Annotations Upon Isaiah, Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI.
VERSE 1. WO to them that go down to Egypt for help, &c.] See the Note, Chap. 30.2. And ſtay on and truſt in Chariots, becauſe they are many; and in Horſe-men, becauſe they are very ſtrong: See the Note there alſo, Ver. 16. But they look not unto the Holy one of Iſrael▪ See the Notes, Chap. 1.4. Neither ſeek the Lord, to wit, whom they had ſo often found a ſure defence to them, even againſt their ſtrongeſt enemies.
Ver. 2. Yet he alſo is wiſe, &c.] As if he had ſaid, as in a way of deriſion, You applaud your ſelves in your Wiſdom and Policy, and think it is the only wiſe courſe you can take for the ſecuring of your ſelves from the Aſſyrians, to call in the Egyptians to your help; and that it were palpable folly in you to do what God by his Prophets hath enjoyned you to do, namely, to rely wholly upon God, and not to ſend to your neighbours the Egyptians for aid. Well, as wiſe as you think your ſelves, do you judg your ſelves wiſer than God, whoſe counſel you deſpiſe? Surely he alſo is wiſe, yea infinitely wiſer than your wiſe Egyptians can be, on whom you ſo much rely (See the Notes, Chap. 19.11.) And therefore knows many ways how to diſappoint all your politick deſigns, whereby you oppoſe his commands. Yet he alſo is wiſe, and will bring evil, that is, he will bring that evil upon you, which you think to keep off by the Egyptians help; and will not call back his words, to wit, which he hath ſpoken by me, concerning the evil which the Aſſyrians ſhall bring upon you: But will ariſe againſt the houſe of the evil doers, that is, againſt the wicked Jews, the rebellious People before ſpoken of Chap. 30.9. And againſt the help of them that work iniquity, that is, againſt the Egyptians; that ſhall come into the aid of this wicked People.
Ver. 3. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, &c.] And therefore able to do nothing without God, and much leſs againſt God Almighty, when he ſets himſelf to puniſh his People for their wickedneſs; And their Horſes, fleſh, and not Spirit; that is, not to be compared in regard of power to a ſpirit; When the Lord ſhall ſtretch out his Hand; as if it had been ſaid, if he doth only ſtretch out his Hand, that alone will be enough, both he that helpeth ſhall fall, and he that is holpen ſhall fall down, and they all ſhall fail together, See the foregoing Note. It is ſpoken in a way of deriding them for their hoping ſo much in the help of Egypt. And that which is here threatned came to paſs, when the Aſſyrian for a while made ſuch havock in the Land of Judah.
Ver. 4. For thus hath the Lord ſpoken unto me, &c.] Here a promiſe is inſerted, that however the Lord would certainly, as he had ſaid, deſtroy both thoſe that would need ſeek to Egypt for help againſt the Aſſyrians, and the Egyptians likewiſe that helped them; yet he would as certainly preſerve Jeruſalem from being ſurprized by the Aſſyrians, and ſo would ſave a remnant of his People from being deſtroyed. And the drift of this is to make it clear to them, how ſafely they might have reſted upon him alone, without ever looking after the Egyptians for help. Like as the Lion and young Lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of Shepherds is called forth againſt him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abaſe himſelf for the noiſe of them; to wit, by letting go his prey, or fleeing from them; So ſhall the Lord of hoſts come down, to wit, from Heaven to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof, that is, the hill Morias, where the Temple ſtood; which is particularly expreſſed, to imply Gods tender care over the place where he was worſhipped. The drift of the ſimilitude is to ſet forth, that Jeruſalem ſhould find the Lord as able, and as earneſtly intent to ſave her out of the hand of the Aſſyrians, though their army were never ſo numerous, as a Lion is to hold faſt, and not to part with the prey he hath gotten, though never ſuch a multitude of Shepherds be gathered together againſt him.
Ver. 5. As birds flying, ſo will the Lord of hoſts defend Jeruſalem, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, God will ſo defend Jeruſalem, that ſhe ſhall be as ſafe as birds are when they are flying. But rather the meaning is, either, 1. That God would come in to the help of Jeruſalem, when the Aſſyrians ſhould come againſt her, with as much ſpeed as Birds are wont to flee to the defence of their young ones, when they ſee them in any danger: Or, 2. That God would with as much affection and tender care and earneſtneſs provide for the ſecuring of Jeruſalem from the Aſſyrians, as birds are wont to ſhew toward their young ones, when they flutter over them to ſhelter them; or flee up and down, to beat off thoſe, as well as they can, who they fear would annoy them. So that in this compariſon there may be an alluſion to that which Chap. 10.14. is ſaid of the Aſſyrian's boaſting of his victories, implying, that tho' he had bragged how he had ſurprized the ſeveral Nations of the Earth as a birds-neſt, and ſpoiled them of their riches, none daring to peep or to wag the wing; yet when he came to Jeruſalem he ſhould not find it ſo. As for that which follows, defending alſo he will deliver it, and paſſing over he will preſerve it; thoſe words paſſing over may be uſed as with reſpect to the ſimilitude he had uſed of Birds flying, to ſignifie that Gods Eye would be upon them to preſerve them, according to the care that Birds have of their young ones when they fly this way, and that, over them to ſecure them. Or it may import only the ſuddenneſs of their deliverance, that God would but paſs over them, and they ſhould be preſently delivered. But moſt generally it is thought by Expoſitors, that in thoſe words there is an alluſion to the deliverance of the Iſraelites out of Egypt, to wit, that as then an Angel paſſing over the Houſes of the Iſraelites did in one night ſlay all the firſt-born of the Egyptians: So it ſhould be now; an Angel paſſing over them ſhould in one night make a mighty Slaughter in the Aſſyrian's Camp, and ſo Jeruſalem ſhould be delivered.
Ver. 6. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Iſrael have deeply revolted.] That is, You that hope to have a ſhare in this promiſed deliverance, repent and turn unto the Lord, from whom the body of this people (who will yet needs glory in the name of the children of Iſrael) have deeply revolted, to wit, as by other heinous ſins, ſo more particularly by your incredulity and forſaking of God, and ſeeking to Egypt for help. This expreſſion, that they had deeply revolted, we have alſo Hoſea 9.9. they have deeply corrupted themſelves: the meaning whereof is, that they had greatly or extreamly apoſtatiſed from God, as we uſe to ſay, that ſuch a man is deep in ſuch a Treaſon, or other Villany, when he hath had a great hand in it. But the drift of this expreſſion here, might be to hint unto them, that though they had thus dangerouſly revolted from God, yet if they would now have been as deep in their ſorrow, as they had formerly been in their ſin, God would remember his covenant made with their fathers, and ſhew them mercy, and own them for his children.
Ver. 7. For in that day every man ſhall caſt away his idols of ſilver, &c.] Some think, that is mentioned as an effect of their ſincere repentance, upon the Aſſyrians invading of their Land; or upon the wonderful deſtruction which God would bring upon the Aſſyrian Army. But the word (for) doth plainly ſhew, that this is added as a motive to preſs them to hearken to the foregoing exhortation to repentance: Repent, ſaith he, and turn to the Lord; for in that day, to wit, when the Aſſyrian ſhall make ſuch havock in your land, being convinced of the vanity both of your Idol-worſhip, and of your reſting upon the aid of the Egyptians, every man ſhall caſt away his idols of ſilver, and his idols of gold (ſee the Note, Chap. 2.18.) which your own hands have made unto you (ſee the Note, Chap. 2.8.) for a ſin; that is, that you might therewith ſin againſt God, and thereby draw down his vengeance upon you.
Ver. 8. Then ſhall the Aſſyrian fall, &c.] That is, Sennacherib's Army ſhall be deſtroyed with the ſword, not of a mighty man; and the ſword, not of a mean man, ſhall devour him; that is, not by the ſword of any man, one or other, but by the ſword of Divine vengeance, laid on by the Miniſtry of an Angel, 2 Kings 19.35. but he ſhall flee from the ſword; that is, Sennacherib himſelf ſhall flee from the ſword from Heaven, wherewith he ſhall find his Army deſtroyed; or, as it is in the margin, for fear of the ſword, to wit, as not knowing how that havock came to be made in his Army: and his young men ſhall be diſcomfited; that is, thoſe of the youth and flower of his Army, that by reaſon of their youth uſe to be moſt hot and furious, and that ſhall eſcape the ſtroke of the Angel, ſhall be glad to flee for their lives. It is in the Hebrew, and his young men ſhall be for melting; the meaning thereof muſt needs be, either, that their multitude melted away, as it is ſaid, 1 Sam. 14.16. or that their hearts, through fear, fainted and melted away; ſee the Notes, Joſh. 7.5. As for the Tranſlation in the margin, and his young men ſhall be tributaries, I know not what can be probably intended thereby, unleſs it be, that after this defeat the Aſſyrians ſhould in proceſs of time become tributaries to the Chaldeans, and ſo afterwards to other Nations. For we do not find, that upon this overthrow of Sennacherib's great Army, the Aſſyrians became tributaries to the Jews.
Ver. 9. And he ſhall paſs over to his ſtrong hold for fear, &c.] It is in the Hebrew thus, And his rock ſhall paſs away for fear: and therefore ſome underſtand the place thus, that the remainder of his Army, or his Princes and Commanders (the chief rock and ſtrength whereon he relied), ſhould flee away for fear. But according to our Tranſlation, the meaning is plain, that Sennacherib ſhould flee into his own Country, and betake himſelf to his ſtrong holds there; or rather to Niniveh, his beſt fortified City, not daring to ſtay any where till he came thither, 2 Kings 19.36. and his princes ſhall be afraid of the enſign; that is, either 1. That they ſhould be afraid, as men are wont to be, when they ſee their enemies marching up againſt them with diſplayed Enſigns: Or 2. That they ſhall be ſo afrighted, that if they ſaw an Enſign, though it were when they were come into their own Country, or though it were only ſome Enſign ſet on the top of ſome Watch-tower by the way, they would be afraid, as if ſome Troops of their Enemies were purſuing them: Or 3. rather, that they ſhould be afraid of the Enſign or Standard which God had, as it were, by his Angel lifted up againſt them, when he fought againſt their Army, and made ſuch dreadful havock amongſt them. And then for the laſt words, his princes ſhall be afraid of the enſign, ſaith the Lord, whoſe fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jeruſalem; the meaning of that is, either 1. That in that City was the houſe wherein he dwelt continually to wit, the Temple, where he had his fire continually burning upon his Altar; and therefore he would not ſuffer himſelf to be turned out of doors by the Aſſyrians: Or 2. That there his people were conſtantly waiting upon him in the duties of his worſhip; their ſacrifices and their incenſe were ſtill burning upon his Altar; and that therefore he was engaged in point of Honour to appear for their defence: Or 3. That God was there as a conſuming fire, to burn up the enemies that ſhould come upon them to deſtroy them. As in Zion he had his fire and furnace for the trying and purging of his people, ſo alſo for the utter deſtroying of his and their Enemies, againſt whom, if they attempted to wrong his people, his vengeance would be ſtill ready to break forth as a devouring fire; ſee the former Notes, Chap. 10.17. and 30.30.