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"dwell in." 13. If thou turn away "thy foot from the sabbath (a), from "doing thy pleasure on my holy day; "and call the sabbath a delight, the "holy of the LORD, honourable; and "shalt honour him, not doing thine

"own ways, nor finding thine own "pleasure, nor speaking thine own "words: 14. Then shalt thou delight "thyself in (b) the LORD; and I will "cause thee to ride (c) upon the high "places of the earth, and feed thee "with the heritage of Jacob thy father: "for the mouth of the LORD hath "spoken it."

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(a) v. 13. "The Sabbath." The observance of the sabbath is pressed, Isaiah lvi. 2. 4. 6.; and the prosperity of the nation is made to depend upon it, Jer. xvii. 24 to 27. "It shall come to pass, if ye diligently "hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to "bring in no burden through the gates of "this city on the sabbath day, but hallow "the sabbath day, to do no work therein; "then shall there enter into the gates of "this city kings and princes sitting upon "the throne of David, &c., and this city "shall remain for ever, &c. but if you "will not hearken unto me to hallow the "sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, " even entering in at the gates of Jeru"salem on the sabbath day, then will I "kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and "it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, "and it shall not be quenched." note on Isaiah lvi. 4. ante, 662.

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(b) v. 14. "Delight thyself in," i. e. (probably)" have many supplies and "sources of delight from; he shall give "you abundance of joy."

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a viper. 6. Their webs shall not "become garments, neither shall they "cover themselves with their works: "their works are works of iniquity, "and the act of violence is in their "hands. 7. Their feet run to evil, "and they make haste to shed innocent "blood: their thoughts are thoughts "of iniquity, wasting and destruction "are in their paths. 8. The way of

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peace they know not, and there is no "judgment in their goings: they have "made them crooked paths: whosoever

goeth therein shall not know peace. "9. Therefore is judgment far from 66 us, neither doth justice overtake us: "we wait for light, but behold ob"scurity; for brightness, but we walk "in darkness. 10. We grope for the "wall like the blind, and we grope (h) "as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in "desolate places as dead men. 11. We

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(c) Ride, &c." figuratively, to denote great exaltation and prosperity; so in the song of Moses (Deuter. xxxii. 13.) the Lord" made him ride on the high "places of the earth, that he might eat the "increase of the fields, and he made him to "suck honey out of the rock, and oil "out of the flinty rock," or "bed of "flint."

(d) Sin the obstacle to God's assistance: an acknowledgment by the people of their sins, and a promise by God of interference by the Messiah, when signal vengeance should be executed upon God's opponents, and protection shewn to his people. B.C. 698. just upon the close of Hezekiah's reign.

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(e) v. 5. "Hatch cockatrice eggs," i. e. put into practice the most mischievous "designs."

(g) Cockatrice eggs," which poison those who eat them, and, if hatched, produce venomous serpents.

(h) v. 10. "Grope," or "wander."

66 roar all like bears, and mourn sore "like doves: we look for judgment, "but there is none; for salvation, but it "is far off from us. 12. For our "transgressions are multiplied before "thee, and our sins testify against us: "for our transgressions are with us, and

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as for our iniquities, we know them; "13. In (i) transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of "falsehood. 14. And judgment is "turned away backward, and justice "standeth afar off: for truth is fallen "in the street, and equity cannot enter. "15. Yea, truth faileth (k), and he "that departeth from evil maketh him"self a prey (1): and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. 16. And he saw that "there was no man (m), and wondered "that there was no intercessor: there"fore his arm (n) brought salvation "unto him, and his righteousness, it "sustained him. 17. For he (o) put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an

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(i) v. 13. "An enumeration of the sins they acknowledge.

(k) v. 15. "Faileth," i. e. (probably) can"not stand against the opposition it finds." (2) "Maketh himself a prey," i. e. "exposeth himself to plunder or persecution." (m) v. 16. "No man, &c." An intimation that more than human means were to be employed. So Is. lxiii. 5. (where the Messiah is considered as speaking): "I "looked, and there was none to help, and "I wondered that there was none to up"hold: therefore mine own arm brought "salvation unto me, and my fury, it

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upheld me." Both passages, no doubt, refer to the times of the Messiah.

(n)" His arm." So Is. liii. 1. "Who "hath believed our report, and to whom "is the arm of the Lord revealed ?”

(o) v. 17. "He," i. e. " the Messiah." (p) v. 18. "Repay, &c." There is the like prediction of vengeance in the mouth of the Messiah, Is. lxiii. 6. "I will tread "down the people in mine anger, and "make them drunk in my fury, and I will "bring down their strength to the earth." (q) Islands," i. e. (perhaps)" distant "people."

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"helmet of salvation upon his head; and "he put on the garments of vengeance "for clothing, and was clad with zeal as "a cloke. 18. According to their deeds, "accordingly he will repay (p), fury to "his adversaries, recompence to his "enemies; to the islands (q) he will repay recompence. 19. So shall they "fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of "the sun (r): when the enemy shall come "in like a flood, the spirit (s) of the LORD "shall lift up a standard against him. "20. And the Redeemer shall come to "Zion, and unto them that turn from "transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD, "21. As for me, this is my covenant "with them (t) saith the LORD, my "spirit (u) that is upon thee, and my "words which I have put in thy mouth, "shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor "out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out "of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith "the LORD, from henceforth and for "ever."

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(r) v. 19. The rising of the sun," i. e. "the east."

(s) "The spirit, &c." An animated mode of intimating that God would himself stand up for his people and his religion, and bear down the strongest efforts of human opposition.

(t) v. 21. "Them," i. e. "those that "turn from transgression," "the converts "of the true religion."

(u) "My spirit, &c." i. e. (perhaps) "God's spirit and his promises shall on the "one hand aid and attend his church to "the end of time; but on the other hand "his church must take care to follow the "dictates of his spirit, and obey his com"mands." The same meaning probably with Jer. xxxi. 33. "This shall be the "covenant that I will make with the house "of Israel, saith the Lord: I will put my "law in their inward parts, and write it in "their hearts, and will be their God, and "they shall be my people."

(x) An earnest prayer to God for deliverance, acknowledging their unworthiness, and describing the misery to which they were reduced. B. C. 698.

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that thou wouldest come down, "that the mountains might flow down "at thy presence, 2. As when (y) the "melting fire burneth, the fire causeth "the waters to boil, to make thy name "known to thine adversaries, that the "nations may tremble at thy presence. "3. When thou didst terrible things "which we looked not for, thou camest "down, the mountains flowed down at "thy presence. 4. For since the be

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ginning of the world men have not "heard (2) nor perceived by the ear, "neither hath the eye seen, O God, "besides thee, what he hath prepared (a) "for him that waiteth for him. 5. Thou "meetest (b) him that rejoiceth (c) and "worketh righteousness, those that re"member thee in thy ways: behold, "thou art wroth, for we have sinned (d): "in those is continuance, and we shall ❝ be saved. 6. But we are all as an "unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses (e) are as filthy rags, and we all

(y) v. 2. "As when, &c." i. e." that "the mountains would flow down as metals "the fire melts, or as water when it boils "over." The idea of the mountains flowing down or melting at God's presence, occurs in the song of Deborah and Barak, and in other passages: "Lord, when thou wentest "out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of "the field of Edom, the earth trembled, "and the heavens dropped, the clouds "also dropped water. The mountains "melted from before the Lord, even that "Sinai from before the God of Israel. "Judges v. 5." So Ps. xcvii. 5. "The "hills melted like wax at the presence of "the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of "the whole earth" and Mic. i. 4. " Be"hold the Lord cometh forth out of his "place, and will come down, and tread "upon the high places of the earth, and "the mountains shall be molten under him, "as wax before the fire."

(z) v. 4. "Not heard, &c." So 1 Cor.ii.9. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither "have entered into the heart of man, the "things which God hath prepared for them "that love him."

(a)" He hath prepared," or "is pre"pared."

(b) v. 5. "Meetest," i. e. " advancest

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"to meet," "pressest forward to assist," giving him blessings for which he never asked.

(c) "Rejoiceth and worketh," i. e. "re"joiceth in working."

(d) Read, "wroth, because we have "sinned, yet is it ever in thy ways, (i. e. it "is in unison with the mercy thou hast "always shewed,)" that we shall be saved; "Truly, &c." See Pole.

(e) v.6. "Our righteousnesses," i. e. "our "best works."

us."

(g) v. 7. "For," or "therefore, &c." (h) v.9. "See," or "look upon (i) v.10. "Zion," and "Jerusalem," different parts of the same city.

(k) v. 11. "Is burnt." This probably alludes prophetically, either to the burning of the temple by Nebuzaradan, a servant of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, about 586 years before the birth of Christ, when he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jeru salem: (see 2 Kings xxv. 9.-Jer. lii.13. - Ps. lxxvi. 8.) or to the burning of the second temple by the Romans, within 40 years after the crucifixion.

() v. 12. "And afflict, &c." or "and "still grievously afflict us."

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I

CHAP. LXV. (m)

AM sought of them that asked not "for me (n): I am found of them that sought (o) me not (n): I said, "Behold me, behold me," unto a nation that was not called by my name. 2. I "have spread out my hands all the day "unto a rebellious people (p), which "walketh in a way that was not good, "after their own thoughts: 3. A peo"ple that provoked me to anger continually to my face, that sacrificeth in

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gardens (q), and burneth incense upon "altars of brick (r): 4. Which remain "among the graves and lodge in the monuments (s), which eat swine's "flesh (t), and broth of abominable "things (u) is in their vessels: 5. Which say (x), "Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou." "These are a smoke (y) in my nose, a

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(m) The call and zeal of the Gentiles foretold the rejection of the Jews justified on account of their rejection of God their apostacy and spiritual pride: an intimation however, that of them some should be excepted the severest denunciations against those who should continue in their apostacy and sins, and promises of new times and great blessings to the righteous. The chapter looks to the times of the Messiah, and possibly in some parts to times not yet arrived. B. C. 698.

(n) v. 1. "Them that asked not for me," "them that sought me not," i. e. "the "Gentiles." St. Paul quotes this passage Rom. x. 20. "Esaias is very bold, and "saith, “I was found of them that sought "me not; I was made manifest to them "that asked not after me."

(o)" Sought," contrasting the conduct of the Gentiles with that of Jews: the former seeking God of their own impulse, the latter, disregarding all God's calls, though he spread out his hands unto them, and anxiously invites them.

(p) v. 2. "the Jews." (q) v. 3. "In gardens," a heathen idolatrous practice.

"A rebellious people," i. e.

(r)" Of brick," which was contrary to the Mosaic ordinance; (Exod. xx. 24, 25.) their altars were to be of earth, or of unhewn stone.

(s) v. 4. "Remain among the graves, " and lodge in the nonuments," i. e. "sleep

"fire (2) that burneth all the day. "6. Behold, it is written before me; I "will not keep silence but will recom

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pense, even recompense into their "bosom. 7. Your (a) iniquities and the " iniquities of your (a) fathers together, "(saith the LORD), which have burned "incense upon the mountains, and "blasphemed (b) me upon the hills: "therefore will I measure (c) their "former work into their bosom. 8. Thus "saith the LORD, "As the new wine (d) "is found in the cluster, and one saith, ""Destroy it not for a blessing is in 66 "it :" so will I do for my servants' sakes, "that I may not destroy them all. "9. And I will bring forth a seed out "of Jacob, and out of Judah an inhe"ritor of my mountains: and mine "elect shall inherit it, and my servants "shall dwell there. 10. And Sharon (e)

in sepulchres and tombs," to obtain dreams. A practice in heathen nations.

(t) "Eat swine's flesh," which was expressly forbidden, Lev. xi. 7.

(u) "Abominable things," i. e. " pro"hibited animals:" which were to be "an "abomination" unto them. See Lev. xi.

(x) v. 5. "Say," i. e. "to those about "them :" a mark of their spiritual pride. (y)" A smoke, &c." "as offensive as "smoke, &c." probably a proverb.

(z) "A fire, &c." probably "a perpetual "provocation: heating my indignation all "day long."

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(a) v. 7. "Your," or "their. Sept." (b) 66 "Blasphemed me," by following the forbidden practices of the heathen: despising me yourselves, and causing me to be spoken of lightly and irreverently by others.

(c) "Measure, &c." i. e. "I will pour "into their bosom a full recompence for "their former sins."

(d) v. 8. "As the new wine, &c." or "as when a good grape, &c." The meaning is, as a few good grapes upon a vine prevent the owner from cutting it down, so shall the few righteous that remain in the nation prevent me from destroying it altogether the good shall be spared and prosper, the bad only shall be cut off. See verses 13, 14. and see ante, 636. Is.xxiv. 13.

(e) v. 10. "Sharon" and "the valley of "Achor," two of the most fertile parts of Judea.

"shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley "of Achor a place for the herds to "lie down in, for my people that have "sought me. 11. But ye are they that "forsake the LORD, that forget my "holy mountain (g), that prepare a "table for that troop (h), and that fur"nish the drink-offering unto that num"ber (h). 12. Therefore will I number "you to the sword, and ye shall all bow "down to the slaughter: because when "I called, ye did not answer; when I "spake, ye did not hear, but did evil "before mine eyes, and did choose that "wherein I delighted not (i). 13. There"fore thus saith the LORD God, "Be"hold, my servants shall eat, but ye "shall be hungry: behold, my servants "shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty : "behold, my servants shall rejoice, but "ye shall be ashamed: 14. Behold, my "servants shall sing for joy of heart, "but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart,

(g) v. 11. « My holy mountain," i. e. "the worship God required:" his service in the temple on mount Zion. See post, note on Is. lxvi. 20.

(h) "That troop" and "that number," rather "Gad" and "Meni," two objects of heathen worship. The Hebrew word "meni" often signifies "number," and "gad" "to cut off;" and in allusion to those senses of these words are the denunciations in the next verse that they shall be numbered to the sword, and bowed down to the slaughter; to intimate what would be brought upon them by their idolatrous worship. Sept. reads for "that troop" the "devil," and for "that number" "fortune."

(i) v. 12. "Wherein I delighted not," i. e. "which I abhorred."

(k) v. 15. "For a curse, &c."" that "it may be a common form of imprecation "to calldown such vengeance as shall have "fallen upon you:" a strong intimation of the heavy judgments they might expect. So Jer. xxix. 22. "of them (viz. Ahab and "Zedekiah) shall be taken up a curse by all "the captivity of Judah, saying, the Lord "make thee like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, "whom the king of Babylon roasted in the "fire." If this passage in Isaiah looks forward to the times of the Messiah, when did heavier judgments fall upon any nation than those which happened to the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem? and have they not been from that time, (to use the

"and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

15. And ye shall leave your name for "a curse (k) unto my chosen; for the "LORD God shall slay thee, and call "his servants by another name (): "16. That he who blesseth himself in "the earth, shall bless himself in the "God of truth; and he that sweareth "in the earth shall swear by the "God of truth; because the former "troubles (m) are forgotten, and because "they are hid from mine eyes. 17. For "behold, I create new heavens and a "new earth (n): and the former shall "not be remembered, nor come into "mind. 18. But be ye glad and re"joice for ever in that which I create: "for behold, I create Jerusalem a re

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joicing (o), and her people a joy. "19. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem. "and joy in my people: and the voice "of weeping shall be no more heard in "her, nor the voice of crying. 20. There

language of the prophetic denunciation against them in Deut. xxviii. 37.) "an "astonishment, a proverb, and a bye"word?" See ante, 649. note on Is. xliii. 18.

()" Another name," referring (possibly) to that of "Christians:" a plain intimation of an important change!

(m) v. 16. "Former troubles," i. e. (perhaps) "the peculiarities which kept the "Gentiles from forming part of God's peo"ple, what is called, Ephes. ii. 14, 15. “ the "middle wall of partition between us" and "the enmity."

(n) v. 17. "New heavens and a new "earth," i. e. (probably) " a new religious "system," superseding that of Moses, which was confined wholly to the Jews: one that shall admit all people. It is probably in allusion to this passage, that St. Peter says (2 Pet. iii. 13.) "cording to his promise, look for new "heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwell

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eth righteousness." See 2 Lightf. 626 1075. St. Peter's epistle was written before the destruction of the Jewish esta blishment.

(o) v. 18. "Jerusalem a rejoicing," i.e. (probably)" such a church or system as "shall be free from all the burthens of the "Mosaic institutions, such as shall deserve "the name the Christian dispensation has "received," a perfect law of liberty." See James i. 25. Rom. viii. 1.-Gal. v. 1.

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