Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 37 · Verse 31 – Verse 34
Verſ. 31. And the remnant that is eſcaped of th… houſe of Iudah, ſhall againe take roote downeward, and beare fruit vpward.
THis appertaines to the former ſentence: for his meaning is, that the Lord will deliuer Ieruſalem in ſuch wiſe, that he will care for it alſo for the time to come, and will keepe it vntounto the end. Truely all the benefits the Lord beſtowes vponupon vsus, are ſo many ſignes and teſtimonies of his perpetuall good will towards vsus; to the end wee might aſſuredly know, that hee will neuer leaue nor forſake vsus. But in this ſentence wee are chiefly to obſerue that which we hauehave alſo touched before; to wit, that the Lord defended Ieruſalem, becauſe hee had pitched his Sanctuarie there, out of which alſo the Meſſiah was to come. The word Peliaih, properly ſignifies Deliuerance; but it is here vſed as a nowne collectiue, which ſignifies thoſe that are deliuered, or, are eſcaped: as in other places the word captiuitie, is taken for the captiues. Now it is not without cauſe that he promiſeth increaſe to this little remnant: for albeit the ſiege was raiſed, yet the people being much diminiſhed, they had ſmall cauſe to reioice: & it was a thing very vnlikely to expect a full reſtauration of ſuch an handfull of people.
That he might a little reuiue their ſorrowfull hearts then, he ſhewes that the Country ſhall be filled with inhabitans, no leſſe then if a faire and goodly plump of trees ſhould fill the granges which were emptie before. But it was not onelyonly the waſte of the land of Iudah, which wounded the hearts of the faithfull thus with ſorrow, but the great dimunition of the ten Tribes their brethren, which had alſo beene carried away captiues. Now albeit they were thus ſcattered, yet Iſaiah promiſeth that God would ſet them againe into their firſt eſtate, ſo as they ſhould multiply into an infinit number:God often ſuffers his people to be brought to low ebs, that his glory might the better appeare in their deliuerance. for the Lord often ſuffers his to be diminiſhed & brought to nothing, that his glory may the better appeare afterwards in their deliuerance. And we at this day are to expect the like fauour from God, which he hath heretofore ſhewed to his people, that when wee ſee the Church at ye laſt caſt, giuing vp the ghoſt as it were; yet thē we may aſſure our ſelues notwithſtāding, that God hath meanes enow readie at hand to multiply this ſmall remnant againe. For ſuch a reſtauration muſt not be meaſured according to the ſcantell of our reaſon.
But hee ſaith, the Church ſhall bee brought to ſo low an ebbe, that euerie one will eſteeme it quite forlorne, euen as if it were plucked vp by the rootes: and truly the kingdome of Iſrael was a moſt ſorrowfull ſpecta…le of this plucking vp. Yet the Prophet in the name of God promiſeth ſuch an increaſe, that the tree which was ſtubbed vp by the rootes, ſhall againe take deeprooting downwards. Albeit the church then hauehave not that goodly outward hew & beautie which the kingdomes of this world hauehave,The Church of God muſt liue by faith, and not by fight. yet will the Lord giuegive it ſuch an inward and ſecret power, that by meanes thereof ſhee ſhall floriſh and grow; contrary to all hope and reaſon of fleſh and blood. Let vsus not be out of heart then though the Church ſeeme to want rootes: neither let vsus not thinke ſhe hath none, becauſe they appeare not to our ſight; for the Lord hath promiſed ſhe ſhall take roote downward.
Now hee addes the fruit alſo; becauſe the Church floriſheth not onelyonly as the graſſe on the houſe top, which is the eſtate of the wicked, as we obſerued in the 27. verſe; but ſhee ſhall bring forth plentifull increaſe: and thus the Lord will finiſh in her the good worke he hath begun.
Verſ. 32. For out of Ieruſalem ſhall goe a remnant, and they that eſcape out of mount Zion: the zeale of the Lord of hoſts ſhall doe this.
BEfore, hee promiſed the deliuerance of the Church vnderunder the ſimilitude of rootes and fruits: now hee ſets it forth in plaine tearmes, without any figure. In theſe words therefore he alludes to that ſiege of Sennacherib, which incloſed this ſmall remnant of people vp in Ieruſalem, as in a priſon; by meanes whereof they were brought to great extremitie. Now ſaith he, they ſhall come forth: that is to ſay, all paſſages ſhall be laid open, ſo as you ſhall walke to and fro againe at libertie without any annoyance. For going forth, is here oppoſed to the ſtraits into which the poore Iewes were brought, in regard of the feare of their enemies. Albeit, this word not onelyonly ſignifies libertie to goe and come, but the multiplying of the people which were few in number. When the land of Iudeah then was ouerſpread againe with great troopes, and that out of theſe ſmall remnants there came forth men and women like flocks of ſheepe,Ier. 30 16.17.18.19.20. & 31.10.11.12.13. Zach. 8.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. which were diſperſed into all the quarters of the world, it could neuer hauehave bin brought to paſſe, vnleſſe the Lord of this little handfull, had created, I will not ſay one, but many peoples.
He not onelyonly oppoſeth the zeale of the Lord againſt the counſels of men, that hee might magnifie the excellencie of this worke; but alſo admoniſheth vsus that it ſufficeth of it ſelfe for all reaſons wherefore the Lord ſhewes ſo wonderfull and admirable ſignes and tokens of his power. The matter in outward appearāce was incredible, as we hauehave ſaid: for there were many impediments on eueryevery ſide, and helpes none at all. Thus God manifeſts then, that the louelove he beares to his Church is ſuch, that it ſhall be no hard matter with him to worke extraordinarily for the maintenance of it. Hee vſed the like phraſe of ſpeech in Chap. 9.7.
Verſ. 33. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord concerning the King of Aſhur; Hee ſhall not enter into this Citie, nor ſhoote an arrowe there, nor come before it with ſhield, nor cast a mount againſt it.
NOw he comes to the deliuerance whereof he ſpake before: for firſt, God promiſed to driue away Sennacherib, verſ. 29. ſecondly, hee promiſeth to furniſh the people with neceſſarie foode, albeit the Country was pilled and waſted: verſ. 30. Laſtly, that he will cauſe this ſmall remnant to increaſe into an infinite multitude: verſ. 31.32. Now hauing ſpoken of the two laſt points, he returnes againe to the firſt; becauſe without it, the other twaine had been little to purpoſe; to wit, vnleſſe the people had bin deliuered out of the hands of this Tyrant. God therefore promiſeth that himſelfe will ſtand as a braſen wall, to keepe him from entring in vponupon them: yea, he wouid ſo preuent him, that he ſhould not ſo much as come neere to aſſaile them at all. For he ſaith, the enemies ſhall not ſhoote an arrow there. I thinke the word Sollah, ſhould be taken here for a croſſe-bow, or other inſtrument of war, with which they ſhot darts; rather then for a mount, for mounts cannot be caſt.
Verſ. 34. By the ſame way hee came ſhall he returne, and not come into this Citie, ſaith the Lord.
WEe hauehave ſaid before, that to returne by the ſame vva…, ſignifies,I… s'en eſt retourné come il eſt venu. To goe his way without performing any thing; as wee vſe to ſay in our common prouerbe; Hee went as wiſe as he came, when one returnes without doing that which he came for, and is preuented in all his enterpriſes. To confirme this, he addes that the Lord hath ſaid it. For no ſooner hath he (which cannot lie) ſpoken, but we ought forthwith to receiue and imbrace his word; and that no leſſe then if all impediments being taken away, we ſaw the effect by and by to take place.