Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 17 – Chapter 18
CHAP. XVII.
Ver. 1. THe burden of Damaſcus] See chap. 13.1.
Of Damaſcus] That is, of the Kingdom of Syria, the head City wherof was Damaſcus: and it was deſtroyed by Salmaneſer, five or ſix years after this burdenous Prophecy: the like whereunto ſee chap. 49.23. Am. 1.2. Zech. 9.1. It had been taken before by Tiglath-pileſer, 2 King. 1. and hath been rebuilded ſince, Act. 9.2. 2 Cor. 11.32. being at this day a noble City of the Eaſt, civitas laetitiae & landabilis, as Jeremy calleth it, Chap. 49.
And it ſhall be a ruinous heap] It was ſo till re-edified, and inhabited by a new people.
Ver. 2. The cities of Aroer are forſaken] i. e. The countrey beyond Jordan, Deut. 2.36. is deſolated, and depopulated; the Gadites and the Reubenites being alſo together with the Syrians, carried captive by Tiglath-pileſer, 1 Chron. 5.26.
Ver. 3. The fortreſs alſo ſhall ceaſe from Ephraim] Heb. ſhall ſabbatiz…, or reſt. Ephraim or the ten tribes had joyned with Syria in a confederacy againſt Judah: they juſtly therefore partake with them in their puniſhment.
Shall be as the glory of the children of Iſrael] Poor glory now: but ſo their low condition is called Ironically, and by way of contempt, ſaith Oecolamp.
Ver. 4. The glory of Jacob ſhall be made thin] Their multitudes wherein they gloried ſhall be greatly impaired.
And the fatneſs] He ſhall be caſt into a deadly conſumption. Now the conſumption of a Kingdom is poverty, and the death of it is loſs of authority, (ſaith Scultetus) wickedneſs being the root of its wretchedneſs, like as the cauſes of diſeaſes are in the body it ſelf.
Ver. 5. And it ſhall be as when the harveſt man] Their utter captivity is ſet forth by three lively Similitudes, for better aſſurance, a very ſmall remnant only left in the Land. This by ſome Ancients is alledged to ſhew how few ſhall be ſaved: ſurely not one of ten thouſand, ſaid Simeon. And before him Chryſoſtom, How many think you, ſhall be ſaved in this City of Antioch? Hom. 4. ad Pop. Antioch.Though there be ſo many thouſands of you, yet there cannot be found an hundred that ſhall enter into Gods Kingdom: and I doubt much of thoſe too, &c.
In the valley of Rephaim] which was nigh to Jeruſalem, Jun.Joſh. 15.8. nam ſimili tudine populari propheta ulitur.
Ver. 6. Ye… glea…ing grapes, &c.] See on ver. 5.
Ver. 7. At that day ſhall a man look to his Maker] The Elect among the Iſralites ſhall do ſo, having been whipt home as before. There is an Elegancy in the original (as there are many in this Prophet) that cannot be Engliſhed. Here alſo, and in the next Verſe, we have a deſcription of true Repentance, the right fruit of Afflicton ſanctified. Penitency and Puniſhment are words of one derivation.
Ver. 8. And he ſhall not look to the Altars] As, having looked before to his Maker with a ſingle eye, with an eye of Adamant that will turn only to one point. See on Hoſ. 14.8
Ver 9. Which they left for the children of Iſrael] Which the enemy left, by a ſweet providence of God; the like whereto ſee on Zech. 7.14.
Ver. 10. Becauſe thou haſt forgotten the God of thy ſalvation] Thou haſt diſloyally departed from him, as a Wife doth from her Husband: though he were both able and ready to have ſaved thee.
Therefore ſhalt thou plant pleaſant plants] But all to no purpoſe. Hoc patres familias pro regula habeant oeconomica: There is a curſe upon the wicked, though never ſo induſtrious: all will not do, God cannot abide to be forgotten.
And ſhalt ſet it with ſtrange ſlips] i. e. Rare and excellent ones:Exotica fere non niſi precioſa afferuntur. Jun. but for the enemies uſe, as ver. 11. Deut. 28.29.
Ver. 11. In the day thou ſhalt make thy plant to grow] So Prov. 22.8. he that ſoweth inquity ſhall reap vanity: and the more ſerious and ſedulous he is at it, the worſe ſhall it be with him, Gal. 6.8.
But thy harveſt ſhall be an heap] This is a Proverb among the Jews, to ſignifie labour in vain.
In the day of grief and deſperate ſorrow] Heb. aegrae, ſc. plagae: for grapes ye ſhall gather thorns, for figs thiſtles.
Ver. 12. Wo to the multitude of many people] Met to make up Sennacheribs Army.Mihi hoc loco admirantis vi etur. Oecolamp. Or, O the multitude, &c. The Prophet wondereth, as it were, at the huge multitude of the enemies, and their horrible noiſe.
Like the ruſhing of many waters] Ob impetum & fremitum.
Ver. 13. The Nations ſhall ruſh] Or, ruſtle. The Aſſyrians did ſo, when they brake in, chap. 36.1.—20.
But God ſhall rebuke them] i. e. Chide them, ſmite them, and ſo ſet it on, as none ſhall be able to take it off
And they ſhall flee far off] Heb. he ſhall flee, viz. Sennacherib, who frighted with the ſlaughter of his Souldiers by the Angel, ſhall flee his utmoſt.
Ver. 14. And behold at even-tide trouble] Or, terrour, ſc. within Jeruſalem beſieged by Sennacheribs forces. But this mourning laſted but till morning. The time of affl…ction is ordinarily ſhort; a day, or a night; a piece of a night, as here: a moment, Iſa. 54.8. a ſmall moment, ver. 7. Or if longer, yet 1. there are ſome breathing-whiles betwixt. 2. There's much good got by it. 3. Tis nothing to Eternity.
Before morning he is not] He and his forces are all gone. The wicked (ſaith Oecolampadius here) at the even-tide of their death have an hard tug of it: and in the morning of the Reſurrection they are not, or could wiſh they were not.
This is the portion of them that spoyl us] Epiphonema ad populum Dei. He cloſeth up his diſcourſe with a word of comfort to all Gods people: for whoſe ſake alſo it is that all this is ſaid againſt Aſſyria, Syria and other forraign States, enemies to the Church.
CHAP. XVIII.
Ver. 1. WO to the Land] To Ethiopia deſcribed here. 1. By the ſhady Mountains wherewith it is ſurrounded.Strabo. 2. By the Rivers wherewith it is watered.
Which is beyond the Rivers of Ethiopia] Or, which is along by the Rivers, even Ethiopia, which alſo may be ſaid to be beyond the Rivers, i. e. beyond the ſeven ſtreams of Nilus, in reſpect of Jeruſalem.
Ver. 2. That ſendeth Embaſſadors by the ſea] Heralds to defie the Aſſyrian, and to bid him battle, to their own ruin.
Junceae fiſcella picatae. Vide Plin. lib. 6. cap. 22.Even in the veſſels of bul-ruſhes] Or, in paper barks-well pitched. Theſe were much in uſe among the Ethiopians and Egyptians, both for expedition, and alſo for ſafety againſt Rocks, ſhallows and falls of Rivers.
Go ye ſwift meſſengers] Tirhaka's words to his Heralds. See 2 King. 19.9.
To a Nation ſcattered and peeled] i. e. To the Aſſyrians, whoſe great Forces are at this time ſcattered up and down in ſeveral Countreys; and therefore with more eaſe and ſafety to be ſet upon. Thus the Ethiopian pleaſeth himſelf in the conceit of an eaſie Conqueſt, but was quickly confuted; the Jews who truſted unto him were diſappointed, and Sennacherib more enraged againſt Jeruſalem.
To a people terrible] The mauls of mankind; but I ſhall chaſtiſe them. Thus he triumpheth before the victory, having already devoured Aſſyria in his hopes.
A Nation meted out, and trodden down] Or rather, meting out, and treading down, or ſhortly to be meted out to corculcation or deſtruction.
Whoſe Land the Rivers have ſpoiled] Or, the floods (inundations of enemies) ſhall spoil; Or, whoſe Land the Rivers (1. the Ethiopians who live by the Rivers, ver. 1.) do deſpiſe: For this Chapter is not more ſhort then dark: and diverſly rendred and ſenſed.
Ver. 3. All the Inhabitants of the world— ſee ye] Or, ye ſhall ſee when he lifteth up a banner on the Mountains, and when he bloweth a Trumpet, ye ſhall hear, i. e. ye ſhall ſhortly ſee the Aſſyrians returning from the Conqueſt of the Ethiopian, with glory and great joy. But what will the Lord do the while?
Ver. 4. I will take my reſt, I will conſider] He will ſit and bethink himſelf as it were, how he may beſt beſtow his poor people: The Aſſyrian ſhall go on with his great deſign for a while, and none ſhall interrupt him: but the Church mean-while ſhall not be unprovided for.
Like a clear heat upon herbs] Or, after-rain, which makes herbs and plants ſuddenly to ſprout and ſhoot up a main. God will not only look upon his people, but refreſh them in troubles.
Ver. 5. For afore the Harveſt] Or, Vintage.
When the bud is perfect, &c.] When the Aſſyrian, fleſhed with his former Victory, maketh full account that all is his own, God ſhall make his hopes to hop headleſs, He ſhall ſlaughter his Forces, as ver. 6. branches and ſprigs, great and ſmall.
Ver. 6. They ſhall be left together] They, that is, the Aſſyrians ſlain by the Angel, as Pſalm 79.2. Chap. 37.37.
The fowls ſhall ſummer upon them] Both birds and beaſts of prey ſhall have enough to feed upon the whole year about.
Ver. 7 In that time] When the Aſſyrians are thus ſlain.
Shall the preſent be brought] ſc. By the Jews, who ſhall conſecrate a conſiderable part of the ſpoils of the Aſſyrians, according to Numb. 31.28, 47, 50, 54. Thankfulneſs for publike deliverances is ſtill due to the moſt High: Bring preſents unto him that ought to be feared, Pſalm. 76.11.