Westminster Annotations, Isaiah · Chapter 57
CHAP. LVII.
Vers. 1. THe righteous perisheth] Godly men are many of them taken away by death: a fore-running sign of some approaching judgement. See the like complaint, Psal. 12. 1. Mic. 7. 2.
no man layeth it to heart] Heb. setteth it upon his heart. as vers. 11. Chap. 47. 7.
mercifull men are taken away] Heb. men of kindnesse; or, godlinesse, (Pro. 11. 17.) are gathered. Gen. 25. 8. Psal. 27. 10.
the righteous is taken away from the evil to come] Or, from that which is evil (Heb. from the face of, or, from before, the evil, as Jer. 42. 17.) is the righteous gathered. As fruit is pluckt and carried into the house, or corn cut and brought into the barn, when a storm is coming, to escape it, 1 King. 14. 12, 13. 2 King. 22. 20.
V. 2. He shall enter into peace, &c.] Or, He shall go in peace. 2 King. 5. 19. Or, That he goeth to peace; that they rest in their b…ds. (a change of the number; as Psal. 127. 5. & 140. 8. 1 Tim. 2. 15.) that is, either that they depart in peace; while outward peace yet continueth, and with inward peace, quietly; 2 King. 22. 20. Luk. 2. 29. Or, that they depart and go hence to peace: the soul to joy and blisse, in heaven; the body to rest, till the resurrection, in the grave; which is as a bed, or chamber of quiet rest to it, Eccles. 12. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Phil. 1. 23. & 3. 21. 1 Thes. 4. 14,—17. For this is that, that is not considered, because to the eye of flesh it appeareth not, but they seeme rather to have perished, vers. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 18.
each one walking in his uprightnesse] Or, that walketh uprightly; or, before him: that is, before God; sincerely, and circumspectly, as in his sight, Gen. 17. 1. Pro. 4. 25. Chap. 38. 3. Psal. 119. 168.
V. 3. ye sonnes of the sorceresse, &c.] Not the children of Abraham, who was faithfull and obedient, Joh. 8. 39, 40, 44. but a degenerate and bastardly brood; the children of any rather then of him, Chap. 1. 4. and 2. 6. Hos. 1. 2. and 2. 2. Ezek. 16. 3. Matth. 3. 7. 9. and 12. 34, 39. and 23. 33.
V. 4. Against whom do ye sport your selves] Whom do ye thus mock and abuse? Psal. 22. 7. and 35. 21. Job 16. 10. not so much Gods Prophets, that tell you of your excesses, Chap. 58. 1. as God himself, Exod. 16. 8. Num. 16. 11. Luk. 10. 16. 1 Thes. 4. 8. See Chap. 37. 23.
children of transgression] Or, addicted to it.
a seed of falshood] Or, given to lies.
V. 5. Enflaming your selves] Enflamed with filthy spirituall lust; and therein abusing your selves with your idols, Gen. 30. 38. Hos. 7. 4, 6.
with idols] Heb. with Gods. Exod. 15. 11. Or, among the oaks. Chap. 1. 26.
under every green tree] 2 King. 16. 4. Jer. 2. 20. and 3. 6.
slaying the children] Sacrificing them to idols: a savage practise, which the Jews had learned from the Gentiles, Lev. 18. 21. and 20. 2. Psal. 106. 35, 38. 2 King. 16. 3. and 21. 6. and 23. 10. 2 Chron. 28. 3. and 33. 6. Jer. 7. 31. and 19. 5. Ezek. 16. 20. and 20. 26.
in the valleys] Or, besides the brooks. Lev. 11. 9, 10. Psal. 104. 10. See Chap. 17. 8.
clifts of the rocks] Judg. 15. 8, 11.
V. 6. Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion] Or, of the brook. In stead of me, who should be thy portion, Psal. 16. 5. and 119. 57. thy delight is in the smooth stones, whereof thine idols and altars are made. See Exod. 20. 25. Or, in thine altars, erected in the valleys, besides the brooks, that abound with pebles, vers. 5. Jer. 2. 23.
even to them] To thine idols there erected; or, there worshipped. vers. 7, 8.
Should I receive comfort in these] What joy, or comfort can I have of such a people; though they should withall serve me? Chap. 66. 3. Jer. 7. 9, 10. Ezek. 20. 39.
V. 7. Ʋpon a loftie and high mountain hast thou set thy bed] Thine altars hast thou set up aloft in open view; like an impudent strumpet, that abuseth her self openly, in the sight of others, even of her husband himself, Ezek. 16. 24, 25. and 23. 41.
thither wentest thou up] As to a bed, to defile thy self, Gen. 49. 4.
to offer sacrifice] To those thine idols. vers. 6.
V. 8. Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance] Thou hast set up every where the marks and signs of thine idolatry: where Gods commandements should have been set. Deut. 6. 9. & 11. 20. & 27. 2, 3. there is no place free from them, either within doores, or without.
thou hast discovered thy self] Levit. 18. 6. By the practise of idolatry, which is as spirituall adulterie, Ezek. 23. 18.
to another then me] Or, to others besides me. or, to others leaving me, Ezek. 14. 7. Heb. from with me.
gone up] Or, hast gone up to wit; To bed with them, vers. 7.
hast enlarged thy bed] Encreased thine idolatry more and more, by the multitude of thine idols, 2 King. 21. 3, 5. Jer. 2. 28. and 11. 13. Ezek. 16. 5, 10, 14, 16. and 23. 14.
made thee a covenant with them] Or, hewed it for thy self larger then theirs. as Chap. 2. 6. Jer. 49. 10. Heb. cut out. Jer. 34. 8, 18. or, cut down. Chap. 37. 34. Thou hast engaged thy self by covenant with them to their idols, Deut. 7. 2,—4. Or, felled trees in thy groves, to make room for thine altars, larger then theirs, as striving to outstrip them in their idolatries, Ezek. 5. 6.
thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it] Or, thou providedst room. Or, in the place, or, any place (Heb. hand. as Chap. 56. 5.) where (that is, wheresoever) thou sawest it, Ezek. 16. 26, 28, 29.
V. 9. wentest to the king with ointment, &c.] Or, respectedst or, presentedst, the king (1 Sam. 9. 7.) with ointment. Heb. oil. as Eccles. 7. 1. Chap. 39. 2. Sendest ambassadours to forain Kings, either for aid, trusting on them, and basely submitting thy self to them, 2 King. 16. 7, 8. and 18. 14, 15. Chap. 30. 1, 6. & 31. 1. Ezek. 17. 15. Hos. 5. 13. & 12. 1. Or, to communicate with them in their idolatries, 2 King. 16. 7. 8.
didst debase thy self even unto hell] Or, the grave. to the ground, or the lowest ground, Psal. 63. 9, 10. Chap. 51. 23.
V. 10. wearied in the greatnesse of thy way] In running to and fro, to seek succours abroad Jer 2. 36.
saidst thou not, There is no hope] Though thou sawest, that all thy labour was in vain; yet wouldest thou not acknowledge thine errour, and give over, Jer 2. 25.
thou hast found the life of thine hand] Or, living. or, troop. 2 Sam. 23. 11. Thou imaginest still, that thou shalt by thine industrie find that that will preserve thy life: Or, such troops, as will be at hand to assist thee upon all occasions, vers. 13.
thou wast not grieved] Or, tired. or, wearied. Chap. 33. 24.
V. 11. thou hast lied] Dealt disloially with me, Josh. 7. 11. Chap. 59. 13.
hast not remembred me] Psal. 106. 7.
nor laid it to thy heart] Heb. laid; or, put it upon thy heart. vers. 1.
have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not] Or, is it not because I have held my peace, and that long, that thou fearest me not? as Jer. 7. 19. that thou standest not in awe of me. My lenitie and forbearance maketh thee grow worse and worse, Psal. 50 21. and 55. 19. Eccles. 8. 11. Chap. 26. 10. Jer. 48. 11.
V. 12. I will declare thy righteousnesse] I will convince thee of thy lewdnesse, and thy wicked courses; which yet thou deemest right and just enough, Psal. 50. 22. Pro. 16. 2. & 21. 2. Jer. 2. 35.
for] Heb. and.
V. 13. let thy companies deliver thee] Thy troops of strangers, vers. 9, 10. or, of strange Gods, Chap. 65. 11. Judg. 10. 13, 14. Jer. 2. 28. and 11. 12.
the wind shall carrie them all away] They shall all come to nought, Chap. 64. 6. Hos. 4. 19.
he that putteth his trust in me, shall possesse the land] Yet the faithfull remnant shall be preserved, and return to repossesse their land, Psal. 37. 3, 11. Chap. 10. 21. & 30. 18. 19. & 37. 31, 32.
my holy mountain] Heb. mountain of holinesse. Chap. 11. 9.
V. 14. shall say] It shall be said; (as Chap. 59. 19. Mal. 1. 4.) proclamation shall be, to remove all impediments, that might hinder the passage of Gods people in their return, Chap. 40. 3. and 62 10.
Cast ye up] Or, Make causeys. Chap. 35. 8.
V. 15. that inhabiteth eternitie] Who alone is truly eternall, 1 Tim. 6. 16.
I dwell in the high and holy place] In heaven, Chap. 32. 15. and 66. 1. Psal. 115. 3. where is nothing but holinesse, 2 Pet. 3. 13. whereof the Holy of holies in the Temple was a type, Heb. 9. 8, 12, 24.
with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit] In the soul of such an one: as in the highest heavens, so in the lowest and humblest heart, Psal. 34. 18. and 51. 17. and 138. 6. Chap. 66. 2. Joh. 14. 23.
V. 16. I will not contend for ever] I will not use my power as I might, against frail man, whose life is but a blast, or a breath, Gen 6. 3. Job 37. 23. Psal. 78. 38, 39. much lesse against mine own weak and tender hearted ones, Chap. 42. 3. Psal. 103. 9,—16.
the spirit should fail] Heb. be covered. Psal. 61. 3. and 102. 1. Would faint; being overwhelmed and oppressed with horror and despair, Lam. 2. 11, 12, 19.
I have made] Gen. 2. 7. Eccl. 12. 7.
V. 17. For the iniquitie of his covetousnesse was I wroth] For their vice; and faults; whereof this a chief one, 1 Tim. 6. 10. I have beene displeased even with the better sort of my people, that have not run a madding after idols, as those other, vers. 3,—10.
smo… him] Chap. 60. 10.
I hid me] I shewed my displeasure, by withdrawing the outward expressions of my favour for some time, 2 Sam. 14. 24, 32. Chap. 8. 17. & 42. 15. Psal. 27. 8, 9.
and he went on] Or yet; as Chap. 8. 9,—17. 6. or, because he walked; as Chap 64. 5.
frowardly] Heb. turning away. Chap. 53. 6.
in the way of his heart] After his own inordinate lust. See Chap. 53. 6.
V. 18. I have seen his wayes and will heal him] Albeit they have carried themselves frowardly and untowardly; yet will I not wholly withdraw, nor for ever with-hold, my mercy from them, Jer. 3. 22. & 30. 17. Chap. 19. 22. vers. 19.
I will lead him] Chap. 58. 11.
to his mourners] To those among them that mourn for their sinnes, and the sinnes of others, and my judgements upon them for either, Chap. 61. 2. Ezek. 6. 9. & 7. 16. & 9. 4. Matth. 5. 4.
V. 19. I create the fruit of the lips; peace] I make good, whatsoever I speak, or promise, Josh. 23. 14. 1 King. 8. 15. Chap. 55. 11. Rom. 4. 21. 1 Thes. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 11. Or, I make the words of my messengers matters of peace; and a means of making peace, Chap. 52. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20. Ephes. 2. 14, 17.
the fruit of the lips] Heb. 13. 15.
peace, peace] Firm, sure, solid, constant peace. Chap. 26. 3. 1 Chron. 12. 18.
to him that is farre off, and to him that is neare] As well to him that is abroad in captivitie, as to him that abideth yet at home. Or, both to Jew; a people neer to God, Psal, 148. 14. and to Gentile; who was formerly farre from him, Act. 2. 38, 39. Ephes. 2. 17. Col. 1. 21. Chap. 56. 3.
I will heal him] Vers. 17. Chap. 19. 22. & 30. 26. & 58. 8.
V. 20. the wicked are like the troubled sea] The wicked mans mind is unsettled, Jam. 1. 6. and his conscience unquiet, Job 15. 20, 21. and therefore he can never rest, Job. 20. 20. nor enjoy any sound and sure peace, vers. 21. Chap. 48. 22.