Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
THe burden of Damascus. This was the chief City of Syria, and therefore Vers. 1. Lyran. Est punitio Syrorum ad p…cratum Israelem trabentium. 2. Israelitarum illis considentiii. 3. Assyriorum utrosque vastantium. Hieronym. Bern. de oncribus Is…iae.in threatning it the Kingdom of Syria is threatned for their helping Israel against Judah, Isa 7. 1. and at sundry other times. 2. Israel is threatned for this confederacy with Syria, vers. 4. 3. The Assyrians who should destroy and ruine them both, vers. 12. Thus Lyra; who also addeth, That Syria occasioned sin in Iudah, when Ahaz being there, sent a patern of the Altar to Ʋriah the High-Priest, that he might make one at Ierusalem like unto it, 2 Kin. 16. 10. Damascus, Hebr. is foreign signifying, as Jerom saith, either the kisse of bloud, or one drinking bloud, and going hereupon he makes it a figure of the Gentiles before their conversion. But letting passe such Allegories, Bernard expounds Damascus, shedding bloud, and saith, he truly is of Damascus, shedding his own bloud, and slaying himself, that willingly sinneth: but he that striving against sin is sometime carried away, is only under the burthen of Damascus through grief that sin causeth in him, but dieth not. This Prophecie against Damascus was fulfilled in part, 2 King. 16. 9. when Tiglath Pilesar King of Ashur subdued it, and in part when Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. 49. 33. but afterwards it was restored again by the Macedonians and Ptolomies, as Jerom saith, and is now a noble City of the East But after the destruction thereof by Nebuchadnezzar, it ceased for a time to be a City, as is here prophesied, and lay as a ruinous heap. The ordinary glosse saith, That here Cain shed the Gloss. Ordin.bloud of Abel, which gave occasion to the name, and that it was first built by Eliezer Abrahams steward, of whom see Gen. 15. 2. And it hath also another signification of the name, viz. Sanguis cilicii, because who so sheds innocent bloud had need to put on sackcloth in mourning therefore.
The Cities of Aroer are forsaken, &c. This, saith Lyra, was a Countrey in Vers. 2. Lyra.Syria, which was full of inhabitants; but now he foretelleth, that it should be desolate, and under the power of the enemy, and used to feed their flocks in, no Syrians being left, that should dare to come and drive them away. But he saith, That the City Aroer was in Judea; of this he speaks not here, but of the Countrey Aroer, saith Junius, lying by the River Arnon.Junius. Vers 3.
The munition also shall cease from Ephraim, and the Kingdom from Damascus. Here the Kingdom of the ten Tribes is brought in also, and threatned together with Syria, because they joyned together against Iudah, and it is called by the name of Ephraim▪ as the chief of those Tribes, and because Ieroboam their first King was of that Tribe. For the Syrians might haply bear themselves upon their union with Israel, and so set light by this threatning, that being a potent Kingdom, being thefore called here, The munition of Ephraim. But in saying, that it should cease, he takes away all such hope, and this was fulfilled 2 King. 17. by Salmanasar the King of Assyria, as that against Damascus by Tiglath Pilesar. And the remnant of Aram shall be as the glory of Israel, that is, their great multitudes being by that destruction brought to a very few, as Israels were: for he cals their multitudes of men their glory, because they much gloried therein, and were proud thereof, and The glory of a King is in the multitude Prov.of his subjects.
And in that day the glory of Iacob shall be impoverished. Which was, when so Vers. 4.many of his children perished: And the fatnesse of his flesh made lean; that is, his riches, which are as fat (for which it is commonly said of a rich man, that he is fat) shall be all taken away. Iunius by their glory understands nobility, Junius.prosperity and strength also.
And it shall be as when the harvest-man gathereth the corn. That is, saith Iunius, Vers. 5.cut down by the enemy, though they were never so many, as the multitude of the ears of corn hinder not the reaper from cutting them down, and to shew that this is his meaning, he mentions the ears of corn in the valley of Rephaim, which was a most fruitfull place, The vulgar Latine, And it shall be as Vulg. Lat.one gathering that which remains in harvest, and as one seeking ears in the valley, &c. As if the meaning were, when the great multitudes of Syrians and Israelites shall be destroyed, as hath been said, Syria shall be as a corn-field reaped, a very few remaining, as a little gleaning only; and then the Vulgar proceeds, And there shall be left therein a cluster of grapes, as it were, and as the shaking of an Olive-tree, two or three Olives, &c. ver. 6. and it is understood by Lyra and the ordinary Glosse; and Ierom and Haimo, and others likewise. For they say, the same thing is set forth by three comparisons here, 1. Of Hieronym. Haimo.ears of corn left a field reaped. 2. Of clusters of Grapes left after Grape-gathering, and two or three Olives after Olive-gathering. And this is allegorically applyed by the ordinary Glosse, as setting forth, how few shall be saved in comparison of them that shall perish. Yea Simeon, saith Nilus, an holy man, who lived about an. 1000, being asked, How many should be saved? and that by the Princes of Constantine answered, not above one of ten thousand; so likewise Basil, Chrysostom and Ephrem. But Calvin, as Iunius, by Calvin.the former words vers. 5. understands the cutting of them down by the Assyrians, as reapers do corn, and by the last the taking away of the very gleanings also. And the comparison ver. 6. he saith, serve to set forth another thing for the comfort of the faithfull, who hearing this, might fear that none should be left at all. Against this he saith, That there should a few be left as a cluster or two of Grapes, or two or three Olives, &c. And this is most agreeable to the original, wherein the word rendred in vulgar Latine, Residuum, signifieth The Harvest; and Iunius to shew that one thing is spoken of vers. 5. and another, ver. 6. renders it, Yet there shall be a gathering of grapes left.
At that day shall a man look to his Maker, &c.Vers. 7. Vers. 8. Lyra.
And he shall not look to the Altars, &c. Here is the fruit and effect of Gods judgements in the converted; and this, saith Lyra, was fulfilled in the dayes of Hezekiah King of Iudah, 2 Chron. 30. 11, 14. Chap. 31. 1. For at the motion of that good King many of Ashur, Naphtali and Zebulon came to keep a Passeover to the Lord at Ierusalem, who remained after the Assyrian Captivity; and then they holp to destroy Altars, and to cut down Groves and Images in Ephraim and Manasseh, till none were left. Jerom referring this to the time Jerom.of the Gospel, saith, That the Jews being so void of grace, that a little remnant of them only shall believe, the Gentiles shall turn to the Lord, and break down Altars, built formerly for Idolatry, and Idols also. The first is best and therefore generally followed; and Calvin hereupon noteth, That there is Calvin.cause, why the people of God should patiently bear his corrections, sith they Note. work this blessed work of turning from the wickednesses, to which we before apostatized unto him, and from danger of destruction to the way of life. Look to his Maker] Hereby is implied, That before he looked not to him, but forgat him, which caused this wickednesse in him, and his Maker, he is called not as all other peoples, but in a special manner in regard of holinesse, according to the title of God here mentioned, The holy One of Israel.
In that day thy Cities shall be left, as the Ploughs and standing corn from before Vers. 9.the face of Israel. Septuagint, As the Amorites and Hivites lest, &c. Here the Prophet returns again to shew the miseries of Israel and Syria by the Assyrians, even as the old inhabitants fled from them, when they came to possesse the Land of Canaan, although they dwelt in Cities fenced with strong and high wals through the fear which surprised them: so now should Israel do from the Assyrians, their wals being counted no better defence, then if they were amongst shrubs in the open fields, or being abroad in ploughing or reaping, they should for haste in fleeing away leave their ploughs and standing corn to the enemy; the first of these is Calvins, by foreign and foreign understanding dumeta & virgulta, Calvin. Hieronym.the second Ieroms, understanding ploughs and standing corn. The New Translation, As a forsaken bough and an uppermost branch which they left, Geneva Translation, Shall be forsaken as boughs and branches, which they did forsake; That is, saith the Note, which the Canaanites forsook in fleeing before Israel Lyra, Their strong Cities forsaken, as the Ploughs and corn, that is, they being no more able to defend and keep them, then their corn in the open fields. In the sense all agree; The scope of the place is to shew, That as the Canaanites fled in times past before them, so they should before their enemies, their strong Cities being no more to defend them, then boughs or bushes set about.
Therefore thou shalt set pleasant plants and grass strange vine-branches. Having Vers. 10.shewed the cause of the judgement before-spoken of in the former part of this verse, Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, &c. Here he further explains the meaning thereof. For he threatned fleeing and leaving their corn-fields to the enemy; and here he addes further, that they might plant and graffe, or sow indeed, but when it was grown up, and they should think to reap the fruit, it should be gone, the enemy possessing all, as follows,
In the morning thou shalt make thy plant to grow, &c. but the harvest shall be Vers. 11. Lyra.gone in the day of possession. Lyra saith, That our Expositours take this as spoken ironically, it being meant, that they were plants degenerating from the true faith and manners. And vers. 11. he renders it, In die plantationis tuae labruscae, and in the morning thy seed shall flourish; That is, Thou Israel through confidence in the Syrians help, but shalt be gone by the Assyrians power in the day of inheritance, or infirmity; for one word signifies both; the last of infirmity being followed by the Hebrews, that is, Israels strength being infirmated; the other by Lyra, it being meant, in the time of harvest, which is a time of getting corn in to be possessed by the owner, as part of his inheritance. But R. Solomon saith, he takes the future tense here for the preter; as if he had R. Salom.said, Thou wert planted at the first a faithfull plant in thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but hast been changed into strange branches, when immediately after the Law given Israel committed Idolatry with the golden Calf. But both this, and Lyra his own are further fetcht; but the first exposition here given is most genuine, for so it is threatned, Levit. 26. 16. And of this exposition the Geneva note gives an hint in part, where the strange vine-branches graffed Geneva Notes.are expounded excellent, and brought out of other Countreys for their extraordinary goodnesse.
Woe to the multitude of many peoples, they shall sound as the sounding of the Vers. 12.sea, &c.
He will reprove him, and he shall flee farre, &c.Vers. 13. Vers. 14.
In the evening behold trouble, but before it be morning he shall be no where, &c. Because another Prophecie beginneth here, and nothing pertaining to the former against the Syrians; Iunius cutting off these three verses from this Chapter joins them to Chap. 18. where the Prophecie begun here against many Nations, the Assyrians in particular with the peoples under that Monarchy, being first pointed at, he proceedeth against the Ethiopians. This is so plainly against Hieron. Lyra. Glot. ordin. Sasbout. Junius. Yet Cornelius a Lapide is for Syrians and Israelites before spoken of, joining against Judah, being thus as many waters.the Assyrian King Sennacherib, that Expositors generally understand it of him and his Army, which came against Iudah as a floud of waters; for so he was also compared before Ch. 8. 7. and great trouble by reason thereof, was in the evening, but the same night they being destroyed, in the morning no such terrible floud appeared any more, all that multitude although being as a sea, the overflowing whereof is unresistible by men, yet before God they were but as chaff upon the top of a mountain before the winde, and a light globule apt of it self to roll down before a whirlwinde. Vers. 13. For even so easily did he drive them away, making them with all haste to slee. A sweet comfort to the people of God against the strongest attempts of their mightiest enemies; See Ps. 46. 2, 10. Psal. 83. 14. Some, saith Jerom, understand all this mystically of them that raged against the Gospel according to Psal. 2. making him that fled Note. Hieron.the devil, their Prince, leaving his Temples, where he was wont to give answers. Calvin understands the Assyrians, so as withall he takes other enemies to the remnant of Israel to be meant also, because the Prophet was here in this Chapter speaking of the sufferings of Israel, who had therefore need now to be comforted, that they might not despair. But I prefer the first, and as for Israel and Syria he had done speaking of them, and here enters upon a new Prophecy.