Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Ver. 1. IN the year that Tartan] A certain Commander under Sennacherib, 2 King. 18.17. who came againſt Aſhdod (among other Cities of Judah) about the twelfth year of King Hezekiah.
Came to Aſhdod] Called alſo Azotus, Act. 8.40. and much praiſed by Herodotus in Euterpe.
When Sargon] That is, Sennacherib moſt likely, who had ſeven Names, ſaith Hierom: eighth, ſay ſome Rabbins. Commodus the Roman Emperour took unto himſelf as many names as there are months in the year;1 …on. which alſo he changed ever and anon, but conſtantly kept that of Exuperans, becauſe he would have been thought to excel all men. The like might be true of Sargon.
Herod. l. 2.And fought againſt Aſhdod and took it] Pſammetichus King of Egypt had before taken it, after a very long ſiege; now it is taken again from the Aegyptian by the Aſſyrian; to teach them and others, not to truſt to Forts and fenced Cities.
Ver. 2. At the ſame time ſpake the Lord] Againſt Egypt and Ethiopia, whom he had comforted,foreign i. e. Per Iſaiam tanquam organum & diſ…enſatorem ſuo…um myſter. Oecolamp. Veſtimentum …i loſum. ver. 18. & 19 and yet now again threateneth; ſhewing by an ocular demonſtration what miſeries ſhould befall them. This was done in Jury; but the report thereof might eaſily come to theſe confederate Countreys: and the Jews howſoever were given hereby to ſee how vain a thing it was to truſt to ſuch Confederates.
By Iſaiah the ſon of Amos] Heb. by the hand of Iſaiah, whom God uſed as a diſpenſer of this precious Treaſure.
Go, looſe the ſackcloth from off thy loins] i. e. Thy thick rough garment, ſuch as Prophets uſually wore, 2 Kings 1.8. Zech. 13.4. Matth. 3.4. Or elſe thy ſackcloth put on as a mourning-weed, either for ten Tribes lately carried captive: or elſe for the miſeries ready to fall ſhortly upon thine own people.
And put off thy ſhoo from thy foot] The Nudipedales in Moravia might aſwell a vouch Iſaiah for their founder, as the Carmelites do Elias.
And he did ſo] God is to be obeyed without ſciſcitation; his Commands, how unreaſonable ſoever they may ſeem, are not to be diſputed but diſpatched.
Walking naked] Not ſtark-naked, but ſtript as a priſoner, his Mantle or upper garment caſt off, See 1 Sam. 19.24. Act. 19.16. Mic. 1.8.
Ver. 3. Like as my ſervant Iſaiah] Servants are either Menial, or Magiſterial: Prophets and Preachers are of this latter ſort.
Hath walked naked and barefoot three years] i. e. Three dayes: a day for a year, as Ezek. 4.4, 5, 6. Tremelius rendreth the Text thus: hath walked naked and barefoot for a ſign and wonder of the third year againſt the Aegyptians, and againſt the Aethiopians, that is, for a ſign that the third year after this Propheſie, the Forces of the Egyptians and Ethiopians under the conduct of Tirhaka ſhall be worſted, ſlaughtered, and carried captive by the Aſſyrian Monarch. And this was preached not more to their ears then to their eyes, ad fidem faciendam, for more aſſurance.
Ver. 4. So ſhall the King of Aſſyria led away] As men uſe to lead or drive cattel, for ſo the Hebrew word Nahag importeth; ſo are poor captives led: and ſo ſhall the Lord alſo one day lead forth with or in company of the workers of iniquity (notorious offendors) all ſuch as turn aſide unto their crooked wayes, Hypocrites and diſſemblers: when as peace ſhall be upon Iſrael, upon the pure in heart, Pſalm 125.5.
Young and old] Young men are for action, old men for counſel.Conſilia ſenum, haſtae juvenum ſunt. Pindar. foreign, They were all carried away together in a ſad and ſorry condition, little better (and ſometimes more bitter) then death it ſelf.
Even with their buttocks uncovered] Vel ad Iudibrium, vel ad libidinem hoſtium, for the enemies either to ſcorn at, or to feed their filthy eyes upon. Thus and for ſuch a purpoſe dealt the mitred fathers with the poor Albigenſes (thoſe ancient Proteſtants) in France; when they had forced them to take quarter for their lives, voluerunt Epiſcopi viros & mulieres nudos egredi, &c. And ſo Tilly dealt with the miſerable Citizens at the ſack of Magdeburg. And much worſe then ſo dealeth the Devil with all his wretched captives, whom be driveth away Hell-ward naked and barefoot with their buttocks uncovered; Diſceopertis natibus.the ſhame of their nakedneſs expoſed to publick view, for want of the white Rayment of Chriſts Righteouſneſs that they might be cloathed, Rev. 3.18.
Ver. 5. And they ſhall be afraid and aſhamed] They, that is, as many as confided in them, ſeeing themſelves thus confuted, ſhall be abaſhed and terrified, perterrefient at the fall of their Confederates, and their own approaching calamity.
Ver. 6. And the Inhabitant of this Iſle ſhall ſay, &c.] Judaea, though part of the Continent, is here called an Iſle or Iſland, (whereas it was indeed an inland) 1. Becauſe it was bounded on the Weſt with the Midland-ſea, and on the Eaſt with the Lake of Genneſaret. 2. Becauſe it was beſet with many enemies, and beaten upon by the waves of Wars from all parts, but eſpecially from Egypt and Babylon, which is called a ſea, chap. 21.1. See chap. 8.8. 3. Becauſe begirt with Gods favour,Venice is invironed with her embracing Neptune, to whom ſhe marrieth her ſelf with yearly nuptials, caſting a ring into the Sea. power and protection, which was greater ſecurity to it then the Sea is to Venice (which yet is media inſuperabilis unda) or then wooden walls can be to any Iſland.
Behold, ſuch is our expectation, &c.] Here's their ſhame, and well it might be: for if Hezekah relyed not upon the Egyptian for help againſt the Aſſyrian, yet the people did, as Rabſhakeb alſo could tell, 2 Kings 18.24.
And how ſhall we eſcape?] Here's their fear, ver. 5. How much more ſhall wicked men ſay thus at the laſt day?