Annotations Upon Isaiah, Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
VERSE 1. COme near, &c.] This Chapter ſeems to be a Prophecy of the dreadful vengeance which God would execute upon all the enemies of his Church and people; amongſt whom, ver. 5. the Edomites are particularly mentioned. And accordingly in the firſt words, Come near ye Nations to hear, and hearken ye people, either theſe Nations are ſummoned to hear the Judgments here denounced againſt them, or elſe all Nations are called upon to take notice with admiration, in what a terrible manner he meant to proceed againſt the enemies of his people; let the earth hear, and all that is therein; in the Hebrew it is, and the fulneſs thereof, for which ſee the Note, Pſal. 24.1. the world and all things that come forth of it; See the Notes, Chap. 1.2. and Deut. 32.1.
Ver. 2. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations, and his fury upon all their armies, &c.] That is, It will certainly fall upon them; See the foregoing Note: he hath utterly deſtroyed them, he hath delivered them to the ſlaughter, that is, It ſhall as certainly ſo be, as if it were done already; the decree and ſentence is gone out againſt them.
Ver. 3. Their ſlain alſo ſhall be caſt out, &c.] To wit, in away of deteſtation, and there left like the carcaſes of beaſts, to rot above ground without burial: Or, there ſhall be ſuch multitudes ſlain, that thoſe that are left alive ſhall not be able to undertake the burial of them; and their ſtink ſhall come up out of their carcaſes, that is, It ſhall aſcend up and in…ect the air; and the mountains ſhall be melted with their blood; that is, blood ſhall run down from the Mountains, as if the very Mountains were melted into blood. It is an Hyperbolical expreſſion, whereby is hinted, 1. That even the Mountains ſhould not ſave thoſe that fled thither for ſhelter. 2. That abundance of blood ſhould be ſhed there. And 3. that thus it ſhould be with the Mountains, as it were, out of fear of Gods wrath: ſee the like expreſſions, Pſal. 97.5. and Amos 9.13.
Ver. 4. And all the hoſt of heaven, &c.] See the Note, Gen. 2.1. ſhall be diſſolved: that is, they ſhall melt and wither away. But the meaning is, that by reaſon of the dreadfulneſs of Gods judgments, then inflicted on the enemies of Gods people, it ſhould be with them through extream anguiſh and fear, as if there were no ſuch lights in the Heavens (ſee the Notes, Chap. 13.10, 13.) as if they apprehended the whole frame of Heaven would break in pieces, and fall upon their heads. And indeed it is uſual with the Prophets to ſet forth extraordinary judgments after the manner of the terror of the laſt judgment, when the whole fabrick of Heaven and Earth ſhall be diſſolved, as we find it foretold, Mat. 24.29. and 2 Pet. 3.10. and the heavens ſhall be rolled together as a ſcrole: that is, they ſhall ſeem to paſs away, ſo that the lights therein ſhall be no more ſeen than the writing in a Parchment-ſcrole can be ſeen when it is rolled up together; and ſee the Note, Pſal. 102.26. and all their hoſt ſhall fall down as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree, to wit, when they are withered, and ſo are eaſily blown down.
Ver. 5. For my ſword ſhall be bathed in heaven, &c.] That is, In Heaven it is decreed, that my ſword ſhall be bathed with the blood of mine enemies; ſee the Note above, ver. 2. and Pſal. 119.89. Or the meaning may be, that God from Heaven would cauſe a ſword to be drawn againſt them that ſhould be bathed in their blood, according to that of the Apoſtle, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven againſt all ungodlineſs, Rom. 1.18. behold it ſhall come down upon Idumea; that is, upon the Edomites, and all the Churches deadly enemies: For theſe are particularly named, only becauſe they were always moſt bitter enemies to the Jews, and their Country borde…ed upon Judea; and upon the people of my curſe; that is, even upon this people whom I have accurſed; or, and upon all other people whom I have deſtined to deſtruction; to judgment; that is, in a way of taking Vengeance on them.
Ver. 6. The ſword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatneſs, &c.] That is, It ſhall be filled with blood, &c. to wit, by reaſon of the multitudes of them that ſhould be ſlain and devoured thereby. And their blood and fat are expreſly named, in alluſion to their Sacrifices, where the blood and the fat were ſtill offered. And upon the ſame reſpect is that next expreſſion uſed; and with the blood of lambs and g…ats, with the fat of kidneys of rams; where he terms thoſe that were to be ſlain, Lambs, and Goats, and Rams, to imply, that the ſlaughtering of them, ſhould be to them as a ſweet ſmelling Sacrifice, acceptable to God; ſee the Note, Exod. 32.29. Only I conceive, that by theſe leſſer ſort of Sacrifices, the inferior and common ſort of people are meant, of ſeveral ages and conditions, young and old, the poorer and richer ſort. For the Lord hath a ſacrifice in Bozrah, which was then the Metropolis of Idumea, and a great ſlaughter in the land of Idumea; that is, he hath determined to keep a ſolemn Feſtival-day there; which is ſaid, becauſe on ſuch days they uſed to offer a multitude of Sacrifices, 1 Kings 8.63.
Ver. 7. And the unicorns ſhall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls, &c.] That is, Together with the inferior ſort of people, of whom he had ſpoken in the foregoing verſe, their great, and ſtrong, and mighty ones, their Princes and Nobles, Captains and men of War, fierce, cruel, untameable men, ſhall be knocked down and ſlain. And obſervable it is, that amongſt theſe greater ſort of Cattel appointed for Sacrifices, he mentions Unicorns, that never uſed to be ſacrificed, purpoſely to hint unto us, that what he ſpeaks here of Sacrifices, was to be underſtood figuratively: and their land ſhall be ſoaked with blood, and their duſt made fatneſs; that is, their land, even the drieſt part of it, ſhall be battened, as with dung, by their blood, and the fat of their carcaſes.
Ver. 8. For it is the day of the Lords vengeance, and the year of recompence for the controverſie of Zion.] That is, It is the ſet time which God hath appointed for taking vengeance on thoſe his enemies, and for recompencing abundantly into their boſoms, all the wrongs they had done to his people. For by the controverſie of Zion here, is meant, the controverſie which the Jews had with the Edomites for the miſchief they had often done them; or the controverſie which God would have with them on his peoples behalf.
Ver. 9. And the ſtreams thereof ſhall be turned into pitch, and the duſt thereof into brimſtone, and the land thereof ſhall become burning pitch.] That is, the ſtreams, or the land of Bozrah or Idumea. In this Rhetorical deſcription of the devaſtation of this Country, there is certainly an alluſion, as often elſewhere, to the deſtruction of Sodom and Gomorrha; ſee the Notes, Chap. 13.19. and Deut. 29.23. And the meaning ſeems to be, either 1. that their Cities being ſet on fire, ſhould burn like pitch and brimſtone: Or 2. that the land ſhould be left deſolate, the inhabitants, and all therein, being as it were burnt up; that is, utterly conſumed and deſtroyed: ſee Obad. 1.8. Or 3. that their whole Country, even the moſt fruitful and beſt watered places thereof, ſhould be dry and parched, as if it were all pitch and brimſtone, or burnt up with ſhowers of fire and brimſtone, as Sodom and Gomorrha were: ſee the Notes, Job 18.15, 16.
Ver. 10. It ſhall not be quenched night nor day, &c.] That is, The burning of this land ſhall not be quenched. It is an Hyperbolical expreſſion, ſignifying, that the wrath of God ſhould continually burn againſt them, like an unquenchable fire: the ſmoke thereof ſhall go up for ever; that is, continually for a long time: from generation to generation it ſhall lye waſte; that is, for many generations: none ſhall paſs through it for ever and ever; that is, it ſhall be no more inhabited, but ſhall be deſolate for ever.
Ver. 11. But the cormorant (or the pellican) and the bittern ſhall poſſeſs it; the owl alſo and the raven ſhall dwell in it, &c.] See the Notes, Chap. 14. 23. and Pſal. 102.6. and he ſhall ſtretch out upon it the line of confuſion, and the ſtones of emptineſs; that is, the plummet, or level of emptineſs: the ground of which expreſſion is, that in thoſe times they uſed to hang a ſtone upon the line of the level, as we now do a plummet of lead. The meaning is, either 1 that God would order it ſo, that it ſhould never be built again: they that ſhould undertake it, ſhould find the iſſue of their labour to be nothing but confuſion and emptineſs, according to that of the Prophet, Mal. 1.4. Whereas Edom ſaith, We are impoveriſhed; but we will return and build the deſolate places: thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, They ſhall build, but I will throw down. Or 2. that God would lay their whole land utterly waſte and deſolate. The expreſſion here uſed, of doing this by line and level, is taken from workmen, either that being to pull down ſome part of a building, are wont by line and level to mark out how far it muſt be pulled down; or elſe, that having quite pulled down a building, do uſe thoſe inſtruments to ſee the ground be layed level. But ſee the Note, 2 Kings 21.13.
Ver. 12. They ſhall call the Nobles thereof to the Kingdom, &c.] That is, They that are left of the Edomites, ſhall invite the Nobles, or look out for ſome of the Nobles, to take the Kingly Government upon them, that ſo they might be ordered and defended by them: but none ſhall be there; that is, there ſhall be none of their Nobles to be found (as being all deſtroyed); or at leaſt, none that will undertake the Government; ſee the Notes, Chap. 3.6, 7. and all her Princes ſhall be nothing; that is, they ſhall be all found to be ſlain and deſtroyed; or ſo poor and contemptible, that they ſhall be found as nothing for the undertaking of ſuch a Dignity. And thus the Prophet doth covertly deride their former vaunting in the glory of their Kingdom, telling them, that now they ſhould have a Kingdom without a King.
Ver. 13. And thorns ſhall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortreſſes thereof, &c.] See the Notes, Chap. 32.13, 14. and it ſhall be an habitation of Dragons; ſee the Note, Job 30.29. and a court for Owls, or Oſtriches; to wit, where their Princes had wont to keep their Courts; ſee the Notes, Chap. 13.21, 22.
Ver. 14. The wild beasts of the deſart, ſhall alſo meet with the wild beasts of the iſland, and the Satyr ſhall cry to his fellow, &c.] See the Notes, Chap. 13.21, 22. the ſhrich-owl alſo ſhall reſt there, and find for her ſelf a place of reſt; to wit, becauſe there ſhall be no body there to diſturb her.
Ver. 15. There ſhall the great owl make her neſt, and lay, and hatch, and gather, &c.] That is, her young ones: under her ſhadow; that is, ſay ſome, under the ſhadow of thoſe ruines where ſhe hath made her neſt; or rather, under the ſhadow of her wings; all which imports, that theſe creatures ſhould have their ſetled abode there; and conſequently, that this deſolation of Idumea ſhould continue for a long time.
Ver. 16. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read, &c.] Some underſtand this of the book of Gods Law, wherein it is often ſaid, how tenderly careful God would be of his people, and how ſurely and ſeverely he would puniſh their enemies: and ſo they take this to be all one, as if the Prophet had ſaid, Obſerve whether God hath not there threatned, that ſuch deſolations ſhall come upon the wicked enemies of his people, as I have foretold. Again, others underſtand it of the whole Scripture then written; and that becauſe there are many Prophecies therein, concerning the deſtruction of the Edomites; ſee Numb. 24.18. Pſal. 137.7. Amos 1.11, 12. But now the moſt of Expoſitors, and upon better grounds, do underſtand it of the book of the Prophets; or rather particularly, of the Prophecy of Iſaiah, which he wrote by the guidance of Gods Spirit; as if it had been ſaid, When the time ſhall come, of which I have now ſpoken, take the book of the Prophets, and read the relation of this which I now prophecy, and you ſhall find, that every thing will exactly come to paſs which I have now foretold: no one of theſe ſhall fail; that is, no one of theſe beaſts and fowl before mentioned: none ſhall want her mate; which implies, that they ſhould breed, and fill the land; for my mouth it hath commanded; as if he had ſaid, I have commanded my Prophet to foretel this; or I have ordered it to be done. And then (ſpeaking in his own perſon) he adds, and his ſpirit it hath gathered them; that is, God, according to what he foretold, hath by a ſecret inſtinct, or by his Almighty power and word of command, gathered theſe creatures together.
Ver. 17. And he hath caſt the lot for them, &c.] That is, The wild beaſts and fowl before mentioned. God hath given them the Land of Idu…a for their ſetled habitation, and they ſhall injoy it without diſturbance as men do an inheritance that is by lot aſſigned to them: and his hand hath divided it unto them by line; that is, to each one their ſeveral portion; ſee the Notes, Pſal. 16.5, 6. they ſhall poſſeſs it for ever; from generation to generation ſhall they dwell therein; ſee the Note before, ver. 10.