Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 1 · Verse 1
Verſ. 1. A viſion of Iſaiah the Sonne of Amos, which he ſaw concerning Iudah and Ieruſalem; in the daies of Ʋzziah, Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah.
ALthough the Hebrew word Chazon which the Prophet vſeth be deriued of ſeeing, and doth properly ſignifie viſion: yet notwithſtanding for the moſt part it imports aſmuch as Reuelation. For as oft as the Scripture makes mention of ſpeciall viſions which appeared to the Prophets, whereby the Lord meant the better to confirme them when hee would hauehave ſome excellent thing come to light, it vſeth the word Mareah, which properly ſignifies viſion. But to the end I heape not vp many teſtimonies, in the third chapter of the firſt booke of Samuel (where mention is made in generall of propheſies) the author of that booke ſaith,1. Sam. 3.1.15. that the word of the Lord was precious in thoſe dayes, becauſe there was no manifeſt viſion (where he vſeth the word Chazon) and a little after, the viſion by which God manifeſteth himſelfe to Samuel, is expreſſed by the word Mareah. Alſo in the twelfth chapter of the booke of Numbers,Numb. 12.6 where Moſes diſtinguiſheth the two ordinarie meanes of Reuelation, hee there with dreames conioyneth viſion as the ſpeciall. And yet by the ninth chapter of the ſame booke of Samuel, 1. Sam. 9 9.it appeares that the name of Seer was impoſed in old time vponupon the Prophets: but by way of excellencie; becauſe God diſcouered his counſell familiarly vntounto them.
Now as touching this preſent place, it is out of doubt that the certaintie of doctrine is deciphered out vntounto vsus by this very word; as if it had been ſaid; There is nothing contained in this booke which was not manifeſted to Jſaiah by God himſelfe. Wherefore the true ſenſe of the word is to be obſerued; for thereby wee learne, that the Prophets ſpake not of themſelues, neither yet preferred their owne imaginations: but that they were enlightened by God, and had their eyes opened to ſee thoſe things which otherwiſe of themſelues they had not been able to hauehave comprehended. The doctrine of Jſaiah then, euen in the very inſcription, is recommended vntounto vsus; to wit, becauſe it containes nothing of mans inuention, but the reuelations of God: to the end we might bee aſſured that whatſoeuer is contained in this booke, was reuealed vntounto him by the holy Ghoſt.
Concerning Judah.] It were not amiſſe if it were tranſlated Against Judah. For the particle Al ſignifies both the one and the other; and the ſenſe will be all one: for whatſoeuer this booke contains, it doth properly appertaine to Judah and Jeruſalem. Oiection.But if any ſhall obiect that there are many things mingled in this booke which concerne Aegypt, Tyrus, Babylon, with other cities and countries: the anſwere Anſwere. is, that it was not neceſſarie to recite eueryevery particular in the inſcription; becauſe it was ſufficient that the principall ſumme ſhould be ſet before vsus, thereby ſhewing to whom the Prophet was chiefely ſent, namely, to Iudah and Ieruſalem. For whatſoeuer his propheſies containe beſide, it is accidentally as they ſay: neither yet was it any digreſſing from the ſcope of his office to preach to others alſo what calamities approached neere vponupon them: for Amos, though he were ſpecially ſent to them of Iſrael, yet paſſed hee not the bounds of his vocation when he propheſied alſo againſt Iudah: Gal. 2.8. Act. 10.17. & 13.5 & 14.1. & 17.2.10. &. 18.4.19.yea we hauehave yet a more familiar example hereof in S. P…ter and S. Paul; Peter was appoynted ouer the Iewes, and Paul ouer the Gentiles, and yet Saint Peter paſſed not beyond the bounds of his office in preaching to the Gentiles, as when he went in to Cornelius: neither S. Paul, when he offered the preaching of the Goſpell to the Iewes, to whom he reſorted as ſoone as he entred into any citie. And thus was it lawfull for Iſaiah to doe, in like manner. Nor whileſt he endeuoured to diſcharge his dutie to the vttermoſt in teaching of the Iewes, and purpoſely bent all his ſtudies that way: did he yet go beyond his calling when hee ſpeakes (as it were by the way) of other nations?
He takes Iudah here for the whole nation, and Ieruſalem for the chiefe ſeate of the kingdome: for hee ſeparates not the citie from the kingdome; but names it by way of excellencie, as being the mother citie. Euen as if a Prophet at this day ſhould be ſent to ſpeake vntounto the whole kingdome of France, ſhould name the citie of Paris, as the chiefe of the kingdome. And it was needefull that this ſhould be done; firſt, to the end the Citizens of Ieruſalem ſhould not exempt themſelues, as though they were guiltleſſe: or rather, as being diſpenced withall, from being vnderunder any checke, in reſpect of the greatnes of their dignitie. Secondly, that by meanes hereof they might be preuented from ſending the Prophet backe to the Commons, and countrie people. But they are deceiued, who would hauehave Ieruſalem to bee named a part, becauſe it was ſituated in the tribe of Ben…min, ſeeing the one halfe thereof, which was ſubiect to the ſucceſſors of Dauid, is comprehended vnderunder this name of Iudah.