Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 44
CHAP. XLIV.
YEt now hear (O Jacob my servant) Heb. for Yet is And. He proceedeth to Vers. 1.comfort his spiritual Israel, as Chap. 43. 1, 19, 25. there being nothing almost said here more then there, till ver. 9. for vers. 1, 2. run parallel with Cha. 43. 1, 2. the 3. and 4. with vers. 19, 20. the 5. with vers. 7. the 6. and 7. with vers. 11, 12. taking in Chap. 41. 4. and ver. 8. with vers. 10. So that for the exposition little more is to be said upon these verses. Only after convincing them of the pardon of their sins coming from Gods meer grace, and telling how he had dealt with Jacob and Israel in judgement, and that not without cause, for they had sinned, as Chap. 43. 27, 28. it seemed good unto him to speak to his spiritual Israel here again, as he had done before, that the difference betwixt Israel according to the flesh, and Israel according to the spirit might be perceived. For there he saith only Jacob and Israel, here Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen, as Jerom noteth, and the word is varied Hieronym. Vers. 2.vers. 2. into Jeshurun signifying righteous, Deut. 32. 15. *See my Notes upon the word Jeshurun there. Vers. 4.And whereas ver. 3. after watering promised by way of explaining what he meant, he saith, I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring, by two comparisons setting this seed forth after the water of Baptism poured thereupon, 1. Taken from the grasse. 2. From willows growing by the waters-side, whereby, he saith, are two sorts of people set forth, making one Israel of God, the beleeving Jews, by the grasse, and the Gentiles by the willows, amongst whom these waters shall chiefly flow, being in times past as dry as a wilderness, so that without a miracle no trees could grow there. Vers. 5. sheweth as was noted before, Chap. 43. 7. that the Israel here spoken of, sets forth the faithfull Vers. 5.of all Nations, because they shall now begin to be called from the name Jacob, and Israel, and God, as they were not before, according to Hos. 1. 10. But upon vers. 4. note, that there are not two comparisons, but one only to willows; for it is, As the willows grow amongst or between the grasse; the meaning being, that the faithfull now should be to others, that were Gods people before for knowledge and grace, much over-topping them, as the willows do the low grasse. Gregory saith, the faithfull are compared to willows Gregor. Moral. 31. c. 5.by the rivers side, because they are alwaies green, and being cut down they grow more, so they in affliction. Whereas vers. 5. it is said, This man shall write himself with his hand the Lords. Some Popish Expositors apply it to the sign of the Crosse, which he making with his hand, or putting with his hand a Crucifix about his neck, declares himself to be the Lords. But to set to the hand to the Lord, is nothing else but to subscribe to him, which is done, when Paul writes himself the servant of Jesus Christ, and a follower of him, making it good in taking up his Crosse, and learning humility and meeknesse of him. And he that is called Israel hath also his name from the Lord; a sincere Christian is a true Israelite, Joh. 1. 43. And he that lives in all things according to the Law, a Jew within, pretious before God, Rom. 2. 29. So that mens calling themselves after Israels or Jacobs name here, doth not countenance the superstitious, now calling themselves by the name of Francis or Dominick; or any in Corinth by the name of Paul or Apollo, &c. as they are taxed, 1 Cor. 3.
They that make graven Images are all of them vanity. See before, chap. 40. 19. Vers. 9.& 41. 7. and he inlargeth himself more here in shewing the vanity of Idols, as turning to that Israel again, whom he had said, that he had given to the curse, chap. 43. 28. the cause whereof was this, their most grosse sin of idolatry; yet their idols being but blocks of wood, could foretell nothing, as he both sheweth, that he had done, v. 7, 8. and after this debasing of the idolater, v. 20. sheweth more: For thitherto extendeth his declamation against idolaters. Jerom saith, that Flaccus a Satyrist derides Idols in like manner, as Isaiah doth Hieron.here.
Olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum,
Cùm faber incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum,
Maluit esse Deum; Deus
Inde ego furum at{que} avium maxima formido.
He feeds upon ashes. That is, The Idolater, against whom he hath declaimed Vers. 20.hitherto feeds his with delight in a piece of wood, being fully satisfied, when he hath made, and formed, and worshipped his Idol, which indeed shall one day be burnt into ashes, as the other part of the tree was, of which it was made, v. 19. Calvin turns it another way, viz. to feeding upon the winde, as Calvin.it were, for which he citeth, Hos. 12. 2. and by this winde he understands the deceitfulness of his own heart, making the next words, a seduced heart inclineth him, an amplification of these. The Vulg. to put it out of doubt, that the matter to which the Idol shall be reduced, viz. ashes, is meant; rendreth it, Part of it is ashes. And Hebr. a word is used signifying either feeding, or a friend or fellow, and in this sense foreign is sometime used; and so it may be rendred, The piece brought to ashes, spoken v. 19. was his fellow, for it was part of the same tree; or retaining our Translation the sense is plain, as before; and the next words, A seduced heart, &c. is a rendring of a reason, why or by what means he is brought to deifie such a contemptible thing, viz. because his seduced heart permits him not to see Idols to be lies, that upon this consideration he might repent, and so have his soul delivered from death, of which he is by his idolatry in continual danger, Hab. 2. 18. An Idol is also called a lie, as in this place, A lie in his right hand, that is, working and forming it with his best skill, and thinking that herein he doth most lie, if it be well formed.
I have blotted out as a cloud thy sins, &c. Returning to spiritual Israel again, Vers. 22.v. 21. he speaks as at v. 1, 2. stirring him up to attend to this comfort of comforts, the doing away of his sins, as chap. 43. 25. only he here sets this his great favour to the faithfull forth, by a comparison taken from a cloud vanishing before the sun, or dispersed by the winde.
Sing (O ye heavens) for the Lord hath done it. Jerom joyning the two former Vers. 23. Hieron.verses and this together, saith, that he would have Israel remember the vanities of idolaters before spoken of, to flee from this gross sin, prophesying here of the fall and vanishing away of Idols at the coming of the light of the Gospel; as the clouds in the morning having covered the face of the heaven before, yet when the sun is got up to some height, vanish all away before it, and disperse and scatter by the power of the Spirit accompanying this light, as by the force of a mighty winde: For even so did Idols vanish by means of the Gospel inlightning all parts of the world, and the spirit working with it, which being done, joy followeth both amongst Angels in heaven, and men upon earth, as is exemplified, Luc. 2. in the heavenly hoasts singing, Glory to God on high, in earth peace, and good will towards men. And for men upon earth he saith, Ye lower parts of the earth, because the earth is lower in comparison of heaven, and he means the inhabitants of all Nations in general; and by the forrest, which he biddeth to break out into singing, and the trees thereof, the same Nations being formerly as a desert, dry and barren, but now planted with high growing and prospering trees, as a forrest, that is, men eminent for divers virtues and excellent gifts and graces of the Spirit, according to the allegories whereby he spake before, v. 3. and chap. 41. 18, 19. and chap. 35. 1, 2. The same also is meant by mountains here, which should sing also, some men being magnified or made great and conspicuous for the power to work wonders given unto them, as the Apostles and seventy sent out by Christ. Cornelius a Cornel. a Lap.Lapide, by the lower parts of the earth, understands Limbus patrum, wherein the Papists fein that the holy men of God were detained, till the time of Christs ascention, but then carried up to heaven with him, and therefore they are bidden for this to rejoice. But he goeth herein from Jeroms Translation; wherein for the lower parts of the earth, it is extrema terrae: And from the sense given by all Ancient Expositors that I have seen, who generally understand thereby the common sort, as by the trees and mountains, the most eminent for gifts and graces; although the Hebrew words indeed do signifie the low parts of the earth, for they are foreign, whereby nothing else is meant, but as hath been already said. Calvin will have all these spoken to, though inanimate, as Calvin.bidden to rejoice; to shew the exceeding greatness of the benefit of our redemption, it being such, as, if it were possible, might affect heaven and earth, and all things both high and low.
Thus saith the Lord that maketh all things, &c. Here the Lord not being content Vers. 24.to prove himself the only true God by all which he had said hitherto, capitulateth many things together further to confirm it, because he knew that the wicked Jews were so prone to Idolatry, that he could never speak too much against it, or to keep them to the worship and service of him the true God only. Wherefore he saith that he made heaven and earth, and formed man in the womb. And if for all this they would not be moved, he addeth, v. 25. his frustrating the tokens of liars; and to shew whom he meant by liars, saying Vers. 25. Ch. 47. 10, 11, 12.further, that he made diviners mad, and the wise foolish, that is, Wizzards and Soothsayers, either because they could not see what should come to pass to the destruction of their own Nation, the Caldees, to forewarnt them hereof, or if they foretold any good unto them, and gave signs for confirmation, they were frustrated; no good, but grievous evils befalling them: at which these Wizzards were mad to see themselves so much disgraced by this means, as ignorant sots and false prophets, whom all men formerly admired as the only wise men of the world for their sagacity, and extraordinary insight into secrets. Jerom applieth Gods speaking of his creating the heaven and the earth, and Hieron.forming Jacob from the womb, as an argument to prove, that he could do in destroying Babylon, and rebuilding Jerusalem, as he had promised. For how shall this seem difficult for him to do, that hath done farre greater things? And as for the signs of liars frustrating, &c. he speaks thus, as foreshewing the overthrow of Idols and all false gods, whom most cunning Wizzards sought by all subtle means to uphold as true Gods, but when they should be put down, as they were, at the coming on of the Gospel, what should all their signs formerly shewed, and their seeming wisdom making them to be so highly reputed, then be thought of but as meer vanities and grosse foolishness? Thus also others generally. But because he spake before against the deity of Idols, about whom he is in a controversie in this Chapter, whether they were gods or he only; and having proved them none, but himself God, now for a conclusion of all this, he fetcheth proof from the beginning of the world for it, and goes on to other proofs of things since daily done, and alledgeth the Persians prowess and success for one against the Babylonians, which should as certainly come to pass, as if it were already done, and their King that should do it were now born, although he should not be born till a hundred years after, he nameth, viz. Cyrus. Whereas if the scope of this place were to make it credible, which he promised in favour of the Jews and against the Babylonians their enemies, he would not doubtless have alledged the thing in question to prove it by, as it must needs be yielded that he doth, if the first words, v. 24, 25. be brought as a proof of it, because he continueth in the same strein to the end of the Chapter. Lastly, That the main propositum of the place is to prove him only to be the Lord, appears by his saying, I am the Lord: As if he had said, Those of whom I have hitherto spoken, shewing that they are senslesse stocks, are no gods; but attend to that which I shall say, and it will easily appear that I am the Lord, both by my deeds of creating the world, crossing Wizzards, the priests of Idols in their presages, and raising up Cyrus to be the ruine of them and of their country, and declaring this so long before, sith these were the two things whereby Idols were put to it before to prove themselves gods; foreshewing things to come, and doing mighty things surpassing the strength of all creatures. For tokens or signs of liars; Vulg. Lat. and Calvin have, tokens of diviners. But the word foreign signifieth liars; unlesse because Astrologers, that take upon them skill by the signs of heaven to foretell things to come, yea the great mutations in Kingdoms, are commonly found liars, their predictions not taking effect, as the Lord's by his Prophets do; they be set forth by their proper name Diviners, the sense being more respected then the signification of the word. But forsomuch as the Lord puts the term of liars upon them to their disgrace, we have no reason in our Translations, banking Against judiciary Astrology.this name, to set them forth by any other. And although Calvin in rendring the words, forbeareth to put lying upon them, yet he utterly condemns the art of judiciary Astrology, as being not only vain, but tending to the robbing of God of his honour of invocation and dependance upon him, and to the establishing of the Stoicall opinion of the Fatall necessity of things. For he Calvin.saith, that the Lord simply condemned this art, when he forbad the permission of such amongst his people, Levit. 19. 31. Deut. 18. 10, 11. And therefore no certainty is in this Art, but meer imposture, for which it is to be abhorred by all the godly. Ob. The stars are given for signs. Sol. It is true, that by observing how they keep their course, we may glorifie God, who directs them so to do, and they are sometimes signs of judgements to come, that we may be moved to repent. But that hereby the ends of principalities and Kingdoms, or notable events in Kingdoms, or to particular persons may be foreseen, is not Res arcanas & occultas scrutari aut investigare nesas omnino est.to be held, neither ought any man hereby to dare to pry into such things to come, it being a wickednesse to search into them, or to finde them out. For let it be granted that all things in the world are subject to the empire of the stars, then Gods tribunal is overthrown, and he is no more Judge to inflict punishments upon sinners, or to shew mercy to men in a desperate condition: Neither is any thing left to him, but all attributed to fate: Thus the judgements of God being buried, all piety is extinguished, and all invocation upon him abolished.
That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers. Vers. 26. Hieron.Here, by his servant, Jerom understands Christ, and by his messengers, the Apostles, because chap. 42. 1. he is thus called. But Lyra by his servant, Lyra.will have Moses meant, whose word about bringing the Hebrews out of Egypt he made good; and by his messengers, the Prophets, and the things by them revealed he cals their counsels, because God at the first declared them Amos. 3.in secret unto them, thus making them, as it were, of his privy Councel, and in his appointed time fulfilled them all. Calvin thinks, that by his servant, Calvin.Isaiah is meant, and by his messengers, other Prophets, speaking of our redemption and deliverance by Christ; and by counsel he meaneth the word of God taught by them, for so the word is sometime called, Act. 21. 27. Luc. 7. 30. It is indeed Gods councel, but called theirs, because by them declared at his appointment. The word foreign here rendred confirming, is, raising up; whereupon Musculus noteth, that it is well so said, as implying Christs death and Muscul.burial, in the time whereof there seemed to be no hope of its taking effect, but the word of promise seemed to lie, as it were, dead and buried. I subscribe to Calvin, that by his servant here is meant Isaiah, and by his messengers other Prophets, disclosing what God in his secret counsel purposed to do, whether in respect of the Jews affairs after the Babylonish Captivity, or the good of his faithfull people of all Countries under the Gospel. All this he saith, that he confirms and performs, and so can no false god do to his servants. For reason requires that having spoken of his frustrating of the signs of the Caldees, those great Diviners, and shewing their wisdom to be foolishness, who promised haply to the King of Babylon, that his Kingdom should be perpetual, and that the Jews hearkening to Isaiah and other Prophets did but hope for a good day in vain: he should now ex opposito speak of his certain performing of the predictions of his Prophets touching the Jews deliverance, that they might by all men be beleeved, and not the other.
That saith to the deep, Be dry, &c. Here another sign is added, the dreaning Vers. 27.of the rivers of Babylon by Cyrus King of Persia, by making many dreans, into which they were all let out in one night, and so they entred and took Babylon, which they could not do before, because the waters compassing it about, suffered them not to approach; as I have shewed in my continuation of the history, from Nehemiah, &c. Calvin will have it spoken allegorically of fetching up the Jews, as it were, out of the bottom of the deep, as sometime through the red sea. Musculus, of the Princes subject to the King of Babylon, who were to him as rivers to the deep sea, but now the greatness of them all shall cease.
That saith of Cyrus, Be is my shepherd. Vulg Lat. Saith to Cyrus, He wise. But Vers. 28.it is Hebr. foreign my shepherd: And therefore Jerom, although he sets down that as the Translation of the Septuagint, yet he follows this. Here Cyrus is named long before he was born, that things present and to come might appear to be alike present to the Lord; and his shepherd he cals him, because he should tender the good of his people, as a shepherd of his sheep, leading them out of Babylon to their own Country, as a shepherd his sheep into large and fresh pasture, being before shut up, as it were, in a pin, for so had the Jews been in Babylon. The accomplishment of this, see in Ezra and Nehemiah, and how the foundation of the Temple was laid, and Jerusalem rebuilt, as is here further prophesied.