Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
THe word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw upon Judah and Jerusalem. He Vers. 1.began the former Chapter thus, The Vision of Isaiah, which he saw, here, The word which he saw, because there he threatned the Jews, but here being to speak comfort both to Gentiles and Jews, he begins with the Author hereof, the Word or Son of God, saith Jerom, which was in the beginning; and this comfort cohereth with that spoken of, Ch. 1. 26; 27. being added for further confirmation Hieronym. Joh. 1.and explanation. But yet comforts are here so uttered, as that threatnings also follow, as in Chap. 1. comforts followed after threatnings: the word Musculus.is also put for the thing in many places, and so Musculus takes it here, the first is more acute.
And it shall be in the last dayes, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall Vers. 2. Galat. l. 3. c. 3. The Rabbins say, that Mount Zion under the Messiah shall be set upon Mount Carmel, and Thabor being elevated three furlongs higher Dan. 2 35. Hieron. Basil. Rupert. Mat. 16. 16. Mat. 5.be set upon the top of the mountains, &c. This is not literally to be understood, as some Rabbins would have it, inferring hence, That the Messiah is not yet come; sith no such miracle hath been hitherto wrought of elevating Mount Zion. But forsomuch as Daniel speaks of a stone falling from a Mountain without hands, which grew to a great Mountain, and filled the Earth, which Mountain did set forth Christ to come; rejecting the literal sense, as absurd, it is to be held that this mountain is set up above all Mountains, when Christ coming into the world was magnified above Moses, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and above all hils, when above other Prophets and Saints, and famous Martyrs. For upon him as upon a Rock or Mountain is the Church of the Lord built, it is as a City set upon an hill *And so the Church of Christ comes to be glorious above all Temples, either that of the Jews which did but figure this out, or the high places of the Gentiles. Gen. 49. Vatablus. Muscul.. And all Nations shall flow to it, v. 3. And much people shall come to it. By Nations the Gentiles being understood, and by people the Jews, it is here shewed, that the Gentiles should more readily imbrace the Gospel, and the Jews more slowly. The time when, should be in the last dayes; of which Jacob dying said to his sons, I will tell you what shall come in the last dayes; and then speaking of Judah, prophesied of Christ, The Scepter shall not depart, &c. And 1 John 2. 18. These are the last times. Vatablus saith, That Zion was made thus famous, when they returning out of Captivity built the Temple there again, but as Musculus well noteth, this was not so, because that Temple was not comparable to the Temple formerly built by Solomon; but the elevation of this Mountain lay in the glorious Gospel of Christ, which went out from thence. Whereas all Nations, it is said, shall flow to it, this is contrary to the nature of waters, and this Metaphor intimates a Miracle, mens hearts set upon the world lifted up to this high Mountain, as if waters should be made runne up an hill: and the word flowing is used to shew their swift coming, and their voluntary coming, without any compulsion.
And they shall say, Let us ascend up to the Mountain of the Lord, &c. Believers Vers. 3.shall not onelyonly come willingly, but also stirre up others to ascend to this Mountain, Christ and his Church by imbracing the same faith, and turning by repentance from all their sins, and the word is varied, To the house of the God of Jacob: alluding to the name Bethel, where Jacob lay and had his vision. The Gen. 28.Jews object, That this is not fulfilled in us Christians, because we go not to Jerusalem, but when we come to Christ, and to any Oratory dedicated to his worship, we go to Bethel, that is, Gods house. And the same Church is also in the new Testament often called, The Kingdom of Heaven, because of the Bernard. Serm. 27. in Cantic.extent of it, saith Bernard, being extended as heaven from East to West in the universality thereof, the Sunne thereof being Charity, the Moon Faith, the morning Starre Hope, and all the rest of the Stars other Virtues, or the Saints in the Church shining in Virtue. So that the house to which Christ and his Apostles would bring us, is none other but that which was figured out by Bethel, the house of the Lord, being the same now, and then, and alwayes, that is, The Congregation of the faithfull: And he will teach us his wayes, and we Calvin.shal walk in his paths. The truly faithful are not content to walk in the right way themselves only, but invite others to do the like, and to joyn themselves to the Church of Christ by believing, which is to go up to the house of the God of Jacob *Neither do they stirre up others, but themselves together, for they say not ascend ye, but let us ascend. Sasbont.. As if they had said, We have been hitherto taught in the wayes either of Moses, or of Plato, or other Philosophers, who have taught the way of virtue and endeavoured thus to bring to happiness, but they have onelyonly endeavoured it, now let us go to the Lord Jesus, who will both teach us and strengthen us to walk in the paths tending to happiness, and finally bring us unto it; for this is meant, when he saith, He will teach us his wayes, and we shall walk in his paths *For this is the end of our being taught, to walk accordingly, & they be his wayes that we must walk in, not mans.: for the Law shall go out of Zion, that is, the Law, not concerning one Nation of the Jews, but the new Evangelical saving Law given to all Nations, whereby they may live, is first taught at the Temple in Sion, and from thence is carried abroad into all Countreys by Christs Apostles and Ministers, according to that Commission, Go, teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name, &c. The Law came once out of Sinai, now out of Zion, to intimate a new kinde of Law, and therefore the abrogation of the old, which stood in figures and rights, it being yet for substance the same, but coming forth in another habit, that being put off. And least any man should think, that a Calvin. Musculus.continuation of the same Law is meant, because the word [Law] is used, it is to be understood, that the word foreign signifieth as well Doctrine as Law, and so setteth forth all the Doctrine of God in general. Now the preeminence above all Mountains being for this given to Mount Zion, how is it that the hils of Rome, whereof no such thing is spoken, should vaunt themselves as the chief and above all, whereas if any Church in the world be the chief, it must rather for this reason be the Church of Jerusalem?
And he shall judge among the Gentiles, and reprove many peoples, and they shall Vers. 4.break their swords into Mattocks, &c. By Gentiles amongst whom he shall judge, Jerom understands the conversion of them prophesied of, and Hieronym.by the many peoples whom he shall reprove the hardening of the Jews, for which they shall suffer sharp reproof, because they believed not in him, whom God sent. And the description of peace here made, and ceasing from warre, that they might follow their Husbandry, to the time when Christ was born. For the Nations burning alwayes in a desire of warre one against another before, as appears by the Histories of all times, were in peace under Augustus Caesar, anno 41. of his Reign, and twelve years before. A place like to this for the first words, is Chap. 42. 1. He shall bring forth judgement for the Gentiles, Sasbont.that is, Justification for such as believe, as they should generally do. When judging is joined with an Accusative case, it is against the party spoken of, but when with an ablative, for him, although this rule doth not alwayes hold. Whereas it is concluded, Neither shall they learn war any more] it is not meant time without end, but not a long time after, as indeed it fell out, seeing there was no warre during all the time, that Christ lived upon earth, nor till almost fourty years after, when Jerusalem was destroyed *See a like speech 2 Kings 6. 23. The Syrians came no more, that is, not a long time after. Joh. 16. 8. Zuinglius. Calvin.. Thus Adam Sasbont, who also applieth that of his arguing many people, to Christs reproving of the Jewish Pharisees and Scribes, and the Spirits reproving of the world afterwards by the Apostles his instruments, according to that, I will send the Spirit, and he shall reprove the world of sin. Others, By judging amongst the Nations, understand Christ ruling and reigning amongst them, and not amongst Jews only, and so in a farre more ample manner, then David had done, and by reproving, reforming the Doctrine of the Church corrupted, and the manners of men in all parts thereby. And this is more simple then the former, and agreeth best with the words following touching such an universal peace, which our modern Writers also expound of the peace which comes by Christ amongst all the truly faithful; so that agreeing in him, Nation warreth no more against Nation, nor Neighbour quarrels, or is at strife with Neighbour, but because the Gospel is not unanimously imbraced by all men, but even they amongst whom it is received, receive it not solidly either in their hearts or opinions, there be quarrels and dissentions either in their hearts or opinions, there be quarrels and dissentions, and wars still even in all places, where the Lord judgeth and argueth or reproveth, neither must we look for the perfect fulfilling of this, saith Calvin, till we come to Heaven. *And to this effect Irenaeus also l. 4. c. 67. Origen. l. 5. cont. Celsum.But in all those that are truly sanctified it is fulfilled here, and they have little profited by the Gospel, that are not so cicurated as to lay away all envy and contentiousness, and injustice, and to seek to do good offices towards one another, as he that turns his sword into a plowshear in stead of fighting and killing, and slaying, now endeavours by his Husbandry to get wherewithall to feed himself and others. But that this Prophecie is against all use of the sword under the Gospel, as some teach, as if now no battels upon any occasion ought to be fought; or Magistrates to use the Sword against malefactours, is to be denied, as absurd, seeing still it is said, The Magistrate bears not the Sword in vain; and the Law of Nature Rom. 13.teacheth, vim vi repellere: yet it is true, if all were so converted by the Gospel as they should, there would be no more use of one Sword, or of the other.
O house of Jacob come, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. After a Prophecie Vers. 5.of the conversion of the Gentiles, here followeth an Exhortation to the Israelites to turn also, for to walk in the light of the Lord is nothing else but by the light of the Gospel to go to Christ. But foreseeing by the Spirit the hardness of their hearts, to which God would give them over for their sins, that they should not turn, he immediately by an Apostrophe turns to God, and saith,
Certainly thou hast forsaken thy people, because they are filled with the East, &c. Vers. 6. Calvin.He takes up this Exhortation, saith Calvin, to aggravate the hardness of their hearts the more; as if he had said, Sith the Gentiles exhort one another, ye shall not want Exhortation to walk in the light; and ye are the [House of Jacob] a people peculiarly chosen of God, they but Gentiles, for which it will be the more to your confusion, if ye do not, as I know ye will not. aRupert. will have it to be the exhortation of the convert Gentiles to the Jews. Calvin.But the cause why they do not is noted, vers 6. to be Gods leaving of them, his giving them over to hardness of heart, and that for their gross sins, as it is said of the idolatrous Gentiles, Rom. 1. The coherence of this verse with the former, is, as if he had said, but what should I do speaking to them to come, seeing God hath in his just judgement forsaken them, and being left of God all Exhortations are vain unto them bThe word rendered certainly is foreign for, and the sense may be, I speak thus to them, for I know that their case will be such that they shall have need to be exhorted. Marlorat.. They are full of the East] The word foreign rendered the East, signifieth also the beginning; so that it may be understood of the abominations of the Canaanites, which they found there, when they began to enter the Land. The vulgar Latine, Septuagint and Chaldee, Repleti sunt, ut olim, they are filled as of old, or at the first, and so the word may denote their being addicted to Idolatry, for that was the old sin of Israel, and in it they continued, till they were by Nebuchadnezzar destroyed. If it be taken for [From the East] then it is to be understood as spoken of their Divinations, for which the Eastern parts, where Balaam lived, and from whence the Magi came, were notorious; and the next words shew, how they were full of the East, viz. they had Soothsayers, Augures, ab Avibus, so called because by Birds they divined, and there were Aruspices, divining by the entrails of Beasts, &c. One kinde is named, and the rest also meant; and this was a sin straightly forbidden Deut. 18. But what was this to the Jews in the time of the Gospel? Calvin saith, The Scribes and Pharisees were their Soothsayers, Calvin.because they took as great heed to their sayings as of old to Augurs, not to be moved herefrom by any means.
And it is said, They had Soothsayers, as the Philistims; To aggravate this sin the more in them, when God had distinguished them as his peculiar people from the uncircumcised Philistims, to affect to be like them in this devillish vanity.
And they have mingled with strange children; That is, either living by the same impious laws that they did, as desirous to be all one with them, to come into the more favour: or taking their daughters for wives without all regard to Gods Laws forbidding it, whereby their children were part Jews, and part Heathens: or buying fair boyes of the Heathens, with whom they mingled themselves as Sodomites. And thus Jerom takes it, saying, That this sinne so farre prevailed amongst the Greeks and Romans, that their most famous Philosophers Hieronym.kept such publickly; and Adrianus the Emperour having been brought up amongst the Philosophers, kept one Antinous, and for the love which he bare to him, built a Temple, and appointed Sacrifices to his honour, and built a City, calling it after his name Antinopolis; and this filthiness continued till the time of Constantine, who did quite put it down. And this seemeth specially to be meant, because Chap. 1. 10. they are called, Princes of Sodom, &c. and Ezek. 16. they are compared to the Sodomites for their sins; and Isa. 3. 9. They have sinned with Sodom. Yet Calvin rather prefers the first, having Calvin.first mentioned all three.
The Land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of the treasures, it Vers. 7.is also full of horses. Amongst other vices covetousness is here taxed in them, whereby they were in the midst of their abundance in their minds unsatiable, Hieronym.which is meant, when he saith, There is no end of their treasures, because they knew not when they had enough, according to the Poet, Semper avarus eget, the Covetous alwayes hath need. But to lay up treasures upon earth is forbidden; and the King of Israel must not multiply horses, much lesse private persons. Matth. 6. 18. Deut. 17.Therefore this also is reproved, as arguing pride and diffidence in God, for which cause they so greatly increased the number of their horses, that they might be stately carried, and by means of their horses the more able against their enemies in battel. Oecolampadius subscribing to this, as also Calvin, yet Oecolamp.addeth another of using their silver and gold, to make thereof glorious Idols, as is complained Hos. 2. Against horses, and trusting in horses, see Psal. 10. 9. Psal. 147. 10. Pro. 11. 31.
And her Land was filled with Idols, &c.Vers. 8. Vers. 9.
A man bowed himself, and a man humbled himself, therefore spare them not. This is by Jerom referred to the time when Adrians Image was set up in the Temple, but unaptly, because the Jews in those times abhorred all Idols. It is therefore meant of their present and past Idolatry added to their other sins. Whereas man is twice named, Hebr. the first is foreign setting forth one of the common Oecolamp.sort; the other foreign a Prince or Noble man, for all sorts were Idolaters; in Latine it is Homo and Vir. For Idols, Hebr. is foreign Vanities, to shew how Jer. 10. 14.vain and nought-worth they were. And saying, The Land was full of them, he intimateth the insatiability of Idolaters, in these vanities, A man bowed himself Vatablus.to the work of his own hands, Hebr. They bowed themselves to the work of his hands, that is, saith Vatablus, of the Image-maker. Which is added to aggravate their sin: For man is the work of Gods hands, and for the work of Musculus.God to bow before the work of man, is most unreasonable, and an indignity to God. If it be said, The matter is the work of God, that is not bowed to, but the form which is the work of man, and therefore to this is the humiliation. Whereas vers. 9. may be taken as a further aggravating of the same sin. Vatablus renders the word, And a man is bowed, and a man is humbled; as if Vatabl.hereby were set forth his punishment, he is bowed and brought down by heavy judgem…nts falling upon him, whether he be small or great, for thus the same Calvin. Oecolamp.words are used, Chap. 5. 15. So Calvin and Oecolampadius. And if it be thus taken, the last words will agree well, And he will not pardon them, as the Septuagint reade them, and they may best be read. And thus the Question is avoided, how Isaiah could approve his love to them, when he prayed against them contrary to the manner of Moses and Paul? But reading it as an imprecation, it is to be held, That the Prophets imprecations were but predictions of judgements, seeing they spake by the spirit of Prophecie; yet it is to be understood, that whereas it is commonly read, Therefore spare, or forgive them not, Hebr. it is foreign and not.
Go into a Rock, hide thee in the dust from the sight of the fear of the Lord, &c. Vers. 10. Hieron.This is by Jerom expounded, 1. Literally, seeing so great judgements shall come, flee into some Cave in a Rock, or hide thee in the dust from them, when they shall be executed by the Caldeans and Romans, and so that place, They Revel. 6. 16.shall call upon the Rocks to cover them, is agreeable to this. 2. Anagogically, flee to God, as to a Rock and a Refuge, for so it is said, The stony Rock is a refuge for the Conies: and Moses was hid in a Rock, whilst God passed by, and so he saw his back-parts. This Anagoge is not followed by any other Expositor, but the literal by most. In bidding them flee, saith Calvin, he sheweth what they would do, viz. through terror, wish rather to die and to be in the grave Calvin.a thousand times then to live so affrighted. From the sight of the fear of the Muscul.Lord, that is, the terrifying judgements, which God shall send for sin; and herein his power shall be glorified, for which it is added, And from the glory of his magnificence. Junius, Go into a Rock, that is, to save thy self there, if thou Junius.canst, by a Sarcasmus, for there will be no place wherein the wicked may save themselves, when judgements come, horses and arms, and silver, and men will be of none avail then, for these are vain to save in time of judgement.
The loftiness of mans eyes shall be humbled, &c. As before he spake of Adam Vers. 11.and Ish, the common sort, and the Princes being humbled; so he here further confirms the same, the highest lookt, and the proudest shall perish alike as the common sort; so there shall no man be eminent any more or glorious, but God only, who shall have all the praise of power and greatness, Hebr. as Vatablus, Vatablus.The lofty eyes of man; for pride and humility appear most in the eyes, but when judgements come, no pride, but humility appears in them. God only is exalted, when by his works of judgement it appears, that neither Idols nor men are any thing to him, but he alone is of all power, and this is acknowledged, as is not now by the wicked, but then shall be.
For the day of the Lord upon every one proud and haughty, &c. That is, a certain Vers. 12.time is set by him, in which he will send his judgements to humble and bring down every one that is most high amongst men, or proud and stout, as even meaner persons oft times are, when they are reproved or threatned. Some saith Jerom understand this of the day of Judgement, and by the proud the Hieronym.devil, who is brought in vaunting himself most proudly, Isa. 14. 12. But the day here spoken of, is the time of judging those against whom Isaiah prophesied by the Caldees. And who so are tainted with the same sins are also herein threatned, of what Countrey or Nation soever.
Here be three Degrees of the elate, that shall be brought down, which Sasbont Adam Sasbont.expounds thus, The proud, those that conceive highly of themselves, the haughty, that carry themselves aloft, as if they were somewhat above the condition of man by reason of their wealth and honour. The lofty or arrogant that vain-gloriously boast of their own doings and parts, and extol them. He also saith, The day of the Lord is sometime put for the day of Judgement, sometime for a strict examining of every mans work, sometime the day wherein he 2 Pet. 3. 1 Cor. 3.sheweth his Almighty power in notably punishing the wicked, or saving his people; and sometime for vengeance or judgement of the Lord, as in this place.
Ʋpon all the Cedars of Libanus, and the Oaks of Bashan. Mount Libanus lay between the Arabians and Phaenicians, where the highest Cedars grew, and Vers. 13.Bashan a region on the other side of Jordan, being sometime the Kingdom of Og, but since the possession of the two Tribes and half, where the greatest Oaks grew; and by Cedars and Oaks growing here, metaphorically Princes Hieronym.and great men in this world are understood, upon whom the Prophet threatens Gods judgements. And this Allegory doth most aptly set forth such men and their condition to be such, that they have no cause to think themselves safe, how high soever they be. For though great man or high, as high as a Cedar, Calvin.great as an Oak, yet by a tempest God rends them down with as little ado as any poor shrub, so he can and will in the day of his wrath the proud, how great so ever, as Calvin. Lyra will have the fortifications and instruments of Lyra.warre made by the Jews of Cedar and Oak understood here, as if it were meant that the Caldees should destroy them. But the first is better, and thus Cedars are taken Ezek. 17. 3. and in other places. And well might the Princes in Jerusalem be set forth by the name of Cedars, because they had houses of Cedar, and dwelt in a City seated upon a Mount, as the Cedars grew upon Mount Lebanon; and lastly by reason of the white stone wherewith the wals of this City were built, it appeared white to those that approached, as Libanus through the snow thereon. Bashan was famous for fruitfulnesse, therefore the fat Buls of Bashan are often spoken of, and the Oakes of Bashan were the best fed Oaks, figuring out the rich and pampered with all delicacies and pleasures.Vers. 14. Muscul.
And upon all high Mountains, &c. The same are hereby also meant, men proud and stout, yet Musculus understands also the inhabitants of the mountains Hieronym.and hils, because of the high-places so infamous for Idolatry that were there. Some are likened unto Mountains, saith Jerom, for the greatness of their virtues, and some for the greatnesse of their vices, especially of pride for the Nobility of their Birth, they shall be torne by Gods judgements.
And upon every high Tower and fenced wall. In these the Jews trusted, hoping Vers. 15. Calv.by means of them to be defended: but these were broken down at the coming of the Caldees, and afterwards of the Romans, no Fort being able to save them.
And upon all the ships of Tarsus, and the exquisite pictures. The Septuagint Vers. 16.for the ships of Tarsus have, The ships of the sea, affirming that in the Hebrew tongue, Tarsis signifieth the sea, the reason is by Sasbont yielded, because the Sasbont.precious stone called Tarsus, in the brest-plate of Aaron, which is rendred a Chrysolite, was of a sky colour, therefore any sea being of this colour, is called Tarsus. But Tarsus was also a City in Cilicia lying North from Jerusalem, and stood near the Sea, from whence many ships were sent out from time to time, to fetch gold and other precious things, whereby they were enriched, and so corrupted by pride and other vices; so Solomon sent ships from Tarsus, which returned once in three years. In threatning these ships then he meaneth the stripping them of their wealth. The vulgar Latine for exquisite pictures, hath, Super omne quod visu pulchrum est: The Septuagint, Super omnem aspectum pulchritudinis navium. But the Hebrew words signifie Pictures of delight, or pleasant Pictures. And these are by Calvin expounded of Tapistry-works, Calvin.and Turky-works, and carved-vessels of gold or silver, wherein they much delighted; and these are mentioned together with the ships, because in them brought from beyond Sea; but specially, as I take it, such Pictures are meant as were abused to Idolatry, for ver. 18. the abolition of all Idols is threatned, as a further explanation of this clause.
The loftiness of man shall be brought down. This is nothing else, but a repetition Vers. 17.of that which was said vers. 11. to shew that the Cedars and Oaks, Mountains, &c. hitherto threatned, were great, and proud, and high-minded men, metaphorically so called.
And he will abolish Idols. That the Land was full of them, was complained Vers. 18.vers. 8. as the main cause of Gods wrath; now their abolition is commemorated, as the end of his judgements upon men. When God is forced to purge a Musculus.Land of Idols by his judgements, great destructions come together, and so it is by Christians to be expected, if they of themselves put them not away.
And they shall enter into the holes of the Rocks, &c. A repetition of that vers. Vers. 19.10. only there he bids them enter in, here he saith, they shall, through the fear coming upon them.
In that day a man shall cast away his Idols of silver and of gold, &c. The things Vers. 20.which Idolaters have trusted in, shall in the time of Gods judging them be so far from being had in estimation by them any more, that they shall cast their precious and most esteemed Idols away as unprofitable and vain, and that into most secret places, where they may never more come to light, as being utterly ashamed of trusting in things so vain; wherefore he saith, They shall cast them to the mouls and the bats, that is, according to Zuinglius, some into the Zuinglius.cliffs of the earth, and some into dark corners of houses. The vulgar Latine, He shall cast away the Idols, which he made to adore: the mouls and the bats, that is, saith Jerom, blinde as the mouls, and in darkness as the bats, for unto these Hieronym.he compareth their Idols, which have eyes and see not, and as the bats vanish as soon as the light of the Sun cometh; so they, for the light of truth shining, no Idols are seen, but that being gone they appear. Pagnin. Ʋt incurvaret se Pagnin.ad imagines talparum & vespertilionum, that he might bow himself to the Images of the mouls and bats, as if the Jews worshipped not only other Images, but these also, which is incredible. Neither can this sense be drawn out of the words without adding the word Images, and the Preposition foreign before the word foreign signifying a moul, plainly sheweth, that by these last words such obscure creatures are meant, as unto which they should cast their Idols, according to the former Exposition, because foreign is, to. The Septuagint for mouls, hath vain things. Symmachus, Infructuosa. Vespertilio the bat hath the name from Vespere volare, because in the evening it flies out. It is like a mouse, and brings forth young likewise, not eggs, and gives suck, yet hath wings, but not of fethers, and avoids the light; a fit embleme of the devil, as Basil makes it, who flies in the darkness of ignorance, and is not long in hatching, as birds, but soon brings forth, and seems to be an Angel as a bat a bird, and hath teeth as the bat to bite.
And they shall go into the clefts of the Rocks, &c. This Jerom expounds not, as Vers. 21. Hieronym.vers. 19. but of men turned from Idolatry, when of blinde like mouls they come to see, they shall seek the holes of virtue to hide them in, and renounce the errors of their former opinions. Calvin and some others take it for an inculcating Calvin.of the same thing, that it might make the deeper impression. Vatablus for these words [And they shall go] rendering it, that they may go, as if Vatabl.here were yielded the reason, why they should cast away their Idols, viz. that they fleeing without any carriage might make the more haste. And because other things before spoken of are again repeated, and the words here used are for the most part the same with those vers. 19. I cannot think with Jerom, that a different thing is meant, but the same with Calvin, their hiding themselves for fear, as also vers. 10.
Cease therefore from man whose breath is in his nostrils, why should he be reputed? Vers. 22. Hieron.Jerom, Quia excelsus reputatus est ipse, and he saith, that it is by the Jews expounded of Christ, but in a contrary sense, as if they were warned to take heed of him, as a weak man, and therefore after Aquila, they reade the last words Wherein is he to be esteemed? He also expounds it of Christ, who though he draweth breath by his nostrils, as another weak man doth, yet for his Divinity he is acknowledged the most high. Thus he also saith Origen expounds it, because spoken of a singular man, which is Christ the Lord. But the Septuagint omit it, at which he marvels, but not all the verse, but only the last clause, which yet is now also in all copies. The cause of the different reading is in the word foreign because foreign signifies excelsum; Jerom renders it so, but forsomuch as it signifieth also wherein. Pagnin and Munster, and others after Aquila render it wherein, or for what is he to be reputed? And it is by them generally expounded of any man of what power or dignity soever in this world, Cease yet from trusting in him, for he liveth by his breath, which if it be stopt he presently dieth. And this is most agreeable to the premises touching the abasing of man, vers. 11, 17.