Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 37 · Verse 23 – Verse 25
Verſ. 23. Whom haſt thou railed on and blasphemed? And against whom haſt thou exalted thy voice, and lifted vp thine eies on high? euen againſt the holy one of Iſrael.
IN the verſe before going, he deſcribed the matter as if it had been ſeen and heard of all: now hee raiſeth their thoughts higher, ſhewing that the Tyrant hath not onelyonly bent himſelfe againſt Ieruſalem, but againſt her God alſo.This ſentence ought to be called to mind whē the Church is afflicted. Let this place come to our remembrance as oft as we are expoſed to the ſcoffes and taunts of the wicked: for albeit wee are forlorne, and there be no eye to pitie vsus, nor any to plead our cauſe, in regard of the enemies rage which is more and more inflamed againſt vsus, yet our God is at hand, who will couer vsus in ſuch wiſe, as we ſhall hauehave ſtrēgth and defence ſufficient: for all they that perſecute vsus, doe not onelyonly war with vsus, but with him which is the liuing God. Theſe things were not written for one age alone; but rather as this promiſe is perpetuall, I will be thy buckler,Gen. 15.1. and thine exceeding great reward: A friend to thy friends, and an an enemie to thy enemies:God perfects his power in weaknes. Gen. 17.7. ſo, euen then when wee hauehave leaſt meanes and ſtrength to reſiſt, let vsus bee ſo much the more reſolued, that the hand of our God is the neerer to deliuer vsus. Since God hath been pleaſed then in the perſon of Abraham to ſtrike a couenant with vsus, vponupon condition that himſelfe will alwaies take our quarrell into his owne hands: let vsus aſſure our ſelues, that he will faithfully performe his promiſe, and will manifeſt it, that the wrong which is done vntounto vsus, redounds to his owne perſon. In a word, he is ſo made one with vsus in his Chriſt, that hee will hauehave ours made his, and that which is his, made common to vsus.
To be ſhort, hee is ſo conioined with vsus, that he meanes to make a communitie of all that is his and ours together. And therefore hee tooke the outrages and wrongs which Sennacherib did to the Church, as done to his own perſon: to ſhew, that wicked men greatly abuſe themſelues, when they are puffed vp with an ouerweening of their own greatneſſe, as if therefore forſooth they ſhould eſcape vnpuniſhed, when they hauehave trod the poore Church vnderunder their feet. For we know they baſely eſteeme of God his prouidence, and eſpecially when they ſee the faithfull lie panting vnderunder the burthen of the Croſſe and afflictions, they thinke them vnworthy the ſuccor of God: who for that cauſe awakes himſelfe as it were, and declares by vnanſwerable arguments, that he is no leſſe wronged when his little flocke is thus halled to and fro, then if open violence were offered to his owne Maieſtie. Let it be granted then that our enemies thinke our God cares not for vsus, when outward meanes faile vsus, and that they then ſpoile with greater liberty, as if we were giuen into their hands for a pray; yet God on the contrarie affirmes, that our ſaluation is deere and pretious ſtill vntounto him.
But our Prophet with many wordes ſets forth the pride and inſolencie of this tyrant, as of a man altogether inſupportable; to wit, in his ſpeeches, lookes, and geſtures which hee vſed with head, hands, feete, and all the parts of his body: for as ſuch proud tyrants hauehave a vaine conceit of their owne greatneſſe, ſo they aduance themſelues, and behold others with a ſcornefull eye; as if they were ſome pettie gods, newly fallen from the cloudes. For a concluſion, Iſaiah addes, that albeit the affaires of this people went but meanly forward, yet God notwithſtanding, who holds them vnderunder his protection, remaines in heauen, and is as almighty as euer he was: wherein he taxeth the madneſſe of Sennacherib, who eſteemed the people according to the outward appearance, neuer conſidering that they were dedicated and conſecrated vntounto God. That wee then may reſt ſafely and ſecurely vnderunder his power and protection, and that he may ſpread his armes ouer vsus for our ſuccour in the time of neede; we muſt for our parts be ſure that we be his Iſrael; which wee ſhall be, if reſting vponupon his word and promiſes, wee quietly ſit vsus downe vnderunder the ſhadow of his wings.
Verſ. 24. By thy ſeruants haſt thou railed on the Lord, and ſaid; By the multitude of my chariots, I am come vp to the top of the mountaines, to the ſides of Lebanon, and will cut downe the high Cedars thereof, & the firre trees therof: and I will goe vp to the heights of his toppe, and to the forreſt of his fruitfull places.
SEe how the indignitie and ſpightfulneſſe of this outrage is further amplified; for the iniurie that is offered by a ſeruant, is not ſo eaſilie put vp, as when it is done by the maſter; becauſe the baſeneſſe of the perſon makes the wrong euermore intollerable. And therefore the proud ones of the world, when they will threaten in the moſt deſpightfull ſort, they will brag that their wils ſhall be executed by their ſeruants and horſekeepers: that they may make it knowne, how baſely they eſteeme of thoſe whom they purpoſe to miſchiefe. By this circumſtance then the Prophet meant to ſhew how execrable this blaſphemie was, when Sennacherib was not content to vomit it out of his owne mouth; but had ſet on his ſeruant Rabſhekeh, to make him rent the ſacred name of God in peeces.
As touching that which is recited afterward in the perſon of Sennacherib, ſome take it generally for the former victories which hee had wonne, and by this meanes had ſubdued many nations, as we hauehave ſaid before: but I had rather take it more particularly, in referring it to this laſt ſiege. For when he ſaw the whole land in a maner vnderunder his obeiſance, and the mountaines which inuironed all the Coūtry, poſſeſſed by his ſouldiers, he brags as if he had gotten all, and threatens that hee will inioy the caſtels, mount Libanon with his Cedars, fir-trees, and other commodities: as if he ſhould ſay; Nothing ſhall let me to be maſter of all the forts of Iudah, and to deale with the Country as I thinke good. See how Tyrants glory that the good ſucceſſes of their warres are in their owne hands, although often conſtreined to acknowledge the fight to be dangerous.
Verſ. 25. I hauehave digged and drunke the waters, and with the plant of my feete hauehave I dried all the riuers*Or, of the ſiege. cloſed in.
THis Tyrant proceeds here, glorying ſtill in his forces, and threatens to bring ſo mightie an armie, that the multitudes of his ſouldiers ſhall be able to drinke the fountaines and riuers of Iewrie drie. By the riuers of the ſiege, ſome vnderſtand the riuer Shilo, and the Ciſterns which the beſieged Iewes could not loſe but they muſt forthwith periſh for thirſt. Yet in the firſt member he ſeemes to affirme, that he feares no want of water, though the whole countrie were deſtitute of it, becauſe he hath men enow to digge pits. In the ſecond place he ſaith, he is furniſhed with meanes ſufficient to drie vp all the waters of the Citie, thinking thus to terrifie the Iewes. His meaning in a word is, that Ieruſalem will not be able to indure the ſiege, nor be able to ſtand out long againſt him, but muſt forthwith be conſtreined to yeeld. Now when the wicked make their vants on this maner, God ſits in heauen, whence at the laſt he will denounce his iuſt ſentence againſt them.The prophets drift in this narration. For the Prophets diſcourſe tends to informe vsus of Gods iuſt and wonderfull iudgement againſt this Tyrant.