Annotations Upon Isaiah, Chapter 44
CHAP. XLIV.
VERSE 1. YEt now hear, O Jacob, my ſervant, and Iſrael whom I have choſen.] Having ſpoken of his ſevere dealing with his people in the cloſe of the foregoing Chapter, here now God addreſſeth himſelf again to ſpeak comfortably to them, juſt as a man would ſpeak to his Children or Friends, when he ſees them weeping and mourning, and as before he had done; See the Notes, Chap. 43.1. and 41.8, 9.
Ver. 2. Thus ſaith the Lord that made thee and formed thee, &c.] See the Notes, Chap. 43.1, 21. from the womb, that is, ſay ſome, from your conception or birth, before you could do any thing whereby you might deſerve any favour at my hands; and that by reaſon of the Covenant, wherein from the firſt, as by right of inheritance, you ſhall have an Intereſt; Or, as others, from your firſt beginning; which was, ſay ſome, from the firſt calling of Abraham, or from … birth of Jacob, the ſtock, of whom they were called Iſrael (and ſome … therefore, that this is ſpoken with reference to that preſaging Sign … was ſeen at his Birth concerning the excellency of his Poſterity, for … ſee the Note, Gen. 25.26. or rather, from the time when they firſt be… to be an entire people by themſelves ſevered from other Nations. And ſome … the Metaphor is taken not ſo much from the forming of the Body in th… …omb, as from the Midwives care in forming and ſetting right every limb … the Child when ſhe hath taken it from the Womb; which will help thee▪ to wit, becauſe thou art his; fear not, O Jacob, my ſervant, ſee the Notes, Chap. 41.8, 10, 13, 14. and thou Jeſu run whom I have choſen, ſee the Note, Deut. 32.15.
Ver. 3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirſty, and floods upon the dry ground, &c.] Some underſtand this of the many Prophets that God would raiſe up amongſt them in Babylon, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai &c. and others, of the abundant gifts of the Spirit which God would pour forth upon the Preachers of the Goſpel in the days of the Meſſiah; with reſpect whereto they conceive the next clauſe is added by way of expounding this, I will pour my Spirit upon thy ſeed, &c. But rather the meaning is, That the Church and people of God that were as a dry, thirſty, and barren wilderneſs, where nothing almoſt grows and thrives, but all things ſeem in a manner dead, ſhall by the bleſſing of God become as a well-watered ground where all things thrive and flouriſh; that is, They ſhall multiply and proſper exceedingly, which is more plainly expreſſed in the following words; I will pour forth my Spirit upon thy ſeed, and my bleſſing upon thine offspring; where what is meant by Gods Spirit, ſee in the Note, Pſal. 104.30. And this I conceive is meant of the abundance of Mercy and Grace which God afforded the Jews at their return out of Babylon; and afterward to his Church both Jews and Gentiles in the days of the Goſpel; See the Notes, Chap. 35.1, 7. and 41.17, 18.
Ver. 4. And they ſhall ſpring up as among the graſs, &c.] That is, They ſhall multiply, grow up, and flouriſh abundantly, even as plants and trees do, that grow in green and fruitful Medows.
Ver. 5. One ſhall ſay, I am the Lords: and another ſhall call himſelf by the name of Jacob, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, My people ſhall with one conſent after their return out of Babylon, renounce all Idol-gods, and ſhall give up themſelves wholly and only to the worſhip of the true God. But rather this is ſpoken of the encreaſe of Gods people, as with reference to that which went before, ver. 4. that though they ſhould be but a few, to ſpeak of, at their return from Babylon, yet by degrees they ſhould become very Numerous; which is ſpoken principally with reſpect to the calling of the Gentiles: One ſhall ſay, I am the Lords, &c. that is, Several perſons of ſeveral ſorts ſhall come in from all Places and Nations, and give up their names to Chriſt, and yield up themſelves to be wholly at his command, and ſhall make open profeſſion of Chriſt and of his Goſpel, and ſo ſhall joyn themſelves to Gods Iſrael; See the Note, Pſal. 87.4.
Ver. 6. Thus ſaith the Lord, the King of Iſrael, and his Redeemer, the Lord of …ſts, &c.] This may be referred to that which went before; yet rather it ſ… …s to be ſpoken with reference to that which followeth after. However, the …ift of it is to aſſure them of the truth of that which he had promiſed them, …amely, becauſe he that had promiſed was clearly the only true God: I am the …ſt, and I am the laſt, and beſides me there is no God; See the Note, Chap. 41.4▪
Ver. 7. A… who as I, &c.] Having in the cloſe of the foregoing verſe ſaid, That there was …o God beſides him; here he undertakes to prove it by the ſame Argument … had uſed formerly, taken from his foretelling his people in all Ages t…e thing … that ſhould afterward come to paſs, Chap. 41.22, 26. and 43.9. And who … I ſhall call, that is, who among the Idol-gods of the Heathens can command, decree and determine future things, which accordingly ſhall afterwards come to paſs, as I have done? See the Note, Chap. 41.4. and ſhall declare it, that is, Foretel ſuch things before they come to paſs, as I have done to my people? See the Notes, Chap. 41.22, 26. and 43.9. and ſet in order for me; that is, Bring to effect what is ſo foretold, that I may ſee it done, even every thing orderly in its appointed time; or rather relate to me in order what from time to time ſhall come to paſs, as I have done to my Church; ſince I appointed the ancient people, that is, Since I appointed ſuch a Church to be; which was from the beginning of the World, or from eternity; or rather, ſince of old I appointed the Poſterity of Abraham to be my peculiar people: and the things that are coming, and ſhall come; that is, Which of your Idol-gods can foretel future things, either thoſe things that are come to paſs immediately, or a long time hereafter? let them ſhew unto them, that is, Let their Idol-gods, if they can, foretel ſuch things as theſe to thoſe that worſhip them as gods.
Ver. 8. Fear ye not, neither be afraid, &c.] That is, Fear not the accompliſhment of the promiſes I have made to you, though Idolatrous Nations bring never ſo great Miſeries upon you (as it may be they had already deſtroyed the ten Tribes, which might be an occaſion of great fear to them) yet be not afraid of their Idol-gods, as if they could hinder me from making good my promiſes; See alſo the Notes, Chap. 41.10, 14. have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? that is, From the time when I appointed thee to be my peculiar people (for which ſee the foregoing Note) have I not ever ſince that time ſucceſſively in all Ages told thee what in future times ſhould come to paſs? And thus by repeating the foregoing Argument, he proves himſelf to be the only true God: ye are even my Witneſſes, ſee the Note, Chap. 43.10. Is there a god beſides me? yea, there is no god: it is in the Hebrew no Rock, for which ſee Deut. 32.4. I know not any, which I conceive, is ironically ſpoken; as if he had ſaid, And therefore ſure there is none, unleſs you know more than I know.
Ver. 9. They that make a graven image, are all of them vanity, &c.] See the Note, Chap. 41.29. and their delectable things ſhall not profit, that is, Their rich Idols curiouſly carved, and gorgeouſly attired and adorned with all the pompous ſervice which they yield them, wherewith they are ſo much delighted, ſee the Note, Chap. 1.29. and they are their own witneſſes, they ſee not, nor know, that they may be aſhamed; that is, their Idols are Witneſſes againſt themſelves, or againſt thoſe that worſhip them, to wit, becauſe (as it follows in the next words) they ſee not, nor know; that is, They have neither eyes, nor underſtanding: Or, the Idolaters and Idol-makers are Witneſſes againſt themſelves, to wit, that they ſee not, nor know, but are as blind and ſtupid as their Idols; or they are Witneſſes againſt themſelves to their ſhame, that their Idols cannot profit them, becauſe they cannot but know, that they can neither ſee nor underſtand any thing.
Ver. 10. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven Image that is profiable for nothing?] That is, Who is ſo mad as to do this? to wit, to undertake to make a god (or if you intend not that it ſhould be a god) to make an Image, if no profit be to be expected by it?
Ver. 11. Behold all his fellows ſhall be aſhamed, &c.] That is, all the Workmans Companions (of whom he had ſpoken in the foregoing verſes) to wit, thoſe that had any hand in the making or worſhipping of them, ſhall be all of them aſhamed; See the Note, Chap. 42.17. and the workmen they are of men, that is, They are no better than men; whereby is implied both the groſs abſurdity of the thing, that they that were but men made by God, ſhould undertake by their power to make a God; and likewiſe how unable they were to ſtand before God: let them all be gathered together, let them ſtand up: to wit, to maintain and defend their Idols; See the Notes, Chap. 41.1. and 43.9. yet they ſhall fear, and ſhall be aſhamed together: to wit, when their Conſciences begin to be awakened, or when God ſhall begin to contend with them.
Ver. 12. The Smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and faſhioneth it with hammers, &c.] Some underſtand this of the Smiths forging out Tools for the Carpenter that was to make the Idol. But it is expreſly ſaid, that the Heathens had Idol-gods of iron, Dan. 5.4. as well as of other metals; and of theſe therefore I conceive the Prophet here ſpeaks, or of the Iron work that was uſed about their Idols: and worketh it with the ſtrength of his arms: that is, he puts forth all his might in the forging of it; which is ſpoken by way of deriding their blind zeal, and ſo is likewiſe that which followeth: yea, he is hungry, and his ſtrength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint: to wit, as being ſo intent upon his holy work, that he cannot afford himſelf time to eat or drink. Yet this mention of his hungring and thirſting may be alſo covertly to imply, both what a poor Creature ſuch a one is, to undertake to make a God; and what vain things ſuch Gods are that cannot keep their Servants from fainting, when they take ſuch pains for them, unleſs they feed on the meat which the true God. hath provided for men.
Ver. 13. The Carpenter ſtretcheth out his rule, &c.] To wit, to meaſure out the length and breadth of the timber to be ſet apart for the making of his Idol: he marketh it out with a line, to wit, to ſhew how much of the timber on every ſide muſt be cut away; he fitteth it with plains, and he marketh it out with the compaſs, to wit, that he might draw out every member with its due Proportion; and maketh it after the figure of a man, that is, a Man or Woman; according to the beauty of a man; that is, That noble and majeſtick ſhape which God hath given to man; that it may remain in the houſe; that is, in ſome Temple, or in his own dwelling houſe, for his own private Devotions. However, this covertly hints their folly; their Idols, after their pains and coſt, not being able to do any thing, and ſo ſerving only to ſtand idle, and fill up a Room in their houſes.
Ver. 14. He heweth him down Cedars, and taketh the Cypreſs and the Oak, which he ſtrengthneth for himſelf among the trees of the foreſt, &c.] That is, which he hath ſuffered to grow till they were come to their full growth or ſtrength. But many do rather like that Tranſlation which we have in our Margin; and he taketh courage to himſelf among the trees of the foreſt, that is, he encourageth himſelf to take the faireſt timber-trees for this ſervice, and to put forth his utmoſt ſtrength in hewing them down: he planteth an Aſh, to wit, that there may be Timber for their Idol-gods in future times (whereby alſo is hinted their reſolvedneſs for their holding on in this brutiſh ſin) and the rain doth nouriſh it, which is alſo added by way of deriſion; for was it not moſt abſurd to rob the true God of his Glory, by that which from him received both its being and growth?
Ver. 15. Then ſhall it be for a man to burn, &c.] That is, when it is thus grown up, then it is hewen down to be fuel for the fire: for he will take thereof, that is, of the trees ſo hewen down, or of the chips he cuts off from the Timber: and warmeth himſelf; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a God and worſhippeth it, &c. that is, Some part of it he uſeth for Kitching-ſervice, both in the Oven and Chimney, and of the other part of it he maketh a god.
Ver. 16. He burneth part thereof in the fire: with part thereof he eateth fleſh, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, With part thereof he maketh Tables and Trenchers whereon to eat his meat; or rather, with part thereof he dreſſeth his meat; for all along he ſeems only to ſpeak how it was uſed as fuel for the fire.
Ver. 17. And the reſidue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven Image: he falleth down to it, and worſhippeth it, &c.] That is, He doth not only provide this Idol for the uſe of others, but he himſelf alſo worſhips it; and prayeth unto it, and ſaith, Deliver me, for thou art my God: which is ſo ſet forth to imply, That men cannot worſhip and pray to an Idol, but they own it for their God.
Ver. 18. They have not known nor underſtood, &c.] See the Notes, Chap. 27.18. and Pſal. 14.1. for he hath ſhut their eyes that they cannot ſee, &c. that is, God hath juſtly for their ſins puniſhed them with judicial blindneſs.
Ver. 20. He feedeth of aſhes, &c.] That is, The Idolater doth as miſerably deceive himſelf, as he ſhould do that thinks to ſlake his hunger, and nouriſh himſelf with eating aſhes; for as aſhes eaten would be ſo far from doing men any good in theſe regards, that it would rather hurt them; ſo it is with the Idolater: he ſets his heart upon that, he delights himſelf and truſts in that, and ſo feeds himſelf with hopes of Benefit and Comfort from that which will no way profit him, but rather do him a great deal of Miſchief, namely, his Idols, pieces of wood that ſhall one day be turned into aſhes, as well as the reſt of the trees of which they are made, and therefore no way likely to help them in their ſtraits, but rather to draw the wrath of God upon them. It is an Expreſſion much like to that, Hoſ. 12.1. Ephraim feedeth on wind; implying, That the Idolater feeds himſelf with the vain deceits of his own heart: a deceived heart hath turned him aſide, to wit, out of the way of truth, that he cannot deliver his ſoul, that is, He cannot wind himſelf out of this fooliſh Error▪ and ſo ſave himſelf from that Vengeance and Damnation which this his Idolatry and Superſtition is like to bring upon him; nor ſay, Is there not a lie in my right hand? that is, Is not this Idol which I am forming, or which I hold in my right hand, an Error and Deceit, a meer Fiction, no ſuch thing as I have falſely conceited it to be? Do I not ſee and feel, and find it to be ſo?
Ver. 21. Remember theſe (O Jacob and Iſrael) for thou art my ſervant, &c.] See the Note, Chap. 41.9. Remember theſe Idolaters of whom I have ſpoken, to wit, their groſs ſottiſhneſs; or theſe things which I have now ſaid againſt them, and the Vanity of their Idolatry. And that which is intended is, That God would have them think ſeriouſly of theſe things, that ſo when they came to dwell long as Captives in Babylon, they might not be intangled with their Idolatry; I have formed thee, thou art my ſervant; which is repeated again to intimate, that Idolatry would be worſe in them than in the Gentiles, becauſe they were his peculiar people, and had been trai…ed up in the Knowledg of his written Law. But ſee alſo the Notes, Chap. 43.1, 21.
Ver. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy tranſgreſſions, and as a cloud thy ſins, &c.] That is, As a cloud that darkens and hides the Heavens from us, and ſeems to threaten ſome great ſtorm, is many times quite diſperſed by the Sun, or driven away by the Winds; ſo have I by a free and a full pardon perfectly put away all your ſins, that have ſeparated beteewn you and your God, and have hid his face from you, Chap. 59.2. and have thereby cleared … from all thoſe Terrors and Judgments which your ſins might otherwiſe have brought upon you. And doubtleſs this is mentioned as the foundation of that deliverance which God doth here promiſe his people; their ſins, the cauſe of Gods controverſie with them, being pardoned, they might well hope deliverance would come: return unto me, to wit, by Repentance; and then fear not, for I have redeemed thee, and therefore have the beſt right to thee; See the Notes, Chap. 43.1, 3, 4. and Pſal. 31.5.
Ver. 23. Sing, O ye heavens, &c.] To ſet forth how wonderful the work ſhould be of this new Deliverance that is promiſed to Gods people, the Prophet doth here break forth into this Rhetorical invitation of all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth to bleſs God for it; an Expreſſion much like that, 1 Chron. 16.31. for which ſee the Note there: Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it; to wit, that which he had promiſed, the great work of the Redemption of his people, and which indeed none but the Lord could do; ſhout ye lower parts of the earth; that is, ſay ſome, The Plains and Valleys; this being oppoſed, ſay they, to that which follows, break forth into ſinging, ye Mountains, or rather the earth which lieth below (as oppoſed to the Heavens before mentioned) yea, the whole Earth even to the very Center: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, which is meant not only of the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, but alſo eſpecially of the great work of our Redemption by Chriſt: and glorified himſelf in Iſrael, to wit, by delivering them, and deſtroying their enemies.
Ver. 24. Thus ſaith the Lord thy Redeemer, &c.] That is, that did formerly deliver thee out of Egypt, and will now again deliver thee out of Babylon; and he that formed thee from the womb, See the Note above, ver. 2. and 43.1. that ſtretcheth forth the heavens alone; See the Note, Pſal. 104.2. that ſpreadeth abroad the earth by my ſelf: that is, without the help or advice of any.
Ver. 35. That fruſtrateth the tokens of the liars, &c.] That is, Magicians, Aſtrologers and Soothſayers, to wit, by croſſing them in their Predictions, whereof they had ſaid, That ſuch and ſuch things were ſure Signs and Tokens. But though this be expreſſed indefinitely, as a thing that God uſually doth, yet here it is ſpoken as with reference to what God meant to do amongſt the Babylonians, whoſe Magicians were exceeding famous all the World over; and it may well be with particular reſpect to ſome Predictions of theirs concerning the perpetual continuance of their Empire; and perhaps, that when the Medes and Perſians threatned Babylon, they ſhould not prevail againſt her; namely, That all theſe predictions ſhould be found to be lies. And hereby alſo might be covertly hinted how ſhort their Predictions came of the Predictions of Gods Prophets, that were always ſo exactly accompliſhed; and maketh diviners mad, that is, That makes their Divinations no more to be regarded, than the ravings of mad men; or rather, that makes them mad to ſee all fall out contrary to what they foretold; that turneth wiſe men backward, to wit, by croſſing them in all their Counſels and Courſes, and bringing all their Plots and Endeavours to nothing; or by confounding them, ſo that they are aſhamed to ſhew their faces; and maketh their Knowledg fooliſh, to wit, ſay ſome, By diſcovering the folly of their Predictions. But ſee the Note, Job 12.17.
Ver. 26. That confirmeth the word of his ſervant, &c.] To wit, Iſaiah; or his Servants the Prophets in general: and ſo the next clauſe may be added, as by way of explaining this: and performeth the counſel of his meſſengers; that is, The Predictions of his Prophets concerning thoſe things which it was the Will and counſel of God ſhould be. And though this muſt be underſtood generally of all their Prophecies, yet we may well think it was ſpoken with ſpecial relation to that Prophecy, that Cyrus ſhould ſubdue Babylon, and ſend home Gods people into their own Country; and that which went ſtill along therewith, as ſignified thereby, their Prophecy concerning our Redemption by Chriſt. And this return of the Jews is therefore particularly added in the next words, that ſaith to Jeruſalem, Thou ſhalt be inhabited; and to the Cities of Judah, Ye ſhall be built; under which alſo may be intended the raiſing up of the Church of Chriſt, when ever ſhe is brought low by her enemies: and I will raiſe up, that is, build again, or cauſe to flouriſh, the decayed places thereof, that is, all the ruinous and deſolate places in the Land.
Ver. 27. That ſaith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers.] That is, That can remove any Obſtructions that are like to hinder the return of my people; ſo that though there ſhould be a Sea lying in their way, even that can I dry up, and all the ſtreams thereof. And moſt probable it is, that God by this way of expreſſing his Almighty Power, doth allude to his drying up of the Red Sea firſt, and the River Jordan afterwards, before the Iſraelites, as before, Chap. 43.16. of which ſee the Note there; and that he doth likewiſe covertly hint the manner how Cyrus ſhould take Babylon, namely, by Cyrus his drawing away the waters of Euphrates in ſeveral Channels he had digged for that purpoſe, that ſo his Army might paſs over, and ſtorm and ſurprize the City. This is, I conceive, the clea… meaning of this place; for which ſee the Notes alſo, Chap. 40.3, 4. But yet ſome Expoſitors take it to be a directly figurative Prediction of the Deſtruction of Babylon. A deep, they ſay, ſhe is called, as before the deſert of the Sea, Chap. 21.1. (for which ſee the Note there) becauſe ſhe lay in a deep valley full of waters; and by drying up this Sea and her Rivers, is meant, they ſay, the deſtroying and plundering this great City, together with other Provinces, Cities and Towns belonging thereto.
Ver. 28. That ſaith of Cyrus, He is my ſhepherd, &c.] So he is called, becauſe as a Shepherd he was to take care of the Jews, Gods precious flock, to reſcue them from the tyranny of the Babylonians, even as Sheep from the mouths of ravening Wolves, to gather them together that were ſcattered abroad in Babylon and other Countrys, and to carry them out into the large and freſh paſtures of Judea, that had been ſhut up in Babylon as in a pinfold; and ſhall perform all my pleaſure; that is, All that God had decreed and willed ſhould be done, both concerning the ruine of Babylon, the return of his people, and their re-edifying their City and Temple, as is expreſſed in the following words, even ſaying to Jeruſalem, Thou ſhalt be built; and to the Temple, Thy foundation ſhall be laid. And indeed, in Cyrus his time there was no more done, but only the laying of the foundation. However, moſt obſervable it is, That to the end the Jews might know it was God that had wrought that great deliverance for them when they were ſet free out of Babylon, and ſo might alſo believe his other Prophecies concerning Chriſt (of whoſe Redemption that deliverance was a Type) God doth here tell them the very Name of the Man by whom they ſhould be delivered, as he had formerly foretold the name of Joſiah, 1 King. 13.2. And this was about an hundred and ſeventy years at leaſt, before it was accompliſhed; for Manaſſeh reigned five and fifty years, 2 King. 21.1. Amon two, ver. 19. Joſiah one and thirty, 2 King. 22.1. Jehoiakim eleven, 2 King. 23.36. (at what time Nebuchadnezzar began to captivate the Jews) and then their Captivity in Babylon laſted ſeventy years. So that doubtleſs, when the Jews firſt heard of one Cyrus that was preparing to invade Babylon, the remembrance of this Prophecy muſt needs make them with great joy to conclude, That their Deliverance was then drawing nigh. But ſee the Note, Ezra 1.2.