Westminster Annotations, Isaiah · Chapter 37
CHAP. XXXVII.
Vers. 1. IT came to passe, &c.] 2 King. 19. 1, &c.
he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth] In sign of detestation, grief and repentance, Chap. 36. 22. Jon. 3. 6.
with sackcloth] Heb. with sack. as 1 King. 21. 27. Dan. 9. 3.
went into the house of the LORD] To pray, as vers. 14. 15. that he might in person himself also perform that office, which he requested in his behalf of the Prophet, vers. 4. Esth 4. 16. Jon. 3. 6, 7.
V. 2. Eliakim, &c.] Chap. 36. 3.
covered with sackcloth] Heb. with sacks. as 1 Chron. 21. 16. vers. 1.
unto Isaiah] To have comfort from him, and help of his prayers; the onelyonly two remedies of Gods people in all such occurrents, to have recourse to God, and to his Ministers, Chap. 26. 16. & 33. 2.
V. 3. a day of trouble, and of rebuke] Either of rebuke, whereby God rebuketh us for our sinnes, Job 33. 19. or, of taunting and reviling, wherewith the Assyrian taunteth and revileth us, vers. 4.
blasphemy] Or, provocation. Ezek. 35. 12.
the children are come to the birth, &c.] Heb. breach. or, breaking out Chap. 66. 9. Hos. 13. 13. We are in as great distresse, as a woman, that is in sore travell, and cannot be delivered; her own strength being spent; and that she goeth with, unable to work for it self, Chap. 26. 18.
V. 4. God will hear] Take notice of, and take to heart; and by some evident sign shew that he so doth, Psal. 65. 5. and 86. 17. For when God deferreth to right the wrongs of his, it seems to flesh and bloud, that he doth not know, or regard them, Psal. 94. 7. Chap. 40. 27.
and will reprove the words] Or, and to taunt us with words. vers. 3. Job 15. 3.
lift up thy prayer] Being the Prophets office, not to comfort onelyonly by the word, but to pray also for the people, 1 Sam. 12. 23. Act. 6. 4.
the remnant that is left] Heb. found. 2 King. 25. 19. Either the two tribes yet remaining, the other ten being carried away captive, 2 King. 17. 6. or, the residue of Judah, by the Assyrian not yet surprised, Chap. 36. 1. 2. vers. 32.
V. 6. Be not afraid] Lam. 3. 57.
the servants of the King of Assyria] 2 Chron. 32. 16.
V. 7. I will send a blast upon him] Or, put a spirit into him. Chap. 59. 19.
he shall hear a rumour] A report of the Ethiopians and Egyptians coming to invade him, vers. 9. as 2 King. 7. 6.
by the sword] Of his own sonnes, vers. 38. 2 Chron. 32. 21.
in his own land] At Niniveh, his royall citie, vers. 37.
V. 8. Libnah] A citie of Judah, towards Egypt: thereby to stay the coming of any aid thence. See Josh. 15. 42. & 19. 26. and 21. 13.
Lachish] From whence he had sent him, Chap. 36. 2. a citie not farre distant from Libnah, Josh. 10. 31.
V. 9. he heard say] The report hereof diverted him from proceeding against Jerusalem, vers. 7. See the like, 1 Sam. 23. 27, 28.
Tirhakah] Or, Tarchon.
Ethiopia] Heb. Cush. Gen. 10. 6.
V. 10. Let not thy God, &c.] Chap. 36. 18, - 20. That God, whom Hezekiah perswades you to trust in, Chap. 36. 15.
deceive thee] Thus doth God suffer this wicked wretch to break forth into such horrible blasphemies before his destruction, as to tearme the God and author of all truth a deceiver.
hand] Or, power. Chap. 19. 4.
V. 12. Gozan] A citie of the Medes; so called of a river, besides which it was seated, 2 King. 17. 6. & 18. 11.
Haran] A citie of Mesopotamia; called also Charre, Gen. 11. 31. Act. 7. 4.
Rezeph] A citie of the same region, called also Rexipha.
children] Inhabitants, or natives, Chap. 11. 14.
of Eden] In which countrey the garden of Paradise was seated, Gen. 2. 8. Ezek. 27. 23.
V. 13. of Hamath, &c.] Chap. 36. 19. & 11. 11. 1 Chron. 18. 9. Jer. 49. 23.
Sepharvaim, &c.] 2 King. 17. 24.
V. 14. the letter] Heb. books. 2 King. 5. 5, 6, 7.
before the LORD] Before the place of Gods speciall presence, vers. 16.
V. 16. dwellest, &c.] Psal. 80. 1. 2 Sam. 6. 2.
the cherubims] Which stood on the cover or lid of the Ark, called also the Propitiat…rie or Mercy-seat, Exod. 37. 6▪-9. a speciall pledge of Gods residence among his people: from whence he had promised to hear and help them, Exod. 25. 22. Num. 7. 89. 2 Chron. 7. 15. Psal. 20. 2, 6.
thou hast made heaven and earth] See Jer. 10. 11.
V. 17. which hath sent] Or, and of him whom he hath sent. to wit, Rabshakeh, Chap. 36. …. vers. 4.
V. 18. nations] Heb. lands. See 2 King. 19. 17. Chap. 66. 8.
V. 19. have cast their gods into the fire] 2 Sam. 5. 21. Heb. given. Ezek. 15. 4, 6.
no gods] 2 Chron. 13. 9. Gal. 4. 8.
the work of mens hands, &c.] Psal. 115. 4. Chap. 40. 19, 20. & 44. 12,—17. Jer. 10. 3, 4.
V. 20. that all the kingdomes of the earth may know, &c.] He desireth deliverance, that God may thereby be magnified, Chap. 59. 19. Psal. 83. 18.
V. 22. The virgin] The Jewish nation, inhabiting Jerusalem, which God hath as a chast virgin espoused to himself, Chap. 54. 5. Hos. 2. 19, 20. 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 14. 4. and hath as great a care of, as any man, or woman, of a darling daughter, Chap. 49 15. 16. Zech. 2. 5, 8.
the daughter of Zion] That dwelleth in Zion; or, the daughter of Zion, that is, Zion it self; the place for the people, Ch. 1. 8, 27. So afterward, the daughter of Jerusalem, for Jerusalem it self, or her inhabitants, Lam. 2. 13.
hath shaken her head] As thou shakedst thine hand in threatning wise at her, Chap. 10. 32. so doth she now her head in scorn and derision at thee, Psal. 22. 7. Jer. 18. 16.
at thee] Heb. after thee. when thou haddest betaken thy self to thine heels: a secret scoffe at his shamefull flight, vers. 37. 2 Chron. 32. 21.
V. 23. against the holy One of Israel] Both in blaspheming him, and in quarelling with his Church and his Anointed, Psal. 2. 1. & 74. 19. & 89. 51.
V. 24. By thy servants] Heb. By the hand of thy servants. Chap. 20. 2. Jer. 27. 3.
the tall cedars thereof, and the choice firre-trees thereof] Heb. the talnesse of the cedars; and, the choice of the firres. Jer. 22. 7.
the forest of his Carmel] Or, the forest, and his fruitfull field. Chap. 29. 17.
V. 25. I have digged and drunk water, &c.] He boasteth of his power and policie, that could find means to furnish such an army as his was, with all necessaries: as with water, which they wanted, Chap. 36. 12. and with the very feet of his army could drie up whole rivers; and much more such waters, as they had enclosed to relieve them in the siege, Chap. 22. 9, 11. See 1 King. 20. 10.
the besieged places] Or, fenced and closed.
V. 26. Hast thou not heard, &c.] Or, Hast thou not heard, how I have made it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? (Heb. from dayes of antiquitie. Chap. 33. 7.) should I now bring it to be laid wast, and defenced cities to be ruinous heads?
how I have done it] That I have made the citie of Jerusalem, Psal. 78. 68, 69. Chap. 14. 32. Or, that I have done that which thou ascribest to thy self, vers. 11, - 13. Deut. 32. 27. thou and thine ancestors being but mine instruments, Chap. 10. 5, 15. Or, that I have long since, even from eternitie, decreed that such things should be done: as 2 Tim. 1. 9. So Act. 2. 23. & 4. 28.
that thou shouldest be to lay waste] Implying, that he built his Church, not to destroy, but to preserve it, Matt. 16. 18. Or, that he had appointed him to do so to other places.
ruinous heaps] Or, heaps overgrown▪ to wit, with grasse, weeds, shrubs, and the like, Chap. 27. 10. Jer. 4. 7. & 26. 18.
V. 27. their inhabitants were of small power, &c.] Because I took their strength and courage from them, having determined to destroy them, Josh. 2. 11. Or, though the state and power of other flourishing cities be but transitorie; yet my Church, herein unlike them, because I maintain it, shall continue for ever, Chap. 27. 3. Psal. 9. 6, 7. & 46. 5. & 48. 8.
of small power. &c.] Heb. short of hand. Chap. 50. 2. & 59. 1.
as the grasse of the field] Psal. 90. 5, 6. & 103. 15. Chap. 40. 6.
as the grasse on the house-tops] Psal. 129. 6.
V. 28. I know thy abode] Or, thy sitting. Gen. 24. 55. Psal. 139. 2, 3.
thy going out, and thy coming in] All thy counsels, courses, and enterprises, Deut. 28. 6, 19. Psal. 121. 8.
V. 29. therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, &c.] Because thou …ariest thy self, as a devouring fish, or a ravenous beast, or an headstrong horse; I will take thee with mine hook, and I will bridle thee, and lead thee which way I list, Chap. 30. 28. Ezek. 29. 4. Amos 4. 2.
hook in thy nose, &c.] As they use to deal with bears. and Bufanes or, as with fish, Job 41. 1.
my bridle in thy lips] As they use to deal with horses and mules, Psal. 32. 9. Jam. 3. 3.
turn thee back, &c.] Vers. 34.
V. 30. Ye shall eat this yeer such as groweth of it self, &c.] He promiseth, that their ground, notwithstanding so wasted by the enemy, yet should of it self feed them for two yeers together; the yeer ensuing, being, it seemeth, a Sabbaticall yeer, Levit. 25. 20, - 22.
sow ye and reap] Return again to till your grounds without disturbance, being freed from your former foes and fears. See Jud. 6. 4. 2 Chron 15. 5.
V. 31. the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah] Heb. the escaping of the house of Judah, that remaineth. Chap. 4. 2. and 10. 20.
shall again take root] Those, that God had delivered from the hand of the Assyrians, should prosper and thrive, Chap. 27. 6.
V. 32. shall go forth a remnant] Returning again to their former possessions, whence for fear of the enemy they had formerly fled, Jer. 4 4, 5.
they that escape] Heb. the escaping. Ezr. 9. 14.
the zeale] For his own glory, and fervent love to his people, 2 King. 9. 31. Chap. 9 7.
V. 33. He shall not come into this citie] Heb. unto this city. For Senacherib never came before Jerusalem; though he sent men and messages thither, Chap. 36. 2. vers. 9.
nor shoot an arrow there] Or, in thither.
cast a bank] Or, discharge engine. Jer. 6. 6.
V. 34. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return] He shall go as he came, vers. 29. and lose all his labour: as Jer. 14. 3.
not come into] Heb. unto.
V. 35. I will defend this citie, &c.] 2 King. 20. 6. Chap. 38. 6.
for my servant Davids sake] 1 King. 11. 13.
V. 36. the angel of the Lord, &c.] 2 King. 19. 35. 2 Chron. 32. 21.
went forth] From heaven. Psal. 57. 3.
in the camp of the Assyrians] Lying, as some think, with S…nache…ib himself, before Libnah, vers. 8. Or, as others, about Jerusalem: upon report whereof, soon brought to him, he retired with the residue of his forces, vers. 36. See Chap. 30. 33.
V. 37. Ninevch] The chief citie of Assyria, Gen. 10. 11. Chap. 31. 8, 9.
V. 38. smote him with the sword] Vers. 7.
Armenia] Heb. Ararat. Gen. 8. 4.
Esar haddon] Otherwise, as some think, called Sardanapalus: under whom the Assyrian Monarchie was ruined. See mention of him, Ezra 4. 2.