of national wealth and profperity, which are usually attended with pride, arrogance, and luxury. See chap. ii. 6—18. iii. 16—25. v. 8, 11, 12. Therefore, I take this to be the order of thofe chapters. In the fixth chapter, and in the year before Chrift 759, the Prophet, in the council of God, received his commiffion; and foon after delivered the contents of the fecond, third, fourth, and fifth chapters. And thefe chapters contain all that remains of his prophecies in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, for about the space of 16 years, till the first year of king Ahaz.

MICAH i, ii.

THESE two chapters were delivered before the deftruction of Samaria, which is here predicted, chap. i. 6. in the reign of Jotham, chap. i. 1. and therefore may be rightly placed about this time.

ISAIAH vii.

In the first year of Ahaz king of Judah, Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Ifrael, formed a defign of dethroning Abaz, and of extirpating the family of David, by fetting up the fon of Tabeal, fome potent, factious Jew, to be king of Judah; and therefore, having no defign upon the nation, but only upon the royal family, marched directly to Jerufalem, and laid close fiege to it. But as it was the will of God, not to extirpate the family of David, but only to punifh wicked Ahaz, he fent Ifaiah to encourage him to make a vigorous defence, and to affure him they fhould not prevail againft him, and that the house of David should fubfift till the Meffiah was born. Then was the prophecy delivered to Abaz contained in the feventh chapter of Ifaiah*.

ISAIAH viii, ix, x. to the fifth Verfe.

AHAZ, a wicked idolator, paid little regard to what Isaiah had spoken to him in the name of the Lord. Therefore God ordered Ijaiah to take a large

* ISA1. vii. 8. Within 65 years Ephraim shall be broken, that it be not a people. This was predicted in the firft year of Abaz. Abaz reigned 16 years; and in the fixth year of his fucceffor, Hezekiah, Shalmanefer took Samaria, and carried away Ifrael [Ephraim] unto Affyria. This makes but 16 and 5, or 21 years. How then fhall we make out 65 years? This has very much puzzled the critics. But obferve, probably Ifrael, or Ephraim, was carried into captivity by the Affyrians three times. I. By Tiglath-Pilefer, 1 Chron. v. 26. 2 Kings xv. 29. II. By his fon Shalmanefer, 2 Kings xvii. 6. xvii. 10, Thus Ephraim was no more a kingdom. III. Probably by Efarhaddon, who finally carried away all the remains of the people; which is implied in his bringing new inhabitants from Babylon, Curbab, &c. z Kings xvii. 24. Ezra iv. 2. Thus Ephraim was no more a people. This happened in the 22d year of Manaffeh, 65 years from the firft of dbaz. See Dr. PRIDEAUX'S Con. ad an. 677

11.

a large roll of parchment, and therein, with the pen of a man, i. e. in the common and moft legible way of writing, to put down and publish, what God should further discover about the prefent deliverance and future calamities of Judah. The roll was to be a comment upon the name of a fon which was then born to the Prophet, and by Divine Protection was called Maher-fha-lal-hafh-baz, i. e. make speed to the spoil, and haften to the prey; denoting the speedy deftruction of the two confederate kings of Samaria and Damafeus. This roll, I fuppofe, takes in the eighth and ninth chapters of Ijaiah, and the five firft verfes of the 10th chapter.

ISAIAH xvii.

THIS chapter relates to the fame fubject, the deftruction of Ifrael and Damafcus; and therefore, I judge, it was delivered in the fame year, after the roll was finifhed. For in about two years after, Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affyria, took Damafcus, and carried the people therein captive to Kir. 2 Kings xvi. 9.

ISAIAH i.

PEKAH and Rezin failing in their attempt upon Jerufalem, (2 Kings xvi. 5. Ifai. vii. 1.) the next year, 741, they returned with forces better appointed, and councils better concerted; and dividing themselves into three armies, one under Pekah, another under Rezin, and a third under Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, they fell upon the country in three different parts, making every where terrible havock and flaughter, and carrying away a prodigious number of captives. See 2 Chron. xxviii. 5-9. And no fooner was the land freed from thofe enemies, but it was invaded by the Edomites, on the fouth, and the Philistines, on the weft, who treated it with the fame cruelty, flaying, plundering, and carrying away captives. 1 Chron. xxviii. 17, 18, 19. Thus was Judah grievously diftreffed all over the country, and brought exceeding low, which lately had been high in wealth and power, because they and their king had forfaken the Lord their God. And upon this occafion, most probably, Ifaiah delivered the 'prophetic fermon contained in the first chapter, as it is very suitable to the state of the nation at that time.

ISAIAH xxviii.

THIS chapter, relating to the deftruction of Ephraim, or the ten tribes, without any mention of Syria or Damafcus, lieth between the deftruction of Damafcus, 740, and the captivity of the ten tribes, 721.

HOSEA v. vi.

AHAZ, greatly diftreffed by Pekah, Rezin, &c. called in Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affyria, to his help, 2 Kings xvi. 7. 2 Chron. xxviii. 16. VOL. I.

K

And

And Menahem, king of Ifrael, about 30 years before that, had hired Pul, king of Affyria, to confirm the kingdom in his hand, 2 Kings xv. 19. though they reaped no benefit from them. These are, the only times in which the kings of Judah and Ifrael applied to the Affyrian for affiftance. And whereas Hofea,, chap. v. 13. mentions both those applications, the fifth and fixth chapters must be taken in after Abaz had applied to Tiglath-pilefer.

ISAIAH xiv. 28, &c.

THE Philistines triumphed over Ifrael all the days of Ahaz. But in the year Abaz died, Ifaiah delivered the burden, or meffage, relating to them, chap. xiv. 28, &c. which was fulfilled by Hezekiah, son and fucceffor to Abaz. 2 Kings xviii. 8.

ISAIA H XV. xvi.

THE Moabites had not ufed the Ifraelites well, who fled for fhelter from the ravages of Pekah and Rezin. With this inhumanity they are ironically upbraided, Ifai. xvi. 3. 4. But now they are told, the oppreffor and fpoiler were ceafed, and the throne of Hezekiah should be established in mercy, and he fhould fit upon it in truth, &c. Therefore, this prophecy against Meab muft have been delivered about the beginning (perhaps in the fecond year) of Hezekiah's reign. And Dr. PRIDEAUX fuppofeth it was accomplished by Shalmanefer, three or four years after, when, as he thinks, Shalmanefer, previously to the fiege of Samaria, fubdued the Moabites, to prevent any incurfions, or attacks, from that quarter.

HOSEA vii-xiv.

THE prophecies in thefe chapters were delivered (1.) after Ephraim, or the king of Ifrael, had called to Egypt for fuccour, chap. vii. II. xii. 1. as Menahem had done before to Affyria. 2 Kings xv. 19. But the only time they applied to Egypt was, when king Hofhea, revolting from Shalmanefer, fent meffengers to So king of Egypt. 2 Kings xvii. 4. Which occafioned Shalmanefer's befieging of Samaria, and carrying the ten tribes into captivity. And therefore thefe chapters might be delivered about three years before that event. (2.) Thefe prophecies were delivered after the first year of Shalman, or Shalmanefer, who, according to Dr. PRIDEAUX, began to reign in the year before Chrift 728, or 729. For the Prophet Hefea refers to the deftruction of Beth-arbel by Shalmun, chap. x. 14. And they were delivered before the taking of Samaria, which was in the 8th year of Shalmanefer, before Chrift 721; for the Prophet evidently, in those chapters, fuppofeth, that Ephraim, or the ten tribes, were not yet carried into captivity. Therefore, they were delivered after the deftruction of Beth-arbel, and before the captivity of the ten tribes, about the time above noted.

MICAH iii, iv, v, vi, vii.

THE last verse of the third chapter of Micah was uttered in the time of Hezekiah, Jer. xxvi. 18; and here may both that chapter, and all that follow it, be placed, as prophefied in fome time of Hezekiah's first 13 years, before Sennacherib befieged Jerufalem. For the Prophet seems to fpeak of that fiege and Sennacherib's blafphemy, chap. v. 1, 5. He fpeaketh glorious things of Chrift and his kingdom, and nameth the very town where he fhould be born, chap. v. 2. In chapter iv. 1, 2, 3, he ufeth the very words of Isaiah, chap. ii. 2, 3, 4, to exprefs the conflux to the kingdom of Chrift, his power in it, and the peace which, at length, it thould give to the world.

NAHUM i, ii, iii.

AFTER Shalmanefer, king of Nineveh, had taken Samaria, and carried the ten tribes captive, Nahum might predict the ruin of Nineveh, then the capital of the Affyrian empire.

ISAIAH xxiii.

SHALMANESER, having taken Samaria, turned his arms against the city of Tyre, which held out against him five years, and then was delivered from the fiege by the death of Shalmanefer. By this fuccefs they were too much elated, and growing very infolent, this occafioned the prophecy againft them in this chapter; which foretels the miferable overthrow of Tyre, which was effected by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. See Dr. PRIDEAUX's Con. An. 715, 720.

ISAIAH xxiv, xxv, xxvi, xxvii.

THESE chapters may refer to the final defolation of Judea and Ferufalem by Nebuchadnezzar; but I can difcover no marks of the time when they were delivered. However, with the threatenings he mixes many gracious promifes and comforts. See Dr. LIGHTFOOT.

ISAIAH xxxviii, xxxix.

In this year king Hezekiah fell fick, and the other affairs happened, which are recorded in this chapter: for 15 years are added to Hezekiah's life, chap. xxxviii. 5. and as he reigned in all 29 years, this must have been the 14th year of his reign. And that it happened when the intentions of Sennacherib, king of Affyria, to attack Jerufalem were known, appears from Isaiah xxxviii. 6.

ISAIAH xxix, xxx, xxxi, xxxii, xxxiii, xxxiv, xxxv.

HEZEKIAH, having refufed to pay the annual tribute to the king of Affyria, towards the end of the 14th year, Sennacherib coming upon him with a numerous army, he made all manner of preparation for a vigorous defence. 2 Kings xviii. 13. 2 Chron. xxxii. Ifai. xxxvi. Particularly, he entered into an alliance with the king of Egypt and Ethiopia. 2 Kings xviii. 21. Ifai. xxxvi. 6. This was a measure difpleafing to God, and therefore is protefted against by his Prophet Ifaiah in the xxxth and xxxift chapters. And at the fame time all the other chapters, from the xxixth to the xxxvith chapter, especially thofe that have immediate reference to this invafion, might have been dictated to the Prophet by the spirit of God.

ISAIAH xxii. Verfe 1 to 15.

As in this paragraph are manifeft allufions to Sennacherib's invafion and Hezekiah's preparations for the defence of Jerufalem, (compare verse 9, 10, 11. 2 Chron. xxxii. 5, 30.) this prophetic admonition to the people, who depended too much upon these preparations, probably was delivered about this time. See LowTH's Comment. on the place.

ISAIAH xxi.

THE inhabitants of Kedar were the defcendants of Ishmael, Gen. xxv. 13, and were one fpecies of Arabians dwelling in Arabia Petræa, Thefe were to be ruined within a year after this prophecy was given out. Moft probably they were overthrown either by Sennacherib, as he went into, or returned out of Egypt; or by Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, as he advanced out of Egypt against Sennacherib. 2 Kings xix. 9. And therefore, this prophecy may be placed at this time, or within a year or two of it.

ISAIAH xx.

HEZEKIAH, having treated with Sennacherib, and agreed to pay him. a fum of money, 2 Kings xviii. 14, 15, 16, Sennacherib turned his arms against Egypt; which he greatly diftreffed for three years together, Ifai. XX. 3, 4. But firft he fent Tartan, one of his generals, before him, to take Afhdod, the key to Egypt. At this time the prophecy against Egypt, in the xxth chapter of Ifaiah, was delivered. Note-Sennacherib is, in ver. 1, called Sargon. Ver. 5. They, the Jews, Shall be afraid and afhamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.