sinners and hypocrites.

CHAP. XIX,

This chapter is a detail of the judgments which were to fall upon Egypt in various periods, from the time of the prophet downwards; coneluding with a prophecy of their conversion.