,transcriber's ,note3 ,images taken from the #ahfa edition1 found at ,books4,google4com41 are the source of the text used for this ebook4 ,this original book was from ,harvard ,university and digitized in #bjjf4 ,unclear or missing punctuation marks were corrected by reference to the #ahef edition of this work4 ,the ,latin diphthong oe is expressed by oe4 ,greek words are directly transliterated using the ,english equivalents of the ,greek2 the ,greek eta is transliterated as and omega as 4 ,diacritic marks are omitted with the exception of the initial hard breathing mark which is indicated by an h before the initial vowel of the word4 ,hebrew words1 which in this book are mainly represented without the vowel and pronunciation points1 are transcribed as follows3 ,alef a ,lahmed l ,bet b ,mem m 7final ,m7 ,gimel g ,nun n 7final ,n7 ,dalet d ,samekh s ,he h ,ahyin i ,vav v ,peh p 7final ,p7 ,zayin z ,tsadi c 7final ,c7 ,het ,h ,qof q ,tet ,t ,resh r ,yod i ,shin w ,kahf k 7final ,k7 ,tav t ,pg i ,,clark',s ,,foreign ,,theological ,,library ,,new ,,series4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,hengstenberg's ,christology of the ,old ,testament4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,edinburgh3 ,t4 ,t4 ,,clark1 #ch1 ,,george ,,street4 ,,london3 ,j4 ,,gladding2 ,,ward ,,and ,,co42 ,,and ,,jackson ,,and ,,walford ,,dublin3 ,,john ,,robertson ,,mdccclxi4 ,pg ii ,blank ,page ,pg iii ,,christology ,,of ,,the ,,old ,,testament1 ,,and ,a ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,messianic ,,predictions ,,by ,e4 ,w4 ,,hengstenberg1 ,,dr4 ,,and ,,prof4 ,,of ,,theol4 ,,in ,,berlin4 ,,second ,,edition ,,greatly ,,improved4 ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,german ,,by ,,the ,,the ,,rev4 ,,theodore ,,meyer4 ,,hebrew ,,tutor ,,in ,,the ,,new ,,college1 ,,edinburgh4 ,,volume ,,ii4 ,,edinburgh3 ,t4 ,,and ,t4 ,,clark1 #ch1 ,,george ,,street4 ,,london3 ,,hamilton1 ,,adams1 ,,and ,,co42 ,,simpkin1 ,,marshall1 ,,and ,,co42 ,,ward ,,and ,,co42 ,,jackson ,,and ,,walford1 ,,etc4 ,,dublin3 ,,john ,,robertson1 ,,and ,,hodges ,,and ,,smith4 ,,mdccclxi4 ,pg iv ,,notice4 ,this ,work is copyright in this country by arrangement with the ,author4 ,pg v ,,list ,,of ,,contents4 ,page ,,messianic ,,predictions ,,in ,,the ,,prophets4 ,,the ,,prophet ,,isaiah4 ,general ,preliminary ,remarks1 #a ,chap4 ii4-iv4--,the ,sprout of the ,lord1 #aj ,chap4 vii4--,immanuel1 #bf ,chap4 viii4 #bc-;ix4 #f--,unto us a ,child is born1 #ff ,chap4 ix4 #a-g1 #ge ,chap4 xi41 xii4--,the ,twig of ,jesse1 #id ,on ,matthew ii4 #bc1 #ajf ,chap4 xii41 #acc ,chaps4 xiii4 #a-xiv4 #bg1 #ace ,chaps4 xvii41 xviii41 #acg ,chap4 xix41 #ada ,chap4 xxiii4--,the ,burden upon ,tyre1 #adf ,chaps4 xxiv4-xxvii41 #adi ,chaps4 xxviii4-xxxiii41 #aed ,chap4 xxxv41 #aeh ,general ,preliminary ,remarks on ,chaps1 xl4-lxvi41 #afc ,chap4 xlii4 #a-i1 #aif ,chap4 xlix4 #a-i1 #bbf ,chap4 #a4 #d-aa1 #bdf ,chap4 li4 #af1 #bef ,chaps4 lii4 #ac-liii4 #ab1 #bei ,i4 ,history of the ,interpretation4 ,a4 ,with the ,jews1 #caa ,b4 ,history of the ,interpretation with the ,christians1 #cai ,,ii4 ,the ,arguments against the ,messianic ,interpretation1 #cbg ,,iii4 ,the ,arguments in favour of the ,messianic ,interpretation1 #ccj ,,iv4 ,examination of the ,non-,messianic ,interpretation1 #ccd ,chap4 lv4 #a-e1 #cdc ,chap4 lxi4 #a-c1 #cea ,,the ,,prophet ,,zephaniah1 #cef ,,the ,,prophet ,,jeremiah4 ,general ,preliminary ,remarks1 #cfb ,chap4 iii4 #ad-ag1 #cgc ,chap4 xxiii4 #a-h1 #cih ,chap4 xxxi4 #ca-dj1 #dbd ,chap4 xxxiii4 #ad-bf1 #dei ,pg vi ,blank ,page ,pg #a ,,the ,,prophet ,,isaiah4 ,,general ,,preliminary ,,remarks4 ,isaiah is the principal prophetical figure in the first period of canonical prophetism1 i4e41 the ,assyrian period1 just as ,jeremiah is in the second1 i4e41 the ,babylonian4 ,with ,isaiah are connected in the kingdom of ,judah3 ,joel1 ,obadiah1 and ,micah2 in the kingdom of ,israel3 ,hosea1 ,amos1 and ,jonah4 ,the name ,isaiah signifies the ,salvation of the ,lord4 ,in this name we have the key-note of his prophecies1 just as the name ,jeremiah3 ,the ,lord casts down1 indicates the nature of his prophecies1 in which the prevailing element is entirely of a threatening character4 ,that the proclamation of salvation occupies a very prominent place in ,isaiah1 was seen even by the ,fathers of the ,church4 ,jerome says3 ,i shall expound ,isaiah in such a manner that he shall appear not as a prophet only1 but as an ,evangelist and an ,apostle2 and in another passage3 ,isaiah seems to me to have uttered not a prophecy but a ,gospel4 ,and ,augustine says1 ,de ,civ4 ,dei1 #ah1 c4 #bi1 that1 according to the opinion of many1 ,isaiah1 on account of his numerous prophecies of ,christ and the ,church1 deserved the name of an ,evangelist rather than that of a ,prophet4 ,when1 after his conversion1 ,augustine applied to ,ambrose with the question1 which among the ,sacred ,books he should read in preference to all others1 he proposed to him ,isaiah1 because before all others it was he who had more openly declared the ,gospel and the calling of the ,gentiles4 7,aug4 ,conf4 ix4 #e47 ,with the ,fathers of the ,church ,luther coincides4 ,he says in commendation of ,isaiah3 ,he is full of loving1 comforting1 cheering words for all poor consciences1 and wretched1 afflicted hearts4 ,of course1 there is in ,isaiah no want of severe reproofs and threatenings4 ,if it were ,pg #b otherwise1 he would have gone beyond the boundary by which true prophetism is separated from false4 ,there is in it1 as ,luther says1 enough of threatenings and terrors against the hardened1 haughty1 obdurate heads of the wicked1 if it might be of some use4 ,but the threatenings never form the close in ,isaiah2 they always at last run out into the promise2 and while1 for example1 in the great majority of ,jeremiah's prophecies1 the promise1 which cannot be wanting in any true prophet1 is commonly only short1 and hinted at1 sometimes consisting only of words which are thrown into the midst of the several threatenings1 e4 g41 iv4 #bg3 ,yet will ,i not make a full end1--in ,isaiah the stream of consolation flows in the richest fulness4 ,the promise absolutely prevails in the second part1 from chap4 xl4-lxvi4 ,the reason of this peculiarity is to be sought for chiefly in the historical circumstances4 ,isaiah lived at a time in which1 in the kingdom of ,judah1 the corruption was far from having already reached its greatest height1--in which there still existed1 in that kingdom1 a numerous election which gathered round the prophet as their spiritual centre4 ,with a view to this circle1 ,isaiah utters the words3 ,comfort ye1 comfort ye my people4 ,the contemporary prophets of the kingdom of the ten tribes1 which was poisoned in its very first origin1 found a different state of things2 the field there was already ripe for the harvest of judgment4 ,and at the time of ,jeremiah1 ,judah had become like her apostate sister4 ,at that time it was not so much needed to comfort the miserable1 as to terrify sinners in their security4 ,it was only after the wrath of ,god had manifested itself in deeds1 only after the judgment of ,god had been executed upon ,jerusalem1 or was immediately at hand1--it was only then that1 in ,jeremiah1 and so in ,ezekiel also1 the stream of promise broke forth without hinderance4 ,chronology is1 throughout1 the principle according to which the ,prophecies of ,isaiah are arranged4 ,in the first six chapters1 we obtain a survey of the ,prophet's ministry under ,uzziah and ,jotham4 ,chap4 vii4 to x4 #d belongs to the time of ,ahaz4 ,from chap4 x4 #d to the close of chap4 xxxv4 every thing belongs to the time of the ,assyrian invasion in the fourteenth year of ,hezekiah2 in the face of which invasion the prophetic gift of ,isaiah was displayed as it had never been before4 ,the section1 chap4 xxxvi4-xxxix41 furnishes us with the historical commentary on the preceding ,pg #c prophecies from the ,assyrian period1 and forms1 at the same time1 the transition to the second part1 which still belongs to the same period1 and the starting point of which is ,judah's deliverance from ,asshur4 ,in this most remarkable year of the ,prophet's life--a year rich in the manifestation of ,god's glory in judgment and mercy--his prophecy flowed out in full streams1 and spread to every side4 ,not the destinies of ,judah only1 but those of the ,gentile nations also are drawn within its sphere4 ,the ,prophet does not confine himself to the events immediately at hand1 but in his ecstatic state1 the state of an elevated1 and1 as it were1 armed consciousness1 in which he was during this whole period1 his eye looks into the farthest distances4 ,he sees1 especially1 that1 at some future period1 the ,babylonian power1 which began1 even in his time1 to germinate1 would take the place of the ,assyrian1--that1 like it1 it would find the field of ,judah white for the harvest1--that1 for this oppressor of the world1 destruction is prepared by ,koresh 7,cyrus71 the conqueror from the ,east1 and that he will liberate the people from their exile2 and1 at the close of the development1 he beholds the ,saviour of the world1 whose image he depicts in the most glowing colours4 ,isaiah has especially brought out the view of the ,prophetic and ,priestly offices of ,christ1 while in the former prophecies it was almost alone the ,kingly office which appeared2 it is only in ,deut4 xviii4 that the ,prophetic office1 and in ,ps4 cx4 that the ,priestly office1 is pointed at4 ,of the two states of ,christ1 it is the doctrine of the state of humiliation1 the doctrine of the suffering ,christ1 which here meets us1 while formerly it was the state of exaltation which was prominently brought before us1--although ,isaiah too can very well describe it when it is necessary to meet the fears regarding the destruction of the ,theocracy by the assaults of the powerful heathen nations4 ,the first attempt at a description of the humbled1 suffering1 and expiating ,christ1 is found in chap4 xi4 #a4 ,the real seat of this proclamation is1 however1 in the second part1 which is destined more for the election1 than for the whole nation4 ,in chap4 xlii4 we meet the servant of ,god1 who1 as a ,saviour meek and lowly in heart1 does not break the bruised reed1 nor quench the smoking flax1 and by this merciful love establishes righteousness on the whole earth4 ,in chap4 xlix41 the ,prophet describes how the covenant-people requite with ingratitude the faithful labours of the ,servant of ,god1 but that ,pg #d the ,lord1 to recompense ,him for the obstinacy of ,israel1 gives ,him the ,gentiles for an inheritance4 ,in chap4 l4 we have presented to us that aspect of the sufferings of the ,servant of ,god which is common to ,christ and ,his people--viz41 how1 in fulfilling ,his calling4 ,he offered ,his back to the smiters1 and did not hide ,his face from shame and spitting4 ,then1 finally1 in chap4 liii4--that culminating point of the prophecy of the ,old ,testament--,christ is placed before our eyes in ,his highest work1 in ,his atoning and vicarious suffering1 as the truth of both the ,old ,testament high-priest1 and the ,old ,testament sin-offering4 ,there are still the following ,messianic features which are peculiar to ,isaiah4 ,a clear ,old ,testament witness for the divinity of ,christ is offered by chap4 ix4 #e 7#f72 the birth by a virgin1 closely connected with ,his divinity1 is announced in chap4 vii4 #ad2 according to chap4 viii4 #bc 7ix4 #a47 ,galilee1 and1 in general1 the country surrounding the ,sea of ,gennesareth1 being that part of the country which hitherto had chiefly been covered with disgrace1 are1 in a very special manner1 to be honoured by the appearance of the ,saviour1 who shall come to have mercy upon the miserable1 and to seek that which was lost4 ,isaiah has1 further1 first taught that1 by the redemption1 the consequences of the ,fall would disappear in the irrational creation also1 and that it should return to paradisaic innocence1 chap4 xi4 #f-i4 ,he has first announced to the people of ,god the glorious truth1 that death1 as it had not existed in the beginning1 should1 at the end also1 be expelled1 chap4 xxv4 #h2 xxvi4 #ai4 ,the healing powers which by ,christ should be imparted to miserable mankind1 ,isaiah has described in chap xxxv4 in words1 which by the fulfilment have1 in a remarkable manner1 been confirmed4 ,let us endeavour to form1 from the single scattered features which occur in the prophecies of ,isaiah1 a comprehensive view of his prospects into the future4 ,the announcement first uttered by ,moses of an impending exile of the people1 and desolation of the country1 is brought before us by ,isaiah in the first six chapters1 in the prophecies belonging to the time of ,uzziah and ,jotham1 at which the future had not yet been so clearly laid open before the ,prophet as it was at a later period1 at the time of ,ahaz1 and1 very especially1 in the fourteenth year of ,hezekiah4 ,a reference to ,pg #e the respective announcements of the ,pentateuch is found in chap4 xxxvii4 #bf1 where1 in opposition to the imagination of the ,king of ,asshur1 that1 by his own power1 he had penetrated as a conqueror as far as ,judah1 ,isaiah asks him whether he had not heard that the ,lord1 long ago and from ancient times1 had formed such a resolution regarding ,his people4 ,these words can be referred only to the threatenings of the ,pentateuch1 which a short-sighted criticism endeavoured to ascribe to a far later period1 without considering that the germ of this knowledge of the future is found in the ,decalogue also1 the genuineness of which is1 at present1 almost unanimously conceded3 ,in order that thy 7,israel's7 days may be long in the land which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee4 ,in the solemnly introduced short summary of the history of the covenant-people1 in chap4 vi41 there is1 after the announcement of the impending complete desolation of the country and the carrying away of its inhabitants in vers4 #aa1 #ab1 the indication of a second judgment which will not less make an end1 in ver4 #ac3 ,but yet there is a tenth part in it1 and it shall again be destroyed2 and this goes hand in hand with the promise that the election shall become partakers of the ,messianic salvation4 ,the ,prophet clearly sees that1 by the ,syrico-,ephraemitic war1 the full realization of that threatening of the ,pentateuch will not be brought about1 as far as ,judah is concerned2 that here a faint prelude only to the real fulfilment is the point in question4 ,although the allied kings speak in chap4 vii4 #f3 ,let us go up against ,judea and vex it1 and let us conquer it for us1 and set a king in the midst of it1 even the son of ,tabeal1 the ,lord speaks in chap4 vii4 #g3 ,it shall not stand1 neither shall it come to pass4 ,and although the heart of the king and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind1 the ,prophet says3 ,fear not1 let not thy heart be tender for the tails of those two smoking firebrands4 ,it is ,asshur that shall do more for the realization of that divine decree first revealed by ,moses4 ,it is he who1 immediately after that expedition against ,judah1 shall break the power of the kingdom of the ten tribes1 chap4 viii4 #d3 ,before the child shall be able to cry3 ',my father and my mother1'the riches of ,damascus and the spoil of ,samaria shall be carried before the ,king of ,pg #f ,assyria4 ,the communion of guilt into which it has entered with ,damascus shall also implicate it in a communion of punishment with it1 chap4 xvii4 #c4 ,the adversaries of ,rezin shall devour ,israel with open mouth1 chap4 ix4 #aa1 #ab4 ,yea ,asshur shall1 some time afterwards1 put an end altogether to the kingdom of ,israel2 ,within threescore and five years shall ,ephraim be broken that it shall not be a people any more1 chap4 vii4 #h4 ,upon ,judah also severe sufferings shall be inflicted by ,asshur4 ,he shall invade and devastate their land1 chap4 vii4 #ag1 and chap4 viii4 ,he shall irresistibly penetrate to the neighbourhood of ,jerusalem1 chap4 x4 #bh-cb4 ,but when he is just preparing to inflict the mortal blow upon the head of the people of ,god1 the ,lord shall put a stop to him3 ,he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron1 and ,lebanon shall fall by the mighty one1 chap4 x4 #cd4 ,asshur shall be broken in the land of the ,lord1 and upon ,his mountains be trodden under foot2 and his yoke shall depart from off them1 and his burden depart from off their shoulders1 chap4 xiv4 #be4 ,and ,asshur shall fall with the sword not of a man1 chap4 xxxi4 #h4 ,these prophecies found their fulfilment in the destruction of ,sennacherib's host before ,jerusalem1--an event which no human ingenuity could have known even a day beforehand4 ,but ,isaiah does not content himself with promising to trembling ,zion the help of ,god against ,asshur in that momentary calamity4 ,in harmony with ,hosea and ,micah1 he promises to ,judah1 in general1 security from ,asshur4 ,he says to ,hezekiah1 after that danger was over1 in chap4 xxxviii4 #f3 ,and ,i will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the ,king of ,assyria1 and ,i will defend this city4 ,behind the ,assyrian kingdom1 the ,prophet beholds a new power germinating1 viz41 the ,babylonian or ,chaldean2 and he announces most distinctly and repeatedly that from this shall proceed a comprehensive execution of the threatenings against unfaithful ,judah4 ,according to chap4 xxiii4 #ac1 the ,chaldeans overturn the ,assyrian monarchy1 and conquer proud ,tyre which had resisted the assault of the ,assyrians4 ,shinar or ,babylon appears in chap4 xi4 #aa1 in the list of the places to which ,judah has been removed in punishment4 ,in chap4 xiii4 #a-xiv4 #bg1 ,babylon is1 for the first time1 distinctly and definitely mentioned as the threatening power of the future1 by which ,judah is to be carried into captivity4 ,the corresponding announcement in chap4 xxxix4 is so ,pg #g closely and intimately interwoven with the historical context1 that even ,gesenius did not venture to deny its origin by ,isaiah1 just as he was compelled also to acknowledge the genuineness of the prophecy against ,tyre1 in which the ,babylonian dominion is most distinctly foretold1 and even the duration of that dominion is fixed4 ,the #gj years of ,jeremiah have here already their foundation4 ,the ,prophet sees distinctly and definitely that ,egypt1 the rival ,african world's power1 on which the sharp-sighted politicians of his time founded their hope for deliverance1 would not be equal to the ,asiatic world's power representing itself in the ,assyrian and ,babylonian phases4 ,he knows what he could not know from any other source than by immediate communication of the ,spirit of ,god1 that1 by its struggle against the ,asiatic power1 ,egypt would altogether lose its old political importance1 and would never recover it2 compare remarks on chap4 xix4 ,as the power which is to overthrow the ,babylonian ,empire appear1 in chap4 xxxiii4 #ag1 the ,medes4 ,in chap4 xxi4 #b1 ,elam1 which1 according to the usus loquendi of ,isaiah1 means ,persia1 is mentioned besides ,media4 ,this power1 and at its head1 the conqueror from the ,east1 ,cyrus1 will bring deliverance to ,judah4 ,by it they obtain a restoration to their native land4#a ,nevertheless ,elam appears in chap4 xxii4 #af as the representative of the world's power oppressing ,judah in the future2 and from chap4 xi4 #aa we are likewise led to expect that the world's power will in future shew itself in an ,elamitic phase also1 and that the difference between ,babel and ,elam is one of degree only1 just as1 indeed1 it appeared in history2 comp4 ,neh4 ix4 #cf1 #cg4 ,an intimation of an ,european phasis of the world's power1 hostile to the kingdom of ,god1 is to be found in chap4 xi4 #aa4 ,after the ,kingdom of ,god has1 for such protracted periods1 been subject to the world's power1 the relation will suddenly be reversed2 at the end of the days the mountain of the house of the ,lord shall be exalted above all the hills1 and all nations shall flow into it1 chap4 ii4 #b4 ,this great change shall be accomplished by the ,messiah1 chaps4 iv41 ix41 xi41 xxxiii4 #ag1 who proceeds from the house of ,pg #h ,david1 chap4 ix4 #f 7#g71 lv4 #c1 but only after it has sunk down to the utmost lowliness1 chap4 xi4 #a4 ,with the human1 ,he combines the divine nature4 ,this appears not only from the names which are given to ,him in chap4 ix4 #e 7#f71 but also from the works which are assigned to ,him1--works by far exceeding human power4 ,he rules over the whole earth1 according to chap4 xi42 ,he slays1 according to xi4 #d1 the wicked with the breath of ,his mouth 7compare chap4 l4 #aa1 where likewise ,he appears as a partaker of the omnipotent punitive power of ,god72 ,he removes the consequences of sin even from the irrational creation1 chap4 xi4 #f-i2 by ,his absolute righteousness ,he is enabled to become the substitute of the whole human race1 and thereby to accomplish their salvation resting on this substitution1 chap4 liii4 ,the ,messiah appears at first in the form of a servant1 low and humble1 chap4 xi4 #a1 liii4 #b4 ,his ministry is quiet and concealed1 chap4 xlii4 #b1 as that of a ,saviour who with tender love applies himself to the miserable1 chap4 xlii4 #c1 lxi4 #a4 ,at first it is limited to ,israel1 chap4 xlix4 #a-f1 where it is enjoyed especially by the most degraded of all the parts of the country1 viz41 that around the sea of ,galilee1 chap4 viii4 #bc 7ix4 #a47 ,severe sufferings will be inflicted upon ,him in carrying out ,his ministry4 ,these proceed from the same people whom ,he has come to raise up1 and to endow 7according to chap4 xlii4 #f1 xlix4 #h71 with the full truth of the covenant into which the ,lord has entered with them4 ,the ,servant of ,god bears these suffering's with unbroken courage4 ,they bring about1 through ,his mediation1 the punishment of ,god upon those from whom they proceeded1 and become the reason why the salvation passes over to the ,gentiles1 by whose deferential homage the ,servant of ,god is indemnified for what ,he has lost in the ,jews1 chap4 xlix4 #a-i1 l4 #d-aa4 7,the foundation for the detailed announcement in these passages is given already in the sketch in chap4 vi41--according to which an election only of the people attain to salvation1 while the mass becomes a prey to destruction47 ,but it is just by these sufferings1 which issue at last in a violent death1 that the ,servant of ,god reaches the full height of ,his destination4 ,they possess a vicarious character1 and effect the reconciliation of a whole sinful world1 chap4 lii4 #ac-liii4 #ab4 ,subsequently to the suffering1 and on the ground of it1 begins the exercise of the ,kingly office of ,christ1 chap4 liii4 #ab4 ,he brings law and righteousness to the ,pg #i ,gentile world1 chap4 xlii4 #a2 light into their darkness1 chap4 xlii4 #f4 ,he becomes the centre around which the whole ,gentile world gathers1 chap4 xi4 #aj3 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 the root of ,jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people1 to it shall the ,gentiles seek1 and ,his rest shall be glory2 comp4 chap4 lx41 where the delighted eye of the ,prophet beholds how the crowds of the nations from the whole earth turn to ,zion2 chap4 xviii41 where the future reception of the ,ethiopians into the ,kingdom of ,god is specially prophecied2 chap4 xix41 according to which ,egypt turns to the ,god of ,israel1 and by the tie of a common love to ,him1 is united with ,asshur1 his rival in the time of the ,prophet1 and so likewise with ,israel1 which has so much to suffer from him2 chap4 xxiii41 according to which1 in the time of salvation4 ,tyre also does homage to the ,god of ,israel4 ,the ,servant of ,god becomes1 at the same time1 the ,witness1 and the ,prince and ,lawgiver of the nations1 chap4 lv4 #d4 ,just as the ,spirit of the ,lord rests upon ,him1 chap4 xi4 #b1 xlii4 #a1 lxi4 #a1 so there takes place in ,his days an outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit1 chap4 xxxii4 #ae1 xliv4 #c1 comp4 with chap4 liv4 #ac4 ,sin is put an end to by ,him1 chap4 xi4 #i1 and an end is put especially to war1 chap4 ii4 #d4 ,the ,gentiles gathered to the ,lord become at last the medium of ,his salvation for the covenant-people1 who at first had rejected it1 chap4 xi4 #ab1 lx4 #i1 lxvi4 #bj1 #ba4 ,the end is the restoration of the paradisaic condition1 chap4 xi4 #f-i1 lxv4 #be2 the new heavens and the new earth1 chap4 lxv4 #ag1 lxvi4 #bb2 but the wicked shall inherit eternal condemnation1 chap4 lxvi4 #bd4 ,footnote #a3 ,vitringa3 ,there are no predictions in reference to the temporal deliverance of the ,jewish ,church1 in which the ,prophet shews himself more than in those which relate to the downfall of the ,babylonian ,empire1 and the deliverance of the people of ,god by ,cyrus4 ,pg #aj ,,the ,,prophecy--,,chap4 ,,ii4-,,iv4 ,,the ,,sprout ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 ,it has been already proved1 in ,vol4 i41 p4 #daf ff41 that this discourse belongs to the first period of the ,prophet's ministry4 ,it consists of three parts4 ,in the first1 chap4 ii4 #b-d1 the ,prophet draws a picture of the ,messianic time1 at which the ,kingdom of ,god1 now despised1 should be elevated above all the kingdoms of the world1 should exercise an attractive power over the ,gentiles1 and should cause peace to dwell among them2 comp4 ,vol4 i41 p4 #dcg ff4 ,in the second part1 from chap4 ii4 #e-;iv4 #a1 the ,prophet describes the prevailing corruption1 exhorts to repentance1 threatens divine judgments4 ,this part is introduced1 and is connected with the preceding1 by the admonition in ii4 #e1 addressed to the people1 to prepare1 by true godliness1 for a participation in that blessedness1 to beware lest they should be excluded through their own fault4 ,in the third part1 chap4 iv4 #b-f1 the prophet returns to the proclamation of salvation1 so that the whole is1 as it were1 surrounded by the promise4 ,it was necessary that this should be prominently brought out1 in order that sinners might not only be terrified by fear1 but also allured by hope1 to repentance1--and in order that the elect might not imagine that the sin of the masses1 and the judgment inflicted in consequence of it1 did away with the mercy of the ,lord towards ,his people1 and with ,his faithfulness to ,his promises4 ,salvation does not come without judgment4 ,this feature1 by which true prophetism is distinguished from false1 which1 divesting ,god of ,his righteousness1 announced salvation to unreformed sinners1 to the whole rude mass of the people1--this feature is once more prominently brought out in ver4 #d4 ,but salvation for the elect comes as necessarily as judgment does upon the sinners4 ,in the midst of the deepest abasement of the people of ,god1 ,god raises from out of the midst of them the ,saviour by whom they are raised to the highest glory1 chap4 iv4 #b4 ,they are installed into the dignity of the saints of ,god1 after the penitent ones have been renewed by ,his ,spirit1 and the ,pg #aa obstinate sinners have been exterminated by ,his judgment1 ver4 #c1 #d4 ,god's gracious presence affords them protection from their enemies1 and from all tribulation and danger1 ver4 #e1 #f4 ,the first part1 in which ,isaiah follows ,micah 7comp4 the arguments in proof of originality in ,micah1 ,vol4 i41 p4 #dac ff471 has already been expounded on a former occasion4 ,we have here only to answer the question1 why it is that the ,prophet opens his discourse with a proclamation of salvation borrowed from ,micah8 ,his object certainly was to render the minds of the people susceptible of the subsequent admonition and reproof1 by placing at the head a promise which had already become familiar and precious to the people4 ,the position which the ,messianic proclamation occupies in ,isaiah is altogether misunderstood if1 with ,kleinert and ,ewald1 we assume that the passage does not1 in ,isaiah1 belong to the real substance of the prophecy2 that it is merely placed in front as a kind of text1 the abuse and misinterpretation of which the ,prophet meets in that which follows1 so that the sense would be3 the blessed time promised by former prophets will come indeed1 but only after severe1 rigorous judgments upon all who had forsaken ,jehovah4 ,it is especially ver4 #e which militates against this interpretation1 where1 in the words3 ,come ye and let us walk in the light of the ,lord1#a the prophet gives an express declaration as to the object of the description which he has placed in front1 and expresses himself in regard to it in perfect harmony ,pg #ab with ,heb4 iv4 #a3 ,greek3 phobthmen oun mpote kataleipomens epangelias 444 dok tis ex humn husterkenai4 ,this shows1 that after the manner of an evangelical preacher1 and in conformity with his name1 he wishes to allure to repentance by pointing to the great salvation of the future2--that the ,greek3 ngike h basileia tn ourann of the first part serves as a foundation to the ,greek3 metanoeite oun of the second4 ,the threatening of punishment contained in the second part is destitute of any particular reference4 ,it bears a general character1 comprehending the whole of the mischief with which the ,lord is to visit the unfaithfulness of ,his people4 ,most thoroughly was the animating idea realized in the ,roman catastrophe1 the consequence of which is the helplessness which still presses upon the people4 ,the preparatory steps were the decay of the people at the time of ,ahaz--especially the ,chaldean overthrow--and1 generally1 everything which the people had to suffer in the time of the dominion of the ,assyrian1 ,chaldean1 ,medo-,persian1 and ,greek kingdoms4 ,as none of these kingdoms were as yet on the stage1 or in sight1 it is quite natural that the threatening here keeps altogether within general terms2 it was given to ,isaiah himself afterwards to individualize it much more4 ,it is with the third part only that we have here more particularly to employ ourselves4 ,ver4 #b4 ,in that day the ,sprout of the ,lord becomes for beauty and glory1 and the fruit of the land for exaltation and ornament1 to the escaped of ,israel4 ,ver4 #c4 ,and it shall come to pass1 he that was left in ,zion1 and was spared in ,jerusalem1 shall be called holy1 every one that is written to life in ,jerusalem4 ,ver4 #d4 ,when the ,lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of ,zion1 and shall remove the blood of ,jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of right and the spirit of destruction4 ,ver4 #e4 ,and the ,lord creates over the place of ,mount ,zion1 and over her assemblies clouds by day and smoke1 and the brightness of flaming fire by night1 for above all glory is a covering4 ,ver4 #f4 ,and a tabernacle shall be for a shadow by day from the heat1 and1 for a refuge and covert from storm and from rain4 ,ver4 #b4 ,in that day i4e41 not by any means after the suffering1 but in the midst of it1 comp4 chap4 iii4 #ah2 iv4 #a1 where1 by ,pg #ac the words in that day1 contemporaneousness is likewise expressed4 ,parallel is chap4 ix4 #a 7#b71 where the people that walketh in darkness seeth a great light4 ,according to ,micah v4 #b 7#c7 also1 the people are given up to the dominion of the world's powers until the time that she who is bearing has brought forth4 ,inasmuch as the ,messianic proclamation bears the same general comprehensive character as the threatening of punishment1 and includes in itself beginning and end1 the suffering may partly also reach into the ,messianic time4 ,it dismisses from its discipline those who are delivered up to it1 gradually only1 after they have become ripe for a participation in the ,messianic salvation4--,there cannot be any doubt that1 by the ,sprout of the ,lord the ,messiah is designated1--an explanation which we meet with so early as in the ,chaldee ,paraphrast 7,hebrew3 bedna hhva ihi mwi,ha dii l,hdvh vliqr71 from which even ,kimchi did not venture to differ1 which was in the ,christian ,church1 too1 the prevailing one1 and which ,rationalism was the first to give up4 ,the ,messiah is here quite in ,his proper place4 ,the ,prophet had1 in chap4 iii4 #ab-ae1 in a very special manner1 derived the misery of the people from their bad rulers4 ,what is now more rational1 therefore1 than that he should connect the salvation and prosperity likewise with the person of a ,divine ,ruler8 comp4 chap4 i4 #bf4 ,in the adjoining prophecies of ,isaiah1 especially in chaps4 vii41 ix41 and xi41 the person of the ,messiah likewise forms the centre of the proclamation of salvation2 so that1 a priori1 a mention of it must be expected here4 ,to the same result we are led by the analogy of ,micah2 comp4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #ddc-de1 #ddi4 ,farther--,the representation of the ,messiah1 under the image of a sprout or shoot1 is very common in ,scripture2 comp4 chap4 xi4 #a-aj2 liii4 #b2 ,rev4 v4 #e4 ,but of decisive weight are those passages in which precisely our word ,hebrew3 cm,h occurs as a designation of the ,messiah4 ,the two passages1 ,jer4 xxiii4 #e3 ,behold1 the days come1 saith the ,lord1 and ,i raise unto ,david a righteous ,sprout2 and xxxiii4 #ae3 ,in those days1 and at that time1 shall ,i cause the ,sprout of righteousness to grow up unto ,david1 may at once and plainly be considered as an interpretation of the passage before us1 and as a commentary upon it2 and that so much the more that there1 as well as here1 all salvation is connected with this ,sprout of ,jehovah2 comp4 ,jer4 xxiii4 #f3 ,in ,his days ,judah ,pg #ad shall be saved1 and ,israel shall dwell safely1 and this is ,his name whereby he shall be called3 ,the ,lord our righteousness4 ,the two other passages1 ,zech4 iii4 #h3 ,behold1 ,i bring my servant ,zemach1 and vi4 #ab3 ,behold1 a man whose name is ,zemach are of so much the greater consequence that in them ,zemach 7i4e41 ,sprout7 occurs as a kind of nomen proprium1 the sense of which is supposed as being known from former prophecies to which the ,prophet all but expressly refers2 or as ,vitringa remarks on these passages3 ,that man who1 in the oracles of the preceding ,prophets 7,is4 and ,jer47 bears the name of ',sprout4' ,of no less consequence1 finally1 is the parallel passage1 chap4 xxviii4 #e3 ,in that day shall the ,lord of hosts be for a crown of glory1 and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of ,his people4 ,the words ,hebrew3 cbi and ,hebrew3 tpart there meet us again4 ,the same is there ascribed to the ,lord which is here attributed to the ,sprout of the ,lord4 ,that can be readily accounted for1 only if the ,sprout of the ,lord be the ,messiah4 ,for the ,messiah appears everywhere as the channel through which the ,lord imparts to ,his ,church all the fulness of ,his blessings1 as the ,immanuel by whom the promise given at the very threshold of the ,old ,testament3 ,i dwell in the midst of them1 is most perfectly realized4 ,this is the name whereby ,he shall be called3 ,the ,lord our righteousness1 says ,jeremiah1 in the passage quoted4--,the ,sprout of the ,lord may designate either him whom the ,lord causes to sprout1 or him who has sprouted forth from the ,lord1 i4e41 the ,son of ,god4 ,against the latter interpretation it is objected by ,hoffmann 7,weissagung und ,erfllung4 ,th4 #a1 ,s4 #bad73 ,hebrew3 cm,h is an intransitive verb1 so that ,hebrew3 cm,h may be as well connected with a noun which says1 who causes to sprout forth1 as with one which says1 whence the thing sprouts forth4 ,now it is quite obvious that1 in the passage before us1 the former case applies1 and not the latter1 inasmuch as one cannot say that something1 or even some one1 sprouts forth from ,jehovah2 it is only with a thing1 not with a person1 that ,hebrew3 cm,h can be connected4 ,but it is impossible to admit that this objection is well founded4 ,the person may very well be conceived of as the soil from which the sprout goes forth4 ,yet we must1 indeed1 acknowledge that the ,messiah is nowhere called a ,sprout of ,david4 ,but what decides in favour of the first view are the ,pg #ae parallel passages4 ,in ,jer4 xxiii4 #e1 xxxiii4 #ae1 the ,lord raises up to ,david a righteous ,sprout1 and causes ,him to grow up unto ,david4 ,hence here1 too1 the ,sprout will in that sense only be the ,lord's1 that he does not sprout forth out of ,him1 but through ,him4 ,in ,zech4 iii4 #h the ,lord brings his servant ,zemach2 in ,ps4 cxxxii4 #ag1 it is said3 ,there ,i cause a horn to sprout to ,david1 and already in the fundamental passage1 #b ,sam4 xxiii4 #e1 which contains the first germ of our passage1 ,david says3 ,for all my salvation and all my pleasure should ,he not make it to sprout forth4--,as the words ,sprout of the ,lord denote the heavenly origin of the ,redeemer1 so do the words ,hebrew3 pri har,c the earthly one1 the soil from which the ,lord causes the ,saviour to sprout up4 ,these words are1 by ,vitringa and others1 translated3 the fruit of the earth1 but the correct translation is the fruit of the land4 ,the passages1 ,num4 xiii4 #bf3 ,and shewed them the fruit of the land2 and ,deut4 i4 #be3 ,and they took in their hands of the fruit of the land1 and brought it unto us1 and brought us word again1 and said1 good is the land which the ,lord our ,god doth give us1--these two passages are1 besides that under consideration1 the only ones in which the phrase ,hebrew3 pri har,c occurs2 and there is here1 no doubt1 an allusion to them4 ,the excellent natural fruit of ancient times is a type of the spiritual fruit4 ,to the same result--that ,hebrew3 har,c designates the definite land1 that land which1 in the preceding verses1 in the description of the prevailing conniption1 and of the divine judgments1 was always spoken of1--to this result we are led by the fact also1 that everywhere in the ,old ,testament where the contrariety of the divine and human origin of the ,messiah is mentioned1 the human origin is more distinctly qualified and limited4 ,this is especially the case in those passages which1 being dependent upon that before us1 maybe considered as a commentary upon it2 in ,jer4 xxiii4 #e1 xxxiii4 #ae1 where the ,lord raises a ,sprout unto ,david1 and ,zech4 vi4 #ab1 where the man whose name is ,zemach 7,sprout7 grows up out of its soil2 comp4 ,heb4 vii4 #ad1 where1 in allusion to the ,old ,testament passages of the ,sprout--the verb ,greek3 anatellein is commonly used of the sprouting forth of the plants 7see ,bleek on this passage7--it is said3 ,greek3 ex ,iouda anatetalken ho ,kurios hmn1 ,bengel3 ut germen justitiae2 farther1 ,mic4 v4 #a 7#b71 where the eternal existence of the ,messiah1 ,pg #af and ,his birth in ,bethlehem are contrasted with one another2 ,is4 ix4 #e1 7#f71 where the words3 ,unto us a child is born1 unto us a son is given1 are contrasted with the various designations of the ,messiah1 according to ,his divine majesty4 ,this qualification and limitation which everywhere takes place1 have their ground in the circumstance that the ,messiah is constantly represented to the covenant-people as their property2 and that ,he1 indeed1 was1 inasmuch as salvation went out from ,jews 7,john iv4 #bb71 and was destined for the ,jews1 into whose communion the ,gentiles were to be received2 comp4 my ,commentary on ,revel4 vii4 #d4 ,the ,sprout of the ,lord1 the fruit of the land1 is accordingly ,he whom the ,lord shall make to sprout forth from ,israel4 ,the ,sprout of the ,lord1 the fruit of the land is to become to the escaped of ,israel for beauty and glory1 for exaltation and ornament4 ,the passages to be compared are #b ,sam4 i4 #ai1 where ,saul and ,jonathan are called ,hebrew3 cbi iwral2 farther1 ,is4 xxviii4 #e3 ,in that day shall the ,lord of hosts be for a crown of beauty1 and for a diadem of ornament unto the residue of ,his people1 where the words ,hebrew3 cbi and ,hebrew3 tpart are likewise used2 finally1 chap4 xxiv4 #af1 where1 in reference to the ,messianic time1 it is said3 ,from the uttermost part of the earth do we hear songs of praise3 beauty 7 ,hebrew3 cbi7 to the righteous4 ,by the appearance of ,christ1 the covenant-people1 hitherto despised1 were placed in the centre of the world's history2 by it the ,lord took away the rebuke of ,his people from off all the earth1 chap4 xxv4 #h4 ,there is evidently in these words a reference to the preceding threatening of punishment1 especially to chap4 iii4 #ah3 ,in that day the ,lord will take away the ornament1 c43 ,but ,drechsler is wrong in fixing and expressing this reference thus3 ,instead of farther running after strange things1 ,israel will find its glory and ornament in ,him who is the long promised seed of ,abrahamitic descent4 ,for it is not the position which ,israel takes that is spoken of1 but that which is granted to them4 ,the antithesis is between the false glory which ,god takes away1 and the true glory which ,he gives4 ,the ,lord cannot1 by any possibility1 for any length of time1 appear merely taking away2 ,he takes those seeming blessings1 only in order to be able to give the true ones4 ,every taking away is a prophecy of giving4--,to the escaped of ,israel1 who1 according to the idea of a people of ,god1 and according to ,pg #ag the promise of the ,law 7comp4 ,deut4 xxx4 #a1 ff47 can never be wanting1 as little as it is possible that the salvation should be partaken of by the whole mass of the people2 sifting judgments must necessarily go before and along with it4 ,true prophetism everywhere knows of salvation for a remnant only4 ,on ,hebrew3 pli,th1 which does not mean deliverance1 so that the abstract would thus here stand for the concrete1 but that which has escaped1 comp4 remarks on ,joel iii4 #e1 ,vol4 #a1 p4 #cch4 ,all which now remains is to examine those explanations of this verse which differ from the ,messianic interpretation4 #a4 ,following the interpretation of ,grotius and others1 ,gesenius1 in his ,commentary1 understands by the ,sprout of the ,lord the new growth of the people after their various defeats4 ,his explanation is3 ,then the sprout of ,jehovah will be splendid and glorious1 and the fruit of the land excellent and beautiful for the escaped of ,israel4 ,fruit of the land he takes in its literal sense1 and understands it to mean the product of the land4 ,the same view is held by ,knobel3 ,he becomes for beauty and glory1 i4e41 the people1 having reformed1 prosper and form a splendid1 glorious state4 ,and ,maurer in his ,dictionary says3 ,the ,sprout of ,jehovah seems to be the morally improved remnant1 the new1 sanctified increase of the people4 ,but in opposition to such a view there is1 first1 the circumstance1 that according to it the ,hebrew3 l before ,hebrew3 lcbi and ,hebrew3 lkbvr must be understood differently from what it is in ,hebrew3 lgav,n1 and ,hebrew3 ltpart which immediately follow and exactly correspond with them4 ,there are1 secondly1 the parallel passages chap4 xxviii4 #e1 xxiv4 #af1 according to which ,hebrew3 cbi beauty is conferred upon the escaped1 but they themselves do not become beauty4 ,finally--,it is always most natural to suppose that ,hebrew3 cm,h ihvh and ,hebrew3 pri har,c correspond with one another1 and denote the same subject which is here described after his various aspects only4 ,for in the same manner as ,hebrew3 cm,h and ,hebrew3 pri go hand in hand1 both being taken from the territory of botany1 so ,hebrew3 ihvh and ,hebrew3 har,c also stand in a contrast which is not to be mistaken4 #b4 ,hitzig1 ,ewald1 ,meier1 and others not only refer the fruit of the land1 but also the ,sprout of ,jehovah to that which ,jehovah makes to sprout forth4#b ,it is true that1 in the prophetic ,pg #ah announcements1 among the blessings of the future the rich produce of the land is also mentioned 7comp4 chap4 xxx4 #bc-be71 and the same is very expressly done in the ,law also2 but in not a single one of these passages does the strange expression occur1 that this fruitfulness should serve to the escaped for beauty and glory1 for exaltation and ornament1 or any other that bears the slightest resemblance to it4 ,against this explanation there is1 in addition1 the circumstance that the barrenness of the country is not at all pointed out in the preceding context4 ,finally--,when we understand this expression as referring to the ,messiah1 this verse1 standing as it does at the head of the proclamation of salvation1 contains the fundamental thought2 and in what follows we obtain the expansion4 ,in the verse before us we are told that in ,christ the people attain to glory1--and1 in those which follow1 how this glory is manifested in them4 ,but according to this view1 every internal connexion of the verse before us with what follows is entirely destroyed4 #c4 ,according to ,hendewerk1 by the ,sprout of the ,lord1 the collective person of the ruling portion in the state during the ,messianic happy time1 is designated4 ,this opinion is the beginning of a return to the ,messianic interpretation4 ,but then only could that ideal person be here referred to1 if elsewhere in ,isaiah too it would come out strongly and decidedly4 ,as this1 however1 is not the case2 as1 on the contrary1 the ,messiah everywhere in ,isaiah meets us in shining clearness1 it would be arbitrary to give up the person in favour of a personification4 #d4 ,umbreit acknowledges that1 in the case of ,hebrew3 cm,h ihvh1 the ,messianic interpretation is the only correct one4 ,the two subsequent prophecies in chap4 ix4 and xi41 he says1 are to be considered as a commentary on our short text4 ,but it is characteristic of his compromising manner that by the fruit of the land he understands the consequences of the dominion of the ,messiah for the land1 the fruits which1 in consequence of his appearing1 the consecrated soil brings forth1--thus plainly overlooking the clear ,pg #ai contrast between the ,sprout of the ,lord1 and the fruit of the land1 by which evidently the same thing is designated from different aspects4 ,ver4 #c4 ,the ,prophet now begins to show1 more in detail1 in how far the ,sprout of the ,lord and the fruit of the land would serve for the honour and glory of the ,church4 ,the words3 ,he that was left in ,zion and was spared in ,jerusalem1 take up the idea suggested by the escaped of ,israel in ver4 #b4 ,the double designation is intended to direct attention to the thought that the remnant1 and the remnant only1 are called to a participation in the glory4 ,zion and ,jerusalem1 as the centre of the covenant-people1 here represent the whole2 this is evident from the circumstance that at the close of ver4 #b1 which is here resumed1 the escaped of ,israel were spoken of ,ever since the sanctuary and the royal palace were founded at ,zion1 it was in a spiritual point of view1 the residence of all ,israel1 who even personally met there at the high festivals4--,whoever is left in ,zion shall be called holy4 ,the fundamental notion of holiness is that of separation4 ,god is holy1 inasmuch as ,he is separated from all that is created and finite1 and is elevated above all that is finite2 comp4 my ,commentary on ,rev4 iv4 #h4 ,believers are holy1 because they are separated from the world as regards their moral existence and their destiny4 ,here only the latter aspect is considered4 ,holy in a moral sense they were already1 inasmuch as it is this which forms the condition of their being spared in the divine judgments4 ,they became holy because they are partakers of the beauty1 of the exaltation1 and ornament which are to be bestowed upon the escaped by the ,sprout of the ,lord4 ,the circumstance that they have been installed into the dignity of the saints of ,god implies that1 when the ,spirit of the ,lord has appeared1 the world's power has no longer any dominion over them1 but that1 on the contrary1 they shall judge the world4 ,in like manner we read in ,exod4 xix4 #f1 in the description of the reward for faithfulness3 ,and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests1 and a holy nation2 comp4 ver4 #e3 ,and now if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant1 ye shall be a property unto me out of all people4 ,in reference to the exalted dignity and glory1 holiness occurs in ,deut4 vii4 #f3 ,for thou art an holy people unto the ,lord thy ,god2 the ,lord thy ,god hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself out of all the people that are upon ,pg #bj the face of the earth4 ,when the company of ,korah said3 ,all the congregation1 they are holy 7,numb4 xvi4 #c71 they had in view1 not the moral holiness but the dignity--a circumstance which is quite obvious from words added3 ,and in the midst of them is the ,lord4 ,and so ,moses likewise speaks of the dignity in ,numb4 xvi4 #g3 ,whom the ,lord shall choose1 he is the holy one4 ,in ,rom4 i4 #g2 ,heb4 iii4 #a1 holiness is declared to consist in being loved1 called1 and chosen by ,god4--,as regards the fulfilment of this promise1 it has its horas and moras4 ,it began with the first appearance of ,christ1 by which the position of the true ,israel to the world was substantially and fundamentally changed4 ,it was not without meaning that1 as early as in the apostolic times1 the ,saints was a kind of nomen proprium of believers1 comp4 ,acts ix4 #ac1 #cb4 ,we are even now the sons of ,god1 and hence even already installed into an important portion of the inheritance of holiness2 but it has not yet appeared what we shall be1 #a ,john iii4 #b4 ,but the beginning1 and the continuation pervading all ages1 viz41 ,god's dealings throughout the whole of history1 whereby he ever anew lifts up ,his ,church from the dust of lowliness1 afford to us the guarantee for the completion1 which is1 with graphic vividness1 described in the last two chapters of ,revelation4--,to be called is more than merely to be2 it indicates that the being is so marked as to procure for itself acknowledgment4--,the words3 ,every one that is written to life in ,jerusalem anew point out that judgment will go before1 and by the side of grace4 ,the meaning of ,hebrew3 ,hii,m is1 according to the fundamental passage in ,ps4 lxix4 #bi1 not living ones 7,hoffmann1 ,weiss4 i4 ,s4 #bjh71 but life4 ,in ,revelation1 too1 the book of life1 and not the book of the living ones1 is spoken of ,to be written to life is equivalent to being ordained to life1 ,acts xiii4 #dh2 comp4 my ,comment4 on ,ps4 lxix4 #bi2 ,rev4 iii4 #e4 ,life is not naked life1--a miserable life is1 according to the view of ,scripture1 not to be called a life1 but is a form of death only--but life in the full enjoyment of the favour of ,god2 comp4 my ,comment4 on ,ps4 xvi4 #aa1 xxx4 #f1 xxxvi4 #aj2 xlii4 #i2 lxiii4 #d4 ,the ,chaldean thus paraphrases it3 ,all they that are written to eternal life shall see the consolation of ,jerusalem1 i4e4 the ,messiah4 ,comp4 ,dan4 xii4 #a2 ,rev4 iii4 #e1 xiii4 #h1 xx4 #ae1 xxii4 #ai2 ,phil4 iv4 #c2 ,luke x4 #bj4 ,the bodily death of believers cannot exclude them from a participation in being written to ,pg #ba life2 for1 being a mere transition to life1 it can1 in truth1 not be called a death4 ,here1 too1 the word of ,christ applies3 ,the maid is not dead but sleepeth1 ,matt4 ix4 #bd4 ,the fact that there is no contradiction between bodily death and life1 i4e4 a participation in the blessings of the ,kingdom of ,christ1 is pointed out by ,isaiah himself in chap4 xxvi4 #ai3 ,thy dead men shall live1 my dead bodies shall arise1 for a dew of light is thy dew4 ,ver4 #d4 ,the ,prophet points out that before the ,church is raised to the dignity of the saints of ,god1 a thorough change of its moral conditions1 an energetic expunging of the sin now prevailing in her1 must take place1 ,when the ,lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of ,zion4 ,the daughters of ,zion are none other than those whose haughtiness1 luxury1 and wantonness were described in chap4 iii4 #af ff41 and to whom the deepest abasement was then threatened4 ,the filth1 under the image of which sin is here represented 7comp4 ,prov4 xxx4 #ab72 ,a generation pure in their own eyes1 and yet is not washed from their filthiness1 forms the contrast to the splendid attire which is there spoken of ,behind this splendid attire the filthiness is concealed4 ,the filth is not washed away 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #aa2 ,eph4 v4 #bf7 from the daughters of ,jerusalem1--for1 inasmuch as this washing away is accomplished by means of the spirit of destruction1 it could not apply to them--but from ,jerusalem2 comp4 the phrase1 from the midst thereof1 which immediately follows4 ,jerusalem1 the city of the ,lord1 in which no unclean person1 and no unclean thing are permitted to dwell1 is cleansed from the filth with which its unworthy daughters contaminate it4 ,and shall remove the blood of ,jerusalem4 ,the blood of ,jerusalem is the blood which attaches to ,jerusalem1 which has been shed in it4 ,the connection of the punishment of the sins of avarice on the part of the rulers1 in chap4 iii4 #ac-ae1 with the punishment of the luxury and ostentation on the part of the women1 is illustrative of the relation of filth and blood to each other4 ,blood is shed in order to furnish pride and vanity with the means of their gratification4 ,the avarice of the rulers1 and their shedding of blood1 are put together in ,ezek4 xxii4 #ac2 comp4 ver4 #bg3 ,her princes are in the midst thereof like wolves ravening the prey1 shedding blood1 destroying souls1 to get dishonest gain4 ,bloodguiltiness those too incur who deprive the poor of the necessary means of support1 ,mic4 iii4 #b1 #c4 ,the comparison of ,pg #bb chap4 i4 #ae3 ,your hands are full of blood1 and of ver4 #ba3 ,but now murderers1 compared with vers4 #ag1 #bc1 #bf1 shews that we have to think especially of unjust judges and avaricious rulers4 ,yet1 there is no reason for limiting ourselves to the nobles and rulers alone2 comp4 ,ezek4 xxii4 #bi3 ,the people of the land use oppression1 and boldly practice robbery1 and vex the poor and needy1 and oppress the stranger4 ,where sins so gross are still prevalent1 where the law of the ,lord is so wantonly broken1 an installation into the dignity of the saints of ,god is out of the question4 ,for that1 it is absolutely essential that exertions be made that the high destination of the people3 ,ye shall be holy for ,i am holy1 become a truth2 that in a moral point of view it show itself as truly separated from the world1--and that is something so infinitely great1 that men are utterly unable for it1 that it can proceed from ,god only1 with whom nothing is impossible4--,the last words of the verse are commonly explained3 by the spirit of judgment1 and by the spirit of destruction or burning4 ,in that case the putting away of the filth and blood by the judging activity of the ,lord1 by the destruction of sin1 would be spoken of ,hebrew3 mwp,t1 however1 may also be taken in the sense of right3 by the spirit of right which lays hold of1 and changes the well disposed 7comp4 ,mic4 iii4 #h3 ,but ,i am full of power by the ,spirit of the ,lord1 and of right and might71 and by the spirit of destruction which consumes the disobedient4 ,in favour of the latter view are the parallel passages2 above all1 chap4 xxviii4 #f1 where it is said of the ,messianic time1 ,in that day the ,lord will become1 c41 ,and for a spirit of right to him that sitteth for right2 farther1 chap4 i4 #bg1 #bh3 ,zion shall be redeemed by right1 and her converts by righteousness4 ,but the transgressors and sinners are destroyed together1 and they that forsake the ,lord are consumed4 ,comp4 ,matt4 iii4 #aa3 ,greek autos humas baptisei en pneumati hagi kai puri1 where likewise a double washing1 that of grace and that of wrath1 is spoken of4 ,in chap4 xxxii4 #ae3 ,until the ,spirit be poured out upon us from on high1 ,isaiah likewise points to the regeneration which1 in the ,messianic time1 will be accomplished by the ,spirit2 and it is1 according to the whole usus loquendi of the ,old ,testament1 most natural to think of the ,spirit transforming from within ,the ,spirit of ,god scarcely occurs elsewhere in the ,old ,testament as the executor of ,god's judgments2 so that the supposition is ,pg #bc very natural that the spirit of destruction has been brought in by the spirit of right only4--,the word ,hebrew3 ber is1 by some1 understood as burning1 by others1 as destruction4 ,we ourselves decide in favour of the latter signification1 which occurs also in chap4 iv4 #ac1 for this reason1 that it is in that signification that ,hebrew3 ber is1 in ,deuteronomy1 used as the terminus technicus of the extirpation of the wicked4 ,if the ,church does not comply with the command3 ,greek3 exareite ton ponron ex humn autn1 #a ,cor4 v4 #ac2 ,deut4 xiii4 #f 7#e71 ,god himself will enforce ,his authority by ,his ,spirit1 who carries out the judgments of the avenging ,god1 just as ,he carries out every influence of the ,creator upon the created4 ,on the ,spirit of the ,lord1 comp4 my remarks on ,rev4 i4 #d4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the image is here taken from the journey of ,israel through the wilderness4 ,during that journey1 they were guided and protected by a symbol of ,god's presence1 which by day presented itself as smoke1 and by night assumed the form of flaming fire4 ,by this symbol the ,god of ,israel was designated as the jealous ,god1 as the living1 personal energy1 energetic in ,his love for ,his people1 energetic in wrath against ,his and their enemies4 ,comp4 especially ,exod4 xiii4 #ba3 ,and the ,lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them on the way1 and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light2 and xl4 #ch3 ,for a cloud was upon the tabernacle by day1 and fire was on it by night2 comp4 ,numb4 ix4 #ae1 #af4 ,the same phenomenon is to be repeated in future1 although in a different form4 ,in a manner the most real1 the ,lord will manifest himself as the living energy of ,his ,church1 dwelling in the midst of her1 and ruling over her as a protector1 so that the world's power can no longer injure her4 ,that such will be done in and by ,his ,sprout1 in ,christ1 appears from the relation of the verse under consideration to ver4 #b2 for the verse before us still belongs to the expansion of the proposition placed at the head of the whole3 ,the ,sprout of the ,lord becomes for beauty and glory1 and the fruit of the land for exaltation and ornament to the escaped of ,israel4 ,christ in ,his person and ,spirit is the true ,shechinah1 the true indwelling of ,god in ,his ,church4 ,this indwelling is1 even in the ,law1 designated as the highest privilege of the covenant-people2 its being raised to a higher power is therefore to the ,prophet the highest blessing of the future1 the source from which all other blessings flow4 ,that which the heathen in vain longed ,pg #bd for and imagined2 that which ,israel hitherto possessed only very imperfectly1 a praesens numen1 whereby the antithesis of heaven and earth is done away with1 and earth is glorified into a heaven2--that1 the purified ,church of the ,lord possesses in the most perfect and real manner1 and in it1 absolute security against the world1 a decided victory over it4 ,the words3 ,over her assemblies1 show that the whole life of the people shall then bear a religious character1 and shall be a continual service of ,god1 comp4 ,acts ii4 #db1 where1 as a type of the completion of the ,church1 it is said3 ,and they continued stedfastly in the ,apostles' doctrine and fellowship1 and in breaking of bread1 and in prayers4 ,hebrew3 mqra is only the name for that which is called1 the assembly1 and stands in ,levit4 xxiii4 and ,is4 i4 #ac of the religious assemblies which were held on the holy days1 comp4 my pamphlet3 ,ueber den ,tag des ,herrn ,s4 #cb4 ,the same phenomenon is1 according to its appearance by day1 designated1 at the same time1 as clouds and smoke4 ,smoke is never vapour1 vapoury clouds 7,knobel72 and here the smoke by day corresponds with the flaming fire by night4 ,if then the smoke can be considered as a product of the fire only 7comp4 my remarks on ,rev4 xv4 #h71 the cloud cannot come into consideration according to its matter1 but according to its form only4 ,the smoke assumes the form of a cloud which affords protection from the burning sun of tribulations1 as once1 in the burning desert1 from the scorching heat of the natural sun1 comp4 ,num4 x4 #cd3 ,and the cloud of the ,lord was upon them2 ,ps4 cv4 #ci3 ,he spread a cloud for a covering2 ,is4 xxv4 #e4 ,the cloud which thus affords protection to the ,church turns a threatening face towards her enemies4 ,rev4 xv4 #h4--,the words3 ,for above all glory is a covering1 point to the ground of the protecting1 gracious presence of ,god in the ,church4 ,several interpreters explain the sense thus3 ,as we cover and preserve precious things more carefully1 in order that they may not be injured1 so does ,god in ,his grace surround ,his ,church1 which has been adorned with glorious virtues1 and raised to the high dignity of the saints of ,god1 and protects her from every danger4 ,others understand by ,hebrew3 kl-kbvd the whole glory mentioned in the preceding context2 but in that case we should expect the article4 ,one may also supply the limitation3 ,for1 in the ,kingdom of ,god1 there is a covering over all glory4 ,pg #be ,ver4 #f4 ,god--this is the same sense--protects ,his ,church from every danger and calamity4 ,by ,his gracious presence in ,his ,sprout1 ,he affords to them that protection which a hut does from sun1 storms1 and rain4 ,luther says3 ,in this passage1 accordingly1 ,christ is held up to us as ,he who in all tribulations1 bodily as well as spiritual1 is our protection4 ,there is an allusion to the #bast verse of ,ps4 xxxi4 7which was written by ,david73 ,thou hidest them in the secret of thy countenance from the conspiracy of every one2 thou keepest them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues4 ,the pavilion in this ,psalm is a spiritual one1 viz41 ,god's grace and protection4 ,that word of ,david shall be gloriously fulfilled when the ,sprout of the ,lord shall appear4--,the ,sun comes into consideration in its scorching quality2 and the heat is in ,scripture the image of temptations1 sufferings1 and trials2 comp4 remarks on ,rev4 viii4 #ab1 xvi4 #h2 ,song of ,sol4 i4 #f2 ,ps4 cxxi4 #f2 ,matt4 xiii4 #f1 compared with v4 #ba2 ,is4 xlix4 #aj1 xxv4 #d2 and1 according to the last passage1 we must especially have in view the enmity and assaults of the world's power4 ,the rain appears as an image of tribulation in the ,song of ,sol4 ii4 #aa2 ,is4 xxv4 #d3 ,the spirit of the terrible ones 7the passions of the kings of the world1 and conquerors7 is like a violent shower against the wall2 xxxii4 #b4--;,a comparison of the ,messianic prophecy in chap ii4 with that which we have now considered shows very clearly how necessary it is to regard the single ,messianic prophecies as fragments only1 supplementing one another1 inasmuch as commonly a few aspects only were presented to the spiritual eye of the ,prophet4 ,just as the description in chap4 ii4 receives an important supplement from the passage now considered1 inasmuch as the latter contains the mention of the personal ,messiah1 so it1 again1 supplements that before us by announcing the participation by the ,gentiles in the blessings of the ,messianic ,kingdom4 ,footnote #a3 ,light is the image of salvation2 to walk in the light is to enjoy a participation in it4 ,israel is not wantonly to wander away from the path of light which the ,lord has opened up to them1 into the dark desolation of misery4 ,in the words ,hebrew3 lkv vnlkh there is a clear reference to ,hebrew3 lkv vnelh of the ,gentile nations in ver4 #c4 ,if the ,gentiles apply with such zeal for a participation in the blessings of the ,kingdom of ,god1 how disgraceful would it be if you1 the people of the covenant1 the children of the ,kingdom1 should lose your glorious possession by your ungodly walk4 ,in vers4 #f-aa the ,prophet states the grounds of his admonition to the people to walk in the light of the ,lord which he had expressed in the preceding verse4 ,this admonition implies that there existed a danger of losing a participation in the light2 and it is this danger which the ,prophet here more particularly details4 ,it is not without reason1 so the words may be paraphrased1 that ,i say3 ,walk ye in the light of the ,lord1 for at present the ,lord has forsaken the people on account of their sins1 and with that1 a participation in ,his light is incompatible4 ,by being full of heathenish superstition1 of false confidence in earthly things1 yea1 even of the most disgraceful that can be imagined for ,israel1 viz41 gross idolatry1 they rather become more and more ripe for the divine judgment which will break in irresistibly upon them4 ,footnote #b3 ,so ,gesenius also in the ,thesaurus3 ,the whole earth shall be holy and shall more beautifully bloom and be adorned with plenty of fruits and corn for the benefit of those who have escaped from those calamities4 ,gesenius' wavering clearly shows how little satisfaction the non-,messianic explanation affords to its own abettors4 ,besides the explanations of ,hebrew3 cm,h ihvh by the new growth of the people1 and the rich produce of the country1 he advances still a third one1 viz41 a divinely favoured ruler1--an explanation which has even the grammar against it1 as we are at liberty to translate only3 ,the ,sprout of the ,lord2 and likewise the analogy of ,hebrew3 pri har,c1 according to which the ,genitive can have a reference to the origin only4 ,pg #bf ,,the ,,prophecy1 ,,chap4 ,,vii4 ,,immanuel4 ,a crisis of the most important nature in the history of ,israel is formed by the ,syrico-,ephraemitic war1 by the expedition of the allied kings1 ,rezin of ,damascus1 and ,pekah of ,samaria1 which had been already prepared under the reign of ,jotham1 and which broke out in the first years of ,ahaz4 ,it was in consequence of this war that ,asshur came into the land4 ,the inroad of the ,assyrian ,king1 ,pul1 under ,menahem of ,israel1 had been transitory only1 comp4 ,vol4 #a4 p4 #afe4 ,it was only with the invasion under ,ahaz that the tendency of ,asshur began of making lasting conquests on the other side of the ,euphrates1 which could not fail to bring about a collision with the ,egyptian power4 ,the succeeding powers in ,asia and ,europe followed ,asshur's steps4 ,hitherto1--so says ,caspari1 in his pamphlet on the ,syrico-,ephraemitic war1 ,s4 #ag ff4--hitherto ,israel had to do with the small neighbouring nations only1--now1 in punishment of their sins1 oppressed by them2 then1 in reward of their obedience1 oppressing and ruling over them4 ,and the ,syrico-,ephraemitic war itself had been a link only in the chain of these attacks--its last link4 ,israel1 having arrived at the point of being hardened1 and having entered upon a path in accordance with this tendency1 required another more severe corrective--its being crushed by the mighty world's power4 ,the appearance of these mighty powers1 just at the period when ,israel entered upon their hardening1 is most providential4--,the beginning of the end of the kingdom of the ten tribes had come1 and the breaking up of its independent political existence had commenced4 ,as enmity to ,judah had given its origin to the kingdom of the ten tribes1 so also did it bring about its destruction2 born out of it1 it died of it4 ,it owed its existence to the incipient enmity2 when the latter was accomplished 7,isa4 vii4 #f17 it caused its death4--,the ,assyrians came to the help of ,judah1 but charged a high price for their help1 viz41 ,judah's submission and fealty4 ,thirty heavy years of servitude1 and1 to a great part1 of ,pg #bg fears of the worst1 #b ,kings xvi4 #ah2 ,is4 xxxiii4 #ah 7872 xxxvii4 #c1 followed for this kingdom also2 and when1 at the close of this period1 it freed itself from them after the fashion of the kingdom of ,israel1 it shared nearly the same fate1 #b ,kings xviii4 #ca ff4 ,it was only to the mercy of the ,lord1 who looked graciously upon the feeble beginnings of conversion1 that it owed its deliverance4 ,the ,assyrian power1 which had put an end to the kingdoms of ,damascus and ,israel1 and which was the first power that appeared on the stage of history and came into conflict with the people of ,god1 became a significant sign of the final fate of the world's power in its attacks upon the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,but1 as a prelude to the long series of visitations which it had to endure from the world's power in its different phases1 ,judah was even now led to the very brink of destruction2 there came a period1 the #adth year of ,hezekiah1 when almost nothing more of it was to be seen by the outward eye than its metropolis exposed to the utmost danger4 ,a remarkable proof of the fact that the spirit which filled the prophets was a higher one than their own1 is the fact that ,isaiah recognized so distinctly and clearly the importance of the decisive moment4 ,in close connection with the great crisis at which the history of the people of ,god had arrived1 stands the richer display of the ,messianic announcement which begins with the chapter before us4 ,messiah is henceforth represented to ,judah as an ,immanuel against the world's powers1 as the surety for its deliverance from the severe oppressions hanging over it1 as ,he who at last1 at ,his appearance1 would conquer the world1 and lay it at the feet of the people of ,god4 ,after these general introductory remarks1 let us turn more particularly to the contents of the chapter before us4 ,it was told to the house of ,david3 ,aram is encamped in ,ephraim4 ,the position of ,ahaz was1 humanly considered1 desperate4 ,his enemies were far superior to him1 and he could scarcely hope for help from heaven1 for he had an evil conscience4 ,the idea of seeking help from ,asshur was natural4 ,isaiah received a commission to oppose this idea before it became a firm resolution4 ,in doing so he1 by no means1 occupies the position of an ingenious politician4 ,on the contrary1 the whole commission is ,pg #bh forced upon him4 ,it can scarcely be doubted that the ,assyrians would have penetrated to ,western ,asia1 even if ,ahaz had not called them to his assistance4 ,the expedition of the ,syrians and ,ephraimites with the view of making conquests1 could not but turn their attention to that quarter4 ,as the instruments of the judgments upon ,damascus and ,samaria1 which ,isaiah announced as impending under any circumstances1 we can surely think of none but ,asshur4 ,but if once they came into these regions1 in order to chastise the haughtiness of the ,syrians and ,ephraimites1 who would set up as a new conquering power1 then was ,judah too threatened by them4 ,in a political point of view it did not make any great difference whether ,ahaz sought help from the ,assyrians1 or not2 on the contrary1 the king of ,asshur could not but be more favourably disposed towards him for so doing4 ,isaiah1 throughout1 rather occupies the position of the man of ,god4 ,the kings of the people of ,god were1 in general1 not prevented from forming alliances2 but such alliances must belong to the category of permitted human resources4 ,such1 however1 was not the case here4 ,asshur was a conquering power1 altogether selfish4 ,his help had to be purchased with dependance1 and with the danger of entire destruction2 to stay upon him was to stay upon their destroyer1 ,is4 x4 #bj4 ,such an alliance was a de facto denial of the ,god of ,israel1 an insult to ,his omnipotence and grace4 ,if ,ahaz had obeyed ,him2 if he had limited himself to the use of the human means granted to him by the ,lord without trusting in them1 and had placed all his confidence in the ,lord1 ,he would have delivered him in the same manner as ,he afterwards delivered ,hezekiah1 in the first instance from ,aram and ,ephraim1 and then from ,asshur also4 ,but although ,ahaz did not follow the prophet1 his mission was by no means in vain4 ,even before the mission1 this result lay open before the ,lord who sent him4 ,the great point was to establish1 before the first conflict of ,israel with the world's power1 thus much1 that this conflict had been brought about by the sin of the house of ,david1 and that hence it did not afford any cause for doubting the omnipotence and mercy of the ,lord whose help had been offered1 but rejected4 ,the ,prophet seeks out the king at a place to which he had been driven by his despairing disquietude which was clinging convulsively to human resources4 ,he endeavours1 first1 to exert ,pg #bi an influence upon him by taking with him his son1 whose symbolical name1 containing a prophecy of the future destinies of the people1 indicated that the king's fear of a total destruction of the ,state was without foundation4 ,after the king has thus been prepared1 he endeavours to make a deeper impression upon him by the announcement1 distinct and referring to the present case1 that the enemies should not only entirely fail in their intention of conquering and dividing between themselves the kingdom of ,judah2 but that the kingdom of ,ephraim was itself hastening towards that destruction which it was preparing for its brethren1 and that after sixty-five years it should altogether lose its national independence and existence1 ver4 #a-i4 ,but ,ahaz makes no reply2 and his whole deportment shows that he does not follow the ,prophet's exhortation to take heed and be quiet1 and that the words3 ,if ye do not believe1 ye shall not be established1 with which the ,prophet closes his address1 have not made any impression upon him4 ,in order that the greatness of the king's hardness of heart may become manifest1 the ,prophet offers1 in the commission of the ,lord1 to confirm the certainty of his statement by a miraculous sign1 which the king himself is called upon to fix1 without any restriction1 in order that any suspicion of imposition may be removed4 ,but ,ahaz1 the unbeliever1 is afraid of heavenly communications1 has already chosen his help1 wishes that every thing should go on in an easy human manner1 and refuses the ,lord's offer in a polite turn which even refers to the ,law4 ,a sign is then forced upon him1 because as the king of ,judah1 he must see and hear for all ,judah that the ,lord is faithful and good4#a ,the ,prophet1 in ver4 #ad1 points to the birth of the ,saviour by a ,virgin4 ,how then was it possible that in the present collision that people should be destroyed1 among whom1 according to former promises4 ,he was to be born2 that that family should be extinguished from which he was to be descended8 ,the name ,immanuel1 by which the future ,saviour is designated as ,he in whom the ,lord is1 in the truest manner1 to be with ,his people1 is a guarantee for ,his help in the present distress also4 ,the ,prophet then states the time in which the land shall be entirely delivered from its present enemies4 ,the contemporaries1 as the representative of whom ,pg #cj the child appears 7the ,prophet1 in the energy of his faith1 has transferred the birth of this child from the future to the present71 shall1 after the short space of about two years1 again obtain the full enjoyment of the products of the land1 ver4 #ae4 ,for1 before this period has elapsed1 destruction will fall upon the hostile kings in their own land1 ver4 #af4 ,the danger1 however--and this is pointed out in ver4 #ag-be--will come from just that quarter from which ,ahaz expects help1 viz41 from ,asshur4 ,but the security for deliverance from this danger also--the conqueror of the world's power which was soon to begin its course in ,asshur1 is none other than ,immanuel1 whom the ,prophet1 in the beginning of the humiliation of the people of ,god1 makes1 so to say1 to become man1 in order that1 during the impending deep humiliation of the people of ,god1 ,he may accompany it in its history during all the stages of its existence1 until ,he should really become man4 ,he is1 however in this discourse1 not yet pointed out as the deliverer from ,asshur1 and the world's power represented by him4 ,the darkness of the misery to be inflicted by ,asshur should not1 and could not1 in the meantime1 be cleared up for ,ahaz2 the picture must end in night4 ,but in the following discourse1 chap4 viii4 #a1 ix4 #f 7#g71 which serves as a necessary supplement to the one before us1 the ,saviour is depicted before the eyes of those despairing in the sight of ,asshur2 and the two-fold repetition of ,his name ,immanuel1 in chap4 viii4 #h1 #aj1 serves to show that the two discourses are intimately connected1 and form one whole4 ,ahaz persevered in his unbelief1 according to #b ,kings xvi4 #g1 #h4 ,he sent messengers with large presents to ,tiglath-pileser1 ,king of ,assyria1 saying3 ,i am thy servant and thy son 7a word as ominous as that3 ',we have no king but ,csar1'in ,john xix4 #ce72 come up and save me out of the hand of the ,king of ,aram1 and out of the hand of the ,king of ,israel which rise up against me4 ,but before the asked-for help came1 king and people had to endure very severe sufferings from ,aram and ,ephraim4 ,ahaz1 after having first made preparations to secure ,jerusalem against the impending siege1 sent out his armies4 ,they met with a twofold heavy defeat from the divided armies of the allied kings1#b from which he might have been spared by ,pg #ca being still1 and hoping4 ,the hostile armies then came up to ,jerusalem1 and laid siege to it4 ,it was probably by the intelligence of the advance of ,asshur that they were induced to raise the siege4 ,it was now confirmed that the ,prophet had been right in designating the two hostile kings as mere tails of smoking firebrands4 ,damascus was taken by the ,king of ,ophir2 the inhabitants were carried away into exile to ,kir2 ,rezin was slain1 #b ,kings xvi4 #i3 the land of ,israel was devastated2 a portion of its inhabitants was carried away into exile2 the king was made tributary1 #b ,kings xv4 #bi4 ,exactly at the time fixed by the ,prophet1 the overthrow of the two hostile kingdoms took place2 but the deliverance which1 without any farther sacrifice1 ,ahaz would have obtained1 if he had believed the ,prophet1 had now to be purchased by very heavy sacrifices2 and with perfect justice it is said in #b ,chron4 xxviii4 #bj1 #ba1 that the king of ,asshur did not help him1 but rather1 by coming unto him1 distressed him4 ,ahaz purchased this help at the price of his independence1 and had probably to submit to very hard claims being made upon him4 7,caspari1 ,s4 #fj47 ,the world's power1 to which ,ahaz had offered a finger1 seized1 more and more1 the whole hand1 and held it by a firm grasp4 ,under ,hezekiah1 faith broke through the consequences of the sin of the family2 but this interruption lasted as long only as did the faith4 ,in addition to that which ,ahaz had1 for his unbelief1 to suffer from ,aram1 ,ephraim1 and ,asshur1 came the rebellion of the neighbouring nations1--of the ,edomites1 according to #b ,chron4 xxviii4 #ag1 and of the ,philistines1 according to ver4 #ah4 ,ver4 #a4 ,and it came to pass in the days of ,ahaz1 the son of ,jotham1 the son of ,uzziah1 that ,rezin1 the king of ,aram1 and ,pekah the son of ,remaliah1 the king of ,israel1 went up toward ,jerusalem1 to war against it1 and could not fight against it4 ,in thus tracing back the pedigree of ,ahaz to ,uzziah1 there is a reference to chap4 vi4 #a3 ,in the year that ,king ,uzziah ,pg #cb died1 c4 ,these two chapters stand related to each other as prophecy and fulfilment4 ,it was in the year of ,uzziah's death that the ,prophet had been seized with fearful forebodings2 and by the divine word these fearful forebodings had soon been raised into a clear knowledge of the threatening judgments which were impending4 ,under ,ahaz1 the second successor of ,uzziah1 this knowledge began to be realized1 keeping pace with the hardening which in ,ahaz had become personified4 ,he1 the type of the unbelieving ,jewish people1 did not hear and understand1 did not see and perceive2 and the announcement of the ,prophet served merely to increase his hardening4 ,even as early as that1 the germ of the carrying away of the people1 announced by the ,prophet in chap4 vi41 was formed4--,the circumstance of the hostile kings being introduced as going up implies the spiritual elevation of ,jerusalem2 comp4 remarks on ,ps4 xlviii4 #c2 xlviii4 #ag4 ,the city of ,god is unconquerable unless her inhabitants and1 above all1 the anointed one of ,god1 make1 by their unbelief1 their glorious privilege of no avail4 ,in the last words3 ,and could not fight against it1 7the singular ,hebrew3 ikl because ,rezin is the chief person1 ,rezin and ,pekah being identical with ,rezin with ,pekah1 comp4 ,esth4 iv4 #af71 the result of the siege is anticipated2 and this is easily accounted for by the consideration that ver4 #a serves as an introduction to the whole account1 stating1 in general terms1 the circumstances which induced the ,prophet to come publicly forward4 ,in the following verses1 the share only is mentioned which the ,prophet took in the matter2 and the account is closed after he has discharged his commission4 ,the apparent contradiction to #b ,kings xvi4 #e1 according to which ,jerusalem was really besieged1--a contradiction which occurs also in that passage itself3 ,and they besieged ,ahaz1 and could not fight--is most simply reconciled by the remark that a fruitless struggle can1 as it were1 not be called a struggle1 just as1 e4 g41 in the ,old ,testament1 such as have a name little known are spoken of as being without a name4 ,ver4 #b1 ,and it was told to the house of ,david1 saying3 ,aram rests upon ,ephraim4 ,then his heart trembled1 and the heart of his people1 like as the trembling of the trees of the wood before the wind4 ,the representative of the house of ,david was1 according to ,pg #cc ver4 #a1 ,ahaz1 to whom the suffix in ,hebrew3 lbbv refers4 ,it is thereby intimated that ,ahaz does not come into consideration as an individual1 but as a representative of the whole ,davidic family1 of which the members were responsible1 conjunctly and severally1 and which in ,ahaz denied their ,god1 and gave themselves up to the world's power1--a deed of the family from the consequences of which a heroic faith only1 like that of ,hezekiah1 could deliver1 but in such a manner only that it at once became valid again when this faith ceased1 until at length in ,christ the house of ,david was raised to glory4 ,ver4 #ai shows that ,hebrew3 nv,h must be taken in the signification to let oneself down1 to sit down1 to encamp4 ,the anguish of the natural man1 who has not his strength in ,god at the breaking in of danger1 is most graphically described4 ,ver4 #c4 ,and the ,lord said to ,isaiah3 ,go out to meet ,ahaz1 thou and ,shearjashub thy son1 at the end of the conduit of the upper pool1 in the highway of the fuller's field4 ,why is the ,prophet to seek out the king just at this place8 ,the answer is given by chap4 xxii4 #b4 ,and a reservoir you make between the two walls for the waters of the old pool3 and not do ye look unto him who makes it 7viz41 the impending calamity71 and not do ye regard him who fashioned it long ago4 ,when a siege of ,jerusalem was imminent1 in the lower territory1 the first task was to cut off the water from the hostile army4 ,this measure ,hezekiah1 according to #b ,chron4 xxxii4 #c1 took against ,sennacherib3 ,and he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men1 to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city1 and they helped him4 ,that might be done in faith2 but he who1 like ,ahaz1 did not stand in the faith1 sought in it1 per se1 his safety2 his despairing heart clung to such measures4 ,the stopping of the fountains was1 in his case1 on a level with seeking help from the ,assyrians4 ,it is thus in the midst of his sin that the ,prophet seeks out the king1 and recalls to his conscience3 take heed and be quiet4 ,but why did the ,prophet take his son ,shearjashub with him8 ,it surely cannot be without significance2 for otherwise it would not have been recorded1 far less would it have been done at the express command of the ,lord4 ,as the boy does not appear actively1 the reason can only be in the signification of the name4 ,according to chap4 viii41 the ,prophet was accustomed to give to ,pg #cd his sons symbolical names which had a relation to the destinies of the nation4 ,they were1 according to chap4 viii4 #ah1 for signs and for wonders in ,israel4 ,but as an interpretation of the name1 the passage chap4 x4 #ba is to be considered3 ,the remnant shall return1 the remnant of ,jacob unto the mighty ,god4 ,the word ,hebrew3 wvb can1 accordingly1 be understood of returning to the ,lord1 of repentance only1 comp4 chap4 i4 #bg2 ,hos4 iii4 #e4 ,but with repentance the recovery of salvation is indissolubly connected4 ,the reason why it is impossible that they who commit the sin against the ,holy ,ghost shall never recover salvation lies solely in the circumstance1 that it is impossible that they should be renewed to repentance4 ,the fundamental passage1 which is comprehended in the name of the ,prophet's son3 ,and thou returnest unto the ,lord thy ,god4444 ,and the ,lord thy ,god turneth thy captivity 7i4e41 thy misery71 and hath compassion upon thee1 and returneth and gathereth thee from all the nations 7,deut4 xxx4 #b1 #c71 emphatically points out the indissoluble connection of the return to the ,lord1 and of the return of the ,lord to ,his people4 ,this connection comes out so much the more clearly1 when we consider that1 according to ,scripture1 repentance is not the work of man but of ,god1 and is nothing else but the beginning of the bestowal of salvation2 comp4 ,deut4 xxx4 #f3 ,and the ,lord thy ,god circumciseth thine heart1 and the heart of thy seed to love the ,lord thy ,god with all thine heart1 and with all thy soul1 that thou mayest live2 ,zech4 xii4 #aj4 ,king and people feared entire destruction2 and it was at this that their powerful enemies aimed4 ,isaiah took his son with him1 as the living proof of the preservation of the nation1 even amidst the most fearful destruction of the greater part of it4 ,after having in this manner endeavoured to free their minds from the extreme of fear1 he seeks to elevate them to joyful hopes1 by the prophetical announcement proper1 which showed that1 from this quarter1 not even the future great judgment1 which would leave a portion only1 was to be feared4 ,ver4 #d4 ,and say unto him3 ,take heed and be quiet2 fear not1 nor let thy heart be tender for the two ends of these smoking firebrands1 for the fierce anger of ,rezin and ,aram1 and of the son of ,remaliah4 ,pg #ce ,the words ,take heed point to the dangerous consequences of fear2 comp4 ver4 #i3 ,if ye do not believe1 ye shall not be established4 ,on the words be quiet1 lit41 make quiet1 viz41 thy heart and walk1 comp4 chap4 xxx4 #ae3 ,for thus saith the ,lord3 ,by returning and rest ye shall be saved2 in quietness and confidence shall be your strength2 and ye would not4 ,such as he was1 ,ahaz could not respond to the exhortations to be quiet4 ,quietness is a product of faith4 ,but the way of faith stood open to ,ahaz every moment1 and by his promising word and by his example1 the ,prophet invited him to enter upon it4 ,in the words3 ,fear not1 c41 there is an unmistakable reference to ,deut4 xx4 #a1 ff41 according to which passage the priest was1 on the occasion of hostile oppression1 to speak to the people3 ,let not your hearts be tender1 and be not terrified4 ,that which1 in the ,law1 the priest was commanded to do1 is here done by the ,prophet1 who was obliged so often to step in as a substitute1 when the class of the ordinary servants fell short of the height of their calling4--,the firebrand is the image of the conqueror who destroys countries by the fire of war1 comp4 remarks on ,rev4 viii4 #h4 ,the ,prophet is just about to announce to the hostile kings their impending overthrow2 for this reason1 he calls them ends of firebrands1 which no longer blaze1 but only glimmer4 ,he calls them thus because he considers them with the eye of faith2 to the bodily eye a bright flame still presented itself1 as the last words3 ,for the fierce anger1 c41 and vers4 #e and #f show4 ,chrysostom remarks3 ,he calls these kings 'firebrands1'to indicate at the same time their violence1 and that they are to be easily overcome2 and it is for this reason1 that he adds 'smoking1'i4e41 that they were near being altogether extinguished4 ,vers4 #e1 #f4 ,because ,aram meditates evil against thee1 ,ephraim and the son of ,remaliah1 saying3 ,let us go up against ,judah1 and drive it to extremity1 and conquer it for us1 and set up as a king in the midst of it the son of ,tabeal4 ,we have here1 farther carried out1 the thought indicated by the words3 for the fierce anger1 c4 ,the interval1 in the original text1 between vers4 #f and #g1 is put in to prevent the false connection of these verses with ver4 #g 7,hitzig and ,ewald74--,hebrew3 qv,c always means to loathe1 to experience disgust2 here1 ,pg #cf in ,hiph41 to cause disgust1 to drive to extremity2 comp4 my work on ,balaam1 ,rem4 on ,num4 xxii4 #c4--;,hebrew3 bqe means always3 to cleave asunder1 to open1 to conquer4--,the words3 ,for us1 show that ,tabeal is to be the vassal only of the two kings4 ,the absolute confidence with which the ,prophet recognizes the futility of the plan of the two kings1 forms a glaring contrast to the modern view of ,prophetism1 ,ver4 #b shows in what light ordinary consciousness did1 and could not fail to look on the then existing state of things4 ,ver4 #g4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,jehovah3 ,it shall not stand1 neither shall it come to pass4 7,a plan stands when it is carried out47 ,ver4 #h4 ,for the head of ,aram is ,damascus1 and the head of ,damascus is ,rezin1 and in threescore and five years more1 ,ephraim shall be broken1 and be no more a people4 ,ver4 #i4 ,and the head of ,ephraim is ,samaria1 and the head of ,samaria is ,remaliah's son4 ,if ye believe not1 ye shall not be established4 ,each of these two verses forms a complete whole4--,the words3 ,for the head of ,aram1 c41 to ,rezin receive their explanation from the antithesis to vers4 #e and #f1 where the king of ,aram and the king of ,ephraim had declared their intention of extending their dominion over ,judah4 ,as1 concerning this intention and this hope1 the ,lord has declared ,his will that it shall not be1 we must understand3 ,not as regards ,judah1 and not as regards ,jerusalem4 ,it is in vain that men's thoughts exalt themselves against the purposes of ,god4 ,from ,aram1 the ,prophet turns1 in the second part of the verse1 to ,ephraim3 ,and even ,ephraim6 ,what could it prevail against the ,lord and ,his ,kingdom6 ,it surely should give up all attempts to get more2 its days are numbered1 the sword is already suspended over its own head4 ,but inasmuch as it is possible1 although not likely1 that ,ephraim1 before its own overthrow1 may still bring evil upon ,judah1 this is expressly denied in ver4 #i3 ,samaria1 according to the counsel of ,god1 and the limit assigned to it1 is the head of ,ephraim only1 and not1 at the same time1 of ,judah1 c4 ,with this are then connected the closing words3 ,if ye believe not1 ye shall not be established 7properly1 the consequence will be that ye do not continue71 which are equivalent to it3 it is hence not ,samaria ,pg #cg and the son of ,remaliah that you have to fear2 the enemy whom you have to dread1 whom you have to contend against with prayer and supplication1 is in yourselves4 ,take heed lest a similar cause produce a similar effect1 as in the last clause of ver4 #h it has been threatened against ,ephraim4--,this prophecy and warning1 one would have expected to have produced an effect so much the deeper1 because they were not uttered by some obscure fanatic1 but by a worthy member of a class which had in its favour the sanction of the ,lawgiver1 and which in the course of centuries had been so often and so gloriously owned and acknowledged by ,god4#c ,pg #ch ,vers4 #aj1 #aa4 ,and the ,lord spoke farther unto ,ahaz1 saying1 ,ask thee a sign of the ,lord thy ,god2 ask it from the depth1 or above from the height4 ,ahaz observed a dignified silence after those words of the ,prophet2 but his whole manner shews the ,prophet that they have not made any impression upon him4 ,if ,david's spirit had rested on ,ahaz1 he would surely1 if he had wavered at all1 have1 on the word of the ,prophet1 thrown himself into the arras of his ,god4 ,but in order that the depth of his apostacy1 the greatness of his guilt1 and the justice of the divine judgments may become manifest1 ,god shows him even a deeper condescension4 ,the ,prophet offers to prove the truth of his announcement by any miraculous work which the king himself should determine1 and from which he might1 at the same time1 see ,god's omnipotence1 and the ,divine mission of the ,prophet4 ,as ,ahaz refused the offered sign1 the word #b ,tim4 ii4 #ab1 #ac3 ,greek3 ei arnoumetha1 kakeinos arnsetai hmas4 ei apistoumen1 ekeinos pistos menei--arnsasthai gar heauton ou dunatai came into application4 ,according to ,deut4 vii4 #i ff4 the truth and faithfulness of ,god must now manifest itself in the ,pg #ci infliction of severe visitations upon the house of ,david4--,the character of a sign is1 in general1 borne by everything which serves for certifying facts which belong to the territory of faith1 and not to that of sight4 #a4 ,in some instances1 the sign consists in a mere naked word2 thus in ,exod4 iii4 #ab3 ,and this shall be the sign unto thee that ,i have sent thee3 ,when thou hast brought forth the people out of ,egypt1 ye shall serve ,god upon this mountain4 ,moses'doubts of the truth of his ,divine mission originated in the consciousness of his own unworthiness1 and in the condition of those to whom he was sent4 ,from these doubts he was delivered by the announcement that1 at the place where he had been called1 he1 at the head of the delivered people1 should serve his ,god4 ,this was to him a sign that ,god was in earnest in calling him4 #b4 ,in other instances the assurance given by the sign consists in its perceptibility and corporeality2 so that the word assumes1 as it were1 flesh and blood4 ,a case of this kind it is1 e4g41 when1 in chap4 viii4 #ah1 ,isaiah calls his two sons1 to whom1 at the command of ,god1 he had given symbolical names1 expressive of the future salvation of the covenant-people1 ,signs and wonders in ,israel2 farther1 chap4 xx4 #c1 where the ,prophet walks naked and barefoot for a sign of the calamity impending over ,egypt and ,ethiopia in three years4 #c4 ,in another class of signs1 a fact is announced which is1 in itself1 natural1 but not to be foreseen by any human combination1 the coming to pass of which1 in the immediate future1 furnishes the proof that1 at a distant future1 that will be fulfilled which was foretold as impending4 ,the wonderful element1 and the demonstrative power do not1 in such a case1 lie in the matter of the sign1 but in the telling of it beforehand4 ,it is in this sense that1 in #a ,sam4 x41 ,samuel gives several signs to ,saul1 that ,god had destined him to be king1 e4g41 that in a place exactly fixed1 he would meet two men who would bring him the intelligence that the lost asses were found2 that1 farther onwards1 he would meet with three men1 one of whom would be carrying three kids1 another1 three loaves of bread1 and another1 a bottle of wine1 c4 ,in #a ,sam4 ii4 #cd1 the sudden death of his two sons is given to ,eli as a sign that all the calamities threatened against his family should certainly come to pass4 ,in ,jer4 xliv4 #bi1 #cj1 the impending defeat of ,pharaoh-,hophras is given as a sign of the divine vengeance breaking in upon the ,jews in ,egypt4 ,even before the ,pg #dj thing came to pass1 it could not in such a case1 be otherwise than that the previous condition and foundation brought before the eyes in a lively manner 7,jer4 xliv4 #cj3 ,behold1 ,i give ,pharaoh-,hophras into the hands of his enemies7 gave a powerful shock to the doubts as to whether the fact in question would come to pass4 #d4 ,in other cases1 the assurance was given in such a manner1 that all doubts as to the truth of the announcement were set at rest by the immediate performance of a miraculous work going beyond the ordinary laws of nature4 ,thus1 e4g41 ,isaiah says to ,hezekiah1 in chap4 xxviii4 #g3 ,and this shall be the sign unto thee from the ,lord1 that the ,lord will do this thing which ,he has spoken1 and1 as a sign that the ,lord would add fifteen years to the life of the ,king1 who was sick unto death1 he makes the shadow on the sun-dial of ,ahaz to go back ten degrees4 ,of this description were also the signs granted to ,gideon1 and1 in many respects1 the plagues in ,egypt also4 ,in the passage before us1 no other sign can possibly be spoken of than one of the two last classes4 ,for it was a real1 miraculous sign only which could possibly exert any influence on a mind so darkened as was that of ,ahaz1 and it was the vain offer of such an one only which was fitted to bring to light his obduracy4 ,if1 then1 the ,prophet was willing and able to give a real1 miraculous sign1 why1 then1 is the answer of ,ahaz so unsuitable8 ,and we can surely not suppose1 as ,meier does1 that he should have intentionally misunderstood the ,prophet4 ,the temptation of the ,lord by the children of ,israel1 to which the word of the ,lord1 ,deut4 vi4 #af1 quoted by ,ahaz1 refers1 consisted1 according to ,exod4 xvii41 in their having asked water1 as a miraculous sign that the ,lord was truly in the midst of them4 ,how could the ,prophet reproach ,ahaz with having offended1 not men merely1 but ,god1 unless he had offered to prove1 by a fact which lay absolutely beyond the limits of nature1 the truth of his announcement1 the divinity of ,him who gave it1 the divinity of his own mission1 and the soundness of his advice8 ,hendewerk is of opinion that it is difficult to say what the author would have made to be the sign in the heavens2 probably1 a very simple thing4 ,but in making this objection it is forgotten that ,isaiah gives free choice to the king4 ,hitzig says3 ,without knowing it1 ,isaiah here plays a very dangerous game4 ,for if ,ahaz had accepted his proposition1 ,jehovah would ,pg #da probably have left ,his servant in the lurch1 and he would have begun to doubt of his ,god and of himself4 ,in these words1 at all events1 it is conceded that the prophets themselves would not be what people in modern times would have them to be4 ,if such was their position towards miracles1 then1 in their own convictions1 prophecies1 too1 must be something else than general descriptions1 and indefinite forebodings4 ,but how should it have been possible that an order could have maintained itself for centuries1 the most prominent members of which gave themselves up to such enthusiastic imprudence and rashness8 ,moreover1 it is overlooked that afterwards1 to ,hezekiah1 our ,prophet grants that in reality which here he offers to ,ahaz in vain1--,hebrew3 hemq and ,hebrew3 hgbh are ,infin4 absol4 going high1 going low4 ,the ,imperat4 ,hebrew3 walh must be understood after ,hebrew3 hgbh also4 ,some explain ,hebrew3 walh by to hell1 down to hell2 but this is against the form of the word1 which it would be arbitrary to change4 ,nor does one exactly see how1 if we except1 perhaps1 the apparition of one dead1 ,isaiah could have given to the king a sign from the ,sheol2 and in other passages1 too 7comp4 ,joel iii4 #c ii4 #cj71 signs in the heavens and in the earth are contrasted with one another4 ,theodoret remarks that both kinds of miracles1 among which the ,lord here allowed a choice to ,ahaz1 were granted by ,him to his pious son1 ,hezekiah1 inasmuch as ,he wrought a phenomenon in heaven which affected the going back of the shadow on the sun-dial of ,ahaz2 and on earth1 inasmuch as ,he1 in a wonderful manner1 destroyed the ,assyrians1 and restored the king to health4 ,jerome farther remarks1 that1 from among the plagues in ,egypt1 the lice1 frogs1 c41 were signs on earth2 the hail1 fire1 and three day's darkness1 were signs in the heaven4 ,it is on the passage before us that the ,pharisees take their stand1 when in ,matt4 xvi4 #a they ask from the ,lord that ,he should grant them a sign from heaven4 ,if even the ,prophet ,isaiah offered to prove in such a manner his divine mission1 then1 according to their opinion1 ,christ was much more bound to do this1 inasmuch as ,he set up far higher claims4 ,but they overlooked the circumstance that enough had already been granted for convincing those who were well disposed1 and that it can never be a duty to convince obstinate unbelief in a manner so palpable4 ,pg #db ,ver4 #ab4 ,and ,ahaz said3 ,i will not ask1 neither will ,i tempt the ,lord4 ,ahaz declines the offer by referring to ,deut4 vi4 #af41 and thus assuming the guise of reverence for ,god and ,his commandment4 ,he pretends1 says ,calvin1 to have faith in the words of the ,prophet1 and not to require anything besides the word4 ,the same declarations of the ,law1 the ,lord opposes to ,satan1 when the latter would induce ,him to do something for which he had no word of ,god1 ,matt4 iv4 #g4 ,that would really have been a tempting of ,god4 ,ahaz had no doubt that the miracle would really be performed2 but he had a dislike to enter within the mystical sphere4 ,who knows whether the ,god who grants the miracle is really the highest ,god8 comp4 ,is4 x4 #aj1 #aa1 xxxvi4 #ah-bj1 xxxvii4 #aj-ab4 ,who knows whether ,he is not laying for him a trap2 whether1 by preventing him from seeking the help of man4 ,he is not to bring upon him the destruction which his conscience tells him he has so richly deserved8 ,at all events the affording of ,his help is clogged with a condition which he is resolved not to fulfil1 viz41 his conversion4 ,a better and easier bargain1 he thought1 could be struck with the ,assyrians2 how insatiable soever they might be1 they did not ask the heart4 ,how many do even now-a-days rather perish in sin and misery1 than be converted6 ,ver4 #ac4 ,and he said3 ,hear ye now1 ,o house of ,david3 ,is it too little for you to provoke man1 that you provoke also my ,god8 ,when ,ahaz had before refused to believe in the simple announcement of the ,prophet1 his sin was more pardonable2 for1 inasmuch as ,isaiah had not proved himself outwardly as a divine ambassador1 ,ahaz sinned to a certain degree against man only1 against the ,prophet only1 by unjustly suspecting him of a deceitful pretension to a divine revelation4 ,hence1 ,isaiah continues mild and gentle4 ,but when ,ahaz declined the offered sign1 ,god himself was provoked by him1 and his wickedness came evidently to light4 ,it is substantially the same difference as that between the sin against the ,son of ,man1 the ,christ coming outwardly and as a man only 7,bengel3 quo statu conspicu1 quatenus aequo tum loco cum hominibus conversabatur71 and the sin against the ,holy ,ghost who powerfully glorifies ,him outwardly and inwardly4 ,it is the antithesis ,pg #dc of the relative ignorance of what one is doing1 and of the absolute unwillingness which purposely hardens itself to the truth known1 or easy to be known4 ,we say relative ignorance2 for an element of obduracy and hardening already existed1 if he did not believe the ,prophet1 even without a sign4 ,for the fact that the ,prophet was sent by ,god1 and spoke ,god's word1 was testified to all who would hear it1 even by the inner voice1 just as in every sin against the ,son of ,man there is always already an element of the sin against the ,holy ,ghost4--,the truth that godlessness is the highest folly is here seen in a very evident manner4 ,the same ,ahaz who rejects the offer of the living ,god1 who palpably wishes to reveal to him that ,he is a living ,god1 sacrifices his son to the dead idol ,moloch1 who never yet gave the smallest sign of life6 ,in this mirror we may see the condition of human nature4--,the circumstance that it is not ,ahaz1 but the house of ,david that is addressed1 indicates that the deed is a deed of the whole house4--,the ,prophet says1 ,my ,god1 i4e41 the ,god whose faithful servant ,i am1 and in whom ye hypocrites have no more any share4 ,in ,ver4 #aa1 the ,prophet had still called ,him the ,god of ,ahaz4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,therefore the ,lord himself giveth you a sign3 ,behold the ,virgin is with child1 and heareth a ,son1 and thou callest his name ,immanuel4 ,ahaz had refused the proffered sign2 the whole depth of his apostacy had become manifest2 no further regard was to be had to him4 ,but it was necessary to strengthen those who feared ,god1 in their confidence in the ,lord1 and in their hope in him4 ,for this reason1 the ,prophet gives a sign1 even against the will of ,ahaz1 by which the announcement of the deliverance from the two kings was confirmed4 ,your weak1 prostrate faith1 he says1 may erect itself on the certain fact that1 in the ,son of the ,virgin1 the ,lord will some day be with us in the truest manner1 and may perceive therein a guarantee and a pledge of the lower help in the present danger also4--,therefore--because ye will not fix upon a sign4 ,reinke1 in the ably written ,monograph on this passage1 assigns to ,hebrew3 lk,n the signification1 nevertheless1 which is not supported by the usus loquendi4--,hebrew3 it,n must be translated as a ,present2 for the pregnancy of the ,virgin and birth of ,immanuel are present to ,pg #dd the ,prophet2 and the fact cannot serve as a sign1 in so far as it manifests itself outwardly1 but only in so far as1 by being foretold1 it is realized as present4--,hebrew3 hva ,he1 i4e41 of ,his own accord without any co-operation1 such as would have taken place if ,ahaz had asked the sign4--,hebrew3 lk,m refers by its form to the house of ,david2 but in determining the sign1 it is not the real condition of its representative at that time which is regarded1 but as he ought to be4 ,in substance1 the sign given to ungodly ,ahaz is destined for believers only4--,hebrew3 hnh behold indicates the energy with which the ,prophet anticipates the future2 in his spirit it becomes to him the immediate present4 ,thus it was understood as early as by ,chrysostom3 ,greek3 monon gar ouk horntos n ta ginomena kai phantazomenou kai polln echontos huper tn eirmenn plrophorian1 tn gar hmetern ophthalmn ekeinoi saphesteron ta m hormena eblepon4--,the article in ,hebrew3 helmh cannot refer to the virgin known as the mother of the ,saviour2 for1 besides the passage before us1 it is only ,micah v4 #b 7#c7 which mentions the mother of the ,saviour1 and it is our passage only which speaks of her as a virgin4 ,in harmony with ,hebrew3 hnh1 the article in ,hebrew3 helmh might be explained from the circumstance that the ,virgin is present to the inward perception of the ,prophet--equivalent to the virgin there4 ,but since the use of the article in the generic sense is so general1 it is most natural to understand the virgin as forming a contrast to the married or old woman1 and hence1 in substance1 as here equivalent to a virgin4 ,to this view we are led also by the circumstance that1 in the parallel passage1 ,mic4 v4 #b 7#c7 ,hebrew3 ivldh a bearing woman is used without the article4--,hebrew3 elmh is1 by old expositors1 commonly derived from ,hebrew3 el,m in the signification to conceal ,a virgin1 they assume1 is called a concealed one1 with reference to the customs of the ,east1 where the virgins are obliged to lead a concealed life4 ,thus it was understood by ,jerome also3 ,almah is not applied to girls or virgins generally1 but is used emphatically of a hidden and concealed virgin1 who is never accessible to the look of males1 but who is with great care watched by the parents4 ,but all parties now rightly agree that the word is to be derived from ,hebrew3 el,m1 in the signification1 to grow up4 ,to offer here any arguments in proof would be a work of supererogation1 as they are offered by all dictionaries4 ,but with all that1 ,luther's remark is even now in full force3 ,if ,pg #de a ,jew or a ,christian can prove to me that in any passage of ,scripture ,almah means 'a married woman1',i will give him a hundred florins1 although ,god alone knows where ,i may find them4 ,it is true that ,hebrew3 elmh is distinguished from ,hebrew3 btvlh1 which designates the virgin state as such1 and in this signification occurs in ,joel i4 #h4 also where the bride laments over her bridegroom whom she has lost by death4 ,inviolate chastity is1 in itself1 not implied in the word4 ,but certain it is that ,hebrew3 elmh designates an unmarried person in the first years of youth2 and if this be the case1 un violated chastity is a matter of course in this context2 for if the mother of the ,saviour was to be an unmarried person1 she could be a virgin only2 and1 in general1 it is inconceivable that the ,prophet should have brought forward a relation of impure love4 ,in favour of an unmarried person is1 in the first instance1 the derivation4 ,being derived from ,hebrew3 el,m1 to grow up1 to become marriageable1 ,hebrew3 elmh can denote nothing else than puella nubilis4 ,but still more decisive is the usus loquendi4 ,in ,arabic and ,syriac the corresponding words are never used of married women1 and ,jerome remarks1 that in the ,punic dialect also a virgin proper is called ,hebrew3 elmh4 ,besides in the passage before us1 the word occurs in ,hebrew six times 7,gen4 xxiv4 #dc2 ,exod4 ii4 #h2 ,ps4 lxviii4 #bf2 ,song of ,sol4 i4 #c1 vi4 #h2 ,prov4 xxx4 #ai72 but in all these passages the word is undeniably used of unmarried persons4 ,in the two passages of the ,song of ,solomon1 the ,hebrew3 elmvt designate the nations which have not yet attained to an union with the heavenly ,solomon1 but are destined for this union4 ,in chap4 vi4 #h1 they are1 as brides1 expressly contrasted with the wives of the first and second class4 ,marriage forms the boundary2 the ,almah appears here distinctly as the anti-thesis to a married woman4 ,it is the passage in ,proverbs only which requires a more minute examination1 as the opponents have given up all the other passages1 and seek in it alone a support for their assertion that ,hebrew3 elmh may be used of a married woman also4 ,the passage in its connection runs as follows3 ,ver4 #ah4 ,there be three things which are too wonderful for me1 and four which ,i know not4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the way of an eagle in the air1 the way of a serpent upon the rock1 the way of a ship in the heart of the sea1 and the way of a man with a maid4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,this is the way of an adulterous woman2 she ,pg #df eateth1 and wipeth her mouth and saith3 ,i have done no wickedness4 ,according to ,de ,wette1 ,bertheau1 and others1 the tertium comparationis for every thing is to lie in this only1 that the ways do not leave any trace that could be recognized4 ,but the traceless disappearing is altogether without foundation2 there is not one word to indicate it2 and it is quite impossible that that on which every thing depends should have been left to conjecture4 ,farther1--instead of the eagle1 every other bird might have been mentioned1 and the words in the air would be without meaning1 as well as the words in the heart of the sea mentioned in reference to the ship4 ,but the real point of view is expressly stated in ver4 #ah4 ,it is the incomprehensible4 ,it is thus only that ver4 #bj1 for which the other verses prepare the way1 falls in with the tendency of the whole4 ,in the way of the adulteress1 that which is pointed out is not that it cannot be known1 but the moral incomprehensibility that she1 practising great wickedness which is worthy of death1 and will unavoidably bring destruction upon her1 behaves as if there were nothing wrong1 as if a permitted enjoyment were the point in question1 that she eats the poisoned bread of unchaste enjoyment as if it were ordinary bread2 comp4 ix4 #ag1 xx4 #ag2 ,ps4 xiv4 #d4 ,four incomprehensible things in the natural territory are made use of to illustrate an incomprehensible thing in the ethical territory4 ,the whole purpose is to point out the mystery of sin4 ,in the case of the eagle1 it is the boldness of his flight in which the miraculous consists4 ,the speed and boldness of his flight is elsewhere also very commonly mentioned as the characteristic of the eagle2 it is just that which makes him the king of birds4 ,in the case of the serpent1 the wonder is that1 although wanting feet1 it yet moves over the smooth rock which is inaccessible to the proud horse2 comp4 ,amos vi4 #ab3 ,do horses run upon the rock4 ,in the ship1 it is the circumstance that she safely passes over the abyss which1 as it would appear1 could not fail to swallow her up4 ,the way of a man with a maid occupies the last place in order to intimate that ,hebrew3 dr,k1 as in the case of the adulteress1 denotes the spiritual way4 ,what is here meant is the relation of the man to the virgin1 generally1 for if any particular aspect had been regarded1 e4 g41 that of boldness1 cunning1 or secrecy1 it ,pg #dg ought to have been pointed at4 ,the way of the man with the maid is the secret of which mention is made as early as in ,gen4 ii4 #bd1--the union of the strong with the weak and tender 7comp4 the parallel passage1 ,jer4 xxxi4 #bb71 the secret attraction which connects with one another the hearts1 and at last1 the bodies4 ,the end of the way is marriage4 ,it is the young love which specially bears the character of the mysterious2 after the relation has been established1 it attracts less wonder4--,hebrew3 hrh is the femin4 of the verbal adj4 ,hebrew3 hrh4 ,the fundamental passage1 ,gen4 xvi4 #aa1 where the angel of the ,lord says to ,hagar3 ,behold thou art with child1 and shalt bear a son1 and shalt call his name ,ishmael1 because the ,lord has heard thy affliction1 shows that we must translate3 ,the virgin is with child1 and not3 becomes with child4 ,the allusion to that passage in ,genesis is very significant4 ,in that case1 as well as in the one under consideration1 salvation is brought into connection with the birth of a child4 ,to the birth of ,ishmael1 the despairing ,hagar is directed as to a security for the divine favour2 to the birth of ,immanuel1 the desponding people are directed as to the actual proof that ,god is with them4 ,if the ,almah represents herself to the ,prophet as being already with child1 then passages such as ,is4 xxix4 #h1 ,matt4 xi4 #e1 are not applicable4 ,a virgin who is with child cannot be one who was a virgin4--,the form ,hebrew3 qrat may be #c;d fem4 for ,hebrew3 qrah1 comp4 ,jer4 xliv4 #bc2 but the fundamental passage in ,gen4 xvi4 #aa is decisive for considering it as the #b;d fem43 thou callest1 as an address to the virgin2 in which case the form is altogether regular4 ,it was not a rare occurrence in ,israel that mothers gave the name to children1 ,gen4 iv4 #a1 #be1 xix4 #cg1 xxix4 #cb4 ,the circumstance1 therefore1 that the giving of the name is assigned to the mother 7the virgin7 affords no ground for supposing1 as many of the older expositors do1 that this is an intimation that the child would not have a human father4 ,thou callest can1 on the contrary1 according to the custom then prevalent1 be substantially equivalent to3 they shall name1 ,matt4 ,greek3 kalesousi1 ,jerome3 vocabitur4 ,the name is1 of course1 not to be considered as an ordinary nomen proprium1 but as a designation of his nature and character4 ,it may be understood in different ways4 ,several interpreters1 e4 g41 ,jerome1 referring to passages such as ,ps4 xlvi4 #h1 lxxxix4 #be1 ,is4 xliii4 #b1 ,jer4 i4 #h1 see ,pg #dh in it nothing else than an appeal to1 and promise of divine aid4 ,according to others1 the name is to be referred to ,god's becoming man in the ,messiah2 thus ,theodoret says3 ,the name reveals the ,god who is with us1 the ,god who became man1 the ,god who took upon ,him the human nature4 ,in a similar manner ,irenaeus1 ,tertullian1 ,chrysostom1 ,lactantius1 ,calvin1 and others1 express themselves4 ,but those very parallel passages just quoted show that the name in itself has no distinct reference to the incarnation of ,god in ,christ4 ,but from the passage chap4 ix4 #e1 7#f71 which is so closely connected with the one before us1 and in which the ,messiah is called ,god-hero1 7the mighty ,god71 and ,his divine nature so emphatically pointed out 7comp4 also ,mic4 v4 #a #b17 it plainly appears that the ,prophet had in view the highest and truest form of ,god's being with ,his people1 such as was made manifest when the word became flesh4 7,chrysostom says3 ,then1 above all1 ,god was with us on earth1 when ,he was seen on earth1 and conversed with man1 and manifested so great care for us47 ,according1 then1 to the interpretation given1 this verse before us affirms that1 at some future period1 the ,messiah should be born by a virgin1 among the covenant people1 who in the truest manner would bring ,god near to them1 and open the treasures of ,his salvation4 ,in ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #ejj ff41 we proved that this explanation occurs already in the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,matthew4 ,according to the interpretation of the ,apostle1 the passage can refer to ,christ only1 and finds in him not only the highest1 but the only fulfilment4 ,in the ,christian ,church1 throughout all ages1 the ,messianic explanation was the prevailing one4 ,it was held by all the ,fathers of the ,church1 and by all other ,christian commentators down to the middle of the #ahth century1--only that some1 besides the higher reference to the ,messiah1 assumed a lower one to some event of that period4 ,with the revival of faith1 this view1 too1 has been revived4 ,it is proved by the parallel passage1 chap4 ix4 #e 7#f74 ,that passage presents so remarkable an agreement with the one now under consideration1 that we cannot but assume the same subject in both4 ,behold1 a virgin is with child1 and beareth a son--,a child is born unto us1 a son is given2--,they call him ,immanuel1 i4e41 ,him in whom ,god will be with us in the truest manner--,they call ,him ,pg #di ,wonder-,counsellor1 the ,god-,hero1 ,ever-,father1 the ,prince of ,peace4 ,both of these passages can the less be separated from one another1 that chap4 viii4 #h is evidently intended to lead from the one to the other4 ,in this passage it is said of the world's power1 which in the meantime1 and in the first place1 was represented by ,asshur3 ,and the stretchings out of his wings are the fulness of the breadth of thy land1 ,immanuel1 i4 e41 his wings will cover the whole extent of thy land1--the stretching of the wings of this immense bird of prey1 ,asshur1 comprehends the whole land4 ,in the words3 ,thy land1 ,o ,immanuel1 the prophecy of the wonderful ,child1 in chap4 viii4 #bc-;ix4 #f 7ix4 #a-g71 is already prepared4 ,the land in which ,immanuel is to be born1 which belongs to ,him1 cannot remain continually the property of heathen enemies4 ,every destruction is1 at the same time1 a prophecy of the restoration4 ,a look to the wonderful ,child1 and despair must flee4 ,behind the clouds1 the sun is shining4 ,every attempt to assign the ,immanuel to the lower sphere1 must by this passage be rendered futile4 ,for how1 in that case1 could ,canaan be called ,his land8 ,the signification native country which ,hebrew3 ar,c1 it is true1 sometimes receives by the context1 does not suit here4 ,for the passage just points out the contrast of reality and idea1 that the world's power takes possession of the land which belongs to ,immanuel1 and hence prepares for the announcement contained in that which follows1 viz41 that this contrast shall be done away with1 and that this shall be done as soon as the legitimate proprietor comes into ,his kingdom4 ,farther1--,decisive in favour of the ,messianic explanation is also the passage ,mic4 v4 #a1 #b1 7#b1 #c71 where1 in correspondence to virgin here1 we have1 she who is bearing4 ,the latter1 indeed1 is not expressly called a virgin2 but it follows1 as a matter of course1 that she be so1 as she is to bear the ,hero of ,divine origin 7of eternity71 who1 hence1 cannot have been begotten by any mortal4 ,both of the prophecies mutually illustrate one another4 ,micah designates the ,divine origin of the ,promised ,one2 ,isaiah1 the miraculous circumstances of ,his birth 7,rosenmller7 ,just as ,isaiah holds up the birth of ,immanuel as the pledge that the covenant-people would not perish in their present catastrophe2 just as he points to the shining form of ,immanuel1 announcing the victory over the ,pg #ej world1 in order to comfort them in the impending severe oppression by the world's power 7viii4 #h72--so ,micah makes the oppression by the world's power continue only until the time that she who is bearing brings forth4 ,as ,micah1 in v4 #a 7#b71 contrasts the divine dignity and nature with the birth in time1 so1 in ,isaiah1 ,immanuel1 ,he in whom ,god will most truly be with ,his people1 is born by a virgin4 ,the arguments which the ,jews1 and1 following their example1 the rationalistic interpreters1 especially ,gesenius1 and with them ,olshausen1 have advanced against the ,messianic explanation1 prove nothing4 ,they are these3 #a4 ,a reference to the ,messiah who1 after the lapse of centuries1 is to be born of a virgin1 appears to be without meaning in the present circumstances4 ,this argument proves too much1 and1 hence1 nothing4 ,it would be valid against ,messianic prophecies in general1 the existence of which certainly cannot be denied4 ,do not ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel1 at the time when the people were carried away into captivity1 comfort them by the announcement that the kingdom of ,god should1 in a far more glorious manner1 be established by ,messiah1 whose appearance was yet several centuries distant8 ,the highest proof of ,israel's dignity and election1 was the promise that1 at some future time1 the ,messiah was to be born among them4 ,how1 indeed1 could the ,lord leave1 without the lower help in the present calamity1 a people with whom ,he was to be1 at some future period1 in the truest manner8 ,the ,prophet refers to the future ,saviour in a way quite similar to that in which the ,apostle refers to ,him1 after ,he had appeared3 ,who did not spare ,his only begotten ,son1 but gave ,him up for us all1 how should ,he not in ,him give us all things freely8 ,let us only realize the truth that the hope in the ,messiah formed the centre of the life of believers2 that this hope was1 by fear1 repressed only1 but not destroyed4 ,all which was needed1 therefore1 was to revive this hope1 and with it the special hope for the present distress also was given--the assurance1 firm as a rock1 that in it the covenant-people could not perish4 ,this revival took place in this way1 that in the mind of the ,prophet1 the ,messianic hope was1 by the ,holy ,spirit1 rekindled1 so that at his light all might kindle their lights4 ,the ,messianic idea here meets us in such originality ,pg #ea and freshness1 as if here were its real fountain head4 ,the faith already existing is only the foundation1 only the point of connexion4 ,what is essential is the new revelation of the old truth1 and that could not fail to be affecting1 overpowering to susceptible minds4 #b4 ,the ground of consolation is too general4 ,the ,messiah might be born from the family of ,ahaz without the ,jewish state being preserved in its then existing condition1 and without ,ahaz continuing on the throne4 ,the ,babylonish captivity intervened1 and yet ,messiah was to be born4 ,isaiah would thus have made himself guilty of a false sophistical argumentation4--,we answer3 ,what they1 at that time1 feared1 was the total destruction of state and people4 ,this appears sufficiently from the circumstance that the prophet takes his son ,shearjashub with him2 and indeed the intentions of the enemy in this respect are expressed with sufficient clearness in ver4 #f4 ,it is this extreme of fear which the ,prophet here first opposes4 ,just as1 according to the preceding verses1 he met the fear of entire destruction by taking with him his son ,shearjashub1 the remnant will be converted1 without thereby excluding a temporary carrying away1 so he there also prepares the mind for the announcement contained in vers4 #ae1 #af1 of the near deliverance from the present danger1 by first representing the fear of an entire destruction to be unfounded4 ,a people1 moreover1 to whom1 at some future period1 although it may be at a very remote future1 a divine ,saviour is to be sent1 must1 in the present also1 be under special divine protection4 ,they may be visited by severe sufferings1 they may be brought to the very verge of destruction1--whether that shall be the case the ,prophet does not1 as yet1 declare1--but one thing is sure1 that to them all things must work together for good2 and that is the main point4 ,he who is convinced of this1 may calmly and quietly look at the course of events4 #c4 ,the sense in which ,hebrew3 avt is elsewhere used in ,scripture1 is altogether disregarded by this interpretation4 ,for1 according to it1 ,hebrew3 avt would refer to a future event2 but according to the usus loquendi elsewhere observed1 ,hebrew3 avt 'is a prophesied second event1 the earlier fulfilment of which is to afford a sure guarantee for the fulfilment of the first1 which is really the point at issue4' ,but1 in opposition to this1 it is sufficient to ,pg #eb refer to ,exod4 iii4 #ab1 where ,moses receives this as a sign of his ,divine mission1 and of the deliverance of the people to be effected by him3 ,when thou hast brought forth my people out of ,egypt1 ye shall serve ,god upon this mountain4 ,in chap4 xxxvii4 #cj1 our ,prophet himself1 as a confirmation of the word spoken in reference to the king of ,asshur3 ,i make thee return by the way by which thou earnest1 gives this sign1 that1 in the third year after this1 agriculture should already have altogether returned into its old tracks1 and the cultivation of the country should have been altogether restored4#d ,the fact here given as a sign is later than that which is to be thereby made sure4 ,the sign consists only in this1 that the idea is vividly called up and realized in the mind1 that the land would recover from the destruction2 and this of course1 implies the destruction of the enemy4 ,but in our chapter itself1--the name of ,shearjashub affords the example of a sign 7comp4 chap4 vii4 #ah71 which is taken from the territory of the distant future4 ,it is time that commonly ,hebrew3 avt is not used of future things2 but this has its reason not in the idea of ,hebrew3 avt1 but solely in the circumstance that1 ordinarily1 the future cannot serve as a sign of assurance4 ,but it is quite obvious that1 in the present case1 the ,messianic announcement could afford such a sign1 and that in a far higher degree than the future facts given as signs in ,exod4 iii41 and ,isa4 xxxvii4 ,the kingdom of glory which has been promised to us1 forms to us also a sure pledge that in all the distresses of the ,church1 the ,lord will not withhold ,his help from her4 ,but the ,covenant-people stood in the same relation to the first appearance of ,christ1 as we do to the second4 7#d47 ,the passage1 chap4 viii4 #c1 #d1 presents the most marked resemblance to the one before us4 ,if there the ,messianic explanation be decidedly inadmissible1 it must be so here also4 ,the name and birth of a child serves1 there as here1 for a sign of the deliverance from the ,syrian dominion4 ,if then there the mother of the child be the wife of the ,prophet1 and the child a son of his1 the same must be the case here also4 ,but it is a priori improbable that the ,prophet should have given ,pg #ec to two of his sons names which had reference to the same event4 ,to this must be added the circumstance1 that the time is wanting for the birth of two sons of the ,prophet4 ,before ,immanuel knows to refuse the evil and choose the good1 the country of both the hostile kings shall be desolated1 chap4 vii4 #ae2 before ,mahershalalhashbaz knows to cry ,my ,father1 ,my ,mother1 the riches of ,damascus and the spoil of ,samaria shall be carried before the king of ,assyria1 chap4 viii4 #d4 ,the two births hence coincide4 ,at all events1 it is impossible to find the time for a double birth by the same mother4 ,several interpreters 7,gesenius1 ,hitzig1 ,hendewerk17 assume the identity of ,immanuel and ,mahershalalhashbaz2 but this is altogether inadmissible1 even from the difference of the names4 ,it is the less admissible to assume a double name for the child1 as the name ,shearjashub plainly enough shews that the ,prophet was in earnest with the names of his children2 and indeed1 unless they had been real proper names1 there would have existed no reason at all for giving them to them4 ,to have assigned several names to one child would have weakened their power4 ,the agreement must1 therefore1 rather be explained from the circumstance1 that it was by the announcement in chap4 vii4 #ad that the ,prophet was induced to the symbolical action in chap4 viii4 #c1 #d4 ,he has1 in chap4 vii4 #ad1 given to the despairing people the birth of a child1 who would bring the highest salvation for ,israel1 as a pledge of their deliverance4 ,the birth of a child and its name were then required as an actual prophecy of help in the present distress1--a help which was to be granted with a view to that ,child1 who not only indicates1 but grants deliverance from all distresses1 and to whom the ,prophet reverts in chap4 ix41 and even already in chap4 viii4 #h4--,moreover1 besides the agreement there is found a thorough difference4 ,in chap4 vii4 the mother of the child is called ,hebrew3 helmh1 whereby a virgin only can be designated2 in chap4 viii41 the prophetess4 ,in chap4 vii4 there is not even the slightest allusion to the ,prophet's being the father2 while in chap4 viii4 this circumstance is expressly and emphatically pointed out4 ,in chap4 vii4 it is the mother who gives the name to the child2 in chap4 viii4 it is the ,prophet4 ,far closer is the agreement of chap4 ix4 #e 7#f7 with chap4 vii4 #ad4 ,it especially appears in the circumstances that in neither of them ,pg #ed is the father of the child designated2 and1 farther1 in the correspondence of ,immanuel with ,hebrew3 al gbvr1 ,god-,hero4 7#e47 ,against the ,messianic explanation1 and in favour of that of a son of the ,prophet1 is the passage chap4 viii4 #ah1 where the ,prophet says that his sons have been given to him for signs and wonders in ,israel4 ,but although ,immanuel be erroneously reckoned among the sons of the ,prophet1 there still remain ,shearjashub and ,mahershalalhashbaz4 ,the latter name refers1 in the first instance only1 to ,aram and ,ephraim specially2 or the general truth which it declares is applied to this relation only4 ,but1 just as the name ,shearjashub announces new salvation to the prostrate people of ,god1 so the second name announces near destruction to the triumphing world hostile to ,god2 so that both the names supplement one another4 ,as signs1 these two sons of the ,prophet pointed to the future deliverance and salvation of ,israel1 and the defeat of the world2 and the very circumstance that they did so when1 humanly viewed1 all seemed to be lost1 was a subject for wonder4 ,but that we can in no case make ,immanuel a third son of the ,prophet1 we have already proved4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,cream and honey shall he eat1 when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good4 ,ver4 #af4 ,for before the boy shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good1 the country shall be forsaken of the two kings of which thou standest in awe4 ,the older ,messianic explanation has1 in these two verses1 exposed itself to the charge of being quite arbitrary4 ,most of the interpreters assume that1 in ver4 #ae1 the true humanity of the ,saviour is announced4 ,the name ,immanuel is intended to indicate the divine nature2 the eating of milk and honey the human nature4 ,milk and honey are in this case considered as the ordinary food for babes2 like other children4 ,he shall grow up1 and1 like them1 gradually develope4 ,thus ,jerome says3 ,i shall mention another feature still more wonderful3 ,that you may not believe that he will be born a phantasm4 ,he will use the food of infants1 will eat butter and milk4 ,calvin says3 ,in order that here we may not think of some spectre1 the ,prophet states signs of humanity from which he proves that ,christ1 indeed put on our flesh4 ,in the same manner ,irennus1 ,chrysostom1 ,basil1 and1 in our century1 ,kleuker and ,rosenmller speak4--,but this explanation ,pg #ee is altogether overthrown by ver4 #af4 ,most interpreters assume1 in the latter verse1 a change of subject2 by ,hebrew3 ner1 not ,immanuel1 but ,shearjashub1 who accompanied the ,prophet1 is to be understood4 ,according to others1 it is not any definite boy who is designated by ,hebrew3 ner2 but it is said in general1 that the devastation of the hostile country would take place in a still shorter time than that which elapses between the birth of a boy and his development4 ,such is ,calvin's view4 ,but the supposition of a change of subject is altogether excluded1 even by the circumstance that one and the same quality1 the distinction between good and evil1 is in both verses ascribed to the subject4 ,others1 like ,j4 ,h4 ,michaelis1 refer ver4 #af also to the ,messiah1 and seek to get out of the difficulty by a jam dudum4 ,it is not worth while to enter more particularly upon these productions of awkward embarassment4 ,all that is required is1 to remove the stone of offence which has caused these interpreters to stumble4 ,towards this a good beginning has been made by ,vitringa1 without1 however1 completely attaining the object4 ,in ver4 #ad1 the ,prophet has seen the birth of the ,messiah as present4 ,holding fast this idea1 and expanding it1 the ,prophet makes him who has been born accompany the people through all the stages of its existence4 ,we have here an ideal anticipation of the real incarnation1 the right of which lies in the circumstance1 that all blessings and deliverances which1 before ,christ1 were bestowed upon the covenant-people1 had their root in ,his future birth1 and the cause of which was given in the circumstance1 that the covenant-people had entered upon the moment of their great crisis1 of their conflict with the world's powers1 which could not but address a call to invest the comforting thought with1 as it were1 flesh and blood1 and in this manner to place it into the midst of the popular life4 ,what the ,prophet means1 and intends to say here is this1 that1 in the space of about a twelvemonth1 the overthrow of the hostile kingdoms would already have taken place4 ,as the representative of the cotemporaries1 he brings forward the wonderful child who1 as it were1 formed the soul of the popular life4 ,at the time when this child knows to distinguish between good and bad food1 hence1 after the space of about a twelvemonth1 he will not have any want of nobler food1 ver4 #ae1 for before he has entered upon this stage1 the land of ,pg #ef the two hostile kings shall be desolate4 ,in the subsequent prophecy1 the same wonderful child1 grown up into a warlike hero1 brings the deliverance from ,asshur1 and the world's power represented by it4--,we have still to consider and discuss the particular4 ,what is indicated by the eating of cream and honey8 ,the erroneous answer to this question1 which has become current ever since ,gesenius1 has put everything into confusion1 and has misled expositors such as ,hitzig and ,meier to cut the knot1 by asserting that ver4 #ae is spurious4 ,cream and honey can come into consideration as the noblest food only2 the eating of them can indicate only a condition of plenty and prosperity4 ,a land flowing with milk and honey is1 in the books of ,moses1 a standing expression for designating the rich fulness of noble food which the ,holy ,land offers4 ,a land which flows with milk and honey is1 according to ,numb4 xiv4 #g1 #h1 a very good land4 ,the cream is1 as it were1 a gradation of milk4 ,considering the predilection for fat and sweet food which we perceive everywhere in the ,old ,testament1 there can scarcely be anything better than cream and honey2 and it is certainly not spoken in accordance with ,israelitish taste1 if ,hofmann 7,weiss1 i4 ,s4 #bbg7 thus paraphrases the sense3 ,it is not because he does not know what tastes well and better 7cream and honey thus the evil671 that he will live upon the food which an uncultivated land can afford1 but because there is none other4 ,in ,deut4 xxxii4 #ac1 #ad1 cream and honey appear among the noblest products of the ,holy ,land4 ,abraham places cream before his heavenly guests1 ,gen4 xviii4 #h4 ,the plenty in honey and cream appears in ,job xx4 #g1 as a characteristic sign of the divine blessing of which the wicked are deprived4 ,it is solely and exclusively vers4 #ba and #bb that are referred to for establishing the erroneous interpretation4 ,it is asserted that1 according to these verses1 the eating of milk and honey must be considered as an evil1 as the sad consequence of a general devastation of the hind4 ,but there are grave objections to any attempt at explaining a preceding from a subsequent passage2 the opposite mode of proceeding is the right one4 ,it is altogether wrong1 however1 to suppose that vers4 #ba1 #bb1 contain a threatening4 ,in those verses the ,prophet1 on the contrary1 allows1 as is usual with him1 a ray of light to fall upon the dark picture of the ,pg #eg calamity which threatens from ,asshur2 and it could1 indeed1 a priori1 be scarcely imagined that the threatening should not be interrupted1 at least by such a gentle allusion to the salvation to be bestowed upon them after the misery 7comp4 in reference to a similar sudden breaking through of the proclamation of salvation in ,hosea1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #age1 and the remarks on ,micah ii4 #ab1 #ac72 but then he returns to the threatening1 because it was1 in the meantime1 his principal vocation to utter it1 and thereby to destroy the foolish illusions of the ,god-forgetting king4 ,it is in the subsequent prophecy only1 chap viii4 #a2 ix4 #f 7#g7 that that which is alluded to in vers4 #ba1 #bb is carried out4 ,the little which has been left--this is the sense--the ,lord will bless so abundantly1 that those who are spared in the divine judgment will enjoy a rich abundance of divine blessings4 ,parallel is the utterance of ,isaiah in #b ,kings xix4 #cj3 ,and the escaped of the house of ,judah1 that which has been left1 taketh root downward1 and beareth fruit upward4--,if thus the eating of cream and honey be rightly understood1 there is no farther necessity for explaining1 in opposition to the rules of grammar1 ,hebrew3 ldetv by 7only7 until he knows 7comp4 against this interpretation ,drechsler's ,comment474 ,hebrew3 ldetv can only mean3 belonging to his knowledge1 i4e41 when he knows4 ,good and evil are1 as early as ,deut4 i4 #ci3 ,your sons who to-day do not know good and evil1 used more in a physical than in a moral sense4 ,michaelis3 rerum omnium ignari4 ,the parallel expression1 not to be able to discern between the right hand and the left hand1 in ,jonah iv4 #aa 7,michaelis3 discretio rationis et judicii1 ut sciant utra manus sit dextra aut sinistra7 likewise loses sight of the moral sense4 ,but good and evil are very decidedly used in a physical sense in #b ,sam4 xix4 #cf 7#ce71 where ,barzillai says3 ,i am this day fourscore years old1 can ,i discern between good and evil1 or has thy servant a taste of what ,i eat or drink1 or do ,i hear any more the voice of singing men or singing women8 ,the connection with the eating of cream and honey1 by which the good and evil is qualified1 clearly proves that good and evil are1 in our passage1 used in a similar sense4 ,to the same result we are led by the circumstance also1 that the evil precedes1 which must so much the rather have a meaning1 that nowhere else is this the case with this phrase4 ,the evil1 the ,pg #eh bad food in the time of war1 precedes2 the good follows after it3 ,cream and honey1 the good1 he will eat when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good1 i4e41 when he is beyond the time where he does not yet know to make any great difference between the food1 and in which1 therefore1 the evil1 the bad food1 is felt as an evil4 ,if the good and the evil be understood in a physical sense1 then1 in harmony with chap4 viii4 #d1 we must think of the period of about one year4 ,moral consciousness develops much later than sensual liking and disliking4--,the construction of ,hebrew3 mas and ,hebrew3 b,hr with ,hebrew3 b points to the affection which accompanies the action4--,hebrew3 ki in ver4 #af suits very well1 according to the view which we have taken1 in its ordinary signification1 for4 ,the full enjoyment of the good things of the land will return in the period of about twelve months 7in chap4 xxxvii4 #cj a longer terra is fixed1 because the ,assyrian desolation was much greater than the ,aramean72 for1 even before the year has expired1 devastation shall be inflicted upon the land of the enemies4 ,hebrew3 hadmh comprehends at the same time the ,syrian and ,ephraimitish land4 ,from ver4 #ag-be the ,prophet describes how the ,assyrians1 the object of the hope of the house of ,david1 and also the ,egyptian attracted by them1 who1 however1 occupy a position altogether subordinate1 shall fill the land1 and change it into a wilderness4 ,the fundamental thought1 ever true1 is this3 ,he who1 instead of seeking help from his ,god1 seeks it from the world1 is ruined by the world4 ,this truth1 which1 through the fault of ,ahaz1 did not gain any saving influence1 obtained an accusing one2 it stood there as an incontrovertible testimony that it was not the ,lord who had forsaken ,his people1 but that they had forsaken themselves4 ,it was a necessary condition of the blessed influence of the impending calamity that such a testimony should exist2 without it1 the calamity would not have led to repentance1 but to despair and defiance4--,from the circumstance that in ver4 #ag1 which contains the outlines of the whole1 upon the words3 ,the ,lord shall bring upon thee and thy people1 there follow still the words3 ,and upon thy father's house1 it appears that the fulfilment must not be sought for in the time of ,ahaz only4 ,in the time of ,ahaz1 the beginning only of the calamities here indicated can accordingly be sought for1--the germ from which all that followed ,pg #ei was afterwards developed4 ,nor shall we be allowed to limit ourselves to that which ,judah suffered from the ,assyrians1 commonly so called4 ,it is significant that1 in #b ,kings xxiii4 #bi1 ,nebuchadnezzar is called ,king of ,asshur4 ,asshur1 as the first representative of the world's power1 represents the world's power in general4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,we have still to submit to an examination those explanations of vers #ad-af which differ1 in essential points1 from that which we have given4 ,difference of opinion--the characteristic sign of error--meets us here1 and that in a very striking manner1 in those who oppose the convictions of the whole ,christian ,church4 #a4 ,rosenmller expressed his adherence to the ,messianic explanation1 but supposed that the ,prophet was of opinion that the ,messiah would be born in his time4 ,even ,bruno ,bauer 7,critik der ,synopt4 i4 ,s4 #ai7 could not resist the impression that ,immanuel could be none other than the ,messiah4 ,but he1 too1 is of opinion that ,isaiah expected a ,messiah1 who was to be born at once1 and to become the deliverer from the collision of that time4 ,this view has been expanded especially by ,ewald4 ,false1 so he says1 is every interpretation which does not see that the ,prophet is here speaking of the ,messiah to be born1 and hence of ,him to whom the land really belongs1 and in thinking of whom the ,prophet's heart beats with joyful hope1 chap4 viii4 #h1 ix4 #e1 #f 7#f1 #g74 ,but not being able to realize that which can be seen only by faith--a territory1 in general1 very inaccessible to modern exposition of ,scripture--he1 in ver4 #ad1 puts in the real ,present instead of the ideal1 and thinks that the ,prophet imagined that the conception and birth of the ,messiah would take place at once4 ,by ,hebrew3 elmh he understands1 like ourselves1 a virgin2 but such an one as is so at the present moment only1 but will soon afterwards cease to be so2--and in supposing this1 he overlooks the fact that the virgin is introduced as being already with child1 and that her bearing appears as present4 ,in ver4 #ae1 the time when the boy knows c41 is1 according to him1 the maturer juvenile age from ten to twenty years4 ,it is during this that the devastation of the land by the ,assyrians is to take place1 of which ,pg #fj the ,prophet treats more in detail afterwards in ver4 #ag ff4 ,but opposed to this view is the circumstance that1 even before the boy enters upon this maturer age 7ver4 #af71 hence in a few years after this1 the allied ,damascus and ,ephraim shall be desolated2 so little are these two kings able to conquer ,jerusalem1 and so certain is it that a divine deliverance is in store for this country in the immediate future4 ,and1 in every point of view1 this explanation shows itself to be untenable4 ,the supposition that a real ,present is spoken of in ver4 #ad saddles upon the ,prophet an absurd hallucination2 and nothing analogous to it can be referred to in the whole of the ,old ,testament4 ,according to statements of the ,prophet in other passages1 he sees yet many things intervening between the ,messianic time and his own2 according to chap4 vi4 #aa-ac1 not only the entire carrying away of the whole people1 7and he cannot well consider the ,assyrians as the instruments of it1 were it only for this reason1 that he is always consistent in the announcement that they should not succeed in the capture of ,jerusalem71 but also a later second divine judgment4 ,according to chap4 xi41 the ,messiah is to grow up as a twig from the stem of ,jesse completely cut down4 ,this supposition of ,his appearance1 the complete decay of the ,davidic dynasty1 did not in any way exist in the time of the ,prophet4 ,according to chap4 xxxix41 and other passages1 the ,prophet recognised in ,babylon the appearance of a new phase of the world's power which would1 at some future period1 follow the steps of the ,assyrian power which existed at the time of the ,prophet1 and which should execute upon ,judah the judgment of the ,lord4 ,we pointed out 7,vol4 ,i4 p4 #dag ff47 that in the ,prophet ,micah also1 the contemporary of ,isaiah1 there lies a long series of events between the ,present and the time when she who is bearing brings forth4 ,farther--,in harmony with all other ,prophets1 ,isaiah too looks for the ,messiah from the house of ,david1 with which1 by the promise of ,nathan in #b ,sam4 vii4 salvation was indissolubly connected1 and the high importance of which for the weal and woe of the people appears also from the circumstance of its being several times mentioned in our chapter4 ,hence it would be a son of ,ahaz only of whom we could here think2 and then we should be shut up to ,hezekiah1 his first-born4 ,but in that case there arises the difficulty which ,luther already brought forward against the ,jews3 ,pg #fa ,the ,jews understand thereby ,hezekiah4 ,but the blind people1 while anxious to remedy their error1 themselves manifest their laziness and ignorance2 for ,hezekiah was born nine years before this prophecy was uttered6--,the eating of cream and honey is1 in this explanation1 altogether erroneously understood as a designation of the devastated condition of the land4 ,from our remarks1 it sufficiently appears that the expression to refuse the evil1 c41 cannot denote the maturer juvenile age4 ,and many additional points might1 in like manner1 be urged4 #b4 ,several interpreters do not indeed deny the reference to the ,messiah1 but suppose that1 in the first instance1 the ,prophet had in view some occurrence of his own time4 ,they assume that the ,prophet1 while speaking of a boy of his own time1 makes use1 under the guidance of divine providence1 of expressions1 which apply more to ,christ1 and can1 in an improper and inferior sense only1 be true of this boy4 ,this opinion was advanced as early as in the time of ,jerome1 by some anonymous author who1 on that account1 is severely censured by him3 ,some ,judaizer from among us asserts that the ,prophet had two sons1 ,shearjashub and ,immanuel4 ,immanuel too was1 according to him1 born by the prophetess1 the wife of the ,prophet1 and a type of the ,saviour1 our ,lord2 so that the former son ,shearjashub 7which means 'remnant1'or 'converting'7 designates the ,jewish people that have been left and afterwards converted2 while the second son ,immanuel1 'with us is ,god1' signifies the calling of the ,gentiles after the ,word became flesh and dwelt among us4 ,this explanation was defended by1 among others ,grotius1 ,richard ,simon1 and ,clericus2 and then1 in our century1 by ,olshausen1 who says3 ,the unity of the reference lies in the name ,immanuel2 the son of ,isaiah had the name but ,christ the essence4 ,he was the visible ,god whom the former only represented4 ,in a modified form1 this view is held by ,lowth1 ,koppe1 and von ,meyer1 also4 ,according to them1 the ,prophet is indeed not supposed to speak of a definite boy who was to be born in his time1 but yet1 to connect the destinies of his land with the name and destinies of a boy whose conception he1 at the moment1 imagines to be possible4 ,the most obvious meaning which would present itself to ,ahaz1 says von ,meyer1 was this3 ,if now a girl was to marry1 to become ,pg #fb pregnant1 and to bear a child1 she may call him ',god with us1'for ,god will be with us at his time4 ,but the prophecy is1 after all1 to have an ultimate reference to ,christ4 ,the prophecy1 says ,lowth1 is introduced in so solemn a manner2 the sign1 after ,ahaz had refused the call to fix upon any thing from the whole territory of nature according to his own choice1 is so emphatically declared to be one selected and given by ,god himself2 the terms of the prophecy are so unique in their kind1 and the name of the child is so expressive2 they comprehend in them so much more than the circumstances of the birth of an ordinary child require1 or could even permit1 that we may easily suppose1 that in minds1 which were already prepared by the expectation of a great ,saviour who was to come forth from the house of ,david1 they excited hopes which stretched farther than any with which the present cause could inspire them1 especially if it was found that in the succeeding prophecy1 published immediately afterwards1 this child was1 under the name of ,immanuel1 treated as the ,lord and ,prince of the land of ,judah4 ,who else could this be than the heir of the throne of ,david1 under which character a great1 and even divine person had been promised8 ,the reasons for the ,messianic explanation are very well exhibited in these words of ,lowth2 but he1 as little as any other of these interpreters1 has been able to vindicate the assumption of a double sense4 ,when more closely examined1 the supposition is a mere makeshift4 ,on the one hand1 they could not make up their minds to give up the ,messianic explanation1 and1 along with it1 the authority of the ,apostle ,matthew4 ,but1 on the other hand1 they were puzzled by the sanctum artificium by which the ,prophet1 or rather the ,holy ,spirit speaking through him1 represents ,christ as being born even before ,his birth1 places ,him in the midst of the life of the people1 and makes ,him accompany the nation through all the stages of its existence4 ,in truth1 if the real1 or even the nearest fulfilment is sought for in the time of ,ahaz1 there is no reason whatever for supposing a higher reference to ,christ4 ,the ,hebrew3 elmh is then one who was a virgin1 who had nothing in common with the mother of ,jesus1 ,mary1 who remained a virgin even after her pregnancy4 ,the name ,immanuel then refers to the help which ,god is to afford in the present distress4 ,pg #fc #c4 ,many interpreters deny every reference to ,christ4 ,this interpretation remained for a long time the exclusive property of the ,jews1 until ,j4 ,e4 ,faber 7in his remarks on ,harmar's observations on the ,east1 i4 ,s4 #bha71 tried to transplant it into the ,christian soil4#e ,he was followed by the ,roman ,catholic1 ,isenbiehl 7,neuer ,versuch ber die ,weissagung vom ,immanuel1 #aggh7 who1 in consequence of it1 was deposed from his theological professorship1 and thrown into gaol4 ,the principal tenets of his work he had borrowed from the lectures of ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis4 ,in their views about the ,almah1 who is to bear ,immanuel1 these interpreters are very much at variance4 7a7 ,the more ancient ,jews maintained that the ,almah was the wife of ,ahaz1 and ,immanuel1 his son ,hezekiah4 ,according to the ,dialog4 c4 ,tryph4 #ff1 #fh1 #ga1 #gg1 this view prevailed among them as early as the time of ,justin4 ,but they were refuted by ,jerome1 who showed that ,hezekiah must1 at that time1 have already been at least nine years old4 ,kimchi and ,abarbanel then resorted to the hypothesis of a second wife of ,ahaz4 7b7 ,according to the view of others1 the ,almah is some virgin who cannot be definitely determined by us1 who was present at the place where the king and ,isaiah were speaking to one another1 and to whom the ,prophet points with his finger4 ,this view was held by ,isenbiehl1 ,steudel 7in a ,programme1 ,tbingen1 #ahae71 and others4 7c7 ,according to the view of others1 the ,almah is not a real but only an ideal virgin4 ,thus ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis3 ,at the time when one1 who at this moment is still a virgin1 can bear1 c4 ,eichhorn1 ,paulus1 ,sthelin1 and others4 ,the sign is thus made to consist in a mere poetical figure4 7d7 ,a composition of the two views last mentioned is the view of ,umbreit4 ,the virgin is1 according to him1 an actual virgin whom the ,prophet perceived among those surrounding him2 but the pregnancy and birth are imaginary ,pg #fd merely1 and the virgin is to suggest to the ,prophet the idea of pregnancy4 ,but this explanation would saddle the ,prophet with something indecent4 ,farther3 ,it is not a birth possible which is spoken of1 but an actual birth4 ,from chap4 viii4 #h1 it likewise appears that ,immanuel is a real individual1 and ,he one of eminent dignity2 and this passage is thus at once in strict opposition to both of the explanations1 viz4 that of any ordinary virgin1 and that of the ideal virgin4 ,it destroys also 7e7 ,the explanation of ,meier1 who by the virgin understands the people of ,judah1 and conceives of the pregnancy and birth likewise in a poetical manner4 ,the fact1 the acknowledgment of which has led ,meier to get up this hypothesis1 altogether unfounded1 and undeserving of any minute refutation1 is this3 ,the mother is1 in the passage before us1 called a virgin1 and yet is designated as being with child4 ,the words1 when understood physically and outwardly1 contain a contradiction4 ,but this fact is rather in favour of the ,messianic explanation4 7f7 ,others1 farther1 conjecture that the wife of the ,prophet is meant by the ,almah4 ,this view was advanced as early as by ,abenezra and ,jarchi4 ,by the authority of ,gesenius1 this view became1 for a time1 the prevailing one4 ,against it1 the following arguments are decisive2 part of them being opposed to the other conjectures also4 ,as ,hebrew3 elmh designates virgin only1 and never a young woman1 and1 far less1 an older woman1 it is quite impossible that the wife of the ,prophet1 the mother of ,shearjashub could be so designated1 inasmuch as the latter was already old enough to be able to accompany his father4 ,gesenius could not avoid acknowledging the weight of this argument1 and declared himself disposed to assume that the ,prophet's former wife had died1 and that he had thereupon betrothed himself to a virgin4 ,olshausen1 ,maurer1 ,hendewerk1 and others1 have followed him in this4 ,but this is a story entirely without foundation4 ,in chap4 viii4 #ac1 the wife of the ,prophet is called simply the prophetess4 ,nor could one well see how the ,prophet could expect to be understood1 if1 by the general expression3 the virgin he wished to signify his presumptive betrothed4 ,there ,pg #fe is an entire absence of every intimation whatsoever of a nearer relation of the ,almah to the ,prophet2 and such an intimation could not by any means be wanting if such a relation really existed4 ,one would1 in that case at least1 be obliged to suppose1 as ,plschke does1 that the ,prophet took his betrothed with him1 and pointed to her with his finger1--a supposition which too plainly exhibits the sign of embarrassment1 just as is the case with the remark of ,hendewerk3 ,only that1 in that case1 we must also suppose that his second wife was sufficiently known at court even then1 when she was his betrothed only1 although her relation to ,isaiah might be unknown2 so that1 for this very reason1 we could not think of a frustration of the sign on the part of the king4 ,hitzig remarks3 ,the supposition of a former wife of the ,prophet is altogether destitute of any foundation4 ,he then1 however1 falls back upon the hypothesis which ,gesenius himself admitted to be untenable1 that ,hebrew3 elmh1 virgin might not only denote a young woman1 but sometimes also an older woman4 ,not even the semblance of a proof can be advanced in support of this4 ,it is just the juvenile age which forms the fundamental signification of the word4 ,in the wife of the ,prophet we can the less think of such a juvenile age1 that he himself had already exercised his prophetic office for about twenty years4 ,hitzig has indeed altogether declined to lead any such proof4 ,a son of the ,prophet1 as1 in general1 every subject except the ,messiah1 is excluded by the circumstance that in chap viii4 #h1 ,canaan is called the land of ,immanuel4--,farther1--,in all these suppositions1 ,hebrew3 avt is understood in an inadmissible signification4 ,it can here denote a fact only1 whereby those who were really susceptible were made decidedly certain of the impending deliverance4 ,this appears clearly enough from the relation of this sign to that which ,ahaz had before refused1 according to which the difference must not be too great1 and must not refer to the substance4 ,to this may be added the solemn tone which induces us to expect something grand and important4 ,a mere poetical image1 such as would be before us according to the hypothesis of the ideal virgin1 or of the real virgin and the ideal birth1 does ,pg #ff surely not come up to the demand which in this context must be made in reference to this sign4 ,and if the ,prophet had announced so solemnly1 and in words so sublime1 the birth of his own child1 he would have made himself ridiculous4 ,farther1--,how then did the ,prophet know that after nine months a child would be born to him1 or1 if the pregnancy be considered as having already commenced1 how did he know that just a son would be born to him8 ,that is a question to which most of these ,rationalistic interpreters take good care not to give any reply4 ,plschke1 indeed1 is of opinion that1 upon a bold conjecture1 the ,prophet had ventured this statement4 ,but in that case it might easily have fared with him as in that well known story in ,worms1 7,eisenmenger1 entdecktes ,judenthum ii4 ,s4 #ffd ff471 and his whole authority would have been forfeited if his conjecture had proved false4 ,and this argument holds true in reference to those also who do not share in the ,rationalistic view1 of ,prophetism4 ,predictions of such a kind may belong to the territory of foretelling1 but not to that of ,prophecy4 ,footnote #a3 ,meyer1 ,bltter fr hhere ,wahrheit1 iii4 ,s4 #aja4 ,footnote #b3 ,caspari very justly remarks3 ,nothing can be clearer than that #b ,chron4 xxviii4 #e ff4 comes in between #b ,kings xvi4 #e a4 b42 that the author of the books of the ,kings gives a report of the beginning and end2 the author of the ,chronicles1 of the middle of the campaign4 ,but we cannot agree with ,caspari in his transferring to ,idumea the victory of ,rezin4 ,according to ,is4 vii4 #b1 ,aram was encamped in ,ephraim4 ,according to #b ,kings xvi4 #e1 both of the kings came up to ,jerusalem and besieged her4 ,the expedition against ,elath1 #b ,kings xvi4 #f1 was secondary1 and by the way only4 ,footnote #c3 ,the words3 ,in threescore and five years more1 ,ephraim shall be broken and be no more a people1 have1 by rationalistic critics1 without and against all external arguments1 been declared to be spurious4 ,the reasons which serve as fig leaves to cover their doctrinal tendency are the following3 7#a7 ,the time does not agree1 inasmuch as the ten tribes sustained their first defeat very soon afterwards by ,tiglath-pilezer2 the second1 nineteen to twenty-one years later1 by ,shalmanezer1 who1 in the sixth year of ,hezekiah1 carried the inhabitants of the kingdom of the ten tribes away into captivity4 ,but the question here is the complete destruction of the national existence of ,israel2 and that took place only under ,king ,manasseh1 when1 by ,azarhaddon1 new ,gentile colonists were brought into the land1 who expelled from it the old inhabitants who had again gathered themselves together2 comp4 #b ,kings xvii4 #bd with ,ezra iv4 #b1 #aj4 ,from that time1 ,israel amalgamated more and more with ,judah1 and never returned to a national independence4 ,this happened exactly sixty-five years after the announcement by the ,prophet4 ,chap4 vi4 #ab compared with ver4 #ac shows how little the desolation of the country 7ver4 #af7 is connected with the breaking up as a nation4 ,it is1 moreover1 at least as much the interest of those who assert the spuriousness1 as it is ours to remove the chronological difficulties2 for how could it be imagined that the supposed author should have introduced a false chronological statement8 ,his object surely could be none other than to procure authority for the ,prophet1 by putting into his mouth a prophecy so very evidently and manifestly fulfilled4 7#b7 ,the words contain an unsuitable consolation1 as ,ahaz could not be benefitted by so late a destruction of his enemy4 ,but1 immediately afterwards1 he is even expressly assured that this enemy will not be able to do him any immediate harm4 ,chrysostom remarks3 ,the king1 hearing that they should be destroyed after sixty-five years1 might say within himself3 ,what about that8 ,although they be then overthrown1 of what use is it to us1 if they now take us8 ,in order that the king might not speak thus1 the ,prophet says3 ,be of good cheer even as to the present4 ,at that time they shall be utterly destroyed2 but even now1 they shall not have any more than their own land1 for 'the head of ,ephraim1' c4 ,the preceding distinct announcement of the last end of his enemy1 however1 was exceedingly well fitted to break in ,ahaz the opinion of his invincibility1 and to strengthen his faith in the ,god of ,israel1 who1 with a firm hand1 directs the destinies of nations1 and1 no less1 the faith in ,his servant whom ,he raises to be privy to ,his secrets4--7#c47 ,the use of numbers so exact is against the analogy of all oracles4 ,but immediately afterwards 7ver4 #ae comp4 with chap4 viii4 #d71 the time of the defeat is as exactly fixed1 although not in ciphers4 ,in chap4 xx4 ,isaiah announces that after three years the ,egyptians and ,ethiopians shall sustain a defeat2 in chap4 xxiii4 #ae1 that ,tyre would flourish anew seventy years after its fall2 in chap4 xxxviii4 #e1 he announces to ,hezekiah1 sick unto death1 that ,god would add fifteen years to his life4 ,according to ,jeremiah1 the ,babylonish captivity is to last seventy years2 and the fulfilment has shown that this date is not to be understood as a round number4 ,and farther1 the year-weeks in ,daniel4--,but in opposition to this view1 and positively in favour of the genuineness1 are the following arguments3 ,the words have not only1 as is conceded by ,ewald1 a true old-,hebrew colouring1 but in their emphatic and solemn brevity 7he shall be broken from being a people7 they do not at all bear the character of an interpolation4 ,if we blot them out1 then the ,prophet says less than from present circumstances1 from ver4 #d1 where he calls the kings ends of smoking firebrands1 in opposition to ver4 #f1 and from the analogy of ver4 #i1 where the threatening is much more severe1 he was bound to say4 ,his saying merely that they would not get any more1 was not sufficient4 ,he could make the right impression only when he reduced that declaration to its foundation--i4e41 their own destruction and overthrow4 ,ver4 #af1 too1 would go far beyond what would be announced here1 if we remove this clause4 ,he announces destruction to the kings themselves4 ,finally1 the symmetrical parallelism would be destroyed by striking out these words4 ,the words3 ,if ye believe not1 ye shall not be established1 would1 in that case1 be without the parallel members4 ,they are connected with the clause under discussion so much the rather1 that in them it is not specially ,judah's deliverance from the ,syrians and ,ephraimites that is looked at1 but its salvation in general4 ,footnote #d3 ,by a minute and trifling exposition of what is to be understood as a whole1 and comprehensively1 many misunderstandings have been introduced into this passage4 ,the defeat of ,asshur should take place very soon1 but the devastation of the country had been so complete that a longer time would be required before the fields would be again completely cultivated4 ,footnote #e3 ,gesenius mentions ,pellicanus as the first defender of the ,non-,messianic interpretation4 ,but this statement seems to have proceeded from a cursory view of an annotation by ,cramer on ,richard ,simon's ,kritische ,schriften i4 ,s4 #dda1 where the words3 this historical interpretation ,pellicanus too has preferred1 do not refer to ,isaiah but to ,daniel4 ,nor is there any more ground for the intimation that ,theodorus a ,mopsuesta rejected the ,messianic interpretation4 ,,the ,,prophecy1 ,,chap4 ,,viii4 #bc-;,,ix4 #f4 7,chap4 ix4 #a-g47 ,,unto ,,us ,a ,,child ,,is ,,born4 ,in the view of the ,assyrian catastrophe1 the ,prophet is anxious to bring it home to the consciences of the people that1 by their own guilt1 they have brought down upon themselves this calamity1 and1 at the same time1 to prevent them from despairing4 ,hence it is that1 soon after the prophecy in chap4 vii41 he reverts once more to the subject of it4 ,the circumstances in chap4 viii4 #a-;ix4 #f 7#g7 are identical with those in chap4 vii4 ,judah is hard pressed by ,ephraim and ,aram4 ,still1 some time will elapse before the destruction of ,pg #fg their territories4 ,the term in chap4 vii4 #af3 ,before the boy shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good1 and in chap4 viii4 #d3 ,before the boy shall know to cry1 ,my father and my mother1 is quite the same4 ,this is the less to be doubted when it is kept in mind that1 in the former passage1 evil and good must be taken in a physical sense4 ,the sense for the difference of food is1 in a child1 developed at nearly the same time as the ability for speaking4 ,if it had not been the intention of the ,prophet to designate one and the same period1 he ought to have fixed more distinctly the limits between the two termini4 ,it might1 indeed1 from chap4 viii4 #c1 appear as if at least the nine months must intervene between the two prophecies of the conception of the son of the ,prophet1 and his birth4 ,as1 however1 it cannot be denied that there is a connection between the giving of the name1 and the drawing up of the document in vers4 #a and #b1 we should be obliged to suppose that1 in reference to the first two futures with ,vav convers4 the same rule applies as in reference to ,hebrew3 vicr1 in ,gen4 ii4 #ai4 ,the progress lies first in ,hebrew3 vtld2 the event falling into that time is the birth4 ,chap4 viii4 #a-;ix4 #f 7#g71 forms the necessary supplement to chap4 vii41 the germ of which is contained already in chap4 vii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,the ,prophet saw1 by the light of the ,spirit of ,god1 that the fear of ,aram and ,ephraim was unfounded2 the enemy truly dangerous is ,asshur1 i4e41 the whole world's power first represented by ,asshur4 ,for the ,king of ,asshur is1 so to say1 an ideal person to the ,prophet4 ,the different phases of the world's powers are intimated as early as chap4 viii4 #i1 where the ,prophet addresses the nations1 and all the far-off countries2 and1 at a later period1 he received disclosures regarding all the single phases of the world's power which began its course with ,asshur4 ,with this the ,prophet had only threatened in chap4 vii42 here1 however1 he is pre-eminently employed with it1 exhorting1 comforting1 promising1 so that thus the two sections form one whole in two divisions4 ,his main object is to induce his people1 in the impending oppression by the world's power1 to direct their eyes steadily to their heavenly ,redeemer1 who1 in due time1 will bring peace instead of strife1 salvation and prosperity instead of misery1 dominion instead of oppression4 ,as in chap4 vii4 #ad1 the ,pg #fh picture of ,immanuel is placed before the eyes of the people desponding on account of ,aram and ,ephraim1 so here the care1 anxiety1 and fear in the view of ,asshur are overcome by pointing to the declaration3 ,unto us a child is born1 unto us a son is given4 ,it is of great importance for the right understanding of the ,messianic announcement in chap4 viii4 #bc1 ix4 #f1 that the historical circumstances of the whole section1 and its tendency be clearly understood4 ,as1 in general1 the ,messianic announcement under the ,old ,testament bears a one-sided character1 so1 for the present occasion1 those aspects only of the picture of the ,saviour were required which were fitted effectually to meet the despondency of the people in the view1 and under the pressure of the world's power4 ,after these preliminary remarks1 we must enter still more in detail upon the arrangement and construction of the section before us4 ,the ,prophet receives1 first1 the commission to write down1 like a judicial document1 the announcement of the speedy destruction of the present enemies1 and to get it confirmed by trust-worthy witnesses1 chap4 viii4 #a1 #b4 ,he then1 farther1 receives the commission to give1 to a son that would be born to him about the same time1 a name expressive of the speedy destruction of the enemies1 vers4 #c1 #d4 ,thus far the announcement of the deliverance from ,aram and ,ephraim4 ,there then follows1 from vers4 #e-h1 an announcement of the misery which is to be inflicted by ,asshur1 of whom ,ahaz and the unbelieving portion of the people expected nothing but deliverance4 ,up to this1 there is a recapitulation only1 and a confirmation of chap4 vii4 ,but this misery is not to last for ever1 is not to end in destruction4 ,in vers4 #i1 #aj1 the ,prophet addresses exultingly the hostile nations1 and announces to them1 what had already been gently hinted at at the close of ver4 #h1 that their attempts to put an end to the covenant-people would be vain1 and would lead to their own destruction4 ,the splendour of ,asshur must fade before the bright image of ,immanuel1 which calls to the people3 ,be ye of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world4 ,calvin strikingly remarks3 ,the ,prophet may be conceived of1 as it were1 standing on a watch tower1 whence he beholds the defeat of the people1 and the victorious ,assyrians insolently exulting4 ,pg #fi ,but by the name and view of ,christ he recovers himself1 forgets all the evils as if he had suffered nothing1 and1 freed from all misery1 he rises against the enemies whom the ,lord would immediately destroy4 ,the ,prophet then interrupts the announcement of deliverance1 and exhibits the subjective conditions upon which the bestowal of deliverance1 or rather the partaking in it1 depends1 along with the announcement of the fearful misery which would befal them in case these conditions were not complied with4 ,but1 so he continues in vers4 #aa-af1 he who is to partake of the deliverance which the ,lord has destined for ,his people1 must in firm faith expect it from ,him1 and thereby inwardly separate himself from the unbelieving mass1 who1 at every appearance of danger1 tremble and give up all for lost4 ,he who stands as ill as that mass in the trial inflicted by the ,lord2 he to whom the danger becomes an occasion for manifesting the unbelief of his heart2--he indeed will perish in it4 ,at the close1 the prophet is emphatically admonished to impress this great and important truth upon the minds of the susceptible ones4 ,in ver4 #ag3 ,and ,i waited upon the ,lord1 c41 the ,prophet reports what effect was produced upon him by this revelation from the ,lord1--thereby teaching indirectly what effect it ought to produce upon all4 ,in ver4 #ah1 the ,prophet directs the desponding people to the example of himself who1 according to ver4 #ag1 is joyful in his faith1 and to the names of his sons which announced deliverance4 ,deliverance and comfort are to be sought from the ,god of ,israel only4 ,vain1 therefore1--this he brings out1 vers4 #ai-bb--;are all other means by which people without faith seek to procure help to themselves4 ,they should return to ,god's holy ,law which1 in ,deut4 xviii4 #ad1 ff4 commands to seek disclosures as regards the future1 and comfort from ,his servants the ,prophets only1 and which itself abounds in comfort and promise4 ,if such be not done1 misery without any deliverance1 despair without any comfort1 are the unavoidable consequences4 ,from ver4 #bc1 the ,prophet continues the interrupted announcement of deliverance4 ,that which1 in the preceding verses1 he had threatened in the case of apostacy from ,god's ,word1 and of unbelief1 viz41 darkness1 i4e41 the absence of deliverance1 will1 as the ,prophet1 according to vers4 #ba1 #bb1 foresees1 really befal them in future1 as ,pg #gj the people will not fulfil the conditions held forth in vers4 #af and #bj1 as they will not speak3 ,to the ,law and to the testimony1 as they will not in faith lay hold of the promise1 and trust in the ,lord4 ,the calamity having1 in the preceding verses1 been represented as darkness1 the deliverance which1 by the grace of the ,lord1 is to be bestowed upon the people 7for the ,lord indeed chastises ,his people on account of their unbelief1 but does not give them up to death71 is now represented as a great light which dispels the darkness4 ,it shines most clearly just where the darkness had been greatest--in that part of the country which1 being outwardly and inwardly given up to heathenism1 seemed scarcely still to belong to the land of the ,lord1 viz41 the country lying around the lake of ,gennesareth4 ,the people are filled with joy on account of the deliverance granted to them by the ,lord1--their deliverance from the yoke of their oppressors1 from the bondage of the world which now comes to an end4 ,as the bestower of such deliverance1 the ,prophet beholds a divine child who1 having obtained dominion1 will exercise it with the skill of the ,god-man2 who will1 with fatherly love1 in all eternity care for ,his people and create peace to them2 who will1 at the same time1 infinitely extend ,his dominion1 the kingdom of ,david1 not by means of the force of arms1 but by means of right and righteousness1 the exercise of which will attract the nations to ,him2 so that with the increase of dominion1 the increase of peace goes hand in hand4 ,the guarantee that these glorious results shall really take place is the zeal of the ,lord1 and it is this to which the ,prophet points at the close4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,chap4 viii4 #bc 7ix4 #a74 ,for not is darkness to the land1 to which is distress2 in the former time he has brought disgrace upon the land of ,zebulun and the hind of ,naphtali1 and in the after-time he brings it to honour1 the region on the sea1 the other side of the ,jordan1 ,galilee of the ,gentiles4 ,hebrew3 ki stands in its ordinary signification1 for4 ,allow not yourselves to be turned away by anything from trusting in the ,god of ,israel2 hold fast by ,his word alone1 and by ,his servants1--such was the fundamental thought of the whole preceding section4 ,it meets us last in ver4 #bj1 in the exhortation3 ,pg #ga ,to the ,law and to the testimony6 in so far as this is rich in consolation and promise4 ,the ,prophet1 after having1 in the preceding verses1 described the misery which will befal those who do not follow this exhortation1 supports and establishes it by referring to the help of the ,lord already alluded to in vers4 #i and #aj1 and to the light of ,his grace which ,he will cause to shine into the darkness of the people1--a darkness produced by their unbelief and apostacy2 and this light shall be brightest where the darkness was greatest4 ,all the attempts at connecting this ,hebrew3 ki with the verse immediately preceding instead of referring it to the main contents of the preceding section1 have proved futile4 ,hebrew3 ki can neither mean nevertheless1 nor yea2 and the strange assertion that it is almost without any meaning at all cannot derive any support from ,isaiah xv4 #a3 ,the burden of ,moab1 for in the night the city of ,moab is laid waste2 for only in that case is ,hebrew3 ki without any meaning at all1 if ,hebrew3 mwa be falsely interpreted4--,ver4 #bb1 where the phrase ,hebrew3 mev,p ,cvqh darkness of distress is equivalent to darkness which consists in distress 7compare also3 behold trouble and darkness in the same verse71 shows that ,hebrew3 mve,p and ,hebrew3 mvcq are substantially of the same meaning4--,our verse forms an antithesis to ver4 #bb2 the latter verse described the darkness brought on by the guilt of the people2 the verse under consideration describes1 in contrast to it1 the removal of it called forth by the grace of the ,lord4--,hebrew3 la may either be connected with the noun1 or it may be explained3 not is darkness4 ,it cannot be objected to the latter view that1 in that case1 ,hebrew3 ai,n should rather have stood2 while the analogy of the phrase3 ,not didst thou increase the joy1 in chap4 ix4 #b 7#c71 seems to be in favour of it4 ,here we have the negative1 the ceasing of darkness2 in chap4 ix4 #a 7#b7 the positive1 the appearance of light4 ,the suffix1 in ,hebrew3 lh refers1 just as the suffix1 in ,hebrew3 bh in ver4 #ba1 to the omitted ,hebrew3 ar,c4--,the ,hebrew3 k in ,hebrew3 ket is1 by many interpreters1 asserted to stand in the signification of ,hebrew3 kawr3 ,just as the former time has brought disgrace1 c4 ,but as it cannot be proved that ,hebrew3 k has ever the meaning1 just as2 and as1 on the other hand1 ,hebrew3 ket frequently occurs in the signification1 at the time 7compare my remarks on ,numb4 xxiii4 #ac in my work on ,balaam71 we shall be obliged to take1 here too1 the ,hebrew3 k as a temporal particle1 and to supply1 as the subject1 ,jehovah1 who ,pg #gb always stands before the ,prophet's mind1 and is often not mentioned when the matter itself excludes another subject4 ,moreover1 it is especially in favour of this view that1 in vers4 #c 7#d71 the ,lord himself is expressly addressed4--,as regards ,hebrew3 a,hrv,n1 either ,hebrew3 ket may be supplied1--and this is simplest and most natural--or it may be taken as an ,accusative1 for the whole after-time4--,hebrew3 hql means properly to make light1 then to make contemptible1 to cover with disgrace1 and ,hebrew3 hkbid properly then1 to make heavy1 to honour1--a signification which indeed is peculiar to ,piel1 but in which the ,hiphil1 too1 occurs in ,jer4 xxx4 #ai2 the two verbs thus form an antithesis4 ,the ,hebrew3 h locale in ,hebrew3 arch 7the word does not occur in ,isaiah with the ,hebrew3 h paragog47 shews that a certain modification of the verbal notion must be assumed3 to bring disgrace and honour4 ,hebrew3 arch thus would mean towards the land4 ,the scene of the disgrace and honour1 which at first was designated in general only1 is afterwards extended4 ,first1 the land of ,zebulun and ,naphtali only is mentioned1 because it was upon it that the disgrace had pre-eminently fallen1 and it was1 therefore1 pre-eminently to be brought to honour2 then the whole territory along the sea on both sides of it4--,hebrew3 i,m can1 in this context which serves for a more definite qualification1 mean the sea of ,gennesareth only 7,hebrew3 i,m knrt ,numb4 xxxiv4 #aa1 and other passages71 just as1 in ,matt4 iv4 #ac1 the designation of ,capernaum as ,greek3 h parathalassia receives its definite meaning from the context4--,hebrew3 dr,k occurs elsewhere also in the signification of versus1 e4g41 ,ezek4 viii4 #e1 xl4 #bj1 #df2 it will be necessary to supply after it ,hebrew3 ar,c1 just as in the case of the ,hebrew3 ebr hird,n following4 ,it is without any instance that ,hebrew3 dr,k way should stand for region1 country4 ,the region on the sea is then divided into its two parts ,hebrew3 ebr hird,n1 ,greek3 peran tou ,iordanou1 the land on the east bank of ,jordan1 and ,galilee4 ,the latter answers to the land of ,zebulun and ,naphtali2 for the territory of these two tribes occupied the centre and principal part of ,galilee4 ,in opposition to the established usus loquendi1 many would understand ,hebrew3 ebr hird,n as meaning the land on the side1 i4e41 this side of the ,jordan1 proceeding upon the supposition that the local designations must1 from beginning to end1 be congruous4 ,opposed to it is also the circumstance that1 in #b ,kings1 xv4 #bi1 the most eastward and most northward countries1 ,peraea and ,galilee are connected4 ,pg #gc ,in that passage the single places are mentioned which ,tiglath-pilezer took2 then1 the whole districts1 ,gilead and ,galilee1 the whole land of ,naphtali4 ,by the latter words1 that part of ,galilee is made especially prominent upon which the catastrophe fell most severely and completely4 ,in the phrase1 ,galilee of the ,gentiles1 ,galilee is a geographical designation which was already current at the time of the ,prophet4 ,there is no reason for fixing the extent of ancient ,galilee differently from that of the more modern ,galilee1--for assigning to it a more limited extent4 ,we are told in #a ,kings ix4 #aa1 that the twenty cities which ,solomon gave to ,hiram lay in the land of ,galil1 but not that the country was limited to them4 ,the qualification1 of the ,gentiles1 is nowhere else met with in the ,old ,testament2 it is peculiar to the ,prophet4 ,it serves as a hint to point out in what the disgrace of ,galilee and ,peraea consisted4 ,this ,theodoret also saw4 ,he says3 ,he calls it ',galilee of the ,gentiles'because it was inhabited by other tribes along with the ,jews2 for this reason1 he says also of the inhabitants of those countries1 that they were walking in darkness1 and speaks of the inhabitants of that land as living in the shadow and land of death1 and promises the brightness of heavenly light4 ,it is of no small importance to observe that ,isaiah does not designate ,galilee according to what it was at the time when this prophecy was uttered1 but according to what it was to become in future4 ,the distress by the ,gentiles appears in chap4 vii4 and viii4 everywhere as a future one4 ,at the time when the ,prophet prophesied1 the ,jewish territory still existed in its integrity4 ,in vers4 #d1 and #e-g1 he announces ,asshur's inroad into the land of ,israel as a future one2 in the present moment1 it was the kingdom of the ten tribes in connection with ,aram which attacked and threatened ,judea4 ,the superior power of the world which1 according to the clear foresight of the ,prophet1 was threatening1 could not but be sensibly felt in the ,north and ,east4 ,for these formed the border parts against the ,asiatic world's power2 it was from that quarter that its invasions commonly took place2 and it was to be expected that there1 in the first instance1 the ,gentiles would establish themselves1 just as1 in former times1 they had maintained themselves longest there2 comp4 ,judges i4 #cj-ch2 ,keil on #a ,kings ix4 #aa4 ,but very soon after this1 ,pg #gd the name ,galilee of the ,gentiles ceased to be one merely prophetical2 ,tiglathpilezer carried the inhabitants of ,galilee and ,gilead into exile1 #b ,kings xv4 #bi4 ,at a later period1 when the ,greek empire peopled ,palestine1 in the most attractive places1 with new cities1 restored many which1 in consequence of the destructive wars1 had fallen into decay1 filled all of them1 more or less1 with ,greek customs and institutions1 and1 along with the newly-opened extensive commerce and traffic1 everywhere spread ,greek manners also1 this change was chiefly limited to ,galilee and ,peraea2 ,judea remained free from it2 comp4 ,ewald1 ,geschichte ,israels1 iii4 #b ,s4 #bfd ff4 ,in #a ,maccab4 v4 ,galaaditis and ,galilee appear as those parts of the country where the existence of the ,jews is almost hopelessly endangered by the ,gentiles living in the midst of1 and mixed up with them4 ,what is implied in ,galilee of the ,gentiles may be learned from that chapter1 where even the expression reverts in ver4 #ae4 ,with external dependence upon the ,gentiles1 however1 the spiritual dependence went hand in hand4 ,these parts of the country could the less oppose any great resistance to the influences of heathendom1 that they were separated1 by a considerable distance1 from the religious centre of the nation--the temple and metropolis1 in which the higher ,israelitish life was concentrated4 ,a consequence of this degeneracy was the contempt in which the ,galileans were held at the time of ,christ1 ,john i4 #dg1 vii4 #eb2 ,matt4 xxvi4 #fi4--;,but in what consisted the honour or the glorification which ,galilee1 along with ,peraea1 was to obtain in the after-time8 ,chap4 ix4 #e 7#f71 where the deliverance and salvation announced in the preceding verses are connected with the person of the ,redeemer1 show that we must not seek for it in any other than that of the ,messianic time4 ,our ,lord spent the greater part of ,his public life in the neighbourhood of the lake of ,gennesareth2 it was there that ,capernaum--,his ordinary residence--was situated1 ,matt4 ix4 #a4 ,from ,galilee were most of ,his disciples4 ,in ,galilee ,he performed many miracles2 and it was there that the preaching of the ,gospel found much entrance1 so that even the name of the ,galileans passed over in the first centuries to the ,christians4 ,theodoret strikingly remarks3 ,galilee was the native country of the holy ,apostles2 there the ,pg #ge ,lord performed most of ,his miracles2 there ,he cleansed the leper2 there ,he gave back to the centurion his servant sound2 there ,he removed the fever from ,peter's wife's mother2 there ,he brought back to life the daughter of ,jairus who was dead2 there ,he multiplied the loaves2 there ,he changed the water into wine4 ,very aptly has ,gesenius compared ,micah v4 #a 7#b74 ,just as in that passage the birth of the ,messiah is to be for the honour of the small1 unimportant ,bethlehem1 so here ,galilee1 which hitherto was covered with disgrace1 which was reproached by the ,jews1 that there no prophet had ever risen1 is to be brought to honour1 and to be glorified by the appearance of the ,messiah4 ,it was from the passage under review that the opinion of the ,jews was derived1 that the ,messiah would appear in the land of ,galilee4 ,comp4 ,sohar1 p4 #a4 fol4 #aai ed4 ,amstelod42 fol4 #gd ed4 ,solisbae3 ,hebrew3 baret dglil itgli mlka mwita4 ,king ,messiah will reveal himself in the land of ,galilee4 ,but we must beware of putting prophecy and fulfilment into a merely accidental outward relation1 of changing the former into a mere foretelling1 and of supposing1 in reference to the latter1 that1 unless the letter of the prophecy had existed1 ,jesus might as well have made ,judea the exclusive scene of ,his ministry4 ,both prophecy and history are overruled by a higher idea1 by the truth absolutely valid in reference to the ,church of the ,lord1 that where the distress is greatest1 help is nearest4 ,if it was established that the misery of the covenant-people1 both outward and spiritual1 was especially concentrated in ,galilee1 then it is also sure that ,he who was sent to the lost sheep of ,israel must devote ,his principal care just to that part of the country4 ,the prophecy is not exhausted by the one fulfilment2 and the fulfilment is a new prophecy4 ,wheresoever in the ,church we perceive a new ,galilee of the ,gentiles1 we may1 upon the ground of this passage1 confidently hope that the saving activity of the ,lord will gloriously display itself4 ,chap4 ix4 #a 7#b74 ,the people that walk in darkness see a great light1 they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death1 upon them light ariseth4 ,the people are the inhabitants of the countries mentioned in the preceding verse2 but they are not viewed in contrast to1 and exclusive of the other members of the covenant-people1--for ,pg #gf according to chap4 viii4 #bb1 darkness is to cover the whole of it--but only as that portion which comes chiefly into consideration4 ,light is1 in the symbolical language of ,scripture1 salvation4 ,that in which the salvation here consists cannot be determined from the words themselves1 but must follow from the context4 ,it will not be possible to deny that1 according to it1 the darkness consists1 in the first instance1 in the oppression by the ,gentiles1 and1 hence1 salvation consists in the deliverance from this oppression1 and in being raised to the dominion of the world2 and in ver4 #b 7#c7 ff41 we have1 indeed1 the farther displaying of the light1 or deliverance4 ,but it will be as little possible to deny that the sad companion of outward oppression by the ,gentile world is the spiritual misery of the inward dependence upon it4 ,farther1--,it is as certain that the elevation of the covenant-people to the dominion of the world cannot take place all on a sudden1 and without any farther ceremony1 inasmuch as1 according to a fundamental view of the ,old ,testament1 all outward deliverance appears as depending upon conversion and regeneration4 ,thou returnest1 so we read in ,deut4 xxx4 #b1 #c1 to the ,lord thy ,god1 and the ,lord thy ,god turneth to thy captivity4 ,and in the same chapter1 vers4 #f1 #g3 ,the ,lord thy ,god circumciseth thy heart1 and then the ,lord thy ,god putteth all these curses upon thine enemies4 ,before ,gideon is called to be the deliverer of the people from ,midian1 the ,prophet must first hold up their sin to the people1 ,judg4 vi4 #h ff41 and ,gideon does not begin his work with a struggle against the outward enemies1 but must1 first of all1 as ,jerubbabel1 declare war against sin4 ,all the prosperous periods in the people's history are1 at the same time1 periods of spiritual revival4 ,we need only think of ,david1 ,jehoshaphat1 and ,hezekiah4 ,outward deliverance always presents itself in history as an addition only which is bestowed upon those seeking after the kingdom of ,god4 ,without the inward foundation1 the bestowal of the outward blessing would be only a mockery1 inasmuch as the holy ,god could not but immediately take away again what ,he had given4 ,but the circumstance that it is the outward salvation1 the deliverance from the heathen servitude1 the elevation of the people of ,god to the dominion of the world1 as in ,christ it so gloriously took ,pg #gg place1 which are here1 in the first instance1 looked at1 is easily accounted for from the historical cause of this prophetic discourse which1 in the first instance1 is directed against the fears of the destruction of the kingdom of ,god by the world's power4 ,ps4 xxiii4 #d2 ,yea1 though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i fear no evil2 for thou art with me1 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me1 must so much the more he considered as the fundamental passage of the verse under consideration1 that the ,psalm1 too1 refers to the whole ,christian ,church4 ,it was in the appearance of ,christ1 and the salvation brought through ,him1 in the midst of the deepest misery1 that this ,psalm found its most glorious confirmation4--,hebrew3 clmvt1 darkness of death1 is the darkness which prevails in death or in ,sheol4 ,such compositions commonly occur in proper names only1 not in appellatives2 and hence1 by the land of the darkness 7shadow7 of death1 hell is to be understood4 ,but darkness of hell is1 by way of a shortened comparison1 not unfrequently used for designating the deepest darkness4 ,the point of comparison is here furnished by the first member of the verse4 ,parallel is ,ps4 lxxxviii4 #d ff41 where ,israel laments that the ,lord had thrust it down into dark hell4 ,the ,preterite tense of the verbs in our verse is to be explained from the prophetical view which converts the ,future into the ,present4 ,how little soever modern exegesis can realise this seeing by1 and in faith1 and how much soever it is everywhere disposed to introduce the real ,present instead of the ideal1 yet even ,ewald is compelled to remark on the passage under consideration3 ,the ,prophet1 as if he were describing something which in his mind he had seen as certain long ago1 here represents everything in the past1 and scarcely makes an exception of this in the new start which he takes in the middle4 ,at the time when the ,prophet uttered this ,prophecy1 even the darkness still belonged to the future4 ,as yet the world's power had not gained the ascendancy over ,israel2 but here the light has already dispelled the darkness4 ,it now merely remains for us to view more particularly the quotation of these two verses in ,matt4 iv4 #ab-ag4 ,greek3 ,akousas de--thus the section begins--,greek3 hoti ,ianns paredoth1 anechrsen eis tn ,galilaian4 ,since1 in these words1 we are told that ,jesus1 after having received the intelligence of the imprisonment of ,pg #gh ,john1 withdrew into ,galilee1 we cannot for a moment think of ,his having sought in ,galilee1 safety from ,herod2 for ,galilee just belonged to ,herod1 and ,judea afforded security against him4 ,the verb ,greek3 anachrein denotes1 on the contrary1 the withdrawing into the angulus terrae ,galilee1 as contrasted with the civil and ecclesiastical centre4 ,the time of the beginning of ,christ's preaching 7,his ministry hitherto had been merely a kind of prelude7 was determined by the imprisonment of ,john1 as certainly as1 according to the prophecy of the ,old ,testament1 the territories of the activity of both were immediately bordering upon one another1 and by that very circumstance the place1 too1 was indirectly determined2 for it was fixed by the prophecy under consideration that ,galilee was to be the scene of the chief ministry of ,christ4 ,if1 then1 the time for the beginning of the ministry had come1 ,he must also depart into ,galilee4 ,the connection1 therefore1 is this3 ,after he had received the intelligence of the imprisonment of ,john--in which the call to ,him for the beginning of ,his ministry was implied--,he departed into ,galilee1 and especially to ,capernaum1 vers4 #ab1 #ac2 for it was this part of the country which1 by the prophecy1 was fixed as the main scene of ,his ,messianic activity1 vers4 #ad-af4 ,it was there1 therefore1 that ,he continued the preaching of ,john1 ver4 #ag4--;,greek3 ,kai katalipn tn ,nazaret--it is said in ver4 #ac--;,greek3 elthn katksen eis ,kapernaoum tn parathalassian1 en horiois ,zabouln kai ,nephthaleim4 ,christ had hitherto had ,his settled abode at ,nazareth1 and thence undertook ,his wanderings4 ,the immediate reason why ,he did not remain there is not stated by ,matthew2 but we learn it from ,luke and ,john4 ,in accordance with his object1 ,matthew takes cognizance of this one circumstance only1 that1 according to the prophecy of the ,old ,testament1 ,capernaum was very specially fitted for being the residence of ,christ4 ,the town was situated on the western shore of the ,lake of ,gennesareth4 ,quite in opposition to his custom elsewhere1 ,matthew describes the situation of the town #hj minutely1 because this knowledge served to afford a better insight into the fulfilment of the prophecy of the ,old ,testament4 ,the designation ,greek3 tn parathalassian stands in reference to ,greek3 hodon thalasss1 in ver4 #ae4 ,greek3 ,en horiois1 c41 may either mean3 ,in the borders of ,zebulun and ,naphtali1 i4 e4 in that place where ,pg #gi the borders of both the countries meet1--or ,greek3 ta horia may1 according to the analogy of the ,hebrew ,hebrew3 gbvli,m1 denote the borders in the sense of territory1 as in ,matt4 ii4 #af4 ,from a comparison of ,greek3 g ,zabouln kai ,nephthaleim of the prophecy in ver4 #ae1 to which the words stand in direct reference1 it follows that the latter view is the correct one4 ,whether ,capernaum lay just on the borders between the two countries was of no consequence to the prophecy1 and hence was of none to ,matthew4--,the phrase ,greek3 hina plrth does not1 according to the very sound remark of ,de ,wette1 point to the intention1 but to the objective aim4 ,the question1 however1 is to what the ,greek3 hina plrth is to be referred1--whether merely to that which immediately precedes1 viz41 the change of residence from ,nazareth to ,capernaum1 or1 at the same time to ,greek3 anechrsen eis tn ,galilaian4 ,the latter is alone correct4 ,the prophecy which the ,evangelist has in view referred mainly to ,galilee1 or the territory of ,zebulun and ,naphtali in general2 but1 according to the express remark of the ,evangelist1 ,nazareth itself was likewise situated in ,galilee4 ,the advantage which ,capernaum had over it was this only1 that in ,capernaum the ,greek3 hodon thalasss of the prophecy was found again1 and that1 therefore1 thence the ,greek3 peran tou ,iordanou of the prophecy also could be better realized1 inasmuch as across the lake there was an easy communication from that place with the country beyond ,jordan4 ,the connection is hence this3 ,after the imprisonment of the ,baptist1 ,jesus1 in order to enter upon ,his ministry1 went to ,galilee1 and especially to ,capernaum1 which was situated on the lake1 in order that thus the prophecy of ,isaiah as to the glorification of ,galilee1 and of the region on the lake1 might be fulfilled4--,matthew has abridged the passage4 ,from chap4 viii4 #bc 7ix4 #a7 he has taken the designation of the part of the country1 in order that the agreement of fulfilment and prophecy might become visible4 ,the words from ,greek3 g--tn ethnn may either be regarded as a fragment taken out of its connection1 so that they are viewed as a quotation1 and as forming a period by themselves 7this1 from a comparison of the original1 seems most natural72--or we may also suppose1 that the ,evangelist1 having broken-up the connection with the preceding1 puts these words into a new connection1 so that1 along with the ,greek3 ho laos1 which has become an apposition1 they form ,pg #hj the subject of the following sentence4 ,at all events1 ,greek3 hodon takes here the place of the adverb1 although it may not be possible to adduce instances and proofs altogether analogous from the ,greek usus loquendi4--,the confidence with which ,matthew explains chap4 viii4 #bc1 and ix4 #a of ,christ can be accounted for only from the circumstance that he recognized ,christ as ,he who in chap4 ix4 #e1 #f1 7#f1 #g7 is described as the author of all the blessings designated in the preceding verses4 ,it was therefore altogether erroneous in ,gesenius to assert that there was the less reason for holding the ,messianic explanation of chap4 ix4 #e1 #f1 as there was no testimony of the ,new ,testament in favour of it4--,it is quite obvious that ,matthew does not quote the ,old ,testament prophecy in reference to any single special event which happened at ,capernaum2 but that rather the whole following account of the glorious deeds of ,christ in ,galilee1 as well as in ,peraea1 down to chap4 xix4 #a1 serves to mark the fulfilment of this ,old ,testament prophecy1 and is subservient to this quotation4 ,this passage of ,matthew explains the reason1 why it is that he1 and ,luke and ,mark who closely follow him1 report henceforth1 until the last journey of ,jesus to ,jerusalem1 exclusively facts which happened in ,galilee1 and in ,peraea1 which likewise was mentioned by ,isaiah4 ,the circumstance that this fact1 which is so obvious1 was not perceived1 has called forth a number of miserable conjectures1 and has even led some interpreters to assail the credibility of the ,gospel4 ,to ,matthew1 who wished to show that ,jesus was the ,christ1 the ,messiah promised in the ,old ,testament1 the interest must1 in the view of the prophecy under consideration1 be necessarily concentrated upon ,galilee2 and ,mark and ,luke followed him in this1 perceiving that it was not becoming to them to open up a path altogether new4 ,this was reserved to the second ,apostle from among the ,evangelists4 ,ver4 #b 7#c74 ,thou multipliest the nation to which thou didst not increase the joy2 they joy before thee like the joy in harvest1 and as they rejoice when they divide the spoil4 ,the ,prophet beholds the joy of the ,messianic time as present2 he beholds the covenant-people numerous1 free from all misery1 and full of joy2 full of delight he turns to the ,lord1 and praises ,him for what ,he has done to ,his people4--,one ,pg #ha of the privileges of the people of ,god is the increase which at all times takes place after they are sifted and thinned by judgments4 ,thus1 e4g41 it happened at the time after their return from the captivity1 comp4 ,ps4 cvii4 #ch1 #ci3 ,and ,he blesseth them1 and they are multiplied greatly1 and ,he suffereth not their cattle to decrease4 ,they who were minished and brought low through affliction1 oppression1 and sorrow4 ,but this increase took place most gloriously at the time of ,christ1 when a numerous multitude of adopted sons from among the ,gentiles were received into the ,church of ,god1 and thus the promise to ,abraham3 ,i will make of thee a great nation 7,hebrew3 gvi as in the passage before us1 and not ,hebrew3 e,m71 received its final fulfilment4 ,from the arguments which we advanced in ,vol4 i4 on ,hosea ii4 #a1 it appears that the increase which the ,church received by the reception of the ,gentiles is1 according to the biblical view1 to be considered as an increase of the people of ,israel4 ,the fundamental thought of ,ps4 lxxxvii4 is3 ,zion the birth-place of the nations2 by the new birth the ,gentiles are received in ,israel4 ,the manner in which the ,gentiles show their anxiety to be received in ,israel is described by ,isaiah in chap4 xliv4 #e4 ,the commentary on the words3 ,thou multipliest the nation1 is furnished to us by chap4 liv4 #a ff41 where1 in immediate connection with the prophecy regarding the ,servant of ,god who bears the sin of the world1 it is said3 ,sing1 ,o barren1 thou that didst not bear1 break forth into singing1 and shout thou that didst not travail with child2 for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife1 saith the ,lord4 ,comp4 also chap4 lxvi4 #g-i1 and ,ezek4 xxxvii4 #be1 #bf3 ,and my servant ,david shall be their prince for ever4 ,and ,i make a covenant with them and multiply them4 ,several interpreters1 e4 g4 ,calvin1 ,vitringa1 suppose that the ,prophet in this verse 7and so likewise in the two following verses7 speaks1 in the first instance1 of a nearer prosperity1 of the rapid increase of the people after the ,babylonish captivity4 ,vitringa directs attention to the fact1 that the ,jewish people after the captivity did not only fill ,judea1 but spread also in ,egypt1 ,syria1 ,mesopotamia1 ,asia ,minor1 ,greece1 and ,italy4 ,and surely we cannot deny that in this increase1 no less than in the new flourishing of the people after the defeat of ,sennacherib also1 there is a prelude to the real fulfilment2 ,pg #hb and that so much the more that these precursory increases1 happening1 as they did1 regularly after the decreases1 were bestowed upon the covenant-people with a view to the future appearance of ,christ4 ,these increases enter into a still closer relation to the prophecy under consideration1 if we keep in mind that in chap4 vii4 the ,prophet anticipates in spirit the appearance of ,christ1 and that it is with this representation that1 in the ,section before us1 chap4 viii4 #h1 #aj are connected4 ,in order to refute the explanation of ,umbriet3 ,thou hast multiplied the heathen1 and thereby thou hast removed all joy2 but now1 c41 it will be quite sufficient to refer to the parallel passage1 chap4 xxvi4 #ae3 ,thou increasest the people1 ,o ,lord1 thou art glorified1 thou removest all the boundaries of the land1 where1 just as in the verse before us1 by ,hebrew3 hgvi the people1 ,israel is designated2 and that is frequently the case where the notion of the multitude1 the mass only is concerned1 comp4 ,gen4 xii4 #b4--,thou didst not increase the joy stands for3 to whom thou formerly didst not increase the joy1 to whom thou gavest but little joy1 upon whom thou inflictedst severe sufferings4 ,the antithesis is quite the same as in chap4 viii4 #bc 7ix4 #a71 where the former distress is contrasted with the light which is now to shine upon them1 the former disgrace with the later glory2 and in the same manner in chap4 ix4 #a 7#b71 where the present light is rendered brighter by being contrasted with the former darkness4 ,the contrast of the present increase with the former absence of joys shows that the joy is to be viewed as being connected with the increase1 and that if formerly the joy was less1 the reason of it was chiefly in the decrease4 ,ps4 cvii4 #ch1 #ci1 #da1 shews how affliction and decrease1 joy and increase1 go hand in hand2 farther1 ,jerem4 xxx4 #ai3 ,and out of them proceed thanksgivings1 and the voice of the merry ones2 and ,i multiply them1 and they do not decrease2 and ,i honour them1 and they are not small4 ,the decrease is a single symptom only of a depressed1 joyless condition1 which everywhere in the kingdom of ,god shall be brought to an end by ,christ4 ,most of the ancient translators 7,,lxx41 ,chald41 ,syr47 follow the marginal reading ,hebrew3 lv1 to him hast thou increased the joy4 ,according to many modern interpreters1 ,hebrew3 la is supposed to be a different mode of writing for ,hebrew3 lv4 ,but no proof that could stand the test can be brought forward for ,pg #hc such a mode of writing2 nor is there any reason for supposing that ,hebrew3 la stands here in a different sense from what it does in chap4 viii4 #bc1 and it would indeed be strange that ,hebrew3 lv should have been placed before the verb4 ,at most1 it might be supposed that the ,prophet intended an ambiguous and double sense3 not_/7to him7 didst thou increase the joy4 ,but altogether apart from such an ambiguous and double sense1 behind the negative1 at all events1 the positive is concealed2 thou multipliest the people1 and increasest to them the joy1 thou who formerly didst decrease their joy1 c42 and it is to this positive that the words refer which1 in ,luke ii4 #aj1 the angels address to the shepherds3 ,greek3 m phobeisthe1 idou gar euangelizomai humin charan megaln htis estai panti t la hoti etechth humin smeron str1 hos esti ,christos ,kurios2 comp4 ,matth4 ii4 #aj4--;,in the following words1 the ,prophet expresses1 in the first instance1 the nature of the joy1 then its greatness4 ,the joy over the blessings received is a joy before ,god1 under a sense of ,his immediate presence4 ,the expression is borrowed from the sacrificial feasts in the courts before the sanctuary1 at which the partakers rejoiced before the ,lord1 ,deut4 xii4 #g1 #ab1 #ah1 xiv4 #bf4 ,in ,immanuel1 ,god with his blessings and gifts has truly entered into the midst of ,his people4 ,with the joy at the dividing of the spoil1 the joy is compared only to show its greatness1 just as with the joy in the harvest2 and it is in vain that ,knobel tries here to bring in a dividing of spoil4 ,vers4 #c1 7#d74 ,for the yoke of his burden and the staff of his neck1 the rod of his driver thou hast broken as in the day of ,midian4 ,in this verse1 the reason of the people's joy announced in the preceding verse is stated3 it is the deliverance from the world's power1 under the oppression of which they groaned1 or1 in point of fact1 were to groan4 ,he who imposes the yoke and the staff1 the driver1 7an allusion to the ,egyptian taskmasters1 masters1 comp4 ,exod4 iii4 #g2 v4 #aj71 is ,asshur1 and the whole world's power hostile to the ,kingdom of ,god1 which is represented by him1 and which by ,christ was to receive1 and has received1 a mortal blow4 ,a prelude to the fulfilment took place by the defeat of ,sennacherib under ,hezekiah1 comp4 chap4 x4 #e1 #bd1 #bg2 xiv4 #be4 ,after him4 ,babel had to experience ,pg #hd the destructive power of the ,lord1 the single phases of which1 pervading1 as they do1 all history1 are here comprehended in one great act4 ,although the definitive fulfilment begins first with the appearance of ,christ in the flesh1 who spoke to ,his people3 ,greek3 tharseite1 eg nenikka ton kosmon1 yet after what we remarked on ver4 #b1 we are fully entitled to consider the former catastrophes also of the kingdoms of the world as preludes to the real fulfilment4--,hebrew3 wk,m shoulder does not suit as the membrum cui verbera infliguntur2 it comes1 as is commonly the case1 into consideration as that member with which burdens are borne4 ,the staff or tyranny is a heavy burden1 comp4 chap4 x4 #bg3 ,his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder4 ,as in the day of ,midian is equivalent to3 as thou once didst break the yoke of ,midian4 ,this event was especially fitted to serve as a type of the glorious future victory over the world's power1 partly because the oppression by ,midian was very hard1--according to ,judges vii4 #ab1 ,midian1 ,amalek1 and the sons of the ,east broke in upon the land like grasshoppers for multitude1 and their camels were without number1 as the sand by the seaside for multitude--partly because the help of the ,lord 7thou hast broken7 was at that time specially visible4 ,i will be with thee1 says the ,lord to ,gideon in ,judges vi4 #af1 and thou shalt smite the ,midianites as one man2 and ,judges vii4 #b3 ,the people that are with thee are too many1 as that ,i could give the ,midianites into their hands1 lest ,israel vaunt themselves against me1 saying3 ,mine own hand hath saved me4 ,vers4 #d1 7#e74 ,for every war-shoe put on with noise1 and the garment rolled in blood3 it is for burning1 food of fire4 ,we have here the reason why the tyranny is broken3 for the enemies of the ,kingdom of ,god shall entirely and for ever be rendered incapable of carrying on warfare4 ,if the noisy war-shoes1 and their blood-stained garments are to be burned1 they themselves must1 of course1 have been previously destroyed4 ,but1 if that be the case1 then all war and tyranny are come to an end1 for the dead do not live1 and the shades do not rise1 chap4 xxvi4 #ad4 ,the parallel passages1 ,ps4 xlvi4 #aj1 and ,ezek4 xxxix4 #i1 #aj1 do not permit us to doubt that the burning of the war-shoes and of the bloody garments come into consideration here as a consequence of the destruction of ,pg #he the conquerors4 ,nor can we1 according to these passages1 entertain1 for a moment1 the idea of ,meier1 that those bloody garments belong to ,israel4 ,vers4 #e 7#f74 ,for unto us a child is horn1 unto us a son is given1 and the government is upon his shoulders1 and his name shall be called ,wonder-,counsellor1 ,god-,hero1 ,ever-,father1 ,prince of ,peace4 ,the ,prophet had hitherto spoken only of the salvation which is to spread from ,galilee over the rest of the country2 it is first here that its author1 in all ,his sublime glory1 comes before him2 and1 having come to him1 the prophecy rises to exalted feelings of joy4 ,in chap4 vii4 #ad1 the ,prophet beholds the ,saviour as being already born2 hence the ,preterites ,hebrew3 ild and ,hebrew3 nt,n4 ,if any one should imagine that from the use of these ,preterites he were entitled to infer that the subject of the prophecy must1 at that time1 already have been born1 he must also1 on account of the ,preterites in vers4 #a 7#b7 suppose that the announced salvation had at that time been already bestowed upon ,israel1--which no interpreter does4 ,hitzig correctly remarks3 ,because ,he is still future1 the ,prophet in ,his first appearance1 beholds ,him as a child1 and as the son of another4 ,whose son ,he is we are not told2 but it is supposed to be already known4 ,ever since the revelation in #b ,sam4 vii41 the ,messiah could be conceived of as the ,son of ,david only2 compare the words3 ,upon the throne of ,david in vers4 #f 7#g71 and chap4 xi4 #a1 lv4 #c4 ,as the ,son of ,god the ,saviour appears as early as in ,ps4 ii42 and it is to that ,psalm that the ,god-,hero alludes1 and connects itself4 ,alluding to the passage before us1 we read in ,john iii4 #af3 ,greek3 hout gar gapsen ho theos ton kosmon 7,the zeal of the ,lord of hosts will perform this17 vers4 #f #g1 ,greek3 hste ton huion autou ton monogen edken4--,when grown up1 the ,son has the government upon ,his shoulder4 ,the ,prophet contrasts ,christ with the world's power1 which threatened destruction to the people of ,god4 ,this1 then1 refers to the ,kingly office of ,christ1 and the state of glory4 ,parallel is the declaration of ,christ in ,matt4 xxviii4 #ah1 ,greek3 edoth moi pasa exousia4 ,the ,lord has also1 in ,john xviii4 #cg1 confirmed the truth that ,he is ,king2 and it is upon the ground of ,his own declaration that ,pilate designates ,him upon the cross as a ,king4 ,although ,his ,kingdom is not of ,pg #hf this world1 ,john xviii4 #cf1 it is1 just for that very reason1 so much the more all-governing4 ,the ,greek3 enteuthen in that passage is contrasted with the words from heaven in ,dan4 ii41 by which1 in that passage1 its absolute superiority over all the kingdoms of the world1 and its crushing power are declared to be indissolubly connected4--,the shoulder comes1 here also1 as in vers4 #c 7#d71 chap4 x4 #bg1 into consideration in so far as on it we bear2 comp4 ,gen4 xlix4 #ae2 ,ps4 lxxxi4 #g4 ,the bearer of an office has it1 as it were1 on his shoulders4--,the ,jewish interpreters1 despairing of being able1 with any appearance of truth1 to apply the following attributes to ,hezekiah1 insist that1 with the exception of the last1 they denote ,him who calls1 not ,him who is called3 the ,wonderful1 c41 called him ,prince of peace4 ,altogether apart from the consideration that this is in opposition to the accents1 the mentioning of so many names of ,jehovah is here quite unsuitable2 and1 in all other passages1 the noun put after ,hebrew3 wmv qra designates always him who is called4 ,modern ,exegesis has tried everything with a view to deprive the names of their deep meaning1 in order to adapt them to a ,messiah in the ordinary ,jewish sense1 hence1 to do that of which the ,jews themselves had already despaired4 ,but1 in doing so1 they have considered the names too much by themselves1 overlooking the circumstance that the full and deeper meaning of the individual attributes1 as it at first sight presents itself1 must1 in the connection in which they here occur1 be so much the rather held fast4 ,the names are completed in the number four1--the mark of that which is complete and finished4 ,they form two pairs1 and every single name is again compounded of two names4 ,the first name is ,hebrew3 pla ive,c4 ,that these two words must be connected with one another 7,theodor4--,greek3 thaumasts bouleun7 appears from the analogy of the other names1 especially of ,hebrew3 al gbvr with whom ,hebrew3 pla ive,c forms one pair2 and then from the circumstance that ,hebrew3 ive,c alone would1 in this connection1 be too indefinite4 ,the words do not stand in the relation of the ,status constructus1 but are connected in the same manner as ,hebrew3 pra ad,m in ,gen4 xvi4 #ab4 ,hebrew3 ive,c designates the attribute which is here concerned1 while ,hebrew3 pla points out the supernatural1 superhuman degree in which the ,king possesses this attribute1 and the infinite riches of consolation and help which are to be found in such ,pg #hg a ,king4 ,as a ,counsellor1 ,he is a ,wonder1 absolutely elevate d above everything which the earth possesses in excellency of counselling4 ,as ,hebrew3 pla commonly denotes wonder in the strictest sense 7comp4 chap4 xxv4 #a3 ,i will exalt thee1 ,i will praise thy name1 for thou hast done wonders1 ,ps4 lxxvii4 #ae3 ,thou art the ,god that doest wonders2 ,exod4 xv4 #aa72 as it here stands in parallelism with ,hebrew3 al ,god2 as the whole context demands that we should take the words in their full meaning2--we can consider it only as an arbitrary weakening of the sense1 that several interpreters explain ,hebrew3 pla ive,c extraordinary ,counsellor4 ,parallel is ,judges xiii4 #ah where the ,angel of the ,lord1 after having announced the birth of ,samson1 says3 ,why askest thou thus after my name8--it is wonderful1 ,hebrew3 plai1 i4e41 my whole nature is wonderful1 of unfathomable depth1 and cannot1 therefore1 be expressed by any human name4 ,farther--,revel4 xix4 #ab is to be compared1 where ,christ has a name written that no man knows but ,he himself1 to intimate the immeasurable glory of ,his nature4 ,that which is here1 in the first instance1 said of a single attribute of the ,king1 applies1 at the same time1 to all others1 holds true of ,his whole nature2 the ,king is a ,wonder as a ,counsellor1 because ,his whole person is wonderful4 ,a proof1 both of the connection of the two words1 and against the weakening of the sense1 is afforded by the parallel passage1 chap4 xxviii4 #bi1 where it is said of the ,most ,high ,god ,hebrew3 hplia ech1 ,he shows himself wonderful in ,his counsel4--,the second name is ,hebrew3 al gbvr ,god-,hero4 ,besides the ability of giving good counsel1 a good government requires also ,hebrew3 gbvrh strength1 heroic power3 comp4 chap4 xi4 #b1 according to which the spirit of counsel and strength rest upon the ,messiah4 ,what may not be expected from a ,king who not only1 like a ,david in a higher degree1 possesses the greatest human measure of heroic strength1 but who is also a ,god-,hero1 and a ,hero-,god1 so that with ,his appearance there disappears completely the contrast of the invisible ,head of the people of ,god1 and of ,his visible substitute1--a contrast which so often manifested itself1 to the great grief of the covenant-people8 ,the ,god-,hero forms the contrast to a human hero whose heroic might is1 after all1 always limited1 ,hebrew3 al gbvr can signify ,god-,hero only1 a ,hero who is infinitely exalted above all human heroes ,pg #hh by the circumstance that ,he is ,god4 ,to the attempts at weakening the import of the name1 chap4 x4 #ba1 where ,hebrew3 al gbvr is said of the ,most ,high1 appears a very inconvenient obstacle1--a parallel passage which does not occur by chance1 but where ,hebrew3 war iwvb stands with an intentional reference to chap4 vii43 ,the remnant shall return1 the remnant of ,jacob1 unto the ,hero-,god1 who is furnished with invincible strength for ,his people2 comp4 ,ps4 xxiv4 #h3 ,the ,lord strong and a hero1 the ,lord a hero of war4 ,the older ,rationalistic exposition endeavoured to set aside the deity of the ,messiah by the explanation3 strong hero4 ,so also did ,gesenius4 ,this explanation1 against which chap4 x4 #ba should have warned1 has been for ever set aside by the remark of ,hitzig3 ,commonly1 in opposition to all the usus loquendi1 the word is translated by3 strong hero4 ,but ,hebrew3 al is always1 even in passages such as ,gen4 xxxi4 #bi1 ,god1 and in all those passages which are adduced to prove that it means princeps1 potens1 the forms are to be derived not from ,hebrew3 al1 but from ,hebrew3 ail1 which properly means 'ram1'then 'leader1''prince4' ,by this explanation1 especially the passage ,ezek4 xxxii4 #ba1 which had formerly been appealed to in support of the translation strong hero1 is set aside2 for the ,hebrew3 ali gbvri,m of that passage are rams of heroes4 ,rationalistic interpreters now differ in their attempts at getting rid of the troublesome fact4 ,hitzig says1 ,strong ,god--he erroneously views ,hebrew3 gbvr1 which always means hero1 as an adjective--the future deliverer is called by the oriental not strictly separating the ,divine and human1 and ,he is called so by way of exaggeration1 in so far as ,he possesses divine qualities4 ,a like opinion is expressed by ,knobel3 ,strong ,god the ,messiah is called1 because in the wars with the ,gentiles ,he will prove himself as a hero equipped with divine strength4 ,the expression proves a divine nature as little as when in ,ps4 lxxxii4 #a-f1 comp4 ,john x4 #cd1 #ce1 kings are1 in general1 called ,hebrew3 alhi,m1 gods1 ,like ,god1 to be compared to ,him1 a worthy representative of ,him1 and hence1 likewise1 called ,god4 ,it is true that there is one ,hebrew3 al gbvr only1 and that1 according to chap4 x4 #ba1 the ,messiah cannot be ,hebrew3 al gbvr beside the ,most ,high ,god1 excepting by partaking in his nature4 ,such a participation in the nature1 not ,his being merely filled with the power of ,pg #hi ,god1 is absolutely required to explain the expression4 ,it is true that in the ,law of ,moses all those who have to command or to judge1 all those to whom1 for some reason or other1 respect or reverence is due1 are consecrated as the representatives of ,god on earth2 e4g41 a court of justice is of ,god1 and he who appears before it appears before ,god4 ,but the name ,elohim is there given in general only to the judicial court1 which represents ,god--to the office1 not to the single individuals who are invested with it4 ,in ,ps4 lxxxii4 #a1 the name ,elohim in the expression3 ,he judgeth among the gods is given to the single1 judging individual2 comp4 also ver4 #f2 but this passage forms an isolated exception4 ,to explain1 from it1 the passage before us is inadmissible1 even from chap4 x4 #ba1 where ,hebrew3 al gbvr stands in its fullest sense4 ,it must not be overlooked that that passage in ,ps4 lxxxii4 belongs to higher poetry2 that the author himself there mitigates in ver4 #f1 in the parallel member1 the strength of the expression3 ,i have said ye are ,elohim1 and sons of the ,most ,high ye all2 and1 finally1 that there ,elohim is used as the most vague and general name of ,god1 while here ,el1 a personal name1 is used4 ,hendewerk1 ,ewald1 and others1 finally1 explain ,god's hero1 i4e41 a divine hero1 who1 like an invincible ,god1 fights and conquers4 ,but in opposition to this view1 it has been remarked by ,meier that then necessarily the words ought to run1 ,hebrew3 gbvr al4 ,it is farther obvious that by this explanation the ,hebrew3 gbvr al here is1 in a manner not to be admitted1 disconnected and severed from those passages where it occurs as an attribute of the ,most ,high ,god2 comp4 besides chap4 x4 #ba2 ,deut4 x4 #ag2 ,jer4 xxxii4 #ah4 ,the third name is ,father of eternity4 ,that admits of a double explanation4 ,several interpreters refer to the ,arabic usus loquendi1 according to which he is called the father of a thing who possesses it2 e4g41 ,father of mercy1 i4e41 the merciful one4 ,this usus loquendi1 according to the supposition formerly very current1 occurs in ,hebrew very frequently1 especially in proper names1 e4g41 ,hebrew3 ,tvb abi4 ,father of goodness1 i4e41 the good one4 ,according to this view4 ,father of eternity would be equivalent to ,eternal one4 ,according to the opinion of others4 ,father of eternity is he who will ever be a ,father1 an affectionate provider1 comp4 chap4 xxii4 #ba1 where ,eliakim ,pg #ij is called ,father to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem2 ,job xxix4 #af2 ,ps4 lxviii4 #f4 ,luther1 too1 thus explains3 ,who at all times feeds ,his ,kingdom and ,church1 in whom there is a fatherly love without end4 ,the latter view is to be preferred unconditionally4 ,against the former view is the circumstance that all the other names stand in direct reference to the salvation of the covenant-people1 while1 in the mere eternity1 this reference would not distinctly enough appear4 ,and it has farther been rightly remarked by ,ewald1 that that usus loquendi in ,arabic always belongs to the artificial1 often to jocular discourse4 ,whether it occur in ,hebrew at all is still a matter of controversy2 ,ewald1 #bg1 denies that it occurs in proper names also4 ,on the other hand1 the paternal love1 the rich kindness and mercy1 exceedingly well suit the first two names which indicate unfathomable wisdom1 and divine heroic strength4 ,the rationalistic interpreters labour very hard to weaken the idea of eternity4 ,but the ,provider for life agrees very ill with the ,wonder-,counsellor1 and the ,god-hero4 ,the absolute eternity of the ,messiah's dominion is1 on the foundation of #b ,sam4 vii41 most emphatically declared in other passages also 7comp4 vol4 i41 p4 #acb1 #acc71 and meets us here again immediately in the following verse4 ,the name ,ever-,father1 too1 leads us to divine ,majesty1 comp4 chap4 xlv4 #ag3 ,israel is saved by the ,lord with an everlasting salvation2 ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded in all eternity chap4 lvii4 #ae1 where ,god is called ,hebrew3 wk,n ed the ever dwelling2 farther1 ,ps4 lxviii4 #f3 ,a ,father of the fatherless1 and a judge of the widows is ,god in ,his holy habitation1 where the providence of ,god for the personae miserabiles is praised with a special reference to that which ,he does for ,his poor people4--,hitzig's explanation3 ,father of prey1 does not suit the prophetic style1 and has1 in general1 no analogy from ,hebrew to adduce in its favour4 ,the circumstance that1 in the verse immediately following1 the eternity of the government is mentioned1 shows that ,hebrew3 ed must be taken in its ordinary signification eternity4 ,the fourth name1 ,prince of peace1 stands purposely at the end1 and is to be considered as strongly emphatic4 ,war1 hostile oppression1 the distress of the servitude which threatens the people of ,god1--these are the things which1 in the first instance1 ,pg #ia have directed the ,prophet's eye to the ,messiah4 ,the name points back to ,solomon who typified ,christ's dominion of peace1 and who himself1 in the ,song of ,solomon1 transfers his name to ,christ 7comp4 my ,comment4 ,s4 #a ff472 then to the ,shiloh1 ,gen4 xlix4 #aj 7comp4 vol4 i1 #hd1 #he74 ,we should misunderstand the name were we to infer from it that1 in the ,messianic time1 all war should cease4 ,were such to be the case1 why is it that1 immediately before1 the ,redeemer is designated as ,god-,hero8 ,peace is the aim2 it is offered to all the nations in ,christ2 but those who reject it1 who rise up against ,his ,kingdom1 ,he throws down1 as the ,god-,hero1 with a powerful hand1 and obtains by force peace for ,his people4 ,but war1 as far as it takes place1 is carried on in a form different from that which existed under the ,old dispensation4 ,according to ,micah v4 #i 7#aj71 ff41 the ,lord makes ,his people outwardly defenceless1 before they become in ,christ world-conquering2 comp4 vol4 i41 p4 #eae4 ,according to chap4 xi4 #d1 ,christ smiteth the earth with the rod of ,his mouth1 and with the breath of ,his lips ,he slayeth the wicked4 ,ver4 #f 7#g47 ,to the increase of the government and to the peace1 there is no end1 upon the throne of ,david and over his kingdom1 so that he establisheth it1 and supporteth it by justice and righteousness1 from henceforth even for ever4 ,the zeal of the ,lord of ,hosts shall perform this4 ,there is no reason for connecting this verse with the preceding one2 in which case the sense would be3 ,for the increase of government and for peace without end4 ,for chap4 ii4 #g2 ,nah4 ii4 #aj2 ,job4 xvi4 #c--;in which ,hebrew3 l with ,hebrew3 q,c occurs in the very same sense--clearly show that the ,hebrew3 l in ,hebrew3 lwlv,m and ,hebrew3 lmrbh may very well be understood as a mere sign of the ,dative4 ,and the objection that the following ,hebrew3 lhki,n1 c4 would1 in that case1 be unsuitable1 is removed if it be explained3 so that ,he establisheth1 c41 or3 by ,his establishing1 c42 comp4 ,ewald1 ,lehrbuch der ,hebr4 ,sprache #bhj d4 ,the words designate the basis on which the increase of government and the peace rest4 ,the ,kingdom of ,god will1 through the ,redeemer1 acquire an ever increasing extent1 and1 along with it1 perfect peace shall be enjoyed by the world4 ,for it is not by rude force that this kingdom is to be founded and established1 as is the case with worldly kingdoms1 in which increase of ,pg #ib government and peace1 far from being always connected1 are1 on the contrary1 irreconcilable opponents1 but by justice and righteousness4 ,parallel is ,ps4 lxvii4 ,in vers4 #aa-ae of that ,psalm1 the ,psalmist just points to that by which all nations and kings are induced to do homage to that king2 it is just that which1 in the whole ,psalm1 appears as the root of everything else1 viz41 the absolute justice of the king4 ,decrease of government and war without end were1 meanwhile1 in prospect1 and they were so1 because those who were sitting on the throne of ,david did not support his kingdom by justice and righteousness4 ,but the ,psalmist intimates to the trembling minds that such is not the end of the ways of ,god with ,his people2 that at last the idea of the ,kingdom of ,god will be realized4 ,from the fundamental passage1 ,ps4 lxxii4 #h-aa1 and parallel passages1 such as chap4 ii4 #b1 #d2 ,mic4 v4 #c 7#d72 ,zech4 ix4 #aj1 it is obvious that1 as regards the endless increase of the government1 the ,prophet thinks of all the nations of the earth4 ,on the peace without end1 comp4 ,ps4 lxxii4 #g2 chap4 ii4 #d2 ,mic4 v4 #d 7#e71 and the words3 ,he speaketh peace unto the heathen1 ,zech4 ix4 #aj4 ,the ,hebrew3 l designates the substratum on which the increase of dominion and the peace manifest themselves2 the dominion of the ,davidic family and its kingdom gain infinitely in extent1 and in the same degree peace also increases4 ,in these words the ,prophet gives an intimation that the ,messiah will proceed from ,david's family1 comp4 chap4 xi4 #a where he designates ,him as the twig of ,jesse4--,hebrew3 hki,n to confirm1 to establish1 used of throne and kingdom1 #a ,sam4 xiii4 #ac1 comp4 #ad2 #a ,kings ii4 #ab1 comp4 ver4 #bd1 and farther1 chap4 xvi4 #e4--,the words3 from henceforth even for ever do not1 as ,umbreit supposes1 refer to every thing in this verse1 but to the words immediately preceding4 ,that the words must be understood in their full sense1 we have already proved in our remarks on the fundamental passage1 #b ,sam4 vii4 #ac3 ,and ,i will establish the throne of ,his kingdom for ever2 see ,vol4 i4 p4 #aca4 ,michaelis says3 ,so that that promise to ,david shall never fail4 ,the ,hebrew3 eth does not refer to the actual1 but to the ideal present1 to the first appearance of the ,redeemer1 to the words3 ,unto us a child is born1 unto us a ,son is given1 and the government is upon ,his shoulder4--,this great change is brought about ,pg #ic by the zeal of the ,lord who raises this glorious ,king to ,his people2 comp4 ,john iii4 #af4 ,the zeal in itself is only energy2 the sphere of its exercise is1 in every instance1 determined by the context4 ,in ,exod4 xv4 #e2 ,deut4 iv4 #bd2 ,nah4 i4 #b1 the zeal is the energy of wrath4 ,in the passage before us1 as in the ,song of ,solomon viii4 #f1 and in chap4 xxxvii4 #cb3 ,for out of ,jerusalem shall go forth a remnant1 and escaped ones out of ,mount ,zion2 the zeal of the ,lord of hosts shall do this1 the zeal of ,god means the energetic character of ,his love to ,zion4 ,we must1 in conclusion1 still make a few remarks1 on the interpretation of vers4 #e and #f4 ,the older interpreters were unanimous in referring these verses to the ,messiah4 ,even by the ,jews1 this explanation was abandoned at a subsequent period only4 ,to the ,messiah this passage is referred by the ,chaldean ,paraphrast1 by the ,commentary on ,genesis known by the name ,breshith ,rabbah in the exposition of ,genesis xli4 #dd 7see ,raim4 ,martini ,pugio fidei1 ,vol4 iii4 sec4 #c1 chap4 xiv4 #f71 by ,rabbi ,jose ,galilaeus in the book ,ekha ,rabbati1 a ,commentary on ,lamentations 7see ,raim4 ,matt4 iii4 #c chap4 #d1 #ac74 ,ben ,sira 7fol4 #dj ed41 ,amstel4 #afgi71 mentions among the eight names of the ,messiah1 the following from the passage before us3 ,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 ,el ,gibbor1 ,prince of ,peace4 ,but the late ,jewish interpreters found it objectionable that the ,messiah1 in opposition to their doctrinal views1 was here described as ,god2 for doctrinal reasons1 therefore1 they gave up the received interpretation1 and sought to adapt the passage to ,hezekiah4 ,among these1 however1 ,rabbi ,lipmann allows the ,messianic explanation to a certain degree to remain4 ,acknowledging that the prophecy could not refer exclusively to ,hezekiah1 he extends it to all the successors from the ,house of ,david1 including the ,messiah1 by whom it is to attain its most perfect fulfilment4 ,among ,christian interpreters1 ,grotius was the first to abandon the ,messianic explanation4 ,even ,clericus acknowledges that the predicates are applicable to ,hezekiah sensu admodum diluto only4 ,at the time when ,rationalism had the ascendancy1 it became pretty current to explain them of ,hezekiah4 ,gesenius modified this view by supposing that the ,prophet had connected his ,messianic wishes and expectations with ,hezekiah1 and ,pg #id expected their realization by him4 ,at present this view is nearly abandoned2 after ,gesenius1 ,hendewerk is the only one who still endeavours to defend it4 ,against the application to ,hezekiah even this single argument is decisive1 that a glory is here spoken of1 which is to be bestowed especially upon ,galilee which belonged to the kingdom of the ten tribes4 ,farther--,although the prophecy be considered as a human foreboding only1 how could the ,prophet1 to whom1 everywhere else such a sharp eye is ascribed1 that1 from it1 they endeavour to explain his fulfilled prophecies1--how could the ,prophet have expected that ,hezekiah1 who was at that time a boy of about nine years of age1 and who appeared under such unfavourable circumstances1 should realize the hopes which he here utters in reference to the world's power1 should conquer that power definitively and for ever1 should infinitely extend his kingdom1 and establish an everlasting dominion8 ,how could he have ascribed divine attributes to ,hezekiah who1 in his human weakness1 stood before him8 ,finally--,the undeniable agreement of the prophecy before us with other ,messianic passages1 especially with ,ps4 lxxii4 and ,is4 xi41 where even ,gesenius did not venture to maintain the reference to ,hezekiah1 is decidedly in opposition to the reference to ,hezekiah4 ,,the ,,twig ,,of ,,jesse4 7,chap4 xi41 xii47 ,these chapters constitute part of a larger whole which begins with chap4 x4 #e4 ,with regard to the time of the composition of this discourse1 it appears1 from chap4 x4 #i-aa1 that ,samaria was already conquered4 ,the prophecy1 therefore1 cannot be prior to the sixth year of ,hezekiah4 ,on the other hand1 the defeat of the ,assyrian host1 which1 under ,sennacherib1 invaded ,judah1 is announced as being still future4 ,the prophecy1 accordingly1 falls into the period between the #fth and the #adth year of ,hezekiah's reign4 ,from the circumstance that in it ,pg #ie the king of ,asshur is represented as being about to march against ,jerusalem1 it is commonly inferred that it was uttered shortly before the destruction of the ,assyrian host1 and hence1 belongs to the fourteenth year of ,hezekiah4 ,but this ground is not very safe4 ,it would certainly be overlooking the liveliness with which the prophets beheld and represented future things as present2 it would be confounding the ideal ,present with the actual1 if we were to infer from vers4 #bh-cb that the ,assyrian army must already have reached the single stations mentioned there4 ,the utmost that we are entitled to infer from this liveliness of description is1 that the ,assyrian army was already on its march2 but not even that can be inferred with certainty4 ,in favour of the immediate nearness of the danger1 however1 is the circumstance that1 in the prophecy1 the threatening is kept so much in the background2 that1 from the outset1 it is comforting and encouraging1 and begins at once with the announcement of ,asshur's destruction1 and ,judah's deliverance4 ,this seems to suggest that the place which1 everywhere else1 is occupied by the threatening1 was here taken by the events themselves2 so that of the two enemies of salvation1 proud security and despair1 the latter only was here to be met4 ,the prophecy before us opens the whole series of the prophecies out of the #adth year of ,hezekiah1 the most remarkable year of the ,prophet's life1 rich in the revelations of divine glory1 in which his prophecy flowed in full streams1 and spread on all sides4 ,the prophecy divides itself into two parts4 ,the first1 chap4 x4 #e-cd1 contains the threatening against ,asshur1 who was just preparing to inflict the deadly blow upon the people of ,god4 ,the fact that in chap4 xi4 we have not an absolutely new beginning before us1 sufficiently appears from the general analogy1 according to which1 as a rule1 the ,messianic prophecy does not begin the prophetical discourse2 but still more clearly from the circumstance that chap4 xi4 begins with and2 to which argument may still be added the fact that the figure in the first verse of this chapter evidently refers to the figure in the last verse of the preceding chapter4 ,asshur had there been represented as a stately forest which was to be cut down by the hand of the ,lord2 while here the house of ,david appears as a stem cut down1 from the roots of which a small twig shall ,pg #if come forth1 which1 although unassuming at first1 is to grow up into a fruit-bearing tree4 ,the purpose of the whole discourse was to strengthen and comfort believers on the occasion of ,asshur's inroad into the country2 to bring it home to the convictions of those who were despairing of the ,kingdom of ,god1 that ,he who is in the midst of them is greater than the world with all its apparent power2 and thereby to awaken and arouse them to resign themselves entirely into the hands of their ,god4 ,it is for this purpose that the ,prophet first describes the catastrophe of ,asshur2 that1 then1 in chap4 xi41 he points to the highest glorification which in future is destined for the ,church of ,god by the appearance of ,christ1 in order that she may the more clearly perceive that every fear regarding her existence is folly4 ,the connection of the two passages appears so much the more plainly when we consider1 that that which1 in chap4 x41 was said of ,asshur1 and especially the close in vers4 #cc and #cd3 ,behold ,jehovah of hosts cuts down the branches with power1 and those of a high stature shall be hewn down1 and the high ones shall be made low4 ,and ,he cuts down the thickets of the forest with the iron1 and ,lebanon shall fall by the glorious one1 refers to him as the representative of the whole world's power2 that the defeat of ,sennacherib before ,jerusalem is to be considered as the nearest fulfilment only1 but not as the full and real fulfilment4 ,from the family of ,david sunk into total obscurity--such is the substance--there shall1 at some future period1 rise a ,ruler who1 at first low and without appearance1 shall attain to great glory and bestow rich blessings1--a ,ruler furnished with the fulness of the ,spirit of ,god and of ,his gifts1 filled with the fear of ,god1 looking sharply and deeply1 and not blinded by any appearance1 just and an helper of the oppressed1 an almighty avenger of wickedness1 ver4 #a-e4 ,by him all the consequences of the fall1 even down to the irrational creation1 in the world of men and of nature1 shall be removed1 ver4 #f-i4 ,around ,him the ,gentiles1 formerly addicted to idols1 shall gather1 ver4 #aj4 ,in ver4 #aa-af the ,prophet describes what he is to do for ,israel1 to whom the discourse was in the first instance addressed1 and upon whom it was to impress the word3 ,fear not4 ,under ,him they obtain deliverance ,pg #ig from the condition of being scattered and exiled from the face of the ,lord1 the removal of pernicious dissensions1 conquering power in relation to the world which assails them1 and the removal of all obstacles to salvation by the powerful arm of the ,lord4 ,the reference of the prophecy to the ,messiah is1 among all the explanations1 the most ancient4 ,we find it in the ,targum of ,jonathan1 who thus renders the first verse3 ,hebrew3 vipq mlka mbnvhi diwi vmwi,ha mbni bnvhi itrbi4 ,st4 ,paul quotes this prophecy in ,rom4 xv4 #ab1 and proves from it the calling of the ,gentiles4 ,in #b ,thes4 ii4 #h he quotes the words of ver4 #d1 and assigns to ,christ what is said in it4 ,in ,rev4 v4 #e1 xxii4 #af1 ,christ1 with reference to ver4 #a and #aj1 is called the root of ,david4 ,the ,messianic explanation was defended by most of the older ,jewish interpreters1 especially by ,jarchi1 ,abarbanel1 and ,kimchi4#a ,it is professed even by most of the rationalistic interpreters1 by the modern ones especially1 without any exception 7,eichhorn1 ,de ,wette1 ,gesenius1 ,hitzig1 ,maurer1 ,ewald71 although1 it is true1 they distinguish between ,jesus ,christ and the ,messiah of the ,old ,testament1--as1 e4g41 ,gesenius has said3 ,features such as those in ver4 #d and #e exclude any other than the political ,messiah1 and ,king of the ,israelitish state1 and ,hitzig3 ,a political ,messiah whose attributes1 especially those assigned to him ver4 #c and #d1 are not applicable to ,jesus4 ,but the non-,messianic interpretation1 too1 has found its defenders4 ,according to a statement of ,theodoret1 the passage was referred by the ,jews to ,zerubbabel4#b ,interpreters more numerous and distinguished have referred it to ,hezekiah4 ,this interpretation is mentioned as early as by ,ephraem ,syrus2 among the ,rabbis it was held by ,moses ,hakkohen1 and ,abenezra2 among ,christian interpreters1 ,grotius was the first who professed it1 but in such a manner that he assumed a higher reference to ,christ4 7,the ,prophet returns to praise ,hezekiah in words under which the higher praises of ,christ are concealed47 ,he was followed by ,dathe4 ,the exclusive reference to ,hezekiah was maintained by ,hermann v4 d4 ,pg #ih ,hardt1 in a treatise published in #afie1 which1 however1 was confiscated2 then1 by a number of interpreters at the commencement of the age of ,rationalism1 at the head of whom was ,bahrdt4 ,among the expositors of the last decade1 this interpretation is held by ,hendewerk alone4 ,the reasons for the ,messianic interpretation1 and against making ,hezekiah the subject of the prophecy1 are1 among others1 the following3-- #a4 ,the comparison of the parallel passages4 ,the ,messiah is here represented under the figure of a shoot or sprout4 ,this has become so common1 as a designation of the ,messiah1 that the name ,sprout has almost become a proper name of the ,messiah2 compare the remarks on chap4 iv4 #b4 ,a striking resemblance to ver4 #a is presented by chap4 lviii4 #b1 where the ,messiah1 to express ,his lowliness at the beginning of ,his course1 is1 in the same manner as here1 compared to a feeble and tender twig4 ,ps4 lxxii4 and the prophecies in chap4 ii41 iv41 vii41 ix41 and ,mic4 v41 present so many agreements and coincidences with the prophecy under consideration1 that they must necessarily be referred to one and the same subject4 ,the reception of the ,gentile nations into the ,kingdom of ,god1 the holiness of its members1 the cessation of all hostilities1 are features which constantly recur in the ,messianic prophecies4 #b4 ,there are features interwoven with the prophecy which lead to a more than human dignity of its subject4 ,even this circumstance is of importance here1 that the whole earth appears as the sphere of ,his dominion4 ,still more distinctly is the human sphere overstepped by the announcement that1 under ,his government1 sin1 yea1 even all destruction in the outward nature is to cease1 and the earth is to return to the happy condition in which it was before the fall4 ,according to ver4 #d1 ,he slays the wicked in the whole earth by ,his mere word1--a thing which elsewhere is said of ,god only2 and according to ver4 #aj1 the heathen shall render ,him religious reverence4 #c4 ,a future scion of ,david is here promised4 ,for ,hebrew3 vica in ver4 #a must be taken as a praeteritum propheticum1 as is evident from its being connected with the preceding chapter1 which has to do with future things1 and in which the preterites have a prophetic meaning2 as also by the analogy of the following preterites from which this can by no means be separated4 ,but ,pg #ii at the time when this prophecy was composed1 ,hezekiah had long ago entered upon the government4 #d4 ,the circumstances under which the ,prophet makes the ,king appear are altogether different from those at the time of ,hezekiah4 ,according to ver4 #a and #aj1 the royal house of ,david would have entirely declined1 and sunk into the obscurity of private life1 at the time when the ,promised ,one would appear4 ,the ,messiah is there represented as a tender twig which springs forth from the roots of a tree cut down4 ,in the circumstance1 too1 that the stem is not called after ,david1 but after ,jesse1 it is intimated that the royal family is then to have sunk back into the obscurity of private life4 ,this does not apply to ,hezekiah1 under whom the ,davidic dynasty maintained its dignity1 but to ,christ only4 ,farther3 ,in ver4 #aa there is an announcement of the return of not only the members of the kingdom of the ten tribes1 but also of the members of the kingdom of ,judah from all the countries in which they were dispersed4 ,this must refer to a far later time than that of ,hezekiah2 for at his time no carrying away of the inhabitants of ,judah had taken place4 ,this argument is conclusive also against the false modified ,messianic explanation as it has been advanced by ,ewald1 according to which the ,prophet is supposed to have expected that the ,messiah would appear immediately after the judgment upon the ,assyrians1 and after the conversion and reform of those in the ,church who had been spared in the judgment4 ,the facts mentioned show that between the appearance of the ,messiah1 and the ,present and immediate ,future1 there lay to the ,prophet still a wide interval in which an entire change of the present state of things was to take place4 ,ver4 #aa is here of special importance4 ,for this verse opens up to us the prospect of a whole series of catastrophes to be inflicted upon ,israel by the world's powers1 all of which are already to have taken place at the time of the ,king's appearance1 and which lay beyond the historical horizon at the time of the ,prophet4 ,a certain amount of truth1 indeed1 lies at the foundation of the explanation which refers the prophecy to ,hezekiah4 ,the fundamental thought of the prophecy before us3 ,the exaltation of the world's power1 is a prophecy of its abasement2 the abasement of the ,davidic ,kingdom is a prophecy of its exaltation1 ,pg #ajj was1 in a prelude1 to be realized even at that time4 ,but the ,prophet does not limit himself to these feeble beginnings4 ,he points to the infinitely greater realization of this idea in the distant future1 where the abasement should be much deeper1 but the exaltation also infinitely higher4 ,to him who had first1 by a living faith1 laid hold of ,christ's appearance1 it must be easy1 even in the present difficulty1 to hope for the lower salvation4 ,the distinction between the political ,messiah of the prophecy before us1 and ,jesus of ,nazareth--a distinction got up by ,rationalism--rests chiefly upon the fact that ,rationalism knows ,christ as the ,son of ,man only1 and is entirely ignorant of ,his true eternal ,kingdom4 ,hence a prophecy which1 except the intimation1 in ver4 #a1 of ,his lowliness at first1 refers altogether to the glorified ,christ1 could not but appear as inapplicable4 ,but it is just by ver4 #d1 to which they chiefly appeal1 that a political ,messiah is excluded2 for to such an one the words3 ,he smiteth the earth with the rod of ,his mouth1 and with the breath of ,his lips ,he slayeth the wicked do not in the least apply4 ,and so likewise vers4 #f-i altogether go beyond the sphere of a political ,messiah1 ,all that at first sight seems to lead to such an one belongs to the imagery which was1 and could not fail to be1 taken from the predecessors and types on the throne of ,david1 since ,christ was to be represented as ,he in whom the ,davidic ,kingdom attains to its full truth and glory4 ,in the whole section1 the ,redeemer appears as a ,king4 ,this is altogether a matter of course1 for ,he forms the antithesis to the king of ,asshur4 ,it is quite in vain that ,umbreit has endeavoured to bring political elements into the description4 ,thereby the sense is essentially altered4 ,we must keep closely in view the ,prophet's starting-point4 ,before those who were filled with cares and fears1 lest the ,davidic ,kingdom should be overturned by the ,assyrian kingdom1 he holds up the bright image of the ,kingdom of ,david1 in its last completion4 ,when they had received that into their hearts1 the king of ,asshur could not fail to appear to them in a light altogether different1 as a miserable wretch4 ,the giant at once dwindled down into a contemptible dwarf1 and with tears still ,pg #aja in their eyes they could not avoid laughing at themselves for having stood so much in awe of him4 ,as is commonly the case in the ,messianic prophecies1 so here1 too1 no attention is paid to the development of ,christ's ,kingdom in time4 ,everything1 therefore1 is fulfilled only as to its beginning2 and the complete fulfilment still stands out for that future in which1 after the fulness of the ,gentiles has been brought in1 and apostate ,israel has been converted1 the consequences of the fall shall1 in the outward nature also1 be removed4 ,ver4 #a4 ,and there cometh forth a twig from the stump of ,jesse1 and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit4 ,the circumstance that the words in the first verse are completed in the number seven1 divided into three and four1 intimates that the ,prophet here enters upon the territory of the revelation of a mystery of the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,totally different--so the ,prophet begins--from the fate of ,asshur1 just now proclaimed1 shall that of the royal house of ,david be4 ,asshur shall be humbled at a time when he is most elevated4 ,lebanon falls through the mighty ,one3 but the house of ,david shall be exalted at a time when he is most humbled4 ,who then would tremble and be afraid1 although it go downward8 ,luther says3 ,this is a short summary of the whole of theology and of the works of ,god1 that ,christ did not come till the trunk had died1 and was altogether in a hopeless condition2 that hence1 when all hope is gone1 we are to believe that it is the time of salvation1 and that ,god is then nearest when ,he seems to be farthest off6 ,the same contrast appears in ,ezek4 xvii4 #bd4 ,the ,lord brings down the high tree of the world's power1 and exalts the low tree of the ,davidic house4 ,the word ,hebrew3 gze does not mean stem in general1 as several rationalistic interpreters1 and ,meier last1 have asserted1 but rather stump1 truncus1 ,greek3 kormos1 as ,aquila1 ,symmachus1 ,theodotion1 translate4 ,this is proved from the following reasons3 7#a7 the derivation from ,hebrew3 gze1 in ,arabic secuit1 equivalent to ,hebrew3 gde1 to cut off1 chap4 ix4 #i2 x4 #cc4 ,the ,hebrew3 gdei,m in latter passage clearly refers to the ,hebrew3 gze here4 ,the proud trees of ,asshur shall be cut down2 from the cut down trunk of ,david there shall grow up a new tree overshadowing the earth1 and offering glorious fruits to them that dwell on it4--7#b7 ,the usus loquendi4 ,the signification1 stump1 is1 by ,pg #ajb the context1 required in the two passages in which the word ,hebrew3 gze still occurs4 ,in ,job xiv4 #h1 it is obvious4 ,the whole passage there from vers4 #g-i illustrates the figurative representation in the verse under review4 ,for there is hope of a tree2 if it be cut down it will sprout again1 and its tender branch does not cease4 ,though the root thereof wax old in the earth1 and the stump thereof die in the dust1 through the scent of waters it buds1 and brings forth boughs1 like one newly planted4 ,we have here the figure of our verse carried out4 ,that which water is to the natural tree decaying1 the ,spirit and grace of ,god are to the dying tree1 cut down to the very roots1 of the ,davidic family4 ,in the second passage4 ,is4 xl4 #bc1 #bd1 it is only by a false interpretation that ,hebrew3 gze has been understood of the stem in general4 ,he bringeth princes to nothing1 ,he destroyeth the kings of the earth4 ,they are not planted2 they are not sown2 their stump does not take root in the earth4 ,the ,prophet1 having previously proved ,god's elevation over the creature1 from the creation and preservation of the world1 now proves it from the nothingness of all that which on earth has the greatest appearance of independent power4 ,it costs ,him no effort to destroy all earthly greatness which places itself in opposition to ,him4 ,he blows on them1 and they have disappeared without leaving any trace4 ,if ,god's will be not with it1 princes will not attain to any firm footing and prosperity 7they are not planted and sown72 they are like a cut-down stem which has no more power to take root in the earth4 ,a tree not planted dries up2 corn not sown does not produce fruit2 a cut down tree does not take root4--7#c47 ,the connection4 ,in the second member of the verse we read3 ,a branch from his roots shall bear fruit4 ,unless we mean to adopt the altogether unsuitable expedient of explaining it of a wild twig which shoots forth from the roots of a still standing tree1 we cannot but think of a stem cut down to the very root4 ,against the opinion of ,hendewerk who remarks3 ,an indirect shoot from the root which comes forth from the root through the stem2 and against ,meier's opinion3 ,the root corresponds with the stem1 and both together form the living tree1 it is decisive1 that in ver4 #aj1 the ,messiah is simply1 and without any mention being made of the stem1 designated as ,hebrew3 wrw a shoot from the root4 ,farther1 chap4 liii4 #b1 where the ,messiah is represented ,pg #ajc as a shoot from the root out of a dry ground4--7#d47 ,it is only when ,hebrew3 gze has the meaning1 stump1 that it can be accounted for why the ,hebrew3 gze of ,jesse1 and not of ,david1 is spoken of--7#e47 ,the supposition that the ,messiah shall be born at the time of the deepest humiliation of the ,davidic family1 after the entire loss of the royal dignity1 pervades all the other prophetical writings4 ,that ,micah views the ,davidic family as entirely sunk at the time of ,christ's appearance1 we showed in vol4 ,i4 p4 #ejh-i4 ,compare farther the remarks on ,amos ix4 #aa1 and those on ,matth4 ii4 #bc immediately following4--,hitzig is obliged to confess that ,hebrew3 gze can designate the cut-off stem only2 but maintains that ,jesse1 as an individual long ago dead1 is designated as a cut-off tree4 ,but against this opinion is the relation which1 as we proved1 exists between this verse and the last verses of the preceding chapter2 the undeniable correspondence of ,hebrew3 gze with ,hebrew3 gdei,m in chap4 x4 #cc4 ,in that case the antithesis also1 so evidently intended by the ,prophet1 would be altogether lost4 ,it is not by any means a thing so uncommon1 that a man who is already dead should have a glorious descendant4 ,to this it may further be added that1 according to this supposition1 the circumstance is not all accounted for1 that ,jesse is mentioned1 and not ,david1 the royal ancestor1 as is done everywhere else4 ,finally--,in this very forced explanation1 the parallel passages are altogether left out of view1 in which likewise the doctrine is contained that1 at the time of ,christ's appearance1 the ,davidic family should have altogether sunk4 ,the reason of all these futile attempts at explaining away the sense so evident and obvious1 is none other than the fear of acknowledging in the prophecy an element which goes beyond the territory of patriotic fancy and human knowledge4 ,but this dark fear should here so much the more be set aside1 that1 according to other passages also1 the ,prophet undeniably had the knowledge and conviction that ,israel's course would be more and more downward before it attained1 in ,christ1 to the full height of its destiny4 ,we need remind only of the prophecies in chap4 v4 and vi42 and it is so much the more natural here to compare the latter of them1 that1 in it1 in ver4 #ac1 ,israel1 at the time of the appearing of the ,messianic ,kingdom1 is represented as a felled tree1--a fact which has for its ground the sinking of the ,pg #ajd ,davidic race which is here announced4 ,we farther direct attention to the circumstance that in our prophecy itself1 ,israel's being carried away into all the countries of the earth is foreseen as future1--a circumstance which is so much the more analogous1 that there also1 as here1 the foreknowledge clothes itself in the form of the supposition and not of express announcement4 ,with regard to the latter point1 it may still be remarked that ,amos also1 in chap4 ix4 #aa1 by speaking of the raising up of the tabernacle of ,david which is fallen1 anticipates its future lowliness4--,the question still arises3--,why is it that the ,messiah is here designated as a rod of ,jesse1 while elsewhere1 ,his origin is commonly traced back to ,david8 ,umbreit is of opinion that the mention of ,jesse may be explained from the ,prophet's desire to trace the pedigree as far back as possible2 in its apparent extinction1 the family of the ,messiah was to be pointed out as a very old one4 ,but if this had been his intention1 he would have gone back beyond ,jesse to the older ancestors whom the ,book of ,ruth mentions2 and if he had been so anxious to honour the family of the ,messiah1 it would1 at all events1 have been far more suitable to mention ,david than ,jesse1 who was only one degree removed from him4 ,the sound view has been long ago given by ,calvin1 who says3 ,the ,prophet does not mention ,david2 but rather ,jesse4 ,for so much was the dignity of that family diminished1 that it seemed to be a rustic1 ignoble family rather than a royal one4 ,it was appropriate that that family1 upon whom was a second time to be fulfilled the declaration in ,ps4 cxiii4 #g1 #h3 ,he raiseth up the poor out of the dust2 ,he lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill1 that ,he may set him with princes1 with the princes of ,his people1--in which1 the second time1 the transition should take place from the low condition to the royal dignity1 should not be mentioned according to its royal1 but according to its rustic character4 ,this explanation of the fact is confirmed by the circumstance that it agrees exceedingly well with the right interpretation of ,hebrew3 gze3 ,jesse is mentioned and not ,david1 because the ,davidic dignity had become a ,hebrew3 gze4 ,the mention of ,jesse's name thus explained1 agrees1 then1 with the birth of ,christ at ,bethlehem1 announced by ,isaiah's cotemporary1 ,micah4 ,christ was to be born at ,bethlehem1 because that residence was peculiar to the ,pg #aje family of ,david during its lowliness2 comp4 vol4 ,i41 p4 #ejh-i4--,the second hemistich of the verse may either be explained3 a twig from his roots shall bear fruit1 or1 as agrees better with the accents3 a twig shall from his roots bear fruit4 ,the sense1 at all events1 is3 ,a shoot proceeding from his roots 7i4e41 the cut-off stem of ,jesse7 shall grow up into a stately fruitful tree2 or3 ,as a tree cut down throws out from its roots a young shoot which1 at first inconsiderable1 grows up into a stately fruit-bearing tree1 so from the family buried in contempt and lowliness1 a ,king shall arise who1 at first humble and unheeded1#c shall afterwards attain to great glory4 ,parallel is ,ezek4 xvii4 #bb-bd4 ,the ,messiah is there compared to a tender twig which is planted by the ,lord on a high hill1 and sends forth branches and bears fruit1 so that all the birds dwell in the shadow of its branches4--,it has now become current to explain3 ,a branch breaks forth or sprouts2 but that explanation is against the usus loquendi4 ,hebrew3 prh is never equivalent to ,hebrew3 pr,h to break forth2 it has only the signification to bear1 to bear fruit1 to be fruitful4 ,gesenius who1 in the later editions of his translation1 here explains ,hebrew3 prh by1 to break forth1 knows1 in the ,thesaurus1 of no other signification4 ,in the passage of ,ezekiel referred to1 which may be considered as a commentary on the verse before us1 ,hebrew3 ewh pri corresponds to the ,hebrew3 iprh here4 ,the change of the tense1 too1 suggests that ,hebrew3 iprh does not contain a mere repetition1 but a progress4 ,this progress is necessary for the sense of the whole verse4 ,for it cannot be the point in question that1 in general1 a shoot comes forth2 but the point is that this shoot shall attain to importance and glory4 ,hebrew3 iprh comprehends and expresses in one word that which1 in the subsequent verses of the section1 is carried out in detail4 ,first1 there is the bestowal of the ,spirit of the ,lord whereby ,he is enabled to bear fruit2 then1 the fruit-bearing itself4 ,we here subjoin the discussion of the ,new ,testament passage which refers to this verse4 ,footnote #a3 ,their testimony is collected by ,seb4 ,edzardi in the treatise3 ,cap4 xi4 ,esaiae ,christo vindicatum adversus ,grotium et sectatores ejus1 imprimos ,herm4 v4 d4 ,hardt4 ,hamburg #afif4 ,footnote #b3 ,the madness of the ,jews is indeed to be lamented who refer this prophecy to ,zerubbabel4 ,footnote #c3 ,although ,umbreit denies it1 yet this is implied in the designation of the ,messiah as a shoot from the roots4 ,moreover1 the lowliness of the ,messiah himself at ,his appearance is a necessary consequence of the lowliness of ,his family2 and it is a bad middle course to acknowledge the latter and deny the former4 ,to this may1 moreover1 be added the parallel passage ,is4 liii4 #b4 ,pg #ajf ,,on ,,matthew ,,ii4 #bc4 ,greek3 ,kai elthn katksen eis polin legomenn ,nazaret4 hops plrth to rhthen dia tn prophtn1 hoti ,nazraios klthsetai4 ,we here premise an investigation as regards the name of the town of ,nazareth4 ,since that name occurs in the ,new ,testament only1 different views might arise as to its orthography and etymology4 ,one view is this3 ,the name was properly and originally ,hebrew3 ncr4 ,being the name of a town1 it received1 in ,aramean1 in addition1 the feminine termination ,hebrew3 a4 ,and1 finally1 on account of the original appellative signification of the word1 a ,hebrew3 t1 the designation of the status emphaticus of feminine nouns in ,hebrew3 a1 was sometimes added4 ,we have an analogous case in the name ,dalmanutha1 the same place which1 with the ,talmudist1 is called ,hebrew3 clmv,n4 ,compare ,lightfoot decas chorog4 ,marc4 praem41 opp4 ,,ii41 p4 #daa sqq4 ,so it is likewise probably that ,greek3 gabbatha1 ,hebrew3 gbta is formed from the masculine ,hebrew3 gb1 dorsum4 ,our view is that the original name was ,nezer1 that this form of the name was in use along with that which received a ,hebrew3 t added1 and that this ,hebrew3 t served for the designation of the status emphaticus only2 or also1 if we wish to take our stand upon the ,hebrew form1 was a mere hardening of the ,hebrew3 h ,femin4 7either of which suppositions is equally suitable for our purpose72 and this our view we prove by the following arguments3 #a4 ,the testimonies of the ,jews4 ,david de ,pomis 7in ,de ,dieu1 critic4 sacr4 on ,m4 ,,ii4 #bc7 says3 ,hebrew3 ncri mi wnvld beir ncr hglil r,hvq mirvwli,m dr,k wlwt imi,m ,a ,nazarene is he who is born in the town of ,nezer1 in ,galilee1 three days'journey from ,jerusalem4 ,in the ,talmud1 in ,breshith ,rabba1 and in ,jalkut ,shimeoni on ,daniel1 the contemptuous name of ,ben ,nezer1 i4e41 the ,nazarene1 is given to ,christ2 compare the passages in ,buxtorf1 lex4 c4 #achc2 in ,lightfoot1 disquis4 chorog4 ,johan4 praem4 opp4 ,,ii41 #egh sqq42 ,eisenmenger1 ,i41 p4 #caci4 ,it is true1 ,gieseler 7on ,matth4 ii4 #bc1 and in the ,studien u4 ,kritiken1 #ahca1 ,,iii4 ,s4 #eia7 has tried to give a different interpretation to this appellation4 ,he is of opinion that this appellation has reference to ,is4 xi4 #a2 that it had come to the ,jews from the ,christians1 who called ,pg #ajg their ,messiah ,hebrew3 b,n ncr1 because ,he was ,he who had been promised by ,isaiah4 ,but this supposition is correct thus far only1 that1 no doubt1 this appellation was chosen by the ,jews with a reference to the circumstance that the ,christians maintained that ,jesus was the ,hebrew3 ncr announced by ,isaiah1 just as1 for the very same reason1 they also assign to ,him the names ,hebrew3 ncr napv,p adulterous branch1 and ,hebrew3 ncr nteb abominable branch 7from ,is4 xiv4 #ai72 comp4 ,eisenmenger ,i4 ,s4 #acg1 #ach4 ,but ,gieseler is wrong in deriving1 from this reference to ,is4 xi4 #a1 the origin of the appellation1 be it properly or mainly only4 ,against that even the very appellation is decisive1 for in that case it ought to have been ,nezer only1 and not ,ben-,nezer4 ,gieseler1 it is true1 asserts that he in whom a certain prophecy was fulfilled is called the ,son of the prophecy1 and in confirmation of this usus loquendi he refers to the circumstance that the pseudo-,messiah under ,hadrian assumed1 with a reference to the ,hebrew3 kvkb in ,numb4 xxiv4 #ag1 the name ,hebrew3 b,n kvkb or ,hebrew3 b,n kvkba1 in so far as the star there promised had appeared in him4 ,but this confirmation is only apparent2 it can as little be proved from it1 that ,christ could be called ,ben-,nezer because ,he was ,he in whom the prophecy of the ,nezer was fulfilled1 as it can be proved from the appellation ,ben ,nezer that that pseudo-,messiah could be called ,bar ,cochba1 only because it was believed that in him the prophecy of the star was fulfilled4 ,reland has already proved 7,geogr4 ,,ii4 p4 #gbg7 that ,barcochba probably had that name because he was a native of ,cocab1 a town or district in the country beyond ,jordan4 ,and the reason why he laid such special stress upon that descent was1 that he sought a deeper meaning in this agreement of the name of his birth-place with the designation of the subject of the prophecy in ,numb4 xxiv4 ,moreover the supposition that1 by the ,jews1 he in whom some prophecy was fulfilled1 was called the son of that prophecy2 that1 e4g41 the ,messiah1 the ,servant of ,god1 the ,prince of ,peace were called the ,son of the ,messiah1 c41 is not only destitute of all foundation1 but is1 even in itself1 most improbable4 ,to this must still be added the consideration that this interpretation of ,ben-,nezer is opposed by the constant interpretation of the ,jews4 ,jarchi1 in a gloss on that passage of the ,talmud referred to1 explains ,ben ,nezer by3 ,he who has come from the town of ,nazareth4 ,abarbanel ,pg #ajh in his book ,majenehajeshua1 after having quoted from ,jalkut ,shimeoni the passage in question1 observes3 ,remark well how they have explained the little horn in ,daniel vii4 #h1 of the ,ben ,nezer who is ,jesus the ,nazarene4 ,from the ,lexicon ,aruch which forms a weighty authority1 ,buxtorf quotes3 ,hebrew3 ncr ncri hmqll ,nezer1 7or ,ben ,nezer71 is the accursed ,nazarene4 ,finally--,it could not well be supposed that the ,jews1 in a contest where they heap the most obnoxious blasphemies on ,christ1 should have given ,him an honourable epithet which they had simply received from the ,christians4 #b4 ,the result which we have obtained is confirmed by the statements of ,christian writers4 ,even at the time of ,eusebius 7,hist4 ,eccles4 i4 #g71 and of ,jerome1 the place was called ,nazara4 ,the latter says3 ,nazareth3 there exists up to this day in ,galilee a village opposite ,legio1 fifteen miles to the east of it1 near ,mount ,tabor1 called ,nazara 7comp4 ,reland i4 ,s4 #dig74 ,in ,epistol4 xvii4 ad ,marcellum he expressly identifies the name with ,nezer1 by saying3 ,let us go to ,nazareth1 and according to a right interpretation of that name1 we shall see there the flower of ,galilee4 #c4 ,to this may be added1 that the ,gentilitia formed from ,nazareth can be explained only when the ,hebrew3 t is not considered as belonging to the original form of the name4 ,for1 in that case1 it must necessarily be found again in the ,gentilitia1 just as1 e4g41 from ,hebrew3 entt we could not by any means form ,hebrew3 enti1 but only ,hebrew3 entti4 ,in the ,new ,testament the two forms ,greek3 ,nazraios and ,greek3 ,nazarnos only occur1 never the form ,greek3 ,nazaretaios4 ,gieseler has felt the difficulty which these names present to the common hypothesis1 but has endeavoured 7l4 c4 p4 #eib7 to remove them by the conjecture that this form1 so very peculiar1 had been coined by a consideration of ,hebrew3 ncr which the first ,christians were accustomed to bring into connection with ,hebrew3 ncrt4 ,but this conjecture would1 at most1 be admissible1 only if1 with the ,jews too1 the form ,hebrew3 ncri were not found throughout without a ,hebrew3 t1 and if the ,arabic form also were not entirely analogous4#a ,pg #aji ,the question now is3--,in what sense was ,hebrew3 ncr assigned as a nomen proprium to a place in ,galilee8 ,certainly1 we must at once reject the supposition of ,jerome that ,nazareth was thus called1 as being the flower of ,galilee1 partly because ,hebrew3 ncr never occurs in this signification2 partly because it is not conceivable that the place received a name which is due to it ,greek3 kat'anti phrasin only4 ,it is much more probable that the place received the name on account of its smallness3 a weak twig in contrast to a stately tree4 ,in this signification ,hebrew3 ncr occurs in ,is4 xi4 #a1 xiv4 #ai1 and in the ,talmudical usus loquendi where ,hebrew3 ncrim signifies virgulta salicum decorticata1 vimina ex quibus corbes fiunt4 ,there was so much the greater reason for giving the place this name that people had the symbol before their eyes in its environs2 for the chalk-hills around ,nazareth are over-grown with low bushes 7comp4 ,burkhardt ,,ii4 s4 #ehc74 ,that which these bushes were when compared with the stately trees which adorned other parts of the country1 ,nazareth was when compared with other cities4 ,this nomen given to the place on account of its small beginnings1 resembling1 in this respect1 the name of ,zoar1 i4e41 a small town1 was1 at the same time1 an omen of its future condition4 ,the weak twig never grew up into a tree4 ,nowhere in the ,old ,testament is ,nazareth mentioned1 probably because it was built only after the return from the captivity4 ,neither is it mentioned in ,josephus4 ,it was not1 like most of the other towns in ,palestine1 ennobled by any recollection from the olden times4 ,yea1 as it would appear1 a special contempt was resting upon it1 besides the general contempt in which all ,galilee was held2 just as every land has some place to which a disgrace attaches1 which has often been called forth by causes altogether trifling4 ,this appears not only from the question of ,nathanael1 in ,john i4 #dg3 ,can there any good thing come out of ,nazareth8 but also from the fact1 that from the most ancient times the ,jews thought to inflict upon ,christ the greatest disgrace1 by calling ,him the ,nazarene1 whilst1 in later times1 the disgrace which rested on all ,galilee ,pg #aaj was removed by the circumstance that the most celebrated ,jewish academy1 that of ,tiberias1 belonged to it4 ,let us now examine in how far ,christ's abode at ,nazareth served the purpose of fulfilling the ,old ,testament prophecy4 ,it is1 throughout1 the doctrine of the prophets1 that the ,messiah1 descending from the family of ,david1 sunk into utter lowliness1 would at first appear without any outward rank and dignity4 ,the fundamental type for all other passages here concerned is contained in that passage of ,is4 xi4 #a1 now under consideration3 ,and there cometh forth a twig from the stump of ,jesse1 and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit1 which is strikingly illustrated in the following words of ,quenstedt1 in his ,dissertatio de ,germine ,jehovae1 in the ,thesaurus theol4 philol4 ,i4 p4 #ajae3 ,the stem of ,jesse which1 from low beginnings1 was1 in ,david1 raised to the glory of royal majesty1 shall then not only be deprived of all royal dignity1 and all outward splendour which it received in ,david1 but shall again have been reduced to the private condition in which it was before ,david2 so that it shall present the appearance of a stem deprived of all boughs and foliage1 and having nothing left but the roots2 nevertheless out of that stem thus reduced and cut off1 and1 as it appeared1 almost dry1 shall come forth a royal rod1 and out of its roots shall grow the twig upon whom shall rest the ,spirit of the ,lord1 c4 ,quite in harmony with this1 it is said in chap4 liii4 #b3 ,he grew up before the ,lord as a tender twig1 and as a root out of a dry ground4 ,to ,hebrew3 ncr1 in chap4 xi41 corresponds ,hebrew3 ivnq in chap4 liii42 to ,hebrew3 ,h,tr the ,hebrew3 wrw2 to the cut-off stem the dry land1 with this difference1 however1 that by the latter designation1 the low condition of the ,servant of ,god1 generally1 is indicated2 but ,his descent from the family of ,david sunk in lowliness1 is not specially pointed at thereby1 although it is necessarily implied in it4 ,the same thought is further carried out in ,ezek4 xvii4 #bb-bd4 ,as the descendant of the family of ,david sank in lowliness1 the ,messiah appears in that passage as a small tender twig which is taken by the ,lord from a high cedar1 and1 being planted upon a high mountain1 growls up into a lofty tree1 under which all the fowls dwell4 ,in ,jeremiah and ,zechariah1 the ,messiah1 with reference to the image of a cut-off tree used by ,isaiah1 is called the ,sprout of ,david1 or simply the ,sprout2 ,pg #aaa compare remarks on ,zech4 iii4 #h1 vi4 #ab4 ,all that is here required is certainly only to place beside one another1 on the one hand1 prophecy1 and1 on the other1 history1 in order clearly and evidently to point out the fulfilment of the former in the latter4 ,it was not at ,jerusalem1 where there was the seat of ,his royal ancestor1 where there were the thrones of ,his house 7comp4 ,ps4 cxxii471 that the ,messiah took up his residence2 but it was in the most despised place of the most despised province that1 by divine ,providence1 ,he received ,his residence1 after the predictions of the prophets had been fulfilled by ,his having been born at ,bethlehem4 ,the name of that place by which ,his lowliness was designated was the same as that by which ,isaiah had designated the lowliness of the ,messiah at ,his appearing4 ,we have hitherto considered prophecy and fulfilment independently of the quotation by ,st4 ,matthew4 ,let us now add a few remarks upon the latter4 #a4 ,it seems not to have been without reason that the wider formula of quotation3 ,greek3 to rhthen dia tn prophtn is here chosen1 although ,jerome infers too much from it when he remarks3 ,if he had wished to refer to a distinct quotation from ,scripture1 he would never have said3 ',as was spoken by the prophets1'but simply1 'as was said by the prophet4',by using prophets in the plural1 he shows that it is the sense1 and not the words which he has taken from ,scripture4 ,no doubt ,st4 ,matthew has one passage chiefly in view--that in ,is4 xi4 #a1 which1 besides the general announcement of the ,messiah's lowliness1 contains1 in addition1 a special designation of it which is found again in the nomen and omen of his native place4 ,this appears especially from the circumstance that1 if it were otherwise1 the quotation3 in ,greek3 hoti ,nazraios klthstai1 would be inexplicable1 since it is very forced to suppose that ,nazarene here designates generally one low and despised4#b ,but he chose the general formula of ,pg #aab quotation 7comp4 ,gersdorf1 ,beitrge zur ,sprachcharacteristik #a4 ,s4 #acf71 in order thereby to intimate that in ,christ's residence at ,nazareth those prophecies1 too1 were at the same time fulfilled1 which1 in the essential point--in the announcement of ,christ's lowliness--agree with that of ,isaiah4 ,but it is just this additional reference which shows that1 to ,matthew1 this was indeed the essential point1 and that the agreement of the name of the town with the name which ,christ has in ,isaiah1 appears to him only as a remarkable outward representation of the close connection of prophecy and fulfilment2 just as1 indeed1 every thing in the life of ,christ appears to be brought about by the special direction of ,divine providence4 #b4 ,the phrase ,greek3 hoti klthsetai likewise is explained from the circumstance that ,matthew does not restrict himself to the passage ,is4 xi4 #a1 but takes in1 at the same time1 all those other passages which have a similar meaning4 ,from among them1 it was from ,zech4 vi4 #ab3 ,behold a man whose name is the ,sprout1 that the phrase ,greek3 hoti klthsetai flowed4 ,there is hence no necessity for explaining this circumstance solely from the custom of the later ,jews1#c of claiming as the names of the ,messiah all those expressions by which1 in the ,old ,testament1 ,his nature is designated1 inasmuch as1 in doing so1 they followed the custom of the prophets themselves1 who frequently bring forward as the name of the ,messiah that which is merely one of ,his attributes4 ,this hypothesis is inadmissible1 because otherwise it would be difficult to point out any case in which the ,evangelists had not admixed something of their own with a quotation which they announced as a literal one4 ,pg #aac ,ver4 #b4 ,and the ,spirit of the ,lord resteth upon ,him1 the ,spirit of wisdom and understanding1 the ,spirit of counsel and might1 the ,spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the ,lord4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord is the general1 the principle2 and the subsequent terms are the single forms in which he manifests himself1 and works4 ,but1 on the other hand1 in a formal point of view1 the ,spirit of the ,lord is just co-ordinate with the ,spirit of wisdom1 c4 ,some1 indeed1 explain3 the ,spirit of ,god1 who is the ,spirit of1 c42 but that this is inadmissible appears with sufficient evidence from the circumstance that1 by such a view1 the sacred number1 seven1 is destroyed1 which1 with evident intention1 is completed in the enumeration2 compare the seven spirits of ,god in ,rev4 i4 #d4 ,to have the ,spirit is the necessary condition of every important and effective ministry in the ,kingdom of ,god1 from which salvation is to come forth2 comp4 ,num4 xxvii4 #ah4 ,it is especially the blessed administration of the regal office which depends upon the possession of the ,spirit2 comp4 #a ,sam4 xvi4 #ac ff4 where it is said of ,david3 ,and ,samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him3 and the ,spirit of the ,lord came upon him from that day forward2 comp4 #a ,sam4 x4 #f1 #aj4 ,the circumstance that the ,spirit of the ,lord resteth upon the ,messiah does not form a contradiction to ,his divine nature1 which is intimated by his being born of the ,virgin1 chap4 vii4 #ad1 by the name ,hebrew3 al gbvr in chap4 ix4 #e1 and elsewhere 7comp4 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #dij1 #dia71 and is witnessed even in this prophecy itself2 but1 on the contrary1 the pouring out of the ,spirit fully and not by measure 7,john iii4 #ci7 which is here spoken of1 implies the divine nature4 ,in order to receive the ,spirit of ,god in such a measure that ,he could baptize with the ,holy ,spirit 7,john i4 #cc71 that out of ,his fulness all received 7,john i4 #af71 that1 in consequence of ,his fulness of the ,spirit overflowing from ,him to the ,church1 the earth could be filled with the knowledge of the ,lord as the waters covering the sea 7ver4 #i71 ,he could not but be highly exalted above human nature4 ,it was just because they remained limited to the insufficient substratum of human nature1 that even the best kings1 that even ,david1 the man after ,god's own heart1 received the ,spirit in a scanty measure only1 and were constantly in danger of ,pg #aad losing again that which they possessed1 as is shown by ,david's pitiful prayer3 ,take not thy ,holy ,spirit from me 7,ps4 li4 #ac74 ,it was just for this reason1 therefore1 that the theocracy possessed in the kings a very sufficient organ of its realization1 and that the stream of the divine blessings could not flow freely4 ,in ,matt4 iii4 #af3 ,greek3 kai eide to pneuma tou theou katabainon hsei peristeran kai erchomenon ep'auton1 it is not the passage before us only which lies at the foundation1 but also1 and indeed pre-eminently1 the parallel passage1 chap4 xlii4 #a3 ,behold my ,servant whom ,i uphold1 mine ,elect in whom my soul delighteth2 ,i put my ,spirit upon ,him1 as is apparent from the circumstance that it is to this passage that the voice from heaven refers in ,matt4 iii4 #ag3 ,greek3 houtos estin ho huios mou ho agaptos en h eudoksa4 ,but a reference to the passage before us we meet most decidedly in ,john i4 #cb1 #cc3 ,greek3 ,tetheamai to pneuma katabainon hsei peristeran ex ouranou1 kai emeinen ep'auton4 ,kag ouk dein auton4 all'ho pempsas me baptizein en hudati1 ekeinos moi eipen4 eph'hon an ids to pneuma katabainon kai menon ep'auton1 houtos estin ho baptizn en pneumati hagi4 ,the word ,hebrew3 nv,h1 which in ,numb4 xi4 #be also is used of the ,spirit1 combines in itself both the ,greek3 katabainein and the ,greek3 menein2 it is requiescere4 ,as the fulfilment of this prophecy1 however1 we must not look to that event only where it received a symbolical representation1 but also to ,acts ii4 #c3 ,greek3 kai phthsan autois diamerizomenai glssai hsei puros1 ekathise te eph'hena hekaston autn2 comp4 #a ,pet4 iv4 #ad3 ,greek3 hote to ts doxs kai to tou theou pneuma eph'humas anapauetai 7this most exactly answers ,hebrew3 nv,h74 ,for it is not merely for himself that ,christ here receives the ,spirit2 but ,he receives ,him as the transforming principle for the human race2 ,he is bestowed upon4 ,him as the ,head of the ,church4--,in the enumeration of the forms in which the ,spirit manifests himself1 it was not the intention of the ,prophet to set forth all the perfections of the ,messiah2 he rather1 by way of example1 mentions some only after having comprehended all of them in the general3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord4 ,thus1 e4g41 justice1 which is mentioned immediately afterwards in ver4 #e1 is omitted here4--,the first pair are wisdom and understanding4 ,wisdom is that excellency of knowledge which rests on moral perfection4 ,it is opposed to ,hebrew3 nblh1 foolishness in a moral sense1 which may easily be combined with the greatest ingenuity and cleverness4 ,the excellence of knowledge resting ,pg #aae on a moral basis manifests itself in the first instance1 and preeminently1 in the ,hebrew3 binh1 understanding1 the sharp and penetrating eye which beholds things as they are1 and penetrates from the surface to their hidden essence1 undisturbed by the dense fogs of false notions and illusions which1 in the case of the fool1 are formed by his lusts and passions4 ,neither of these attributes can1 in its absolute perfection1 be the possession of any mortal1 because even in those who1 morally1 are most advanced1 there ever remains sin1 and1 therefore1 a darkening of the knowledge4--,the second pair1 counsel and might1 are1 just as in the passage before us1 ascribed to the ,messiah in chap4 ix4 #e 7#f71 by ,his receiving the names ,wonder-,counsellor1 ,god-,hero4 ,from chap4 xxxvi4 #e it is seen that1 for the difficult circumstances of the struggle1 counsel is of no less consequence than might4 ,the last pair1 knowledge and fear of the ,lord1 form the fundamental effect of the ,spirit of the ,lord2 all the great qualities of the soul1 all the gifts which are beneficial for the ,kingdom of ,god1 rest on the intimacy of the connection with ,god which manifests itself in living knowledge and fear of the ,lord2 the latter not being the servile but the filial fear1 not opposed to love1 but its constant companion4 ,the ,prophet has put this pair at the close1 only because he intends to connect with it that which immediately follows4 ,we have already remarked that the ,spirit of the ,lord1 c41 is bestowed upon the ,messiah not for himself alone1 but as the renovating principle of the ,church4--,old ,testament analogies and types are not wanting in this matter4 ,moses puts of his spirit upon the seventy ,elders1 and the spirit of ,elijah rests on ,elisha1 and likewise on the whole crowd of disciples who gathered around him 7#b ,kings ii4 #i74 ,ver4 #c4 ,and ,he hath ,his delight in the fear of the ,lord1 and not after the sight of ,his eyes doth ,he judge1 nor after the hearing of ,his ears doth ,he decide4 ,we now learn how the glorious gifts of the ,anointed1 described in ver4 #b1 are displayed in ,his government4 ,all attempts to bring the second and third clauses under the same point of view as the first1 and to derive them from the same source are in vain4 ,that ,he has delight in the fear of the ,lord1 is the consequence of the ,spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the ,lord resting upon ,him1--,he loves what is congenial ,pg #aaf to ,his own nature4 ,that ,he does not judge after the sight of ,his eyes1 c41 is the consequence of ,his having the ,spirit of wisdom and understanding4 ,it is thereby that ,he is freed from the narrow superficiality which is natural to man1 and raised to the sphere of that divine clearness of vision which penetrates to the depths1 ,hebrew3 hri,h with the accusative is to smell something2 with ,hebrew3 b1 to smell at something1 to smell with delight4 ,the fear of the ,lord appears as something of a sweet scent to the ,messiah4 ,the other explanations of the first clause abandon the sure1 ascertained usus loquendi 7comp4 ,exod4 xxx4 #ch2 ,levit4 xxvi4 #ca2 ,am4 v4 #ba71 and1 therefore1 do not deserve any mention4 ,on the second and third clauses #a ,sam4 xvi4 #g1 is to be compared3 ,and the ,lord said unto ,samuel3 ,look not on his countenance1 or on the height of his stature1 because ,i have refused him2 for not that which man looks at 7do ,i look at72 for man looketh on the eyes 7and1 in general1 on the outward appearance71 and ,i look on the heart4 ,it is especially ,john who repeatedly mentions that ,christ really possessed the gift here assigned to ,him1 of judging1 not from the first appearance1 and according to untrustworthy information1 but of penetrating into the innermost ground of the facts and persons1 comp4 ii4 #bd1 #be3 ,greek3 autos de ,isous1 ouk episteuen heautn autois1 dia to auton ginskein pantas1 kai hoti ou chreian eichen hina tis marturs peri tou anthrpou4 autos gar eginske ti n hen anthrp4 ,farther--chap4 xxi4 #ag where ,peter says to ,christ3 ,greek3 ,kurie su panta oidas4 su ginskeis hoti phil se4 ,farther1 i4 #dh1 #di2 iv4 #ah1 #ai2 vi4 #fd4 ,in ,revel4 ii4 #bc1 ,christ says3 ,and all ,churches shall know that ,i am ,he which searcheth the reins and hearts4 ,ver4 #d4 ,and ,he judgeth in righteousness the lowly1 and doeth justice in equity to the meek of the earth1 and smiteth the earth with the rod of ,his mouth1 and with the breath of ,his lips ,he slayeth the wicked4 ,the ,king shall be adorned with perfect justice1 and1 in the exercise of it1 be supported by ,his omnipotence1--differently from what was the case with ,david1 who1 for want of power1 was obliged to allow heinous crimes to pass unpunished 7#b ,sam4 iii4 #ci74 ,just as by the excellency of ,his will ,he is infinitely exalted above all former rulers1 so is ,he also by the excellency of might4 ,where1 as in ,his case1 the highest ,pg #aag might stands in the service of the best will1 the noblest results must come forth4 ,the first two clauses refer to ,ps4 lxxii41 which was written by ,solomon1 and where1 in ver4 #b1 it is said of ,christ3 ,he shall judge thy people in righteousness1 and thy lowly ones in judgment1 and in ver4 #d3 ,he shall judge the lowly of thy people1 ,he shall save the children of the needy1 and shall break in pieces the oppressors2 compare farther ,prov4 xxix4 #ad3 ,a king that in truth judgeth the lowly1 his throne shall be established for ever4 ,the earth forms the contrast to the limited territory which was hitherto assigned to the theocratic kings4--,in the second part of the verse ,hebrew3 ar,c does not by any means stand in contrast to ,hebrew3 dli,m and ,hebrew3 envi,m1 and1 in parallelism to ,hebrew3 rwe1 designate the wicked ones2 but ,hebrew3 ar,c earth stands in antithesis to the narrow territory in which earthly kings are permitted to dispense law and justice4 ,it is a matter of course1 and is1 moreover1 expressly stated in the second clause1 that the earth comes into consideration with a view to those only who are objects of ,his judging activity4 ,from that which follows1 where changes are spoken of which shall take place on the whole earth1 it follows that ,hebrew3 ar,c must be taken in the signification of earth4 and not of land4 ,hand in hand with the infinite extent of the ,king's exercise of justice goes also the manner of it4 ,the whole earth1 and the breath of the mouth1 correspond with one another4--,in the words with the rod of ,his mouth1 a tacit antithesis lies at the foundation4 ,as kings strike with the sceptre1 so ,he smiteth with ,his mouth4--,hebrew3 wb,t1 the ensign of royal dignity1 is the symbol of the whole earthly power1 which1 being external and exercised by external means1 must needs be limited1 and insufficient for the perfect exercise of justice4 ,the exercise of justice on the part of earthly kings reaches so far only as their hand armed with the smiting sceptre4 ,but that great ,king is1 in the exercise of justice1 supported by ,his ,omnipotence4 ,he punishes and destroys by ,his mere word4 ,several interpreters understand this as a mere designation of ,his severity in punishing1--the rod of ,his mouth to be equivalent to severity of punishment2--but that such is not the meaning appears from the following clause1 where likewise special weight is attached to the circumstance that the ,messiah inflicts punishment by ,his mere word2 the breath of ,his lips is equivalent ,pg #aah to mere words1 mere command2 compare breath of ,his mouth1 in ,ps4 xxxiii4 #f4 ,hitzig's explanation1 the angry breath of ,his lips1 does not interpret1 but interpolate4 ,in the future ,son of ,david every word is1 at the same time1 a deed2 ,he speaks and it is done4 ,the same which is here said of the ,messiah is1 in other passages1 attributed to ,god3 compare ,job xv4 #cj1 where it is said of the wicked3 ,by the breath of ,his mouth he shall go away2 ,hos4 vi4 #e3 ,i have slain them by the word of my mouth4 ,in general1 according to the precedent in ,gen4 i41 doing by the mere word is1 in ,scripture1 the characteristic designation of ,divine ,omnipotence4 ,parallel is chap4 xlix4 #b1 where ,christ says3 ,and ,he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword1 equivalent to3 ,he has endowed me with ,his ,omnipotence1 so that my word also exercises destructive effect1 just as ,his4 ,in ,rev4 i4 #af1 it is said of ,christ3 ,and out of ,his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword1--to designate the destructive power of ,his word borne by ,omnipotence1 the omnipotent punitive power of ,christ against enemies1 both internal and external4 ,an instance of the manner in which ,christ smites by the word of ,his mouth is offered by ,acts v4 #c 7where1 according to the analogy of the word spoken in the name of ,god by ,elijah1 #b ,kings i4 #aj1 #ab1 and by ,elisha1 #b ,kings ii4 #bd1 v4 #bg1 the ,apostles are to be considered only as ,his instruments73 ,greek3 akoun de ,ananias tous logous toutous pesn exepsuxe1 comp4 ver4 #aj2 xiii4 #aa4 ,the ,chaldee translates3 ,and by the word of ,his lips wicked ,armillus shall die4 ,he refers ,hebrew3 rwe not to the ideal person of the wicked1 but to an individual1 ,armillus1 7,greek3 ermolaos1 corresponding to the name of ,balaam1 compounded of ,hebrew3 ble devouring1 destruction1 and ,hebrew3 e,m people7 the formidable1 last enemy of the ,jews who shall carry on severe wars with them1 slay the ,messiah ben ,joseph1 but at length be slain by the ,messiah ben ,david with a mere word1 compare ,buxtorf1 ,lex4 ,chald4 cap4 #bba-bbd3 ,eisenmenger1 entdecktes ,judenthum ii4 ,s4 #gje ff4 ,in #b ,thess4 ii4 #h1 in the description of ,antichrist's destruction by ,christ3 ,greek3 hon ho ,kurios ,isous analsei t pneumati tou stomatos autou1 there is an intentional and significant allusion to the passage before us1 ,antichrist there being1 like ,hebrew3 rwe here1 an ideal person2 for the arguments in proof1 see my ,comment1 on ,revelation1 vol4 ii4 ,ver4 #e4 ,and righteousness is the girdle of ,his loins1 and faithfulness the girdle of ,his reins4 ,pg #aai ,righteousness and faithfulness are in a similar manner connected in #a ,sam4 xxvi4 #ac 78 ,prov4 xii4 #ag74 ,faithfulness is trustworthiness4 ,the point of comparison with the girdle is the closeness of the union2 comp4 ,ps4 cix4 #ai2 ,jer4 xiii4 #a1 #b1 #aa4 ,in ver4 #f1 the ,prophet passes from the person of the glorious ,king to a description of ,his ,kingdom4 ,with regard to ver4 #f-h1 the question arises1 whether the description is to be understood figuratively or literally2 whether the ,prophet intends to describe the cessation of all hostility among men1 or whether he expected that1 in the ,messianic time1 even among the irrational creation1 all hostility and destruction1 every thing pernicious was to cease4 ,most of the ancient interpreters are attached to the former view4 ,thus ,theodoret says3 ,in a figurative manner1 under the image of domesticated and wild animals1 the ,prophet taught the change of the habits of men4 ,he refers every thing to the union1 within the ,christian ,church1 of those who1 in their natural condition1 lived far separated from one another1 and in hostility the one to the other4 ,jerome considers the opposite view as even a species of heresy4 ,he says3 ,the ,jews and the ,judaizers among ourselves maintain that all this shall be fulfilled according to the letter2 that in the light of ,christ who1 they believe1 shall come at the end of the days1 all beasts shall be reduced to tameness1 so that the wolf1 giving up its former ferocity1 shall dwell with the lamb1 c4 ,upon the whole1 he states the sense in the same manner as ,theodoret1 from whom he sometimes differs in the allegorical explanation of the details only4 ,in a similar manner ,luther also explains it1 who1 e4g41 on ver4 #f1 the wolf shall dwell with the lambs1 etc4 remarks3 ,but these are allegories by which the ,prophet intimates that the tyrants1 the self-righteous and powerful ones in the world1 shall be converted1 and be received into the ,church4 ,calvin says3 ,by these images1 the ,prophet indicates that1 among the people of ,christ there will be no disposition for injuring one another1 nor any ferocity or inhumanity4 ,the circumstance that the use of animal symbolism is widely spread throughout ,scripture is in favour of this interpretation4 ,one may1 e4g4 compare ,ps4 xxii41 where the enemies of the righteous are represented under the image of dogs1 lions1 bulls1 and unicorns2 ,pg #abj ,jer4 v4 #f1 where1 by lion1 wolf1 and leopard1 the kingdoms of the world which are destructive to the people of ,god are designated2 the four beasts in ,dan4 vii42 but especially ,is4 xxxv4 #i3 ,there 7on the way of salvation which the ,lord shall1 in the future1 open up for ,his people7 shall not be a lion1 nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon1--where the ravenous beasts are the representatives of the world's power1 hostile to the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,nevertheless1 the literal interpretation1 defended by several ,jewish expositors1 maintains an undeniable preference4 ,in favour of it are the following arguments3 #a4 ,the circumstance that it is impossible to carry through1 in the details1 the figurative interpretation2 and it is by this that our passage is distinguished from all the other passages in which the wild1 cruel1 and destructive tendencies in the human sphere appear under the images of their representatives in the animal world4 ,the supposition that we have here before us only a poetical enlargement of the thought that all evil shall cease 7,hendewerk1 ,knobel71 removes the boundaries which separate prophecy from poetry4 #b4 ,the parallelism with the condition of the creation before the fall1 as it is described to us by ,holy ,scripture4 ,it is certainly not without reason that1 in the account of the creation1 so much emphasis is laid on the circumstance that all which was created was good4 ,this implies a condition of the irrational creation different from what it is now2 for in its present state it gives us a faithful copy of the first fall1 inasmuch as every heinous vice has its symbols and representatives in the animal kingdom4 ,according to ,gen4 ii4 #ai1 #bj1 the animals recognize in ,adam their lord and king1 peaceably gather around him1 and receive their names from him4 ,according to ,gen4 i4 #cj1 grass only was assigned to animals for their food2 the whole animal world bore the image of the innocence and peace of the first man1 and was not yet pervaded by the law of mutual destruction4 ,where there was not a ,cain1 neither was there a lion4 ,the serpent has not yet its disgusting and horrible figure1 and fearlessly men have intercourse with it2 comp4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #ae1 #af4 ,but the influence of sin pervaded and penetrated the whole nature1 and covered it with a curse 7comp4 ,gen4 iii4 #ag-ai72 so that it not only bears evidence to the existence of ,god1 but also to the existence of sin4 ,pg #aba ,now1 as it is by sin that outward discord1 and contention1 and destruction arose in the irrational creature1 so we may also expect that1 when the cause has been removed1 the effect too will disappear2 that1 with the cessation of the discord and enmity among men1 which1 according to ver4 #i1 the ,prophet expected of the ,messianic time1 discord and enmity in the animal world will cease also4 ,in the individual features1 the ,prophet seems even distinctly to refer to the history of the creation2 compare ver4 #g3 ,the lion shall eat straw like the ox1 with ,gen4 i4 #cj2 ver4 #h3 the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp1 with ,gen4 iii4 #ae4 #c4 ,the comparison of other passages of ,scripture1 according to which likewise the reflection of the evil in the irrational creation shall cease1 after the evil has been removed from the rational creation2 compare chap4 lxv4 #be1 lxvi1 #bb2 ,matt4 xix4 #bh1 where the ,lord speaks of the ,greek3 palingenesia1 the return of the whole earthly creation to its original condition2 but especially ,rom4 viii4 #ai ff4--that classical passage of the ,new ,testament which is really parallel to the passage before us4 #d4 ,a subordinate argument is still offered by the parallel descriptions of heathen writers4 ,from the passages collected by ,clericus1 ,lowth1 and ,gesenius1 we quote a few only4 ,in the description of the golden age1 ,virgil says1 ,ecl4 iv4 #ba sqq42 v4 #fj3 ,occidet et serpens et fallax herba veneni occidet4--,nec magnos metuent armenta leones4--,nec lupus insidias pecori4 ,horat4 ,epod4 xiv4 #ec3 ,nec vespertinus circumgemit ursus ovile nec intumescit alta viperis humus4--,theocrit4 ,idyll4 xxiv4 #hd4 ,utterances such as these show how unnatural the present condition of the earth is4 ,they are1 however1 not so much to be regarded as the remains of some outward tradition 7against such a supposition it is decisive that they occur chiefly with poets71 but rather as utterances of an indestructible longing in man1 which1 being so deeply rooted in human nature1 contains in itself the guarantee of being gratified at some future period4 ,but1 with all this1 we must do justice to the objection drawn from the evident parallelism of passages such as chap4 xxxv4 #i1 and to another objection advanced by ,vitringa1 that it is strange that there is so much spoken of animals1 and so little of men4 ,this we shall do by remarking that1 in the description of the glorious effects which the government of ,christ shall produce on the earth1 the ,prophet at once proceeds to the utmost limit of ,pg #abb them2 and that the removal of hostility and destruction from the irrational creation implies that all that will be removed which1 in the rational creation1 proceeds from the principle of hatred1 inasmuch as it is certain that the former is only a reflection of the latter1 and that the ,prophet speaks with a distinct reference to this supposition which he afterwards1 in ver4 #i1 distinctly expresses4 ,hence1 to a certain degree1 a double sense takes place2 and1 in the main1 ,j4 ,h4 ,michaelis has hit the right by comparing1 first1 ,gen4 i4 and ,rom4 viii41 and then continuing3 ,parabolically1 however1 by the wild beasts1 wild and cruel nations are understood1 which are to be converted to ,christ2 or violent men who1 by the ,spirit of ,christ1 are rendered meek and gentle1 just as ,paul1 from a wolf1 was changed into a lamb4 ,we are the less permitted to lose sight of the reference to the lions and bears on the spiritual territory1 that ver4 #f is1 in the first instance1 connected with vers4 #d and #e1 in which the all-powerful sway of ,christ's justice on earth is described1 of which the consequences must1 in the first instance1 appear in the human territory2 and1 farther1 that the point from which the prophecy started1 is the raging of the wolf and bear of the world's power against the poor defenceless flock of the ,lord4 ,ver4 #f4 ,and the wolf dwelleth with the lamb1 and the leopard shall lie down with the kid1 the calf1 and1 the lion and the fatling together1 and a little child leads them4 ,ver4 #g4 ,the cow and bear go to the pasture2 their young ones lie down together2 and the lion shall eat straw like the ox4 7,the going to pasture of the bear corresponds with the lion's eating straw comp4 ,gen4 i4 #cj1 and we are not allowed to supply the together in the first clause47 ,ver4 #h4 ,and the sucking child playeth on the hole of the asp1 and the weaned child putteth his hand into the den of the basilisk4 ,the change in the irrational creation described in the preceding verses is a consequence of the removal of sin in the rational creation2 this removal the ,prophet now proceeds to describe4 ,ver4 #i4 ,they shall not do evil1 and shall not sin in all my holy mountain1 for the earth is full of the knowledge of the ,lord1 as the waters covering the sea4 ,pg #abc ,the subject are the dwellers in the ,holy ,mountain4 ,the ,holy ,mountain can1 according to the usus loquendi1 be ,mount ,zion only1 and not1 as was last maintained by ,hofmann1 the whole land of ,canaan1 which is never designated in that manner2 comp4 chap4 xxvii4 #ac1 and my ,commentary on ,ps4 lxxviii4 #ed4 ,the second part of the verse1 connected with the first by means of for1 agrees with the first only in the event that ,mount ,zion is viewed as the spiritual dwelling place of the inhabitants of the earth1 just as1 under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 it was the ideal dwelling place of all the ,israelites1 even of those who outwardly had not their residence at ,jerusalem2 on the spiritual dwelling of the servants of the ,lord with ,him in the temple1 compare remarks on ,ps4 xxvii4 #d1 xxxvi4 #i1 lxv4 #e1 lxxxiv4 #c1 and other passages4 ,in chap4 ii4 #b-d1 lxvi4 #bc1 the ,holy ,mountain1 too1 appears as the centre of the whole earth in the ,messianic time4 ,from chap4 xix4 #bj1 #ba1 where1 in the midst of converted ,egypt1 an altar is built1 and sacrifices are offered up1 it appears that it is this in an ideal sense only1 that under its image the ,church is meant4 ,the designation1 my ,holy ,mountain1 intimates that the state of things hitherto1 when unholiness prevailed in the ,kingdom of the ,holy ,god1 is an unnatural one2 that at some future period the idea necessarily must manifest its power and right in opposition to the reality4--,in the second clause1 the ground and fountain of this sinlessness is stated4 ,in ,zion1 in the ,church of ,god1 there will then be no more any sins2 for the earth is then full of the knowledge of the ,lord1 by which the sins are done away with4 ,the general outpouring of the ,holy ,ghost forms one of the characteristics of the ,messianic time2 and the consequence of this outpouring is1 according to ver4 #b1 the knowledge of the ,lord1--so that the clause may be thus paraphrased3 ,for1 in consequence of the ,spirit poured out1 in the first instance1 upon ,him1 the earth is full of the knowledge of the ,lord2 comp4 chap4 xxxii4 #ae3 ,until the ,spirit be poured upon us from on high2 liv4 #ac2 ,joel iii4 #a2 ii4 #bh2 ,jer4 xxxi4 #cd1 ,that ,hebrew3 har,c is here not the land1 or country1 but the earth is sufficiently evident from the antithesis of the sea3 as the sea is full of water1 so the earth is full of the knowledge of the ,lord4 ,to this ,pg #abd reason it may still be added that in vers4 #f-h changes are spoken of1 which concern the whole territory of the earthly creation1 the ,greek3 palingenesia of the whole earth4 ,as the relation of these changes to that which is stated here is that of cause and effect1 here1 too1 the whole earth can only be thought of ,finally1--,the following verse too supposes the spreading of salvation over the whole earth4 ,the entire relation of the first section to the second and third makes it obvious that by ,hebrew3 har,c the whole earth is to be understood4 ,the passage under consideration is alluded to in ,hab4 ii4 #ad3 ,for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the ,lord as the waters covering the sea4 ,in that passage1 the enforced knowledge of the ,divine glory which manifests itself in punitive justice1 forms the subject of discourse2 but that enforced knowledge forms the necessary condition of the knowledge which is voluntary and saving4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 the root of ,jesse which standeth for an ensign to the people1 it shall the ,gentiles seek1 and ,his rest is glory4 ,the words1 and it shall come to pass1 introduce a new section2 so that the interval in the ,hebrew manuscripts is here quite in its place4 ,with ver4 #aa again1 a new section begins4 ,in ver4 #a-i we have the appearance of the ,messiah in relation to the whole earth2 then1 in the second section1 the way in which he becomes a centre to the whole ,gentile world2 and in ver4 #aa ff41 what ,he grants to the old covenant-people1 for whom the ,prophet was1 in the first instance1 prophesying1 and whose future he therefore describes more in detail4 ,why ,his relation to the ,gentile world is first spoken of appears from ver4 #ab2 the ,gentiles gathered to the ,lord are the medium of ,his salvation to the old covenant-people4--,the root designates here 7and likewise in chap4 liii4 #b71 and in the passages founded upon this1 viz41 in ,rev4 v4 #e1 xxii4 #af1 the product of the root1 that whereby the root manifests itself1 the shoot from the root2 just as seed so very often occurs for product of the seed4 ,this appears from a comparison with ver4 #a1 where1 more fully1 the ,messiah is called a twig from ,jesse's roots4 ,bengel has already directed attention to the antithesis of the root and ensign1 in his ,commentary on ,rom4 xv4 #ab3 ,a sweet antithesis3 the root is undermost1 ,pg #abe the ensign rises uppermost2 so that even the nations farthest off may behold it4--,hebrew3 drw with ,hebrew3 l1 ,hebrew3 al1 and ,hebrew3 at1 has the signification to apply to the true ,god1 or some imaginary god1 in order to seek protection1 help1 counsel1 advice1 disclosures regarding the future2 comp4 ,is4 viii4 #ai2 ,deut4 xii4 #d1 #e1 and other passages in ,gesenius',thesaurus4 ,the ,gentiles feel that they cannot do without the ,redeemer2 they see1 at the same time1 ,his riches and their poverty2 and this knowledge urges them on to seek ,him1 that from him they may obtain light 7chap4 xlii4 #f71 that ,he may communicate to them ,his law 7chap4 xlii4 #d71 that he may teach them of ,his ways1 and that they may walk in ,his paths 7chap4 ii4 #c71 c4 ,st4 ,paul1 in ,rom4 xv4 #ab1 following the ,,lxx41 has ,greek3 ep'aut ethn elpiousi1 which1 as regards the sense1 fully agrees with the original4 ,the beginning of the seeking took place when the representatives of the ,gentile world1 the ,maji from the ,east1 came to ,jerusalem1 saying3 ,where is ,he that is born ,king of the ,jews8 ,for we have seen ,his star in the ,east and are come to worship ,him1 ,matt4 ii4 #b4 ,the historical foundation and the type are the homage which1 from the ,gentile world1 was offered to ,solomon1 #a ,kings x4--,hebrew3 mnv,hh resting place1 dwelling place1 habitation2 comp4 ,ps4 cxxxii4 #ac1 #ad3 ,for the ,lord hath chosen ,zion2 ,he hath desired it for ,his habitation4 ,this is my rest 7,hebrew3 mnv,hti7 for ever2 here will ,i dwell1 for ,i have desired it4 ,the glory of the ,king passes over to ,his residence to which the ,gentile world are flowing together1 in order to do homage to ,him2 ,comp4 ,ps4 lxxii4 #aj3 ,the kings of ,tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents2 the kings of ,sheba and ,seba shall offer gifts4 ,the comparison of this passage alone is sufficient to refute the absurd interpretation1 according to which ,hebrew3 emi,m and ,hebrew3 gvi,m are referred to the ,israelitish tribes1--an interpretation which has been tried with as little success in the fundamental passage 7,gen4 xlix4 #aj71 according to which the ,hebrew3 emi,m are to adhere to ,shiloh2 compare ,vol4 i4 p4 #fb4 ,ver4 #aa3 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 the ,lord shall continue a second time with ,his hand to ransom the remnant of ,his people which has remained from ,asshur and from ,egypt1 from ,patros and from ,cush1 from ,elam and from ,shinar1 from ,hamath and from the islands of the sea4 ,pg #abf ,from the ,gentiles1 the ,prophet now turns to ,israel4 ,the reception of the ,gentiles into the ,messianic ,kingdom is not by any means to take place at the expense of the old covenant-people2 even they shall be brought back again1 and shall be received into the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,hebrew3 ivsi,p must be connected with ,hebrew3 lqnvt1 comp4 #b ,sam4 xxiv4 #a3 ,and the ,lord continued to kill1 ,hebrew3 lhrg4 ,it is unnecessary and arbitrary to supply ,hebrew3 lwl,h4 ,hebrew3 idv is ,accusative1 as to ,his hand1 equivalent to with ,his hand2 comp4 ,ps4 iii4 #e1 xvii4 #aj1 #aa1 #ac1 #ad4 ,just the hand of ,god1 which here comes into consideration as the instrument of doing1 is repeatedly mentioned in the account of the deliverance from ,egypt2 comp4 ,exod4 iii4 #bj1 vii4 #d1 xiii4 #i4 ,the expression3 ,he shall continue1 in general1 points out the idea that it is not a new beginning which is here concerned1 but the continuation of former acting1 by which believing was rendered so much the more easy4 ,the expression1 a second time1 points more distinctly to the type of the deliverance from ,egypt with which the redemption to be effected by ,christ is frequently paralleled2 comp4 vers4 #ae1 #af2 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bah1 #bai4 ,from ,asshur1 c41 must not be connected with ,hebrew3 lqnvt1 but with ,hebrew3 iwar1 comp4 v4 #af1 those who have remained from ,asshur1 c41 i4e41 those whom ,asshur and the other places of punishment1 with their hostile influences1 have left1 who have been preserved in them4 ,the fact that destructive influences may proceed from those nations also which do not properly belong to the number of the kingdoms of the world1 is plainly shown by the history of the ,jews after ,christ4 ,it would be against the accents1 both here and in ver4 #f1 to connect it with ,hebrew3 lqnvt2 the words which shall remain would1 in that case1 appear to be redundant2 and1 farther1 it is opposed by ,exod4 x4 #c3 ,and eats the residue of that which is escaped1 which remaineth unto you from the hail1 equivalent to2 which the hail has left to you4 ,similar to this is #b ,chron4 xxx4 #f1 where ,hezekiah exhorts the children of ,israel3 ,turn again unto the ,lord4444 in order that ,he may again return to the remnant which has been left to you from the hand of the kings of ,asshur4 ,a question here arises1 viz41 whether the dispersion of ,israel which is here described1 had already taken place at the time of the ,prophet1 or whether the ,prophet1 transferring himself in the ,spirit into ,pg #abg the distant future1 describes the dispersion which took place at a later period1 after the carrying away of the ten tribes into the ,assyrian exile had preceded1 viz41 that which took place when ,judah was carried away into the ,babylonish exile1 and especially after the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,the latter view is the correct one4 ,the whole tenor of the ,prophet's words shows that he supposes a comprehensive dispersion of the people4 ,it is true that1 at the time when the prophecy was written1 the ten tribes had already been carried away into captivity2 but the kingdom of ,judah1 the subjects of which1 according to ver4 #ab1 likewise appear as being in the dispersion1 had not yet suffered any important desolation4 ,the few inhabitants of ,judah who1 according to ,joel iv4 #f1 7iii4 #f71 and ,amos i4 #f1 #i1 had been sold as slaves by the ,philistines and ,phoenicians1 and others1 who1 it may be1 in hard times had spontaneously fled from their native country1 cannot here come into consideration4 ,just as here1 so by ,hosea too1 the future carrying away of the inhabitants of ,judah is anticipated2 comp4 vol4 i41 p4 #bai1 #bbj4 ,the fundamental passage is in ,deut4 xxx4 #c1 #d1 where the gathering of ,israel is promised from all the nations whither the ,lord thy ,god has scattered thee4 ,if any of thine be driven out into the utmost parts of heaven1 from thence will the ,lord thy ,god gather thee1 and from thence will ,he fetch thee4 ,this passage shows with what clearness the future scattering lay before the eyes of the holy men1 even at the first beginnings of the people of ,god4 ,in vers4 #aa and #ab we have the summary of the whole of the second part of ,isaiah1 in which the announcement of ,israel's being gathered and brought back is constantly repeated2 and it is quite incomprehensible how some grant the genuineness of the prophecy before us1 and yet bring forward1 against this second part of ,isaiah1 the argument that the ,prophet could not suppose the scattering1 that it must really have taken place1 since he simply announces their being brought back4--,as regards the redemption from the scattering1 all that which in history is realised in a series of events1 is here united in one view4 ,there is no reason for excluding the deliverance under ,zerubbabel2 for it1 too1 was already granted for the sake of ,christ1 whose incarnation the ,prophet anticipates in faith2 comp4 remarks on chaps4 vii41 ix4 ,this redemption1 ,pg #abh however1 in which those who have been brought back remain servants in the land of the ,lord1 can be considered as only a prelude to the true one2 comp4 vol4 i41 p4 #bbj f4 #ddh4 ,the true fulfilment began with the appearance of ,christ1 and is still going on towards its completion1 which can take place even without ,israel's returning to ,canaan1 comp4 vol4 i41 p4 #bbb4 ,asshur opens the list1 and occupies the principal place1 because it was through him who1 under the very eyes of the ,prophet1 had carried away the ten tribes1 that the dispersion began4 ,but the ,prophet does not limit himself to that which was obvious1--did not expect1 from the ,messiah1 only the healing of already existing hurts4--,with ,asshur1 ,egypt is connected in one pair4 ,egypt is the ,african world's power struggling for dominion with the ,asiatic4 ,its land serves not only as a refuge to those oppressed by the ,asiatic world's power 7comp4 ,jer4 xlii4 ff471 but1 in that struggle with the ,asiatic power1 itself invades and oppresses the land2 comp4 chap4 vii4 #ah2 #b ,kings xxiii4 #bi ff43 ,in his days ,pharaoh ,necho1 king of ,egypt1 went up against the king of ,assyria4 ,in a similar connection1 ,asshur and ,egypt1 the kingdoms on the ,euphrates and the ,nile1 appear in chap4 xxvii4 #ac3 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 that a great trumpet is blown1 and they come1 the perishing ones in the land of ,asshur1 and the outcasts in the land of ,egypt1 and worship the ,lord in the holy mount at ,jerusalem2 ,micah vii4 #ab2 ,jer4 ii4 #ah2 ,lam4 v4 #f4 ,as annexed to ,egypt1 the second pair presents itself1 representing the uttermost ,south2 compare the expression1 from the four comers of the earth1 in ver4 #ab4 ,pathros1 in ,jer4 xliv4 #a1 #ae1 also appears as a dependency of ,egypt2 and ,cush1 ,ethiopia1 was1 at the ,prophet's time1 the ally of ,egypt1 chap4 xxxvii4 #i1 xviii41 xx4 #c-f4 ,gesenius remarks on chap4 xx4 #d3 ,egypt and ,ethiopia are1 in the oracles of this time1 always connected1 just as the close political alliance of these two countries requires4--,from the uttermost ,south1 the ,prophet turns to the uttermost ,east4 ,elam is1 as ,gesenius in his ,commentary on chap4 xxi4 #b remarks1 in the pre-exilic writers1 used for ,persia in general1 for which afterwards ,hebrew3 prs becomes the ordinary name2 and according to ,dan4 viii4 #b1 the ,persian ,metropolis ,shushan is situated in ,elam4 ,it appears in chap4 xxii4 #f as the representative of the world's power ,pg #abi which in future will oppress ,judah1 and we hence expect that it will appear in an ,elamitic phase also4--,shinar1 the ancient name for ,babylon1 is that world's power which1 according to chaps4 xiii41 xiv41 xxxix41 and other passages1 is to follow after the ,assyrian1 and is to carry away ,judah into exile4 ,elam and ,madai appear in chap4 xxi4 #b as the destroyers of the ,babylonian world's power2 hence the ,elamitic phase of it can follow after the ,babylonish only4 ,the geographical arrangement only can be the reason why it is here placed first4--,the last of the four pairs of countries is formed by ,hamath1 representing ,syria1 7comp4 #a ,maccab4 xii4 #be1 according to which passage ,jonathan the ,maccabee marches into the land of ,hamath against the army of ,demetrius17 and the islands of the sea1 the islands and the countries on the shores of the ,mediterranean in the uttermost ,west4 ,as early as in the prophecy of ,balaam1 in ,numb4 xxiv4 #bd3 ,and ships come from the side of ,chittim and afflict ,asshur1 and afflict ,eber1 and he also perisheth1 we find the announcement that1 at some future time1 the ,asiatic kingdoms shall be conquered by a power which comes from the ,west in ships1 by ,european nations--an announcement which was realised in history by the dominion of the ,greeks and ,romans in ,asia4 ,ver4 #ab3 ,and ,he setteth up an ensign to the ,gentiles and assembleth the exiled of ,israel1 and gathereth together the dispersed of ,judah from the four corners of the earth4 ,the setting up of the ensign for the ,gentiles1 around which they are to assemble for the purpose of restoring ,israel1 took place1 in a prelude1 under ,cyrus2 comp4 chap4 xiv4 #b1 xlix4 #bb3 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,behold ,i lift up mine hand to the ,gentiles1 and set up my standard to the nations1 and they bring thy sons on their bosom1 and thy daughters are carried upon their shoulders2 where the sons and daughters correspond to the exiled men of ,israel1 and to the dispersed women of ,judah1 equivalent to all the exiled and dispersed men and women4 ,as early as in the ,song of ,solomon1 we are taught that in the ,messianic time the ,gentile nations will take an active part in the restoration of ,israel4 ,according to the first part of that ,song1 the appearance of the heavenly ,solomon is connected with the reception of the ,gentiles into ,his ,kingdom1 and that1 through the instrumentality of the ,pg #acj old covenant people1 as is intimated by the name of the daughters of ,jerusalem2 comp4 my ,comment4 on ,song of ,solomon1 iii4 #i-aa4 ,in the second part of that ,song we have a description of the reunion of apostate ,israel with ,christ1--which reunion takes place by the co-operation of the daughters of ,jerusalem1 the same whom they formerly brought to salvation4 ,according to ,is4 lxvi4 #bj1 the ,gentiles1 converted to the ,lord in the time of salvation1 bring the children of ,israel for an offering unto the ,lord1--,a significant allusion to the passage before us is found in ,john xi4 #eb3 ,greek3 kai ouch huper tou ethnous monon1 all'hina kai ta tekna tou ,theou ta dieskorpismena sunagag eis hen4 ,it is the same mercy seeking that which is lost that manifests itself in the gathering of apostate ,israel1 and in the gathering of the ,gentiles4 ,what is said of the one furnishes1 at the same time1 the guarantee for the other4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,and the envy of ,ephraim departeth1 and the adversaries of ,judah are cut off2 ,ephraim shall not envy ,judah1 and ,judah shall not vex ,ephraim4 ,according to the explanatory fourth clause1 the adversaries of ,judah in the second clause1 can only be those among ,judah who vex ,ephraim4 ,at the very beginning of the separation of the two kingdoms1 their future reunion had been announced by a prophet2 and this must now take place as certainly as ,jehovah is ,god1 who had promised to ,david and his house the eternal dominion over all ,israel4 ,the separation had taken place because the house of ,david had become unfaithful to its vocation4 ,in the ,messiah1 the promise1 to the ,davidic race is to be completely realized2 and this realization has1 for its necessary consequence1 the removal for ever of the separation2 comp4 ,ezek4 xxxvii4 #bb4 ,it was a prelude to the fulfilment1 that a portion of the subjects of the kingdom of the ten tribes united with ,judah in all those times when1 in the blessing accompanying the enterprises of a pious son of ,david1 the promise granted to ,david was1 in some measure realized1--as was the case under ,jehoshaphat1 ,hezekiah1 and ,josiah4 ,even before ,christ appeared in the flesh1 the announcement here made was all but realized4 ,the exile put an end to the kingdom of the ten tribes1 and hence also to the unnatural separation which had been designated as the severest calamity of the past1 chap4 vii4 #ag4 ,the other tribes ,pg #aca joined ,judah and the restored sanctuary2 comp4 ,acts xxvi4 #g2 ,luke ii4 #cf4 ,the name of ,jews passed over to the whole nation2 the jealousy disappeared4 ,this blessing was conferred upon the people for ,christ's sake1 and with a view to ,his future appearance4 ,in ,christ1 the bond of union and communion is so firmly formed that no new discord can alienate the hearts from one another4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,and they fly upon the shoulder of the ,philistines toward the ,west1 spoil together the children of the ,east2 ,edom and ,moab shall be their assault1 the children of ,ammon their obedience4 ,as ,israel is united internally1 so it shall be externally powerful4 ,according to the ,song of ,solomon vi4 #aj1 the congregation of ,israel when1 by her renewed connection with the ,lord and ,his heavenly ,solomon1 she has regained her former strength1 is terrible as an army with banners4--,the nations mentioned are those of the ,davidic reign4 ,even before the time of the ,prophet1 they had been anew conquered by ,jehoshaphat1 in whom the spirit of ,david had been revived anew2 comp4 #b ,chron4 xx42 ,ps4 lxxxiii4 ,a prelude to the fulfilment of the prophecy before us took place at the time of the ,maccabees1 comp4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #dfg1 #dfh4 ,but as regards the fulfilment1 we are not entitled to limit ourselves to the names here mentioned4 ,these names are the accidental element in the prophecy2 the thought is this3 ,as soon as ,israel realizes its destiny1 it partakes of ,god's inviolability1 of ,god's victorious power4 ,the ,prophet's sole purpose is to point out the victorious power1 to give prominence to the thought that outward prosperity is the necessary consequence of inward holiness4--,in the first clause1 the image is taken from birds of prey2 comp4 ,hab4 i4 #h3 ,they fly as an eagle hastening to eat1 which passage refers to the enemies of ,israel at the time of wrath4 ,in the time of grace1 the relation will be just the reverse4--,hebrew3 mwl,h id occurs1 in a series of passages in ,deuteronomy1 of that which is taken in hand1 undertaken4 ,edom and ,moab are no longer an object of ,noli me tangere for them4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,and the ,lord destroys the tongue of the ,sea of ,egypt1 and waves ,his hand over the ,river with the violence of ,his wind1 and smiteth it into seven streams1 that one may go through in shoes4 ,pg #acb ,ver4 #af4 ,and there shall be a highway for the remnant of ,his people which was left from ,asshur2 like as it was to ,israel in the day that he came up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,the miraculous power of the ,lord shall remove all obstacles to deliverance4 ,these obstacles are represented by the ,euphrates and the ,red ,sea 7the tongue of the ,sea of ,egypt1 equivalent to the point of it71 with a reference to the fact that1 among the countries1 in ver4 #aa1 from which ,israel is to be delivered1 there had been mentioned1 ,egypt1 between which and the ,holy ,land was the ,red ,sea1 and ,asshur1 situated on the other side of ,euphrates4 ,to ,euphrates1 upon which there will be repeated that which1 in ancient times1 was done in the case of ,jordan1 the ,prophet assigns1 in ver4 #ae1 the last place1 on account of ver4 #af4 ,the highway in that verse is prepared by the turning off of ,euphrates1 so that we might put3 ,and thus1 at the beginning of the verse4 ,as regards the destroying1 ,hebrew3 h,hrv,m1 it is the forced devoting to ,god of that which would not spontaneously serve ,him2 compare remarks on ,mal4 iii4 #bd4 ,objects of such devoting can properly be persons only1 because they only are capable of spontaneous sanctification to ,god1 as well as of wilful desecration4 ,the fact that it is here transferred to the sea may be accounted for by its being personified4 ,the destruction which is inflicted upon the sea is1 in it1 inflicted upon the enemies of ,god thereby represented1 inasmuch as it opposes the people of ,god1 and thus1 as it were1 strives against ,god4--,with the violence or terror of ,his wind1 i4e41 with ,his violent1 terrible wind4 ,there is in this an allusion to ,exod4 xiv4 #ba1 according to which the ,lord dried up the ,red ,sea by a violent wind4 ,against ,drechsler1 who thinks of ,god's breathing of anger1 first1 this reference to ,exod4 xiv4 #ba1 and farther1 the circumstance that the ,hebrew3 rv,h appears as something which the ,lord has in ,his hand1 are decisive4--,in ver4 #af we need not1 after from ,asshur1 supply the other nations mentioned in ver4 #aa1 which would be unexampled2 but ,asshur appears as the representative of all the enemies of ,god4 ,similarly in ,micah also1 ,asshur is1 with evident intention1 used typically2 comp4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #eae1 #eaf4 ,footnote #a3 ,notwithstanding the arguments which we stated in favour of our proposition1 that the original form of the name is ,hebrew3 ncr4 ,ebrard without even attempting to refute them1 assumes1 in favour of a far-fetched conjecture1 that the name of the place was written ,hebrew3 nzrt 7,kritik4 d4 ,ev4 ,geschichte ,s4 #hdc1 #ast ,ed471 and has introduced this opinion even into the text of the new edition of ,olshausen's ,commentary1 edited by him4 ,the circumstance that elsewhere commonly the ,hebrew ,hebrew3 z is1 in ,greek1 rendered by ,greek3 z1 ,hebrew3 c by ,greek3 s is1 in this case1 where the special arguments in favour of ,hebrew3 ncr are so strong1 of no consequence4 ,footnote #b3 ,hofmann 7,weissagung und ,erfllung41 ,,ii4 ,s4 #fd7 was the last who assumed that the ,evangelist had generally in view those passages in which the lowliness1 contempt1 and rejection of ,christ are spoken of1 and that1 in the ,old ,testament passages in question1 the ,greek3 ,nazraios was not contained according to the letter1 but according to the spirit only4 ,but this is opposed not only by the whole manner of quotation which is given as a literal one1 but also by a whole series of analogies3 ,christ's birthplace in ,bethlehem1 ,his stay in ,jerusalem1 ,his ministry in ,galilee1 and especially in ,capernaum1 ,his entrance into ,jerusalem1--all these are by ,matthew traced back to prophetical declarations which have a special reference to these localities4 ,against the exposition given by us1 ,hofmann advances the assertion that neither ,hebrew3 ncr nor ,hebrew3 ,h,tr have ever attached to them the idea of lowliness1 of unassuming appearance4 ,but even if a twig were not of itself something lowly and unassuming in appearance1 yet1 in the passage before us1 that idea is1 at all events1 implied in the connection with the stump and roots1 as well as by the contrast to ,hebrew3 iprh ,footnote #c3 ,the following passage1 which we take from ,raim4 ,martini ,pug4 ,fid4 ,,iii4 #c1 #ai p4 #fhe1 will fully illustrate that custom3 ,r4 ,abba said3 ,his name is ,hebrew3 ihvh ,lord1 according to the word in ,jerem4 xxiii4 #f2 ,r4 ,josua ben ,levy said3 ,his name is ,sprout1 according to what is said in ,zech4 vi4 #ab4 ,others say that ,his name will be ,comforter1 ,son of the strength of ,god1 as is declared in ,lam4 i4 #af4 ,those from the ,school of ,r4 ,siloh said3 ,his name will be ,shiloh1 as is written in ,gen4 xlix4 #aj3 ',until ,shiloh come4',those from the ,school of ,r4 ,chanina said3 ,his name will be the ,gracious one1 as ,jerem4 said in chap4 xvi4 #ac4 ,those from the ,school of ,r4 ,jannai said3 ,jinnon shall be ,his name1 according to ,ps4 lxxii4 #ag1 c4 ,pg #acc ,,chap4 ,,xii4 ,this chapter contains ,israel's hymn of thanks after having obtained redemption and deliverance1 and is connected with chap4 ix4 #b 7#c71 where the ,prophet had1 in general1 mentioned the joy of the elect in the ,messianic time4 ,here he embodies it in words4 ,the hymn1 which forms a kind of close1 and1 to a certain degree1 belongs to the whole cycle of the preceding ,messianic prophecies1 is based upon the hymn of thanksgiving by ,israel after having passed through the ,red ,sea1--that historical fact which contained so strong a guarantee for the future redemption1 and is in harmony with chap4 xi4 #ae1 #af1 where the ,prophet had announced a renewal of those wonderful leadings of the ,lord4 ,the hymn falls into three stanzas1 each consisting of two verses4 ,in ver4 #a and #b1 and in ver4 #d and #e1 the redeemed ones are introduced speaking2 ver4 #c and #e1 which likewise form a couple1 contain an epilogue of the ,prophet on the double jubilus of the congregation4 ,ver4 #a4 ,and in that day thou sayest3 ,i will praise thee1 ,lord1 for thou wast angry with me1 and now thine anger is turned away1 and thou comfortest me4 ,ver4 #b4 ,behold1 ,god is my salvation2 ,i trust1 and am not afraid2 for my strength and song is the ,lord1 and ,he became my ,saviour4 ,the words my strength and my song1 are from ,exod4 xv4 #b4 ,the two members of the verse enter into the right relation to one another1 and the ,hebrew3 ki becomes intelligible1 only if we keep in mind that the words at the beginning1 ,the ,lord is my salvation1 are an expression of the conviction of the speaker2 hence are equivalent to3 we acknowledge ,him as our ,god2 so that the first part expresses the subjective disposition of the ,church2 the second1 the objective circumstance of the case--that on which that disposition is founded1 and from which it grew up4 ,ver4 #c4 ,and ye draw water in joy out of the wells of salvation4 ,during the journey through the wilderness1 the bestowal of salvation had been represented under the form of granting ,pg #acd water4 ,it is to it that we have here an allusion4 ,the spiritual water denotes salvation4 ,ver4 #d4 ,and in that day ye say3 ,praise the ,lord1 proclaim ,his name1 declare ,his doings among the nations1 make mention that ,his name is exalted4 ,ver4 #e4 ,praise the ,lord1 for ,he hath done great things2 this is known in all the earth4 ,ver4 #f4 ,cry out and shout thou inhabitant of ,zion2 for great is the ,holy ,one of ,israel in thy midst4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,there now follows a cycle of ten prophecies1 which1 in the inscriptions1 have the name ,hebrew3 mwa burden1 and in which the ,prophet exhibits the disclosures into the destinies of the nations which he had received on the occasion of the threatening ,assyrian invasion under ,sennacherib4 ,for1 from the prophecy against ,asshur in chap4 xiv4 #bd1 #be1 which is contained in the very first burden1 it clearly appears that the cycle which1 by the equality of the inscriptions1 is connected into one well arranged and congenial whole1 belongs to this period4 ,this prophecy against ,asshur forms one whole with that against ,babel1 and by it the latter was suggested and called forth4 ,in that prophecy1 the defeat of ,asshur1 which took place in the #adth year of ,hezekiah1 is announced as future4 ,it is true that the second burden1 directed against the ,philistines1 in chap4 xiv4 #bh-cb1 seems to suggest another time4 ,of this burden it is said1 in ver4 #bh1 that it was given in the year that king ,ahaz died2 not in the year in which his death was impending1 but in that in which he died1 comp4 chap4 vi4 #a4 ,the distressed circumstances of the new king raised the hopes of the ,philistines1 who1 under ,ahaz1 had rebelled against the ,jewish dominion4 ,but the ,prophet beholds in the ,spirit that1 just under this king1 the heavenly ,king of ,zion would destroy these hopes1 and would thrust down ,philistia from its imaginary height4 ,but from the time of the original composition of the prophecy1 that of its repetition must be distinguished4 ,that took place1 as is just shewn by the prophecy's being received in the cycle of the burdens1 at the time when the invasion of ,sennacherib was immediately impending4 ,the ,assyrians were the power from the ,north1 ,pg #ace by whom the threatened destruction would break in upon the ,philistines2 and the truth of the word should be verified upon them1 that prosperity is only the forerunner of the fall4 ,in the view of the fulfilment1 ,isaiah repeated the prophecy4 ,from the series of these burdens1 we shall very briefly comment upon those which are of importance for our purpose4 ,first1 ,,chapters ,,xiii4 l4-,,xiv4 #bg4 ,this prophecy does not contain any characteristically expressed ,messianic element2 but it is of no small consequence for bringing out the whole picture of the future1 as it was before the mind of the ,prophet4 ,it is in it that ,babel meets us distinctly and definitely as the threatening world's power of the future1 by which ,judah is to be carried away into captivity4 ,the genuineness is incontrovertibly testified by the close2 and it is only by a naturalistic tendency that it can be denied4 ,with the announcement of the deliverance from ,babel is first1 in chap4 xiv4 #bd1 #be1 connected an announcement of deliverance from ,asshur2 and then follows in ver4 #bf and #bg1 the close of the whole prophecy from chap4 xiii4 #a1 onward4 ,vers4 #bf and #bg1 which speak of the whole earth and of all the nations1 refer to chap4 xiii41 where the ,prophet had spoken of an universal judgment1 comp4 ver4 #e1 #i1 #aj1 c42 while1 in the verses immediately preceding1 one single people1 the ,assyrians only1 were spoken of ,it is thereby rendered impossible to separate chap4 xiv4 #bd1 #bg from the whole4 ,behind the world's power of the present--the ,assyrian--the ,prophet beholds a new one springing up--the ,babylonish4 ,those who have asserted that the prophecy against ,babel is altogether without foundation as soon as ,isaiah is supposed to have composed it1 are utterly mistaken4 ,although the prophecy was by no means destined for the contemporaries only1 as prophecy is generally destined for all times of the ,church1 yet1 even for the ,prophet's contemporaries1 every letter was of consequence4 ,if ,israel's principal enemies belonged to the future1 how very little was to be feared from the present ones2 and especially if ,israel should and must rise from even the ,pg #acf deepest abasement1 how should ,god not then deliver them from the lower distress and need8 ,but just because weak faith does not like to draw such inferences1 the ,prophet at the close expressly adverts to the present affliction1 and gives to the weak faith a distinct and sure word of ,god1 by which it may support itself1 and take encouragement in that affliction4 ,the points of connection must not be overlooked which the prophecy in chap4 xi4 offers for the prophecy before us4 ,we already met there the total decay of the royal house of ,david1 the carrying away of ,judah into exile1 and their dispersion into all lands4 ,it is on this foundation that the prophecy before us takes its stand3 it points to the power by which these conditions are to be brought about4 ,farther--,there1 as well as here1 the conditions of the future are not expressly announced as such1 but supposed3 the ,prophet takes his stand in the future4 ,there1 as well as here1 the ,prophet draws consolation in the sufferings of the present from a salvation to be bestowed in a far distant future only4 ,from the very outset1 the ,prophet announces an impending carrying away of the people1 and1 at the same time1 that1 even in this distress1 the ,lord would have compassion upon ,his people1 comp4 e4g4 chaps4 v41 vi4 ,from the very outset1 the ,prophet clearly saw that it was not by the ,assyrians that this carrying away would be effected4 ,this much we consider to be fully proved by history4 ,the progress which the prophecy before us offers1 when compared with those former ones1 consists in this circumstance only1 that the ,prophet here expressly mentions the names of the future destroyers4 ,and in reference to this circumstance we may remark1 that1 according to the testimony of history1 as early as at that time1 the plan of the foundation of an independent power was strongly entertained and fostered at ,babylon1 as is clearly enough evidenced by the embassy of the viceroy of ,babylon to ,hezekiah4 ,in chap4 xxiii4 #ac--the prophecy against ,tyre1 which is acknowledged to be genuine by the greater number of rationalistic interpreters--the ,prophet shows the clearest insight into the future universal dominion of ,chaldea1 which forms the point of issue for the prophecy before us4 ,with perfect clearness this insight meets us in chap4 xxxix4 also1 on which even ,gesenius cannot avoid remarking3 ,the prophetic eye of ,pg #acg ,isaiah foresaw1 even at that time1 that1 in a political point of view1 ,babylon would1 in a short time1 altogether enter into the track of ,assyria4 ,,chapters ,,xvii41 ,,xviii4 ,these two chapters form one whole1 as1 generally1 the series of the ten burdens is nowhere interrupted by inserted1 heterogeneous1 independent portions4 ,chapter xx4 forms an appendix only to chapter xix4 ,in the same manner1 the prophecy against ,sebna in chap4 xxii4 #af-be1 stands in an internal connection with vers4 #a-ae2 in that which befel him1 the destinies of the people were to be typified4 ,that these two chapters belong to one another is clearly proved by the parallelism of chap4 xvii4 #aj1 #aa1 and chap4 xviii4 #d-f4 ,the inscription runs3 ,burden of ,damascus4 ,it is at the commencement of the prophecy that the ,syrians of ,damascus are spoken of2 the threatening soon after turns against ,judah and ,israel4 ,this is easily accounted for by the consideration that the prophecy refers to a relation where ,judah and ,israel appear in the retinue of ,damascus4 ,it was from ,damascus that1 in the ,syrico-,damascenic war1 the whole complication proceeded4 ,aram induced ,israel to join him in the war against ,judah1 and misled ,judah to seek help from ,asshur4 ,in a general religious point of view1 also1 all ,israel1 the kingdom of the ten tribes1 as well as ,judah1 were at that time1 as it were1 incorporated into ,damascus2 comp4 ver4 #aj1 according to which ,israel's guilt consisted in having planted strange vines in his vineyard1 with #b ,kings xvi4 #aj1 according to which ,ahaz got an altar made at ,jerusalem after the pattern of that which he had seen at ,damascus4 ,the circumstance that ,israel had become like ,damascus1 was the reason why it was given up to the ,gentiles for punishment4 ,from the comparison of chap4 x4 #bh-cd1 it appears that chap4 xvii4 #ab-ad belongs to the time of ,hezekiah1 when ,israel was threatened by the invasion of ,sennacherib4 ,in chap4 xvii4 #a-aa1 in which1 at first1 the overthrow of ,damascus and the kingdom of the ten tribes appears as still future1 the ,prophet ,pg #ach thus transfers himself back to the stand-point of an earlier time4 ,to this result we are also led by the chronological arrangement of the whole collection4 ,the ,prophet1 stepping back in spirit to the beginning of the complication1 surveys the whole of the calamity and salvation which arise to ,israel from the relation to ,asshur and the whole world's power represented by ,asshur--a relation into which it had been led by ,damascus--and takes a view of the punishment which it receives by its sins1 by its having become worldly1 and of the ,divine mercy which sends deliverance and salvation4 ,the threatening goes as far as chap4 xvii #aa4 ,the rod of chastisement is1 in the first instance1 in the hand of ,asshur2 but he1 as has been already mentioned1 represents the world's power in general4 ,with this1 the promise connects itself4 ,the oppressors of the people of ,god are annihilated1 chap4 xvii4 #ab-ad4 ,all the nations of the earth1 especially ,ethiopia1 which was1 no less than ,israel1 threatened by ,asshur 7comp4 chap4 xxxvii4 #i71 and to which ,egypt at that time occupied the position of a subordinate ally1 perceive with astonishment the catastrophe by which ,god brings about the destruction of ,his enemies1 chap4 xviii4 #a-c4 ,or1 to state it more exactly3 ,messengers who1 from the scene of the great deeds of the ,lord1 hasten in ships1 first1 over the ,mediterranean1 then1 in boats up the ,nile1 bring the intelligence of the catastrophe which has taken place to ,cush1 the land of the rustling of the wings--thus named from the rustling of the wings of the royal eagle of the world's power1 which1 being in birth equal to ,asshur1 has there its seat1 vers4 #a and #b2 comp4 chap4 viii4 #h4 ,all the inhabitants of the earth shall look with astonishment at the catastrophe which is taking place1 ver4 #c1 where the ,prophet who1 in vers4 #a and #b1 had described the catastrophe as having already taken place1 steps back to the stand-point of reality4 ,in vers4 #d-f1 we have the graphic description of the catastrophe4 ,at the close1 we have1 in ver4 #g1 the words which impart to the prophecy importance for our purpose4 ,in that time shall be brought1 as a present unto the ,lord of hosts1 the people far stretched and shorn1 and from the people terrible since it 7has been7 and onward1 and from the people of law-law and trampling down1 whose land streams divide1 to the place of the name of the ,lord of hosts1 the ,mount ,zion4 ,pg #aci ,the expression1 shall be brought as a present1 7the word ,hebrew3 wi occurs1 besides in this passage1 only in ,ps4 lxviii4 #cj2 lxxvi4 #ab7 points back to the fundamental passage in ,ps4 lxviii4 #cj1 where ,david says1 ,because of thy temple over ,jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee4 ,as outwardly1 so spiritually too1 the sanctuary lies over ,jerusalem4 ,the sanctuary of ,god over ,jerusalem is the emblem of ,his protecting power1 of ,his saving mercy watching over ,jerusalem2 so that1 because of thy temple over ,jerusalem they bring1 c41 is equivalent to3 ,on account of thy glorious manifestation as the ,god of ,jerusalem4 ,cush is in that ,psalm1 immediately afterwards1 expressly mentioned by the side of ,egypt1 which1 at the ,prophet's time1 was closely connected with it4 ,princes shall come out of ,egypt1 ,cush makes her hands to hasten towards ,god4--,according to ,gesenius1 and other interpreters1 the ,hebrew3 m,n from the second clause is to be supplied before ,hebrew3 e,m mmw,k4 ,but this is both hard and unnecessary4 ,it is quite in order that1 first1 the offering of persons1 and1 afterwards1 the offering of their gifts should be mentioned4 ,parallel is chap4 xlv4 #ad3 ,the labour of ,egypt and the merchandize of ,ethiopia1 and the ,sabeans1 men of stature1 shall come over unto thee1 and they shall be thine2 the difference is only this1 that there first the goods are mentioned1 and then the men4 ,in chap4 lxvi4 #bj1 we likewise meet men who are brought for an offering4 ,the designations of the people who here appear as the type of the whole ,gentile world to be converted at some future period1 and who have been chosen for this honour in consequence of the historical circumstances which existed at the time of the ,prophet1 are taken from ver4 #b4 ,gesenius is wrong in remarking in reference to them3 ,all these epithets have for their purpose to designate that distant people as a powerful and terrible one4 ,as ,gesenius himself was obliged to remark in reference to the last words1 ,whose land streams divide3 ,this is a designation of a striking peculiarity of the country1 not of the people1--the purpose of the epithets can generally be this only1 to characterise the people according to their different prominent peculiarities4--,hebrew3 mmw,k properly drawn out1 stretched1 ,prov4 xiii4 #ab1 corresponds to the ,hebrew3 anwi mdh men of extension or stature1 in chap4 xlv4 #ad4 ,high stature appears1 in classical writers also1 as a characteristic sign of the ,pg #adj ,ethiopians4--,on ,hebrew3 mvr,t closely shorn1 comp4 chap4 l4 #f1 where ,hebrew3 mr,t is used of the plucking out of the hair of the beard4--,to the people fearful since it and onward1 equivalent to3 which all along1 and throughout its whole existence1 has been terrible2 compare ,hebrew3 mimi hia ,nah4 ii4 #i1 and the expression3 from this day and forward1 #a ,sam4 xviii4 #i4 ,for everywhere one people only is spoken of1 comp4 ver4 #a1 according to which ,egypt cannot be thought of--,hebrew3 qv qv law-law is explained from chap4 xxviii4 #aj1 #ac1 where it stands beside ,hebrew3 cv cv1 and designates the mass of rules1 ordinances1 and statutes4 ,this is characteristic of the ,egyptians1 and likewise of the ,ethiopians1 who bear so close an intellectual resemblance to them4 ,with regard to the connection of the verse with what precedes1 ,gesenius remarks3 ,the consequence of such great deeds of ,jehovah will be1 that the distant1 powerful people of the ,ethiopians shall present pious offerings to ,jehovah1--more correctly1 present themselves and their possessions to ,jehovah4--,a prelude to the fulfilment ,isaiah beheld with his own eyes4 ,it is said in #b ,chron4 xxxii4 #cc3 ,and many 7in consequence of the manifestation of the glory of ,god in the defeat of ,asshur before ,jerusalem7 brought gifts unto the ,lord to ,jerusalem4 ,yet1 we must not limit ourselves to that4 ,the real fulfilment can be sought for only at a later time1 as certainly as that which the ,prophet announces about the destruction of the world's power exceeds1 by far1 that isolated defeat of ,asshur1 which can be regarded as a prelude only to the real fulfilment2 and as certainly as he announces the destruction of ,asshur generally1 and1 under his image1 of the world's power4 ,he who delights in having pointed out the fulfilment of such prophecies in the later history--,gesenius remarks--may find it in ,acts viii4 #bf ff41 and still more1 in the circumstance that ,abyssinia is1 up to this day1 the only larger ,christian ,state of the ,east4--,in consequence of the glorious manifestation of the ,lord in ,his kingdom1 and of the conquering power which1 in ,christ1 ,he displayed in ,his relation to the world's power1 there once existed in ,ethiopia a flourishing ,christian ,church2 and on the ground of this passage before us1 we look at its ruins which have been left up to this day1 with the hope that the ,lord will1 at some future time1 rebuild it4 ,pg #ada ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,the burden of ,egypt begins with the words3 ,behold the ,lord rideth upon a swift cloud1 and cometh into ,egypt1 and the idols of ,egypt are moved at ,his presence1 and the heart of ,egypt melteth in the midst of it4 ,the clouds with which1 or accompanied by which1 the ,lord comes1 are1 in the ,old and ,new ,testament writings1 symbolical indications and representations of judgment2 comp4 my remarks on ,rev4 i4 #g2 and besides the passages quoted there1 compare in addition ,jer4 iv4 #ac2 ,rev4 xiv4 #ad4 ,but what judgment is here spoken of8 ,according to ,gesenius and other interpreters1 the calamity is the victory of ,psammeticus over the twelve princes1 with which physical calamities are to be joined4 ,but against this view1 ver4 #aa alone is conclusive1 inasmuch as1 according to this verse1 ,pharaoh1 at the time when this calamity breaks in upon ,egypt1 is the ruler of the whole land3 ,how say ye unto ,pharaoh3 ,i am the ,son of the wise a 7spiritual7 son of the kings of ancient times1 who are celebrated for their wisdom4 ,in ver4 #b1 according to which1 in ,egypt1 kingdom fights against kingdom1 we cannot1 therefore1 think of independent kingdom s2 but following the way of the ,,lxx41 ,greek3 nomos epi nomon1 of provinces only4 ,further1--,according to ,gesenius1 the fierce lord and cruel king in ver4 #d is assumed to be ,psammeticus4 ,but against this the plural alone is decisive4 ,ezek4 xxx4 #ab--;according to which outward enemies1 the ,hebrew3 zri,m1 are the cause of the drying up of the ,nile1 of the ceasing of wealth and prosperity--militates against the assumption of a calamity independent of the political one4 ,the circumstance1 that the prophecy under consideration belongs to the series of the burdens1 and was written in the view of ,asshur's advance1 leaves us no room to doubt that the ,lord is coming to judgment in the oppression by the ,asiatic world's power4 ,to this may be added the analogy of the prophecies of ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel against ,egypt1 which are evidently to be considered as a resumption of the prophecy under consideration1 and as an announcement that its realization is constantly going on4 ,they do not know any other calamity than being given up to the ,asiatic world's power4 ,compare e4g4 ,jer4 xlvi4 #be1 #bf3 ,and behold1 ,i visit ,pharaoh and ,egypt1 and their gods and their kings1 ,pharaoh ,pg #adb and them that trust in him4 ,and ,i deliver them into the hand of those that seek their soul1 and into the hand of ,nebuchadnezzar1 king of ,babylon4 ,after what we have remarked1 the discord among the ,egyptians in ver4 #b1 can be considered as the consequence and concomitant of the real and main calamity only3 ,where ,god is not in the midst1 there1 commonly1 internal discord is wont to follow upon severe outward affliction1 inasmuch as one always imputes to the other the cause of matters going on so badly4 ,and what is said of the drying up of the ,nile1 we shall thus likewise be obliged to consider as a consequence of the hostile oppression4 ,waters are1 in ,scripture1 the ordinary image of prosperity2 compare remarks on ,rev4 xvii4 #a1 #h1 #dj2 xvi4 #d4 ,here the ,nile specially is chosen as the symbol of prosperity1 inasmuch as upon it the woe and weal of ,egypt chiefly depended4 ,in consequence of the hostile invasion which consumes all the strength of the land1 the ,nile of its prosperity dries up2 its very foundations are destroyed1 all who carry on craft are afflicted4 ,the scope of the prophecy is this3 ,the ,lord comes to judgment upon ,egypt 7through ,asshur and those who follow in his tracks71 ver4 #a4 ,instead of uniting all the strength against the common enemy1 there arises1 by the curse of ,god1 discord and dissolution1 ver4 #b4 ,egypt falls into a helpless state of distress1 ver4 #c4 ,and ,i give over ,egypt into the hand of hard rule1 and a fierce king 7,jonathan3 potens1 sc4 ,nebuchadnezzar7 shall rule over them1 saith the ,lord1 ,jehovah of hosts1 ver4 #d4 ,the fierce king is the king of ,asshur1 the ,asiatic kingdom2 compare the mention of ,asshur in ver4 #bc-be2 ,,lxx4 ,greek3 basileis sklroi4 ,for1 the fact that the unity is merely an ideal one1 is most distinctly and intentionally pointed at by the ,hebrew3 adni,m preceding4 ,the prosperity of the land is destroyed1 ver4 #e-aj4 ,the much boasted ,egyptian wisdom can as little avert the ruin of the country as it did formerly1 in ancient times2 its bearers stand confounded and ashamed2 nothing will thrive and prosper1 vers4 #aa-ae4 ,but the misery produces salutary fruits2 it brings about the conversion of ,egypt to the ,god of ,israel1 and1 with this conversion1 a full participation in all the privileges and blessings of the ,kingdom of ,god shall be connected1 ver4 #af1 and especially vers4 #ah-be4 ,this close of the prophecy1 which for our purpose is of special consequence1 we must still submit to a closer examination4 ,pg #adc ,ver4 #ah4 ,in that day shall be five cities in the land of ,egypt which speak the language of ,canaan and swear to the ,lord of hosts2 city of destruction the one shall be called4 ,five1 as usual1 here comes into consideration as the half of ten1 which number represents the whole2 five cities1 therefore1 is equivalent to3 a goodly number of cities4 ,on the words3 ,who speak the language of ,canaan1 ,gesenius remarks3 ,with the spreading of a certain religion resting on certain documents of revelation1 as e4g4 the ,jewish religion1 the knowledge of their language1 too1 must be connected4 ,we must not1 of course1 limit the thought to this1 that ,hebrew was learned wherever the religion of ,jehovah spread4 ,when viewed more deeply1 the language of ,canaan is spoken by all those who are converted to the true ,god4 ,upon the ,greek language1 e4g4 the character of the language of ,canaan has been impressed in the ,new ,testament4 ,that language which1 from primeval times1 has been developed in the service of the ,spirit1 imparts its character to the languages of the world1 and changes their character in their deepest foundation4--,to swear to the ,lord is to do ,him homage2 ,michaelis3 ,juramento se ,domino obstringent2 comp4 chap4 xlv4 #bc3 ,unto me every knee shall bow1 every tongue shall swear4 ,in the words3 ,city of destruction1 ,hebrew3 hrs1 one shall be called1 there is contained an allusion to ,hebrew3 qir hrs1 city of the ,sun 7,heliopolis7 which was peculiar to one of the chief seats of ,egyptian idolatry4 ,it is the celebrated ,on or ,bethshemish of which ,jeremiah prophesies in chap4 xliii4 #ac3 ,and he 7,nebuchadnezzar7 breaketh the pillars in ,beth- shemish1 that is in the land of ,egypt1 and the houses of the gods of ,egypt he burneth with fire4 ,this allusion was perceived as early as by ,jonathan1 who thus paraphrases3 ,urbs domus solis quae destruetur4 ,by this allusion it is intimated that salvation cannot be bestowed upon the ,gentile world in the state in which it is2 that punitive justice must prepare the way for salvation3 that everywhere the destructive activity of ,god must precede that which builds up2 that the way to the ,kingdom of ,god passes through the fire of tribulation which must consume every thing that is opposed to ,god2 compare that which ,micah1 even in reference to the covenant-people1 says regarding the necessity of taking1 before giving can have place1 vol4 i41 p4 #eag4 ,pg #add ,ver4 #ai4 ,in that day shall there be an altar to the ,lord in the midst of the land of ,egypt1 and a pillar at the border thereof to the ,lord4 ,that the altar is to be considered as a monument only is a supposition altogether far-fetched1 and which can the less find any support in the isolated case1 ,josh4 xxii41 that that account clearly enough intimates how decidedly the existence of an altar furnishes a foundation for the supposition that sacrifices are to be offered up there1 a supposition intimated by the very name in ,hebrew4 ,if it was meant to serve some other purpose1 it would have been necessary expressly to state it1 or1 at least1 some other place of sacrifice ought to have been assigned for the sacrifices mentioned in ver4 #ba4 ,but as it stands1 there cannot be any doubt that the altar here and the sacrifices there belong to one another4 ,this passage under consideration is of no little consequence1 inasmuch as it shows that1 in other passages where a going up of the ,gentiles to ,jerusalem in the ,messianic time is spoken of1 as1 e4g41 chap4 lxvi4 #bc1 we must distinguish between the thought and the embodiment4 ,the pillar at the border bears an inscription by which the land is designated as the property of the ,lord1 just as it was the custom of the old eastern conquerors1 and especially of the ,egyptians1 to erect such pillars in the conquered territories4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,and it is for a sign and for a witness to the ,lord of hosts in the land of ,egypt3 ,when they cry unto the ,lord because of the oppressors1 ,he shall send them a ,saviour and a ,deliverer2 and he shall deliver them4 ,altar and pillar1 as a sign and witness of the confession to the ,lord1 are1 at the same time1 a guarantee of the deliverance to be granted by ,him4 ,according to ,gesenius1 the ,prophet speaks without a definite historical reference1 of a saving or protecting angel4 ,but we cannot think of an angel on account of the plain reference to the common formula in the ,book of ,judges1 by which it is intimated that1 as far as redemption is concerned1 ,egypt has been made a partaker of the privileges of the covenant-people4 ,it is just this reference which has given rise to the general expression2 but it is ,christ who is meant2 for the prophets1 and especially ,isaiah1 are not cognizant of any other ,saviour for the ,gentile world ,pg #ade than of ,him2 and it is ,he who is suggested by the ,messianic character of the whole description4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,and the ,lord is known to the ,egyptians1 and the ,egyptians know the ,lord in that day1 and offer sacrifice and oblation1 and vow vows unto the ,lord1 and perform them4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,and the ,lord smiteth the ,egyptians so that ,he healeth them1 and they are converted to the ,lord1 and ,he shall be entreated by them1 and shall heal them4 ,we have here simply a recapitulation4 ,the prophet describes anew the transition from the state of wrath to that of grace--not1 as ,drechsler thinks1 what they experience in the latter4 ,upon ,egypt is fulfilled what1 in ,deut4 xxxii4 #ci1 has been said in reference to ,israel4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,in that day there shall be a highway out of ,egypt to ,asshur1 and ,asshur cometh into ,egypt1 and ,egypt into ,asshur1 and ,egypt serveth with ,asshur4 ,hebrew3 ebd with ,hebrew3 at has commonly the signification to serve some one2 here1 however1 ,hebrew3 at is used as a preposition3 ,egypt serves ,god with ,asshur4 ,yet there is an allusion to the ordinary use of ,hebrew3 ebd with ,hebrew3 at in order to direct attention to the wonderful change3 ,first1 ,egypt serves ,asshur1 and the powers that follow its footsteps2 then1 it serves with ,asshur4 ,here also it becomes manifest that the deliverer in ver4 #bj is no ordinary human deliverer2 for such an one could help his people only by inflicting injury upon the hostile power4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,in that day ,israel shall be the third with ,egypt and with ,asshur1 a blessing in the midst of the earth4 ,the blessing is not that union of people formerly separated1 but it is ,israel from which the blessing is poured out upon all the other nations2 compare the fundamental passage1 ,gen4 xii4 #a-c1 and the word of the ,lord3 ,greek3 h stria ek tn ,ioudain esti1 ,john iv4 #bb4 ,ver4 #be4 ,for the ,lord of ,hosts blesseth him1 saying3 ,blessed be ,egypt my people1 and ,asshur the work of mine hands1 and ,israel mine inheritance4 ,the suffix in ,hebrew3 brm refers to every thing mentioned in ver4 #bd4 ,assyria and ,egypt are called by epithets which elsewhere are wont to be bestowed upon ,israel only4 ,it is scarcely necessary to point out how gloriously this1 ,pg #adf prophecy was fulfilled2 how1 at one time1 there existed a flourishing ,church in ,egypt4 ,although the candlestick of that ,church be now removed from its place 7,satanas in hac gente sevit zizania--,vitringa71 yet we are confident of1 and hope for1 a future in which this prophecy shall anew powerfully manifest itself ,the broken power of the ,mahommedan delusion opens up the prospect1 that the time in which this hope is to be realized is drawing nigh4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,burden ,,upon ,,tyre4 ,in the view of ,sennacherib's invasion1 the eyes of the ,prophet are opened1 so that he beholds the future destinies of the nations within his horizon4 ,it is under these circumstances that it is revealed to him that ,tyre also1 which1 not long before1 had successfully resisted the attack of ,asshur1 and had imagined herself to be invincible1 would not1 for any length of time1 be able to resist the attack of the ,asiatic world's power4 ,the threatening goes on to ver4 #ad2 it is1 in ver4 #ac1 concentrated in the words3 ,behold the land of the ,chaldeans1 this people which was not1 which ,asshur assigns to the beasts of the wilderness1--they set up their watch-towers1 they arouse her palaces1 they bring them to ruin4 ,the correct explanation of this verse has been given by ,delitzsch in his ,commentary on ,habakkuk1 ,s4 xxi4 ,before the capture of ,tyre could be assigned to the ,chaldeans1 it was necessary to point out that they should overthrow ,asshur1 the representative of the world's power in the time of the ,prophet4 ,the ,chaldeans1 a people which1 up to that time1 were not reckoned in the list of the kingdoms of the world1 destroy1 in some future period1 the ,assyrian power1 and shall then inflict upon ,tyre that destruction which ,asshur intended in vain to bring upon it4 ,pg #adg ,upon the threatening there follows the promise4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 and ,tyre is forgotten seventy years like the days of one king4 ,after the end of seventy years1 it shall be unto ,tyre according to the song of the harlot4 ,ver4 #af4 ,take the harp1 go about the city1 forgotten harlot1 make sweet melody1 sing many songs1 that thou mayest be remembered4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,and it shall come to pass1 after the end of seventy years1 the ,lord will visit ,tyre1 and she returneth to her hire of whoredom1 and whoreth with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the surface of the earth4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,and her gain and hire of whoredom shall be holy unto the ,lord2 not is it treasured and laid up1 but to those who sit before the ,lord its gain shall be1 that they may eat and be satisfied1 and for durable clothing4 ,on the #gj years1 like the days of one king1 ,michaelis very pertinently remarks3 ,not of one individual1 but of one reign or empire1 i4e4 as long as the ,babylonian empire shall last1 which1 after #gj years1 was destroyed by ,cyrus4 ,the necessary qualification follows from ver4 #ac4 ,according to that verse1 the one king can be the king of the ,chaldeans only4 ,parallel are the #gj years which1 in ,jer4 xxv4 #aa1 #ab1 are assigned to the ,chaldean empire3 ,and these nations serve the king of ,babylon #gj years4 ,and it shall come to pass1 when the #gj years are accomplished1 ,i will visit upon the king of ,babylon1 and upon that nation1 saith the ,lord1 their iniquity4 ,in the ,commentary on ,rev4 ii4 #a1 p4 #ge1 #bjj1 it was proved that1 in ,scripture1 kings are frequently ideal persons2 not individuals1 but personifications of their kingdoms4 ,gesenius' objection1 that the time of the ,babylonish dynasty1 from the pretended destruction of ,tyre to the destruction of ,babylon1 did not last #gj years1 vanishes by the remark that the ,prophet says like the days2 that1 hence1 it is expressly intimated that the #gj years here1 differently from what is the case in ,jeremiah1 are to be considered as a round designation of the time4 ,from a comparison of ,jeremiah we learn that the ,chaldean dominion will last #gj years in all4 ,into which point of that period the destruction of ,tyre is to fall1 ,isaiah does not disclose4 ,it is quite proper that in reference to ,tyre the announcement should not be so definite1 in point of chronology1 as in reference to ,judah4 ,that the capture of ,pg #adh ,tyre by the ,chaldeans1 which is here announced1 really took place1 has been more thoroughly established in my book3 ,de rebus ,tyriorum2 and afterwards by ,drechsler in his ,commentary on ,isaiah1 and by ,hvernick in his ,commentary on ,ezekiel4 ,after the end of the #gj years4 ,tyre is to resume her trade of whoring1 and is to carry it on to a wide extent1 and with great success4 ,by the image of whoredom--so we remarked in commenting upon ,rev4 xiv4 #h--;in some passages of the ,old ,testament1 that selfishness is designated which clothes itself in the garb of love1 and1 under its appearance1 seeks the gratification of its own desires4 ,in ,is4 xxiii4 #ae ff41 ,tyre is1 on account of her mercantile connections1 called a whore1 and the profit from trade is designated as the reward of whoredom4 ,the point of comparison is the endeavour to please1 to feign love for the sake of gain4 ,under the dominion of the ,persians1 ,tyre again began to flourish4 ,tyre's reward of whoredom is consecrated to the ,lord1 and the bodily wants of ,his servants are provided from it1--quite in agreement with the words of the ,apostle3 ,greek3 ei hmeis humin ta pneumatika espeiramen1 mega1 ei meis humn ta sarkika therisomen2 #a ,cor4 ix4 #aa4 ,converted ,tyre offers1 in these gifts1 its thanks for the noble gift which it received from the sanctuary4 ,vitringa1 who remarks that the ,prophet was fully aware of the great interval of time that would intervene betwixt the restoration of ,tyre1 and her dedication of herself1 with her gains1 to the ,lord1 is right1 while ,drechsler1 who is of opinion that the doings of consecrated ,tyre also are represented under the image of whoring1 is wrong4 ,whoring designates a sinful conversation which is irreconcilable with conversion to the ,lord4 ,it does not designate trade1 as such1 but trade as it is earned on by those who1 with unrenewed hearts1 serve the god ,mammon4 ,we have here before us two stages1 strictly separated4 ,first1 she resumes her old whorings2 then1 she consecrates her gain to the ,lord4 ,the severe catastrophe intervening1 the new capture of ,tyre1 as it took place by ,alexander1 is not yet beheld by ,isaiah4 ,the announcement of it was reserved for the post-exilic ,prophet ,zechariah1 chap4 ix4 #c4 ,the announcement of the future conversion of ,tyre received1 ,pg #adi in the time of ,christ1 a symbolical representation as it were1 in the ,canaanitish woman4 ,vitringa says3 ,the first fruits of this grace were received by that wise ,canaanitish woman1 who had been taught1 as if she had been in the school of ,christ1 to ask for divine grace2 whom ,matth4 xv4 #bb1 calls a woman of ,canaan1 ,mark vii4 #bf1 a ,syrophenician2 but who was no doubt a ,tyrian1 inasmuch as she obtained mercy from ,christ the ,lord himself1 while ,he sojourned in the territory of ,tyre and ,sidon4 ,paul found at ,tyre a congregation of disciples of ,christ already in existence1 ,acts xxi4 #c ff4 ,at a subsequent period1 there existed at ,tyre a flourishing and wealthy church4 ,eusebius and ,jerome describe to us1 from their own experience1 the fulfilment of this prophecy4 ,,chapters ,,xxiv4-,,xxvii4 ,upon the ten single burdens as they were called forth by the threatening ,assyrian catastrophe1 there follows here a comprehensive description of the judgments of ,god upon ,his people1 and upon the world's power hostile to ,his ,kingdom1 ,the characteristic feature in it is1 that the ,prophet abstains from all details4 ,the prophecy begins in chap4 xxiv4 #a-ac1 with the threatening of the judgment upon ,judah1 ,the fact that ,judah is here spoken of1 not alone1 it is true1 but together with his companions in suffering1 with all the other nations crushed like him by the world's power in its various phases 7verse #d most clearly shows that it is not ,judah alone which is spoken of2 comp4 the same comprehensive mode of representation in ,jer4 xxv42 ,hab4 ii4 #f71 appears from ver4 #e3 ,for they transgressed the laws1 violated the ordinances1 broke the everlasting covenant1 where there can exist only a collateral reference to the ,gentile world2 from ver4 #ac1 where the continuing gleaning is characteristic of the covenant-people 7comp4 xvii4 #f72 but especially from ver4 #bc1 where1 after the time of punishment1 the ,lord reigneth on ,mount ,zion4 ,the judgment upon ,judah bears a comprehensive character4 ,pg #aej ,as the single phases of the world's power1 by which the sins of the people of ,god are visited1 there had been mentioned in the cycle of the burdens1 ,asshur in chap4 xiv4 #be2 ,babylon in chap4 xiii41 xiv41 xxi41 7the circumstance that the first burden of the first half of the burdens1 and likewise the first burden of the second half of the burdens--the ten burdens being thus divided into twice five--is directed against ,babylon1 shows that specially heavy judgments were to be inflicted by ,babel72 ,elam in chap4 xxii4 #f 7comp4 remarks on chap4 xi4 #aa74 ,here the idea of judgment upon the covenant-people is viewed per se1 and irrespective of the particular forms of its realisation4 ,in vers4 #ad1 #ae1 there is a sudden transition from the threatening to the promise3 ,they 7the remnant left according to ver4 #ac7 shall lift their voice1 they shall shout for the majesty of the ,lord1 they shall cry aloud from the sea1--from the sea into which they were driven away by the storm of the judgments of the ,lord4 ,to the sea here1 correspond the islands of the sea1 in ver4 #ae2 compare the mention of the islands in chap4 xi4 #aa4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,therefore1 in the light praise ye the ,lord1 in the isles of the sea the name of the ,lord ,god of ,israel4 ,the words are addressed to the elect in the time of salvation4 ,the ,plural ,hebrew3 ari,m denotes the fulness of light or salvation1 comp4 chap4 xxvi4 #ai2 ,hebrew3 b is1 in both instances1 used in a local sense4 ,the light is the spiritual territory2 the isles of the sea1 the natural4 ,ver4 #af returns to the threatening3 ,from the uttermost parts of the earth we hear songs3 ,glory to the righteous6 ,and ,i say3 ,misery to me1 misery to me1 woe to me6 the treacherous are treacherous1 and very treacherous are the treacherous4 ,the song of praise of the redeemed1 which is heard coming forth from a far distant future1 is suppressed by the same affliction which is immediately impending1 by the look to the rod of chastisement by the world's power with its treachery1 its policy feigning love and concealing hatred1 with which the ,lord is to visit ,his people1 and the floods of which1 like a new flood1 are1 according to ver4 #ae1 to overflow the whole earth4 ,compare the very similar transition from triumphant hope to lamentation over the misery of the future more immediately at hand1 in ,hab4 iii4 #af4 ,in ver4 #ba1 ff4 the promise breaks forth anew4 ,ver4 #ba3 ,pg #aea ,and it shall come to pass in that day3 the ,lord shall visit the host of the height in the height1 and the kings of the earth upon the earth4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,and they are all of them gathered together as prisoners in the pit1 and are shut up in the prison1 and after many days they are visited4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,and the moon blusheth1 and the sun is ashamed1 for the ,lord of hosts reigneth on ,mount ,zion and in ,jerusalem1 and before ,his ancients is glory4 ,in ver4 #ba the destruction of the world's power is announced4 ,the kings of the earth form the explanation of the host of the height4 ,it is very common to represent rulers under the image of stars2 compare ,numb4 xxiv4 #ag2 ,rev4 vi4 #ac1 viii4 #aj2 ,is4 xiv4 #ab1 xxxiv4 #d1 #e1 compared with ver4 #ab4 ,hebrew3 mrv,m is used in reference to the great ones of the earth in ver4 #d1 and in chap4 xxvi4 #e1 also4 ,the explanation by evil heavenly powers has no ,old ,testament analogies in its favour4--,in ver4 #bb1 the words3 ,and after many days they are visited1 intimates that the time will appear very long to ,zion1 until the visitation takes place4 ,many days1 or a long time1 viz41 after the beginning of their raging1 which was to continue for a series of centuries1 until ,christ at length spoke3 ,be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world4 ,the visitation consists in their being gathered together4--,in ver4 #bc1 the words3 ,the ,lord reigneth1 contain an allusion to the formula used in proclaiming the accession of earthly kings to the throne1 and point to an impending new and glorious manifestation of the government of the ,lord1--as it were1 a new accession to the throne2 compare remarks on ,ps4 xciii4 #a2 ,rev4 xix4 #f4 ,the ancients are the ideal representatives of the ,church2 compare remarks on ,rev4 iv4 #d4 ,before them is glory1 inasmuch as the ,lord imparts to them of ,his glory4 ,in chap4 xxv4 #a-e1 the ,lord is praised on account of the glorious redemption bestowed upon ,his people4 ,for thou hast made--it is said in ver4 #b--of a city a heap1 of a firm city a ruin1 the palace of strangers to be no city2 it shall not be built in eternity4 ,the city1 palace 7we must think of such an one as comes up to a city1 as is even now the case with the palaces of the princes in ,india7 bear an ideal character1 and represent the whole fashion of the world1 the whole world's power2 comp4 ver4 #ab1 chaps4 xxvi4 #e1 xxvii4 #aj4 ,gesenius ,pg #aeb speaks of the strange conjectures of interpreters who have guessed all possible cities4 ,but he himself has lost himself in the sphere of strange conjectures and guesses1 by remarking3 ,the city whose destruction is here spoken of can be none other than ,babylon4 ,the circumstance that ,babylon is not mentioned at all in the whole prophecy in chaps4 xxiv4-xxvii4 shows plainly enough that a special reference to ,babylon cannot here be entertained2 and the less so1 that it would be against the character of our prophecy1 which abstains from all details4 ,while in vers4 #a-e the discourse was laudatory and glorifying1 and addressed to the ,lord1 in vers4 #f-h the ,lord is spoken of3 ,ver4 #f4 ,and in this mountain the ,lord of hosts maketh unto all people a feast of fat things1 a feast of wines on the lees1 of fat things full of marrow1 of lees well-refined4 ,ver #g4 ,and destroyeth in the mountain the surface of the vail covering all the nations1 and the covering cast upon all the nations4 ,ver4 #h4 ,and destroyeth death for ever1 and the ,lord ,jehovah wipeth away the tears from off all faces1 and the rebuke of ,his people shall ,he take away from of all the earth2 for the ,lord hath spoken4 ,in this mountain1 ver4 #f1 where ,he enters upon ,his government 7chap4 xxiv4 #bc71 and dwells in the midst of ,his people in a manner formerly unheard of4--,unto all people1 comp4 chap4 ii4 #b ff4 ,the verse under consideration forms the foundation for the words of ,christ in ,matthew viii4 #b3 ,greek3 leg de humin hoti polloi apo anatoln kai dusmn hxousi kai anaklithsontai meta ,abraam kai ,isaak kai ,iakb en t basileia tn ourann2 comp4 xxii4 #a ff42 ,luke xxii4 #cj4 ,in ver4 #g1 the surface of the vail is the vail itself1 inasmuch as it lies over it4 ,the covering here comes into consideration as a sign of mourning1 comp4 #b ,sam4 xv4 #cj3 ,and ,david went up by the ascent of ,mount ,olivet1 weeping1 and his head covered1 and so also all the people with him4 ,the explanation is given in ver4 #h1 where the ,hebrew3 ble is intentionally resumed4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 agree with ,drechsler who explains the being covered1 by dullness and deadness in reference to spiritual things4--,the first part of ver4 #h is again resumed in ,rev4 vii4 #ag1 xxi4 #d4 ,as death entered into the world by sin 7,gen4 ii4 #ag2 ,rom4 v4 #ab71 ,pg #aec so it ceases when sin is completely overcome2 compare #a ,cor4 xv4 #ed1 where our passage is expressly quoted4 ,besides death1 tears also are mentioned1 inasmuch as they flow with special bitterness in the case of bereavements by death4--,the ,lord removes the rebuke of ,his people when all their hopes1 which formerly were mocked and laughed at1 are fulfilled1 and when1 out of the midst of them1 salvation for the whole world rises4 ,with the people of ,god in their exaltation1 ,moab is1 in vers4 #i-ab1 contrasted in its weakness and humiliation1 and in its vain attempts to withdraw from the supremacy of the ,god of ,israel4 ,moab comes here into consideration1 only as the representative of all the kingdoms hostile to ,god1 and obstinately persevering in their opposition to ,his ,kingdom2 just as ,edom in chap4 xxxiv41 lxiii4 ,the representative character of ,moab was recognized by ,gesenius also1 who thus determines the sense3 ,whilst ,jehovah's protecting hand rests upon ,zion1 ,his enemies helplessly perish4 ,it is intentionally that ,moab is mentioned1 and not ,asshur or ,babel1 because1 in its case1 the representative character could not so easily be mistaken or overlooked4--,ver4 #ab returns to the world's power in general4 ,in chap4 xxvi41 the rejoicing and shouting for the salvation are continued4 ,a characteristic ,messianic feature is contained in ver4 #ai only1 in which1 as in chap4 xxv4 #h1 the ceasing of death and the resurrection of the righteous appear as taking place in the ,messianic time4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,thy dead shall live1 my dead bodies shall arise4 ,awake and sing1 ye that dwell in dust6 ,for a dew of light is thy dew1 and thou makest fall to the earth the giants4 ,the saints are raised from the earth2 the giants are sunk into the earth4 ,the ,hebrew3 rpai,m giants are identical with the ,hebrew3 iwbi tbl in ver4 #ah4 ,there it was said in reference to the time of wrath3 ,we have not wrought any deliverance in the land1 neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen2 compare vers4 #i and #ba2 ,numb4 xiv4 #cb4 ,parallel is the announcement of the defeat of the world's power in ver4 #ad4 ,hebrew3 rpai,m1 it is true1 is there used of the dead2 but the signification of the word remains the same3 ,the bodiless spirits were called giants1 because they were objects of terror to the living2 comp4 remarks on ,ps4 lxxxviii4 #aa4 ,the word is1 in ver4 #ad1 used ,pg #aed with a certain irony4--,light is equivalent to salvation4 ,the ,plural signifies the fulness of light or salvation4 ,the complete fulfilment which the words1 ,thy dead shall live1 will find in the resurrection of the body1 affords a guarantee for the fulfilment of the previous stages4 ,in chap4 xxvii41 it is especially ver4 #a which attracts our attention3 ,in that day the ,lord with ,his sword1 hard1 great1 and strong1 shall visit the leviathan1 the tortuous serpent1 and killeth the dragon that is in the sea4 ,we have here three designations of one and the same monster4 ,gesenius1 on the other hand1 rightly brings forward the accumulation of the attributes of the sword3 ,with the three epithets applied to the sword1 the three epithets of the monster to be killed by it pertinently correspond4 ,the leviathan1 the dragon1 is1 as it were1 the king of the sea-animals1 compare remarks on ,ps4 lxxiv4 #ac1 #ad4 ,in the spiritual sea of the world1 its natural antitype is the conquering world's power2 comp4 remarks on ,rev4 xii4 #c4 ,but that which is meant is the whole world's power1 according to all its phases1 which is here viewed as a whole2 comp4 ver4 #ac1 where it is designated by ,asshur and ,egypt4 ,the special reference to ,babylon rests1 here also1 on a mere fancy4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the single discourses out of the ,assyrian time1 from chap4 vii-xxvii41 there follows in chap4 xxviii4-xxxiii4 the sum and substance of those not fully communicated4 ,even the uncommonly large extent of the section suggests to us such a comprehensive character4 ,and so likewise does the fact that the same thoughts are constantly recurring1 as is the case in several of the minor prophets also1 e4g4 ,hosea4 ,but what is most decisive is1 that in chap4 xxviii4 #a-d ,samaria appears as not yet destroyed4 ,considering that the chronological principle pervades the whole collection1 this going back can be accounted for only by the circumstance that we have here a comprehensive representation4 ,and we are the more led to this opinion that1 in other passages of the same section1 ,jerusalem is represented as being threatened immediately4 ,in this section1 it is especially the passage in chap4 xxviii4 #af ,pg #aee which attracts our attention2 since1 in the ,new ,testament1 it is referred to ,christ4 ,behold ,i have laid for a foundation in ,zion a stone1 a tried 7stone71 a precious corner stone of perfect foundation2 he that believeth need not make haste1 viz41 for an escape or refuge for himself1 ,ps4 lv4 #i4 ,in opposition to false hopes1 this stone is pointed to as the only true foundation1 and all are threatened with unavoidable destruction who do not make it their foundation4 ,the stone is the ,kingdom of ,god1 the ,church2 compare ,zech4 iii4 #i1 where the ,kingdom of ,god likewise appears under the image of the stone4 ,but since the ,kingdom of ,god 7which1 in chap4 viii4 #af1 had been represented under the image of the quietly flowing waters of ,siloah7 is1 for all eternity1 closely connected with the house of ,david which centres in ,christ1 that which1 in the first instance1 is said of the kingdom of ,god refers1 at the same time1 to its head and centre4 ,parallel is ,is4 xiv4 #cb2 ,the ,lord hath founded ,zion1 and the poor of ,his people trust in it4 ,the ,hebrew3 hami,n here corresponds with the ,hebrew3 ,hsh with ,hebrew3 b there4 ,the difference is1 that there ,zion itself is the object of confidence1 while here it is the stone which is in ,zion4 ,there1 ,zion is the spiritual ,zion2 not the mountain as an assemblage of stones1 nor the outward temple as such1 but ,zion in so far as it is a sanctuary1 the seat of the presence of the ,lord4 ,the ,lord--such is the sense--has founded ,his ,kingdom among us2 and the circumstance that we are citizens of the ,kingdom gives us security1 enables us to be calm even in the midst of the greatest danger4 ,here1 on the contrary1 ,zion is the outward ,zion1 and the ,kingdom of ,god is the ,church as distinguished from it4 ,the ,zion here corresponds to the holy mountains in ,ps4 lxxxvii4 #a1 where1 in a similar manner1 a distinction is drawn between the material and spiritual ,zion3 ,his foundation is in the holy mountains1 on which ,i remarked in my ,commentary3 ,the foundation of ,zion took place spiritually by its being chosen to be the seat of the sanctuary4 ,it was then only that the place1 already existing1 received its spiritual foundation4 ,the stone laid by ,god as a foundation in ,zion1 in the passage under consideration1 is1 in substance1 identical with the tent that ,he placed among men1 in ,ps4 lxxviii4 #fj4 ,in substance the sanctuary was erected by ,god alone1 who1 by ,pg #aef fulfilling ,his promise1 ',i dwell in the midst of them1'breathed the living soul into the body1 and caused ,his name to dwell there4 ,in ,ezek4 xi4 the substance of the sanctuary1 the ,shechinah1 withdraws into heaven4--,our passage1 farther1 touches very closely upon chap4 viii4 #ad3 ,and ,he 7the ,lord7 becomes a sanctuary and a stone of offence1 and a rock of stumbling to both the houses of ,israel1 and a snare and a trap to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem4 ,the stone here is the ,church2 there it is the ,lord himself1 according to ,his relation to ,israel1 the ,lord who has become manifest in ,his ,church4 ,another point of contact is offered by ,ps4 cxviii4 #bb3 ,the stone which the builders rejected has become the corner-stone4 ,in that passage1 too1 the stone is the ,kingdom and people of ,god3 ,the people of ,god whom the kingdoms of the world despised1 have1 by the working of ,god1 then been raised to the dignity of the world-ruling people4 ,a simple quotation of the passage before us is found in ,rom4 x4 #aa3 ,greek3 legei gar h graph4 pas ho pisteun ep'aut ou kataischunthsetai4 ,in chap4 ix4 ver4 #c1 we have chap4 viii4 #ad1 and the passage under consideration blended in a remarkable manner3 ,greek3 idou tithmi en ,sin lithon prokommatos kai petran skandalou4 kai pas ho pisteun ep'aut ou kataischunthsetai1 and from the remarks already offered1 the right to this blending is evident4 ,peter1 in #a ,pet4 ii4 #f1 #g1 adds to these two passages1 that in ,ps4 cxviii4 #bb3 ,greek3 dioti periechei en t graph3 idou tithmi en ,sin lithon akrogniaion1 eklekton1 entimon1 kai ho pisteun ep'aut ou m kataischunth4 humin houn h tim tois pisteuousin4 apeithousi de lithon hon apedokimasan hoi oikodomountes1 houtos egenth eis kephaln gnias1 kai lithos proskommatos kai petra skandalou1 on which ,bengel remarks3 ,peter quotes1 in ver4 #f and #g1 three passages1 the first from ,isaiah1 the second from the ,psalms1 the third again from ,isaiah4 ,to the third he alludes in ver4 #h1 but to the second and first1 in ver4 #d1 having1 even then already both of them in his mind4 ,matth4 xxi4 #db-dd refers only to ,ps4 cxviii4 and to ,is4 viii4 #ad1 #ae4 to the latter passage in ver4 #dd2 ,acts iv4 has ,ps4 cxviii4 only in view4 ,the second ,messianic passage of the section which is of importance for our purpose1 is chap4 xxxiii4 #ag4 ,thine eyes shall see the ,king in ,his beauty2 they shall see the land that is far off4 ,pg #aeg ,the ,king is the ,messiah4 ,this appears from the reference to the ,song of ,solomon i4 #af1 where the bride says to the bridegroom1 the heavenly ,solomon1 ,behold thou art fair1 my beloved 7comp4 ,ps4 xlv4 #c27 and from the words immediately following3 they shall see the land that is far off4 ,the wide extension of the ,kingdom of ,god is indissolubly connected with the appearance of the ,messiah4 ,those who refer the prophecy to ,hezekiah refer the land that is far off 7literally3 the land of distances7 to a land stretching far out1 in antithesis to the siege when the people of ,jerusalem were limited to its area1 since the whole country was occupied by the ,assyrians4 ,but the passage1 chap4 xxvi4 #ae3 ,thou increasest the nation1 ,o ,god1 thou art glorified1 thou removest all the boundaries of the land1 is conclusive against this explanation4 ,comparing this passage1 as also chap4 lx4 #d2 ,zech4 x4 #i1 ,michaelis correctly explains3 ,the land of distances is the ,kingdom of ,christ most widely propagated4 ,in chap4 viii4 #i1 likewise1 the ,gentile countries are designated by the distances of the earth4 ,farther--,hezekiah could not be designated simply by ,hebrew3 ml,k without the article4 ,it is only by the utmost violence that the whole announcement can be limited to the events under ,hezekiah1 which everywhere form the foreground only4 ,we might rather1 with ,vitringa1 think of ,jehovah1 with a comparison of ver4 #bb3 ,for the ,lord is our judge1 the ,lord is our lawgiver1 the ,lord is our ,king2 ,he will save us1 and of ,ps4 xlviii4 #c1 where he is called ,hebrew3 ml,k rb4 ,to ,jehovah1 the passage1 chap4 xxx4 #bj1 #ba also refers1--a passage which has been so often misunderstood3 ,and the ,lord giveth you bread of adversity1 and water of affliction1 and not does thy teacher conceal himself any more1 and thine eyes see thy ,teacher4 ,and thine ears hear a voice behind thee1 saying1 ,this is the way1 walk ye in it2 do not turn to the right hand1 nor to the left4 ,the affliction prepares for the coming of the heavenly teacher2 by it the eyes of the people have been opened1 so that they are able to behold ,his glorious form4 ,but although we should understand ,jehovah by the ,king in ,his beauty1 we must1 at all events1 think of ,his glorious manifestation in ,christ ,jesus1 who said1 ,he who sees me sees the ,father1 and in whom the fulness of the ,godhead dwells bodily2 and it was indeed in ,christ that ,god1 ,pg #aeh in the truest manner1 revealed and manifested himself as the ,teacher of ,his people4 ,the close of the whole of the first part of ,isaiah is1 in chaps4 xxxiv41 xxxv4 formed by a comprehensive announcement1 on the one hand1 of the judgments upon the ,god-hating world1 here individualized by ,edom1 that hereditary enemy of ,israel1 who was so much the more fitted for this representation that his enmity was the most obstinate of all1 and remained the same throughout all the phases of ,israel's oppression by the great kingdoms of the world 7he always appears as he who helped to bring misery upon his brethren72 and1 on the other hand1 of the mercy and salvation which should be bestowed upon the ,church trampled upon by the world4 ,on chap4 xxxiv4 #d21 #e1 where the heaven is that of the princes1 the whole order of rulers and magistrates2 the stars1 the single princes and nobles1 compare my remarks on ,rev4 vi4 #ac4 ,the description of the salvation in store for the ,church1 in chap4 xxxv41 is pre-eminently ,messianic1 although the lower blessings also are included which preceded the appearance of ,christ4 ,the description contains features so characteristic1 that we must necessarily submit it to a closer examination4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the wilderness and dry land shall be glad for it1 and the desert shall rejoice and sprout like the bulb4 ,the wilderness is ,zion--the ,church to be devastated by the world4--,for it1--i4e4 for the judgment upon the world1 as it was described in chap4 xxxiv4 with which the changed fate of the ,church is indissolubly connected4 ,ver4 #b4 ,it shall sprout1 and rejoice with joy and shouting4 ,the glory of ,lebanon is given unto it1 the excellency of ,carmel and ,sharon4 ,they shall see the glory of the ,lord1 the excellency of our ,god4 ,the glory of ,lebanon1 c4 is a glory like unto that of ,lebanon4 ,the real condition of the glory of ,zion1 or the ,church1 is brought before us in the subsequent verses only2 it consists in the ,lords glory being manifested in it4 ,the majestic1 wooded ,lebanon1 and fruitful ,carmel1 are contrasted with one another2 the latter is put together with the lovely fruitful plain of ,sharon1 rich in flowers2 compare remarks on ,song of ,sol4 vii4 #f4 ,michaelis says3 ,the ,lebanon excels among the forests2 the ,carmel among the fruitful hills2 the ,pg #aei ,sharon among the lovely fields or valleys4--,to see the glory of the ,lord1 the excellency of ,god means to behold ,him in the revelation of the full glory of ,his nature4 ,prophecy would have fed the minds of the people with vain hopes1 if ,god had revealed himself in any other way than in ,christ1 the brightness of ,his glory and the express image of ,his person1 in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily 7,col4 ii4 #i71 and who1 along with ,his own glory1 revealed1 at the same time1 that of the ,father2 for it was the glory as of the only-begotten of the ,father1 ,john i4 #ad2 ii4 #aa4 ,ver4 #c4 ,strengthen ye the slack hands1 and confirm ye the tottering knees4 ,the words are addressed to all the members of the people of ,god2 they are to strengthen and confirm one another by pointing to the future revelation of the glory of the ,lord4 ,ver4 #d4 ,say to them that are of a fearful heart3 ,be strong1 fear not2 behold1 your ,god will come for vengeance1 for a gift of ,god3 ,he will come and save you4 ,to them that are of a fearful heart1--literally of a hasty heart1 who allow themselves to be carried away by the ,present1 and are unmindful of the respice finem4--,hebrew3 mq,m and ,hebrew3 gmvl are ,accusatives1 used in the same manner as in verbs of motion1 to designate the object of the motion4--,on ,hebrew3 gmvl1 gift1 comp4 remarks on ,ps4 vii4 #e4 ,the gift of ,god forms a contrast to the poor gifts1 such as men offer4 ,he comes for vengeance upon ,his enemies1 and for bestowing the most glorious divine gifts upon ,his people4 ,the words3 ,he will come and save you1 are an explanation of the gift of ,god4 ,it is in ,christ that the words3 ,he will come and save you1 found their true fulfilment1--a fulfilment to which every lower blessing pointed1 and which is still going on1 and constantly advancing4--,that which1 in the subsequent verses1 is said of the concomitant circumstances of this salvation1 is by far too high to admit of the fulfilment being sought in any other than ,christ4 ,all these forced explanations1 such as3 ,in their joy they feel as if they were healed 7,knobel1 after the example of ,gesenius71 only serve to show this more clearly4 ,they are overthrown even by the parallel announcement of the impending resurrection of the dead in chap4 xxv4 #h2 xxvi4 #ai4 ,pg #afj ,ver4 #e4 ,then the eyes of the blind shall be opened1 and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped4 ,the blind and deaf are the individualizing designations of the wretched2 in ,luke xiv4 #ac-ba1 the blind are named along with the poor1 lame1 and maimed as an individualizing designation of the whole genus of personae miserabiles2 comp4 ,john v4 #c4 ,but this individualizing designation must be carefully distinguished from the image4 ,the blind and deaf are mentioned as the most perspicuous species in the genus2 but they themselves are1 in the first instance1 meant1 and that which has been said must1 in the first instance1 be fulfilled upon them4 ,farther--as blind and deaf are1 without farther remark and qualification1 spoken of1 we shall1 in the first instance1 be obliged to think of the bodily blind and deaf1 inasmuch as they1 according to the common usus loquendi1 are thus designated4 ,but a collateral reference to the spiritually blind and deaf must so much the rather be assumed1 that they1 too1 form a portion of the genus here represented by the blind and deaf2 and the more so that it is just ,isaiah who so frequently speaks of spiritual blindness and deafness2 comp4 chap4 xxix4 #ah3 ,and in that day 7in the time of the future salvation1 when the ,lord of the ,church shall have put to shame the pusillanimity and timidity of ,his people71 the deaf hear the words of the book1 and the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity and darkness2 xlii4 #ah3 ,hear ye deaf1 and look ye blind and see2 xliii4 #h3 ,bring forth the blind people1 that have eyes1 and the deaf that have ears2 lvi4 #aj2 vi4 #aj2 ,matth4 xv4 #ad2 ,john ix4 #ci2 ,ephes4 i4 #ah2 #b ,pet4 i4 #i4 ,spiritual blindness and deafness are specially seen in the relation of the people to the leadings of the ,church1 and to the promises of ,scripture4 ,the blind cannot understand the complicated ways of ,god2 the deaf have1 especially in the time of misery1 no ear for ,his promises4 ,besides the natural and spiritual blindness1 ,scripture knows of still a third2 it designates as blind those who cannot see the way of salvation1 the helpless and drooping2 compare my ,commentary on ,ps4 cxlvi4 #h2 ,zeph4 i4 #ag2 ,isa4 xlii4 #g4 ,now1 it is blindness and deafness of every kind which1 along with all other misery1 shall find a remedy at the time of salvation4--,if we ask for the fulfilment1 our eye is1 in the first instance1 attracted by ,matt4 ,pg #afa xi4 #e1 where1 with an evident reference to the passage before us1 the ,lord gives to the question of ,john3 ,art thou he that should come1 or do we look for another1 the matter-of-fact answer1 that the blind receive their sight1 the deaf hear1 the lame walk3 comp4 ,matth4 xv4 #ca3 ,greek3 hste tous ochlous thaumasai blepontas kphous laloutas1 kullous hugieis1 chlous peripatountas kai tuphlous blepontas2 xxi4 #ad2 ,greek3 kai proslthon aut tuphloi kai chloi en t hier kai etherapeusen autous2 ,mark vii4 #cg1 where after the healing of the deaf and dumb1 the people say3 ,greek3 kals panta pepoike4 kai tous kphous poiei akouein1 kai tous alalous lalein4 ,yet shall we not be able to see1 in these facts1 the complete fulfilment of the prophecy1 in so far as it refers to the healing of the bodily blind and deaf--inasmuch as it promises the healing of all1 not of some only--but only a pledge of the complete fulfilment of it2 just as ,christ's raising some from the dead only prefigures what ,he shall do in the end of the days4 ,the complete fulfilment belongs to the time of the resurrection of the just1 of which it is said3 ,whatever is here afflicted1 groans1 prays1 shall then go on brightly and gloriously4 ,more comprehensive was the fulfilment which the prophecy received1 in reference to spiritual blindness and deafness1 immediately at the first appearance of ,christ1 who declared that ,he had come into the world1 that they which see not1 might see 7,john ix4 #ci74 ,but even here the completion as certainly belongs to the future world1 as ,greek3 blepomen arti di'esoptrou hen ainigmati4 ,ver4 #f4 ,then shall the lame leap as an hart1 and the tongue of the dumb shall shout2 for in the wilderness shall waters be opened1 and streams in the desert4 ,the leaping and shouting imply that they have obtained deliverance from their bodily defects1--at this deliverance the preceding verse stopped--and proceed from the natural delight at the appearance of this salvation1 personal as well as general1 of which these are an emanation4 ,on the first words especially4 ,acts iii4 #h is to be compared1 where it is said of the lame man to whom ,peter1 in the name of ,jesus spoke4 ,arise and walk3 ,greek3 kai exallomenos est kai periepatei1 kai eislthe sun autois eis to hieron1 peripatn kai allomenos kai ainn ton theon2 farther4 ,acts viii4 #g3 ,greek3 polloi de paralelumenoi kai chloi etherapeuthsan2 xiv4 #h2 ,john v4 #i4 ,of spiritual lameness1 ,heb4 xii4 #ac is spoken4 ,it appears especially in dark times of affliction1 as ,vitringa says3 ,in the time of wild persecution1 and when the ,church languishes1 ,pg #afb not a few men begin to halt1 to vacillate in their views1 to suspend their opinions1 c4 ,on the words3 the tongue of the dumb shall shout1 compare ,matt4 xii4 #bb3 ,greek3 tote prosnechth aut daimonzomenos1 tuphlos kai kphos4 kai etherapeusen auton1 hste ton tuphlon kai kphon kai lalein kai blepein4 ,spiritual dumbness is the incapacity for the praise of ,god which1 in the time when salvation is withheld1 so easily creeps in1 and which is removed by the bestowal of salvation4 ,the words3 ,for in the wilderness1 c41 state the ground of the leaping and shouting1 point to the bestowal of salvation1 which forms the cause4 ,the waters are the waters of salvation1 compare remarks on chap4 xii4 #c4 ,the words contain1 moreover1 an allusion to ,exod4 xvii4 #c ff42 ,numb4 xx4 #aa1 where1 during the journey through the wilderness1 salvation is represented by the bestowal of water4 ,the desert here is an image of misery4 ,ver4 #g4 ,and the scorching heat of the sun becomes a pool1 and the thirsty land1 springs of water2 in the habitation of dragons shall be their couching place1 grass where formerly reeds and rushes4 ,the scorching heat of the sun1 stands for places scorched by the heat 7parched ground1 ,english version74 ,the passage chap4 xlix4 #aj1 forbids us to explain it by mirage1 the appearance of water4 ,the suffix in ,hebrew3 rbch refers to ,zion4 ,dragons like to make their abode especially in the waterless wilderness4 ,the circumstance that ,zion has there her couching place1 supposes that it has been changed into a garden of ,god2 while1 on the contrary1 in chap4 xxxiv4 #ac1 it is said of the world that it becomes an habitation of dragons4 ,besides the dry land1 the moor-land which bears nothing but barren reeds1 shall undergo a change2 nourishing grass is to take its place2 ,hebrew3 ,hcir has no other signification than this4 ,ver4 #h4 ,and a high-way shall be there1 and a way1 and it shall be called the holy way2 an unclean shall not pass over it2 and it shall be for them1 that they may walk on it1 that fools also may not err4 ,the way is the way of salvation which ,god opens up to ,his people in the wilderness of misery2 comp4 chap4 xliii4 #ai3 ,i will make a way in the wilderness1 rivers in the desert2 ,ps4 cvii4 #d3 ,they wandered in the wilderness1 in the desert without ways1 where the pathless wilderness is the image of misery2 ,pg #afc ,ps4 xxv4 #d2 xxvii4 #aa1 where the ways of ,god are the ways of salvation which ,he reveals to ,his people1 that they may walk in them4 ,the way is holy 7comp4 remarks on chap4 iv4 #c71 because inaccessible to the profane world1 to the unclean1 who are not allowed to disturb the righteous walking on it2 comp4 ver4 #i1 which shows how entirely out of place is the remark that the author1 in his national hatred1 will not allow any ,gentiles to walk along with the covenant-people4 ,it is only as converted1 as fellows and companions of the saints1 that the ,gentiles are allowed to enter on the way1 and not as unclean and their enemies4 ,the circumstance that even the foolish cannot miss the way1 indicates the abundant fulness of the salvation1 in consequence of which it is so easily accessible2 and no human effort1 skill1 or excellence1 is required to attain the possession of it4 ,ver4 #i4 ,no lion shall be there1 nor any ravenous beast go up thereon1 it shall not be found there2 and the redeemed walk on it4 ,by the lion1 the ravenous beast1 heathenish wickedness and tyranny1 the world's power pernicious to the ,kingdom of ,god1 is designated2 comp4 remarks on chap4 xi4 #g4 ,the ,lord declared that the fulfilment had taken place1 when ,he said3 ,be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,and the ransomed of the ,lord shall return and come to ,zion1 and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads4 ,joy and gladness they shall obtain1 and sorrow and sighing shall flee away4 ,,general ,,preliminary ,,remarks ,,on ,,chapters ,,xl4-,,lxvi4 ,the historical section1 chap4 xxxvi4-xxxix41 forms the transition from the first to the second part of the prophecies of ,isaiah4 ,its close is formed by the announcement of ,judah's being carried away to ,babylon1 an announcement which ,isaiah uttered to ,hezekiah after the impending danger from the ,pg #afd ,assyrians had been successfully warded off1 as had been mentioned in the preceding chapter4 ,in chap4 xxxix4 #f1 #g1 it is said3 ,behold days are coming1 and all that is in thine house1 and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day1 shall be carried to ,babylon1 and nothing shall be left1 saith the ,lord4 ,and of thy sons shall they take away1 and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of ,babylon4 ,in this announcement1 we have at the same time the concentration of the rebuking and threatening mission of the ,prophet1 and the point from which proceeds the comforting mission which1 in the second part1 is pre-eminently attended to4 ,this second part at once begins with the words3 ,comfort ye1 comfort ye my people1 which stand in closest connection with the preceding announcement of a great calamity1 yea1 even necessarily demand this4 ,it is just for this reason that the historical chapters cannot be a later addition and interpolation1 but must be an original element of the collection written by the ,prophet himself4#a ,the contents of the second part are stated at once1 and generally1 in the introductory words1 chap4 xl4 #a1 #b3 ,comfort ye1 comfort ye my people1 saith your ,god4 ,speak to the heart of ,jerusalem1 and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished1 that her iniquity is pardoned1 that she receives of the ,lord's hand double for all her sins4 ,the comfort must1 accordingly1 form the fundamental character of the second part4 ,but since1 for the people of ,god1 there does not exist any purely external salvation2 since1 for them1 salvation is indissolubly connected with repentance1--exhortation must necessarily go hand ill hand with the announcement of salvation4 ,this second feature and element concealed behind the first1 is1 moreover1 expressly brought forward in what immediately follows1 inasmuch as by it the ,comfort ye does not receive any addition1 ,pg #afe but is only commented upon and enlarged4 ,the servants of the ,lord 7the whole chorus of the messengers of the divine salvation is addressed in vers4 #c1 #e71 complying with ,his command1 announce the impending salvation1 designating it as a manifestation of the ,lord's glory1 and exhort to a worthy preparation for it4 ,vers4 #c and #d treat of preparing in the desert a high-way for the ,lord1 who is to manifest himself gloriously4 ,the way is prepared by repentance2 the desert symbolizes the condition of bodily and spiritual misery4 ,it is from this miserable condition that the ,lord is to deliver and redeem ,his people2 but in order that ,he may perform ,his part1 they must1 previously1 have performed theirs4 ,in ver4 #e1 this manifestation itself is described1 with which is connected the fulness of salvation for the covenant-people4 ,the servants of ,god are to announce the approach of salvation to mourning ,jerusalem1 in which the covenant-people appears to the ,prophet as personified4 7,jerusalem does not stand for the carried away ,zionites2 it is an ideal person1 the afflicted and bowed down widow sitting on the ground in sackcloth2 the distressed and mourning mother of the children partly carried away1 and partly killed1--compare chap4 iii4 #bf1 where ,jerusalem1 desolate and emptied1 sits upon the ground47 ,but this salvation can be granted to those only whose hearts are prepared to receive it4 ,thus the announcement of salvation is preceded by the ,greek3 metanoeite1 by the call to remove all the obstacles which render impassable the path through the desert into the land of promise2 which render impossible the transition from misery to salvation2 which prevent the ,lord from coming to ,his people in their misery1 and leading them out from it4 ,then1 to those who have complied with the exhortation1 the manifestation of the glory of the ,lord is promised--,he comes to them1 in a glorious manifestation1 in the way which1 in the power of ,his ,spirit1 they have prepared and opened up to ,him--and in1 and with it1 all the glorious things which1 according to ver4 #b1 the servants of the ,lord were to promise regarding the ,future4 ,the comfort oftentimes moves in general terms1 and consists in pointing to a ,future full of salvation and grace4 ,but1 in other passages1 the announcement of salvation is more individualised1 becomes more special4 ,these special announcements ,pg #aff refer to a twofold object1 ,first--,the ,prophet comforts his people by announcing the deliverance from the ,babylonish captivity4 ,this deliverance he describes by the most lovely images1 frequently taken from the deliverance of the people from ,egypt4 ,but it is to be well observed that even those prophecies which pre-eminently refer to the lower object1 have something exuberant and overflowing2 so that1 even after having been fulfilled1 they cannot be looked upon as antiquated4 ,he states the name of the ruler1 ,koresh1 the king from the rising of the sun1 who1 sent by the ,lord1 shall punish the oppressors of ,zion1 and bring back the people to their land4 ,the second object is the deliverance and salvation by the ,servant of ,god1 the ,messiah1 who1 after having passed through humiliation1 suffering1 and death1 and having thereby effected redemption1 will remove from the glorified ,kingdom of ,god all the evil occasioned by sin4 ,of this higher salvation the soul of the ,prophet is so full1 that the references to it are constantly pressing forward1 even where1 in the first instance1 he has to do with the lower salvation4 ,in the description of the higher salvation1 the relation of time is not observed4 ,now1 the ,prophet beholds its ,author in ,his humiliation and suffering2 then1 the most distant ,future of the ,kingdom of ,christ presents itself to his enraptured eye1--the time in which the ,gentile world1 alienated from ,god1 shall have returned to ,him2 when all that is opposed to ,god shall have been destroyed2 when inward and outward peace shall prevail1 and all the evil caused by sin shall have been removed4 ,elevated above time and space1 from the height in which the ,holy ,spirit has placed him1 he surveys the whole development of the ,messianic ,kingdom1 from its small beginnings to its glorious end4 ,while the first part1 containing the predictions which the ,prophet uttered for the present generation during the time of his ministry1 consists mainly of single prophecies which1 separated by time and occasion1 were first made publicly known singly1 and afterwards united in a collected whole1 having been marked out as different prophecies1 either by inscriptions1 or in any other distinguishable way1--the second part1 destined as a legacy for posterity1 forms a continuous1 collected whole4 ,the fact1 first observed by ,fr4 ,rckert1 that it is divided into three sections or books1 is1 in the first instance1 indicated by the ,pg #afg circumstance that1 at the close of chap4 xlviii4 and chap4 lvii41 the same thought recurs in the same words3 ,there is no peace1 saith the ,lord1 unto the wicked2 and that the same thought1 viz4 the exclusion of the wicked from the promised salvation1 is found also a third time at the close of the whole1 although there in another form4 ,yet1 if nothing else could be advanced in favour of this tri-partition1 we might perhaps be permitted to speak of an accident as ,knobel indeed does4 ,but a closer consideration shows that the three sections are1 inwardly and essentially1 distinguished from one another4 ,beyond chap4 xlviii4 #bb1 there is no farther mention of ,babel1 which in the first book is mentioned four times 7chap4 xliii4 #ad1 xlvii4 #a1 xlviii4 #ad1 #bj72 nor of the ,chaldeans1 which occur there five times 7chap4 xliii4 #ad1 xlvii4 #a1 #e1 xlviii4 #ad1 #bj72 nor any farther mention of ,koresh1 neither of his name 7chap4 xliv4 #bh1 xlv4 #a71 nor of his person1 which in chap4 xl4-xlviii4 is so prominently brought before us 7chap4 xli4 #b1 #be1 xlvi4 #aa1 xlviii4 #ad1 #ae1 i4e4 immediately at the beginning1 after the introduction contained in chap4 xl41 at the close1 and several times in the middle72 nor of ,bel and ,nebo4 ,farther--,the whole first book is pervaded with the argumentation by which the ,god of ,israel is proved to be the true ,god1 from ,his having foretold the deliverance to be effected by ,koresh4 ,this argumentation we meet with in chap4 xli41 immediately after the introductory chap4 xl41 and so still in the last chap4 xlviii42 but never again afterwards4 ,with the end of the first book1 this arguing and proving from prophecy1 that the ,lord is the true ,god1 as well as the reference to ,koresh1 the subject of this prophecy1 altogether disappear4 ,but1 in like manner1 the announcement of a personal ,messiah is wanting in the first book1 the sole exception being chap4 xlii4 #a-i1 where1 after the first announcement of the author of the lower salvation1 the ,author of the higher salvation is1 by way of anticipation1 contrasted with him4 ,to give a more minute and finished description of the ,author of the higher salvation is the object of the second book4 ,in the third book1 the person of the ,redeemer is spoken of briefly only1 is1 as it were1 only hinted at1 in order to connect this book with the second2 just as1 by chap4 xlii41 the first book is connected with the second4 ,the third book in so far as it is promising1 is taken up with the description of the ,pg #afh glory of the ,kingdom of ,god1 in that new stage upon which it enters by the ,redeemer1--a glory1 the culminating point of which is the creation of the new heavens and the new earth1 chap4 lxv4 #ag1 lxvi4 #bb4 ,a description of the glory of ,zion1 like that in chap4 lxii41 is not found in the first and second book4 ,in the third book1 however1 reproof and exhortation prevail1 in contradistinction to the first and second book1 in which the direct promise prevails4 ,a transition from this1 however1 to the reproof and exhortation1 is made at the close of the second book4 ,from chap4 lv4 #a1 the preaching of repentance appears first intermingled with the announcement of salvation4 ,up to that the prevailing tendency of the ,prophet had been1 throughout1 to comfort the godly2 but from chap4 lv4 #a1 the other tendency shows itself by the side of it1 that of calling sinners to repentance1 by which alone they can obtain a participation in the promised salvation4 ,in chap4 lvi4 #i1 lvii4 #ba1 the latter tendency appears distinctly and exclusively4 ,the second book had commenced with the announcement of salvation1 and thence to the close had advanced to reproof and threatening4 ,the third book takes the opposite course2 and thus the two principal portions of reproof and threatening border upon one another4 ,yet1 the reproof and threatening do not go on without interruption and distinction1 so that no boundary line could be recognized between the two books4 ,at the close of the second book1 the ,prophet has preeminently to do with apostates1 while1 at the beginning of the third1 he has to do with hypocrites2 so that thus these two portions of reproof supplement one another1 and conjointly form a complete disclosure of the prevailing corruption1 according to its two principal tendencies4 ,but the third book is distinguished from the second by this circumstance1 that in it reproof and threatening are not limited to the beginning1 which corresponds with the close of the second book4 ,at the close of chap4 lix4 the ,prophet returns to the announcement of salvation2 but with chap4 lxiii4 #g1 a new preaching of repentance commences1 which goes on to the end of chap4 lxiv4 ,the ,prophet1 in the ,spirit1 transposes himself into the time when the visitation has already taken place1 and puts into the mouth of the people the words by which they are1 at that time1 to supplicate for the mercy of the ,lord4 ,this discourse ,pg #afi implies what has preceded4 ,in the view of the glorious manifestation of the ,lord's mercy and grace which are there exhibited1 the ,prophet calls here upon the people to repent and be converted1 in order that they may become partakers of that mercy4 ,if they1 as a people1 are anxious to attain that object1 they must repeat what the ,prophet here pronounces before them4 ,but that up to this time has not been done1 and hence that has taken place which is spoken of by ,st ,paul3 ,the election have obtained it1 but the rest have been blinded4 ,in chap4 lxv41 which contains the ,lord's answer to this repenting prayer of the people1 and is nothing else than an indirect paraenesis1 reproof and threatening likewise prevail1 and it is only at the close that the promise appears4 ,the last chapter1 too1 begins with reproof and threatening4 ,rightly have the ,church ,fathers called ,isaiah the ,evangelist among the prophets4 ,this appears also from the circumstance that the reproof is so thoroughly an appendage of the promise1 that it is only at the close1 after the whole riches of the promise have been exhibited1 that it expands itself ,it appears1 farther1 also from the circumstance that1 even in the last book1 the threatening does not prevail exclusively1 but that1 even there1 it is still interwoven with the most glorious promises which are so exceedingly fitted to allure sinners to repentance4 ,in the whole of the second part1 the ,prophet1 as a rule1 takes his stand in the time which was announced and foretold in the former prophecies1 and especially1 with the greatest clearness and distinctness1 in chap4 xxxix41 on the threshold of the second part1--the time when ,jerusalem is captured by the ,chaldeans1 the temple destroyed1 the country desolated1 and the people carried away4 ,it is in this time that he thinks1 feels1 and acts2 it has become present to him2 from it he looks out into the ,future1 yet in such a manner that he does not everywhere consistently maintain this ideal stand-point4 ,he addresses his discourse to the people pining away in captivity and misery4 ,he comforts them by opening up a view into a better ,future1 and exhorts them to remove by repentance the obstacles to the coming salvation4 ,rationalistic ,exegesis1 everywhere little able to sympathize with1 and enter into existing circumstances and conditions1 and always ready to make its own shadowy1 coarse views the rule ,pg #agj and arbiter1 has been little able to enter into1 and sympathize with this ideal stand-point occupied by the ,prophet2 nor has it had the earnest will to do so4 ,to its rationalistic tendencies1 which took offence at the clear knowledge of the ,future1 a welcome pretext was here offered4 ,thus the opinion arose1 that the second part was not written by ,isaiah1 but was the work of some anonymous prophet1 living about the end of the exile1--an opinion which1 at the time of the absolute dominion of ,rationalism1 has obtained so firm a footing1 that it has become all but an axiom1 and1 by the power of tradition1 carries away even such as would not think of entertaining it1 if they were to enter independently and without prejudice upon the investigation4 ,the fact which here meets us does not by any means stand isolated4 ,the prophets did not prophesy in the state of rational reflection1 but in exstasis4 ,as even their ordinary name1 seers1 indicates1 the objects were presented to them in inward vision4 ,they did not behold the ,future from a distance1 but they were rapt into the future4 ,this inward vision is frequently reflected in their representation4 ,very frequently1 that appears with them as present which1 in reality1 was still future4 ,they depict the ,future before the eyes of their hearers and readers1 and thus1 as it were1 by force1 drag them into it out of the ,present1 the coercing force of which exerts so pernicious an influence upon them4 ,our ,prophet expressly intimates this peculiar manner of the prophetic announcement by making1 in chap4 xlix4 #g1 the ,lord say3 ,first ,i said to ,zion3 ,behold there1 behold there1 by which the graphic character of prophecy is precisely expressed1 and by which it is intimated that hearers and readers were led in rem praesentem by the prophets4 ,even grammar has long ago acknowledged this fact1 inasmuch as it speaks of ,praeterita prophetica1 i4e41 such as denote the ideal ,past1 in contrast to those which denote the real ,past4 ,unless we have attained to this view and insight1 it is only by inconsistency that we can escape from ,eichhorn's view1 that the prophecies are1 for the most part1 disguised historical descriptions1--a view into which even expositors1 such as ,ewald and ,hitzig1 frequently relapse4 ,frequently1 the whole of the ,future appears with the prophets in the form of the ,present4 ,at other times1 they take their stand in the ,pg #aga more immediate ,future2 and this becomes to them the ideal ,present1 from which they direct the eye to the distant ,future4 ,from the rich store of proofs which we can adduce for our view1 we shall here mention only a few4 ,this mode of representation meets us frequently so early as in the parting hymn of ,moses1 ,deut4 xxxii41 which may be considered as the germ of all prophetism2 compare e4g4 vers4 #g and #h4 ,on the latter verse1 ,clericus remarks3 ,moses mourns over this in his hymn1 as if it were already past1 because he foresees that it will be so1 and he1 in the ,spirit1 transfers himself into those future times1 and says that which then only should be said4 ,in ,isaiah himself1 the very first chapter presents a remarkable proof ,the ,present in chap4 i4 #e-i is not a real1 but an ideal ,present4 ,in the ,spirit1 the ,prophet transfers himself into the time of the calamity impending upon the apostate people1 and1 stepping back upon the real ,present1 he1 in the farther course of the prophecy1 predicts this calamity as future4 ,the reasons for this view have been thoroughly stated1 even to exhaustion1 by ,caspari1 in his ,beitrge zur ,einleitung in das ,buch ,jesaia4 ,in the second half of ver4 #b1 the kingdom appears as flourishing and powerful4 ,to the same result we are led also by the description of the rich sacrificial worship in vers4 #ae-ai4 ,if1 then1 we view vers4 #e-i as a description of the ,present1 we obtain an irreconcilable contradiction4 ,farther--,everywhere else ,isaiah always connects1 with the description of the sin1 that of the punishment following upon it1 but never that of the punishment which has followed it4--,in chap4 v4 #ac1 in a prophecy from the first time of his ministry1 the future carrying away of the people presents itself to the ,prophet as present4 ,similarly1 in vers4 #be1 #bf1 the ,praet4 and ,fut4 with ,vav ,conv4 must be understood prophetically2 for in chap4 i4-v41 the ,prophet has1 throughout1 to do with future calamity4 ,in the ,present1 according to ver4 #ai1 the people are yet in a condition of prosperity and luxury1--as yet1 it is the time of mocking2 it is only of future calamity that vers4 #e and #f in the parable speak of1 the threatenings of which are here detailed and expanded4--,in the prophecy against ,tyre1 chap4 xxiii41 the ,prophet beholds as present the siege by the ,chaldeans impending over the city1 and describes ,pg #agb as an eye-witness the flight of the inhabitants1 and the impression which the intelligence of their calamity makes upon the nations connected with them4 ,from the more immediate ,future1 which to him has become present1 he then casts a glance to the more distant4 ,he announces that after #gj years--counting not from the real1 but from the ideal ,present--the city shall again attain to its ancient greatness4 ,his look then rises still higher1 and he beholds how at length1 in the days of ,messiah1 the ,tyrians shall be received into the communion of the true ,god4--,the future dispersion and carrying away of the people is anticipated by the ,prophet in the passage1 chap4 xi4 #aa1 also1 which may be considered as a comprehensive view of the whole second part4--,it is true that1 in the second part1 as a rule1 the misery1 and not the salvation1 appears as present2 but1 not unfrequently1 the latter1 too1 is viewed as present by the ,prophet1 and spoken of in ,preterites1 comp4 e4g41 chap4 xl4 #b1 xlvi4 #a1 #b1 li4 #c1 lii4 #i1 #aj1 lx4 #a4 ,if1 then1 the ,prophet is to be measured by the ordinary rule1 these passages1 too1 must have been written at a time when the salvation had already taken place4--,in chap4 xlv4 #bj1 the escaped of the nations are those ,gentiles who have been spared in the divine judgments4 ,they are to become wise by the sufferings of others4 ,the ,prophet takes his stand in a time when these judgments1 which were to be inflicted by ,cyrus1 had already been completed4 ,even those who maintain the spuriousness of the second part must here acknowledge that the ,prophet takes his stand in an ideal ,present4--,in chap4 liii4 the ,prophet takes his stand between the sufferings and the glorification of the ,messiah4 ,the sufferings appear to him as past2 the glorification he represents as future4 ,hosea had1 in chap4 xiii41 predicted to ,israel great divine judgments1 the desolation of the country1 and the carrying away of its inhabitants by powerful enemies4 ,this punishment and judgment appear in chap4 xiv4 #a 7xiii4 #af7 as still future2 but in ver4 #b 7#a ff47 he transfers himself in spirit to the time when these judgments had already been inflicted4 ,he anticipates the ,future as having already taken place1 and does not by any means exhort his contemporaries to a sincere repentance1 but those upon whom the calamity had already been inflicted3 ,o ,israel1 return unto the ,lord thy ,god2 for ,pg #agc thou hast fallen by thine iniquity4 ,this parallel passage shews especially1 with what right it has been asserted that the addresses to the people pining away in exile were out of place in the mouth of ,isaiah1 who1 as he lived #aej years before1 could prophesy only of the exiled 7,knobel74--,micah says in chap4 iv4 #h 7compare vol4 i41 p4 #ddi ff473 ,and thou tower of the flock1 hill of the daughter of ,zion1 unto thee it will come1 and to thee cometh the former dominion4 ,if the ,prophet1 a cotemporary of ,isaiah1 speaks here of a former dominion1 and announces that it shall again come back to the house of ,david1 he transfers himself from his time1 in which the royal family of ,david still existed and flourished1 into that period of which he had just before spoken1 and during which the dominion of the ,davidic dynasty was to cease4 ,in vers4 #i1 #aj3 ,now why dost thou raise a cry6 ,is there no king in thee1 or is thy counsellor gone8 ,for pangs have seized thee as a woman in travail1 c41 mourning ,zion1 at the time of the carrying away of her sons into captivity1 stands before the eye of the ,prophet1 and is addressed by him4 7,in commenting upon this passage1 we pointed already to ,hosea xiii4 #i-aa as an analogous instance of representing as present the time of the calamity47 ,the moment of the carrying away into exile forms to him the ,present2 the deliverance from it1 the ,future3 ,there shalt thou be delivered1 there the ,lord thy ,god shall redeem thee out of the hand of thine enemies4 ,in chap4 vii4 #g1 ,micah introduces1 as speaking1 the people already carried away into exile1 and makes them declare both the justice of the divine punishment1 and their confidence in the divine mercy4 ,in the answer of the ,lord also1 ver4 #aa1 the city is supposed to be destroyed2 for ,he promises that her walls shall be rebuilt4--,the anticipation of the ,future prevails throughout the whole prophecy of ,obadiah also4 ,the song of ,habakkuk in chap4 iii4 takes its stand in the midst of the anticipated misery4 ,in the announcement of the invasion of the ,chaldeans in chap4 i4 #f ff41 the ,future presents itself in the form of the ,present4 ,here1 as in the case of ,obadiah1 ,hitzig and others1 overlooking and misunderstanding this prophetic peculiarity1 and considering the ideal1 to be the real ,present1 have been led to fix the age of the ,prophet in a manner notoriously erroneous4--,jeremiah1 in chap4 iii4 #bb1 #be1 ,pg #agd introduces as speaking the ,israel of the ,future4 ,in chap4 xxx4 and xxxi41 he anticipates the future carrying away of ,judah4 ,even in the ,psalms we perceive a faint trace of this prophetic peculiarity4 ,on ,ps4 xciii4 #a3 ,the ,lord reigneth1 ,he hath clothed himself with majesty1 c41 we remarked3 ,the ,preterites are to be explained from the circumstance that the ,singer as a seer has the ,future before his eyes4 ,he beholds rejoicingly how the ,lord enters upon ,his ,kingdom1 puts on the garment of majesty1 and girds himself with the sword of strength in the face of the proud world4 ,a similar anticipation of redemption1 even before the catastrophe has taken place1 we meet with in ,ps4 xciv4 #a4 ,the situation in the whole ,psalm1 yea in the whole cycle to which it belongs1 the lyrical echo of the second part of ,isaiah1 is not a real1 but an ideal one4 ,this cycle bears witness that the singers and seers of ,israel were living in the ,future1 in a manner which it would be so much the greater folly to measure by our rule as1 for the people of the ,old ,covenant1 the ,future had a significance altogether different from that which it has for the people of the ,new ,covenant4 ,that which is common to all the ,psalms1 from xciii4 onward1 is the confident expectation of a glorious manifestation of the ,lord1 which the ,psalmist1 following the example of the prophets1 beholds as present4 ,a counterpart is the cycle ,ps4 cxxxviii4-cxlv41 in which ,david1 stirred up by the promise in #b ,sam4 vii41 accompanies his house throughout history4 ,several interpreters cannot altogether resist the force of these facts4 ,they grant that other prophets also sometimes1 in the ,spirit1 transfer themselves into later times1 especially into the idealistic times of the ,messiah1 and draw their arguments from the circumstance only1 that the latter again came back to their personal stand point1 whilst our ,prophet continues cleaving to the later time4 ,now it is true1 and must be conceded1 that this mode of representation is here employed to an extent greater than it is anywhere else in the ,old ,testament4 ,but1 in matters of this kind1 measuring by the ell is quite out of place4 ,in other respects also1 the second part of ,isaiah stands out as quite unique4 ,there is1 in the whole ,old ,testament1 no other continuous prophecy which has so absolutely and pre-eminently proceeded from cura posteritatis4 ,if ,pg #age it be acknowledged that the prophesying activity of ,isaiah falls into two great divisions1--the one--the results of which are contained in the first #ci chapters--chiefly1 pre-eminently indeed1 destined for the ,present2 the other1--which lies before us in the second part1 belonging to the evening of the ,prophet's life--forming a prophetical legacy1 and hence1 therefore1 never delivered in public1 but only committed to writing2--then we shall find it quite natural that the ,prophet1 writing1 as he did1 chiefly for the ,future1 should here also take his stand in the ,future1 to a larger extent than he has elsewhere done4 ,that it is in this manner only that this fact is to be accounted for1 appears from the circumstance that1 although our ,prophet so extensively and frequently represents the ,past as ,present1 yet he passes over1 in numerous passages1 from the ideal into the real ,present4#b ,we find a number of references which do not at all suit the condition of things after the exile1 but necessarily require the age of ,isaiah1 or1 at least1 the time before the exile4 ,if ,isaiah be the author1 these passages are easily accounted for4 ,it is true that1 in the ,spirit1 he had transferred himself into the time of the ,babylonish exile2 and this time had become ,present to him4 ,but it would surely be suspicious to us1 if the real ,present had not sometimes prevailed1 and attracted the eye of the ,prophet4 ,it is just thus1 however1 that we find it4 ,the ,prophet frequently steps out of his ideal view and position1 and refers to conditions and circumstances of his time4 ,now1 he has before his eyes the condition of the unhappy people in the ,babylonish exile2 then1 the ,state still existing at his time1 but internally deranged by idolatry and apostacy4 ,this apparent contradiction cannot be reconciled in any other way than by assuming that ,isaiah is the author4 ,as a rule1 the punishment appears as already inflicted2 city and temple as destroyed2 the country as devastated2 the people as carried away2 compare e4g41 chap4 lxiv4 #aj1 #aa4 ,but in a series of passages1 in which the ,prophet steps back from the ideal1 to the real stand-point1 the punishment appears as still future2 city and temple as still existing4 ,in chap4 xliii4 ,pg #agf #bb-bh1 the ,prophet meets the delusion1 as if ,god had chosen ,israel on account of their deserts4 ,far from having brought about their deliverance by their own merits1 they1 on the contrary1 sinned thus against ,him1 that1 to the inward apostacy1 they added the outward also4 ,the greater part of ,israel had left off the worship of the ,lord by sacrifices4 ,it is the mercy alone of the ,lord which will deliver them from the misery into which they have plunged themselves by their sins4 ,but how can the ,lord charge the people in exile for the omission of a service which1 according to ,his own law1 they could offer to ,him in their native country only1 in the temple consecrated to ,him1 but then destroyed8 ,the words specially3 ,put me in remembrance1 in ver4 #bf1 of what ,i should have forgotten1 imply that there existed a possibility of acquiring apparent merits1 and that1 hence1 the view of our opponents who1 in vers4 #bb-bd1 think of a compulsory1 and hence1 guiltless omission of the sacrificial service during the exile1 must be rejected4 ,vers4 #bg1 #bh also1 which speak of the punishment which ,israel deserves1 just on account of the omitted service of the ,lord1 and which it has found in the way of its works1 prove that this view must be rejected1 and that vers4 #bb-bd contain a reproof4 ,the passage can1 hence1 have been written only at the time when the temple was still standing4 ,of this there can so much the less be any doubt that1 in vers4 #bg1 #bh1 the exile is expressly designated as future3 ,thy first father 7the high-priestly office7 hath sinned1 and thy mediators have transgressed against me4 7,the sacrificial service was by a disgraceful syncretism profaned even by those whose office it was to attend to it74 ,therefore ,i will profane the princes of the sanctuary1 and will give ,jacob to the curse1 and ,israel to reproaches4 ,even ,hebrew3 va,hll is the common ,future1 and to ,hebrew3 vatnh the ,hebrew3 h optativum is added2 and hence1 we cannot by any means translate and explain it by3 ,i gave4--,in chap4 lvi4 #i1 it is said3 ,all ye beasts of the field come ye to devour all the beasts in the forest4 ,this utterance stands in connection with the ,hebrew3 lnqbciv1 at the close of the preceding verse4 ,the gathering of ,israel by ,god the good ,shepherd1 promised there1 must be preceded by the scattering1 by being given up to the world's power--mercy1 by judgment4 ,by the wild beasts are to be understood the ,gentiles who shall be sent by ,god upon ,pg #agg ,his people for punishment4 ,this mission they must first fulfil before they can1 according to ver4 #h1 be added to1 and gathered along with1 the gathered ones of ,israel4 ,by the beasts in the forest1 brutalized1 degraded1 and secularized ,israel is to be understood1 comp4 ,jer4 xii4 #g-ab2 ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #e2 and my ,commentary on ,rev4 ii4 #a4 ,the beasts have not yet come2 they are yet to come4 ,we can here think of nothing else than the invasion of the ,chaldeans1 which the ,prophet1 stepping back to the stand-point of his time1 beholds here as future2 whilst1 in what precedes1 from his ideal stand-point1 which he had taken in the ,babylonish exile1 he had1 for the most part1 considered it as past4--,in chap4 lvi4 #aj-ab1 we meet with corrupted rulers of the people1 who are indolent1 when everything depends upon warding off the danger1 greedy1 luxurious1 gormandizing upon what they have stolen4 ,the people are not under foreign dominion1 but have rulers of their own1 who tyrannize over1 and impoverish them2 comp4 ,is4 chap4 v42 ,micah1 chap4 iii4--,in chap4 lvii4 #a1 it is said3 ,the righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart1 and the men of kindness are taken away1 no one considering that1 on account of the evil1 the righteous is taken away4 ,the ,prophet mentions it as a sign of the people's hardening that1 in the death of the righteous men who were truly bearing on their hearts the welfare of the whole1 they did not recognize a harbinger of severe divine judgments1 from which1 according to a divine merciful decree1 these righteous were to be preserved by an early death4 ,on account of the evil1 i4e41 in order to withdraw them from the judgments1 which were to be inflicted upon the ungodly people1 comp4 ,gen4 xv4 #ae2 #b ,kings xxii4 #bj2 ,is4 xxxix4 #h4 ,the evil1 i4e4 according to #b ,kings xxii4 #bj1 the ,chaldean catastrophe1 appears here as still future4 ,in chap4 lvii4 #b3 ,they enter in peace1 they rest in their beds who have walked before themselves in uprightness1 the peace forms the contrast to the awful condition of suffering which the survivors have to encounter4--,in chap4 lvii4 #i1 it is said3 ,and thou lookest on the king anointed with oil1 and increasest thy perfumes1 and sendest thy messengers far off1 sendest them down into hell4 ,the apostacy from the ,lord their ,god is manifested not only in idolatry1 but also in their not leaving untried any means to ,pg #agh procure for themselves human helpers1 in their courting human aid4 ,the personification of ,israel as a woman1 which took place in the preceding verses1 is here continued4 ,she leaves no means untried to heighten her charms2 she makes every effort to please the mighty kings4 ,the king is an ideal person comprehending a real plurality within himself ,a parallel passage1 in which the seeking for help among foreign nations is represented under the same image1 is ,ezek4 xvi4 #bf ff41 comp4 ,hos4 xii4 #b 7#a74 ,it occurs also in immediate connexion with seeking help from the idols1 in chap4 xxx4 #a ff4 ,the verb ,hebrew3 wvr means always to see1 to look at2 and this signification is1 here too1 quite appropriate3 ,israel is coquetting with her lover1 the king4 ,the reproach which the ,prophet here raises against the people has no meaning at all in the time of the exile1 when the national independence was gone4 ,we find ourselves all at once transferred to the time of ,isaiah1 who1 in chap4 xxxi4 #a1 utters a woe upon them that go down to ,egypt for help1--who1 in chap4 xxx4 #d1 complains3 ,his princes are at ,zoar1 and his ambassadors come to ,hanes1--who1 in chap4 vii41 exhibits the dangerous consequences of seeking help from ,asshur4 ,the historical point at issue is brought before us by passages such as #b ,kings xvi4 #g3 ,and ,ahaz sent messengers to ,tiglathpileser1 king of ,assyria1 saying3 ,i am thy servant and thy son2 come up and save me out of the hand of the king of ,aram1 and out of the hand of the king of ,israel1 who rise against me4--,in chap4 lvii4 #aa-ac1 the thought is this3 ,israel is not becoming weary of seeking help and salvation from others than ,god4 ,but ,he will soon show that ,he alone is to be feared1 that ,he alone can help2 that they are nothing against whom1 and from whom help is sought4 ,the words in ver4 #aa3 ,am ,i not silent1 even of old2 therefore thou fearest me not1 state the cause of the foolish forgetfulness of ,god1 and hence form the transition to the subsequent announcement of judgment4 ,the prophecy is uttered at a time when ,israel still enjoyed the sparing divine forbearance1 inasmuch as for time immemorial 7since they were in ,egypt71 no destructive catastrophe had fallen upon them4 ,it was in the ,babylonish catastrophe only that the ,egyptian received its counterpart4 ,but how does this suit the time of the ,babylonish exile1 when the people were groaning under the severe judgments of ,god1 ,pg #agi and had not experienced ,his forbearance1 but1 on the contrary1 for almost #gj years1 the full energy of ,his punitive justice8 ,in ver4 #ac1 it is said3 ,in thy crying1 let thy hosts 7thy whole ,pantheon so rich1 and yet so miserable7 help thee4 ,in thy crying1 i4e41 when thou1 in the judgment to be inflicted upon thee in future1 wilt cry for help4 ,in chap4 lxvi4 the punishment appears as future2 temple and city as still existing2 the ,lord as yet enthroned in ,zion4 ,so specially in ver4 #f3 ,a voice of noise from the city1 a voice from the temple1 the voice of the ,lord that rendereth recompence to ,his enemies1 ,a controversy with the hypocrites who presumed upon the temple and their sacrificial service1 in vers4 #a1 #c1 has1 at the time of the exile1 no meaning at all1 ,gesenius1 indeed1 was of opinion that the ,prophet might judge of the worship of ,god in temples1 and of the value of sacrifices1 although they were not offered at that time2 but it must be strongly denied that the ,prophet could do so in such a context and connection4 ,for1 the fact that the ,prophet has in view a definite class of men of his time1 and that he does not bring forward at random a locus communis which1 at his time1 was no longer applicable--a thing which1 moreover1 is not by any means his habit--appears from the close of the verse1 and from ver4 #d1 where divine judgment is threatened to those men3 ,because they choose their own ways1 and their soul delighteth in their abominations3 ,i also will choose their derision1 and will bring their fears upon them4 ,even in ver4 #bj3 ,and they 7the ,gentiles who are to be converted to the ,lord71 shall bring all your brethren out of all nations for a meat-offering unto the ,lord1 upon horses1 c41 just as the children of ,israel are bringing 7,hebrew3 ibvav1 expresses an habitual offering71 the meat-offering in a clean vessel into the house of the ,lord1 the house of ,god appears as still standing1 the sacrificial service in full operation2 the future spiritual meat-offering of the ,gentiles is compared to the bodily meat-offering which the children of ,israel are now offering in the temple4 ,throughout the whole second part we perceive the people under the1 as yet1 unbroken power of idolatry4 ,it appears everywhere as the principal tendency of the sinful apostacy among the people2 to counteract it appears to be the chief object of the ,prophet4 ,the controversy with idolatry pervades everything4 ,at the very commencement1 in chap4 xl4 #ah-bf1 we are met ,pg #ahj with a description of the nothingness of idolatry1 and an impressive warning against it4 ,in the whole series of passages1 commencing with chap4 xli4--of which we shall afterwards speak more in detail--the sole ,deity of the ,god of ,israel1 and the vanity of the idols are proved from prophecy in connection with its fulfilment2 and this series has for its supposition the power which1 at the time when the prophecy was uttered1 idolatry yet possessed over the minds of men4 ,chap4 xlii4 #ag announces that the future historical development shall bring confusion upon those that trust in graven images1 that say to the molten images3 ,ye are our gods4 ,in chap4 xliv4 #ab-bj1 the absurdity of idolatry is illustrated in a brilliant description4 ,we have here before us the real locus classicus of the whole ,scripture in this matter1 the main description of the nothingness of idolatry4 ,the emotion and excitement with which the ,prophet speaks1 shew that he has here to do with the principal enemy to the salvation of his people4 ,according to chap4 xlvi4 the idols of ,babel shall be overturned and carried away4 ,from this1 ,israel may learn the nothingness of idolatry1 and the apostates may return to the ,lord4 ,in the hortatory and reproving section1 the punishment of idolatry forms the beginning2 in chap4 lvii4 idolatry is described as far-spread1 manifold1 advancing to the greatest horrors4 ,the offering up of children as sacrifices especially appears as being in vogue2 and it can be proved that this penetrated into ,israel1 from the neighbouring nations1 at the time of the ,prophet 7comp4 #b ,chron4 xxviii4 #c2 xxxiii4 #f71 while1 at the time of the exile1 there was scarcely any cause for warning against it1--at least1 existing information does not mention any such sacrifices among the ,babylonians 7comp4 ,mnter1 die ,religion der ,babylonier1 ,s4 #gb74 ,the people appear as standing under the dominion of idolatry in chap4 lxv4 #c3 ,the people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face1 that sacrificeth in gardens1 and burneth incense upon the bricks2 comp4 ver4 #g3 ,who have burned incense upon the mountains1 and blasphemed me upon the hills2 chap4 lxvi4 #ag3 ,they that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one in the midst1 who eat swine's flesh1 and the abominations1 and mice1 shall be consumed together1 saith the ,lord4 ,idolatry is the service of nature1 and was1 therefore1 chiefly practised ,pg #aha in places where nature presents herself in all her splendour1 as in gardens and on the hills4 ,the gardens are mentioned in a similar way in chap4 i4 #bi3 ,ye shall blush on account of the gardens that ye have chosen4 7,on the words which precede in that verse3 ,for they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired1 chap4 lvii4 #e offers an exact parallel3 ,who inflame themselves among the oaks under every green tree47 ,in chap4 lxv4 #aa1 they are denounced who forsake the ,lord1 forget ,his holy mountain 7on which1 at the time when this was written1 the temple must still have stood71 who prepare a table to ,fortune1 and offer drink-offerings to ,fate4 ,the second main form of sinful apostacy--hypocrisy and dead ceremonial service--is only rarely mentioned by the ,prophet 7in chap4 lvii41 lxvi471 while he always anew reverts to idolatry4 ,now this absolutely prevailing regard to idolatry can be accounted for1 only if ,isaiah be the author of the second part4 ,from ,solomon1 down to the time of the exile1 the disposition to idolatry in ,israel was never thoroughly broken4 ,during ,isaiah's ministry1 it came to the fullest display under ,ahaz4 ,under ,hezekiah it was kept down1 indeed2 but with great difficulty only1 as appears from the fact that1 under the reign of ,manasseh1 who was a king after the heart of the people1 it again broke openly forth2 comp4 #b ,kings xxi4 #a-ah2 #b ,chron4 xxxiii4 #a-ah2 #b ,kings xxi4 #f1 according to which ,manasseh made his own son to pass through the fire4 ,but it is a tact generally admitted1 and proved by all the books written during and after the exile1 that1 with the carrying away into exile1 the idolatrous disposition among the people was greatly shaken4 ,this fact has its cause not only in the deep impression which misery made upon their minds1 but still more in the circumstance that it was chiefly the godly part of the nation that was carried away into captivity4 ,the disproportionately large number of priests among the exiled and those who returned--they constitute the tenth part of the people--is to be accounted for only on the supposition1 that the heathenish conquerors saw that the real essence and basis of the people consisted in the faith in the ,god of ,israel1 and were1 therefore1 above all1 anxious to remove the priests as the main representatives of this principle4 ,if1 for this reason1 they carried away the priests1 we cannot think otherwise but that1 in ,pg #ahb the selection of the others also1 they looked chiefly to the theocratic disposition on which the nationality of ,israel rested4 ,to this we are led by ,jer4 xxiv4 also1 where those carried away are designated as the flower of the nation1 as the nursery and hope of the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,incomprehensible1 for the time of the exile1 is also the strict antithesis between the servants of the ,lord1 and the servants of the idols--the latter hating1 assailing1 and persecuting the former--an antithesis which meets us especially in the last two chapters2 comp4 especially chap4 lxv4 #e ff4 #ac-ae2 lxvi4 #af4 ,that such a state of things existed at the time of the ,prophet is1 among other passages1 shown by #b ,kings xxi4 #af1 according to which ,manasseh shed much innocent blood at ,jerusalem1 and1 according to ver4 #aj1 #aa1 especially the blood of the prophets1 who had borne a powerful testimony against idolatry4 ,if it be assumed that the second part was composed during the exile1 then those passages are incomprehensible1 in which the ,prophet proves that the ,god of ,israel is the true ,god1 from ,his predicting the appearance of the conqueror from the east1 and the deliverance of the people to be wrought by ,him in connection with the fulfilment of these predictions4 ,the supernatural character of this announcement which the ,prophet asserts1 and which forms the ground of its probative power1 took place1 only if it proceeded from ,isaiah1 but not if it was uttered only about the end of the exile1 at a time when ,cyrus had already entered upon the stage of history4 ,these passages1 at all events1 admit only the alternative1--either that ,isaiah was the real author1 or that they were forged at a later period by some deceiver2 and this latter alternative is so decidedly opposed to the whole spirit of the second part1 that scarcely any one among the opponents will resolve to adopt it4 ,considering the very great and decisive importance of these passages1 we must still allow them to pass in review one by one4 ,in chap4 xli4 #a-g1 the ,lord addresses those who are serving idols1 summons them triumphantly to defend themselves against the mighty attack which ,he was just executing against them1 and describes the futility of their attempts at so doing4 ,the address to the ,gentiles is a mere form2 to work upon ,israel is the real purpose4 ,to secure them from the allurements of the world's religion1 the ,prophet points to ,pg #ahc the great confusion which the ,future will bring upon it4 ,this confusion consists in this3--that the prophecy of the conqueror from the ,east1 as the messenger and instrument of the ,lord--a prediction which the ,prophet had uttered in the power of the ,lord--is fulfilled without the idolators being able to prevent it4 ,the answer on the words in ver4 #b3 ,who hath raised up from the ,east him whom righteousness calleth whither he goes1 giveth the nations before him1 and maketh kings subject to him1 maketh his sword like dust1 and his bow like driven stubble8 is this3 ,according to the agreement of prophecy and fulfilment1 it is none other than the ,lord1 who is1 therefore1 the only true ,god1 to whose glory and majesty every deed of ,his servant ,koresh bears witness4 ,the argumentation is unintelligible1 as soon as1 assuming that it was ,isaiah who wrote down the prophecy1 it is not admitted that he1 losing sight of the real ,present1 takes his stand-point in an ideal ,present1 viz41 the time of the appearance of the conqueror from the ,east1 by which it becomes possible to him to draw his arguments from the prophecy in connection with the fulfilment4 ,it is altogether absurd1 when it is asserted that the second part is spurious1 and was composed at a time when ,cyrus was already standing before ,babylon4 ,it would indeed have required an immense amount of impudence on the part of the ,prophet to bring forward1 as an unassailable proof of the omniscience and omnipotence of ,god1 an event which every one saw with his bodily eyes4 ,by such argumentation1 he would have exposed himself to general ridicule4--,in chap4 xli4 #ba-bi1 the discourse is formally addressed to the ,gentiles2 but in point of fact1 the ,prophet here1 too1 has to do with ,judah driven into exile1 to whom he was called by ,god to offer the means to remain stedfast under the temptations from the idolators by whom they were surrounded4 ,before the eyes1 and in the hearing of ,israel1 the ,lord convinces the ,gentiles of the nothingness of their cause4 ,they are to prove the divinity of their idols by showing forth the announcements of the ,future which proceeded from them4 ,but they are not able to comply with this demand4 ,it is only the ,lord1 the living ,god1 who can do that4 ,long before the appearance of the conqueror from the ,north and ,east1 ,he caused it to be foretold1 and comforted ,his ,church with the view of the ,future4 ,hence1 ,he alone is ,pg #ahd ,god1 and vanity are all those who are put beside ,him4 ,it is said in ver4 #bb3 ,let them bring forth and shew to us what shall happen2 the former things1 what they be1 show and we will consider them and know the latter end of them2 or the coming 7events make us to hear74 ,the former things are those which are prior on this territory2 hence the former prophecies1 as the comparison of the parallel passage1 chap4 xlii #i1 clearly shows4 ,the end of prophecy is its fulfilment4 ,hebrew3 hbavt the coming1 or future1 are the events of the more distant ,future4 ,as the ,prophet demands from the idols and their servants that only which the true ,god has already performed by ,his servants1 we have here1 on the one hand1 a reference to the whole cycle of prophecies formerly fulfilled1 as e4g41 that of the overthrow of the kingdoms of ,damascus and ,ephraim1 and the defeat of ,asshur1--and1 on the other hand1 to the prophecy of the conqueror from the ,east1 c41 contained in the second part4 ,the former prophecies1 however1 are here mentioned altogether incidentally only2 the real demand refers1 as is shown by the words3 ,what shall happen1 only to the prophecies in reference to the ,future1 corresponding to those of our ,prophet regarding the conqueror from the ,east1 whose appearance is here represented as belonging altogether to the ,future1 and not to be known by any human ingenuity4 ,in ver4 #bf3 ,who hath declared 7such things7 from the beginning1 that we may know1 and long beforehand1 that we may say3 he is righteous8 the ,hebrew3 mraw from the beginning puts insurmountable obstacles in the way of the opponents of the genuineness4 ,if the second part of ,isaiah be spurious1 then the idolaters might put the same scornful question to the ,god of ,israel4 ,the ,hebrew3 mraw denotes just the opposite of a vaticinium post eventum4--,in chap4 xlii4 #i3 ,the former 7things71 behold1 they are come to pass1 and new things do ,i declare2 before they spring forth1 ,i let you hear1 the ,prophet proves the true divinity of the ,lord1 from the circumstance that1 having already proved himself by prophecies fulfilled1 ,he declares here1 in the second part1 the future events before they spring forth1 before the facts begin to sprout forth from the soil of the ,present1 and hence could have been known and predicted by human combination4 ,the words1 before they spring forth1 become completely enigmatical1 if it be denied that ,isaiah ,pg #ahe wrote the second part2 inasmuch as1 in that case1 it would have in a great part1 to do with things which did not belong to the territory of prophetic foresight1 but of what was plainly visible4--,in chap4 xliii4 #h-ac1 the ,prophet again proves the nothingness of idolatry1 and the sole divinity of the ,god of ,israel1 from the great work1 declared beforehand by the ,lord1 of the deliverance of ,israel1 and of the overthrow of their enemies4 ,he is so deeply convinced of the striking force of this argument1 that he ever anew reverts to it4 ,after having called upon the ,gentiles to prove the divinity of their idols by true prophecies given by them1 he says in ver4 #i3 ,let them bring forth their witnesses1 that they may be justified4 ,by the witnesses it is to be proved1 by whom1 to whom1 and at what time the prophecies were given1 in order that the ,gentiles may not refer to deceitfully forged prophecies1 to vaticinia post eventum4 ,according to the hypothesis of the spuriousness of the second part1 the author pronounced his own condemnation by thus calling for witnesses4 ,ye are my witnesses1 saith the ,lord1 and witness is my ,servant whom ,i have chosen1 is said in ver4 #aj4 ,while the ,gentiles are in vain called upon to bring forward witnesses for the divinity of their idols1 the true ,god has1 for ,his witnesses1 just those whose services he claimed4 ,the prophecies which lie at the foundation of their testimony1 which are to be borne witness to1 are those of the second part4 ,the ,prophet may safely appeal to the testimony of the whole nation1 that they were uttered at a time1 when their contents could not be derived from human combination4 ,the great unknown 7,ewald71 could not by any possibility have spoken thus4--,in chap4 xlv4 #ai-ba1 it is proved from the prophecy1 in connection with the fulfilment1 that ,jehovah alone is ,god1--the like of which no ,gentile nation can show of their idols4 ,the argumentation is followed by the call to all the ,gentiles to be converted to this ,god1 and thus to become partakers of ,his salvation--a call resting on the striking force of this argumentation--and with this call is1 in ver4 #bc-be1 connected the solemn declaration of ,god1 that1 at some future time1 this shall take place2 that1 at some future time1 there shall be one shepherd and one flock4 ,how would these high1 solemn1 words have been spoken in vain1 if the great unknown had spoken them6 ,in ver4 #ai ,pg #ahf it is said3 ,i have not spoken in secret1 in a dark place of the earth2 ,i said not unto the seed of ,jacob3 ,seek ye me in vain2 ,i the ,lord speak righteousness1 ,i declare rectitude4 ,the ,lord here says1 first1 in reference to ,his prophecies1 those namely which ,he gave through our ,prophet1 that they were made known publicly1 that1 hence1 there could not be any doubt of their genuineness1--altogether different from what is the case with the prophecies of idolatrous nations which make their appearance post eventum only1 no one knowing whence4 ,every one might convince himself of their truth and divinity4 ,this is expressed by the words3 ,i have not spoken in secret1 in a dark place of the earth4 ,then he says that the ,lord had not deceived ,his people1 like the idols who leave their servants without disclosures regarding3 the ,future2 but that1 by the prophecies granted to our ,prophet1 ,he had met the longings of his people for revelations of the ,future4 ,while the gods of the world leave them in the lurch1 just when their help is required1 and never answer when they are asked1 the ,lord1 in reference to prophecies1 as well as in every other respect1 has not spoken3 ,seek ye me in vain1 but rather3 ,when ye seek1 ye shall find me4 ,and1 finally1 he says that his prophecies are true and right2 that the heathenish prophets commit an unrighteousness by performing something else than that which they promised to perform4 ,to declare righteousness is to declare that which is righteous1 which does not conceal internal emptiness and rottenness under a fair outside4 ,the words3 ,i the ,lord speak righteousness1 ,i declare rectitude1 could not but have died on the lips of the great unknown4--,in chap4 xlvi4 #h-ac the apostates in ,israel are addressed4 ,they are exhorted to return to the true ,god1 and to be mindful1 #a4 of the nothingness of idols1 ver4 #h2 #b4 of the proofs of ,his sole divinity which the ,lord had given throughout the whole of the past history2 #c4 of the new manifestation of it in announcing and sending ,koresh 7,cyrus71 ver4 #aj1 #aa2 ,declaring the end from the beginning1 and from ancient times the things that are not yet done1 saying3 ,my counsel shall stand1 and ,i will do all my pleasure4 ,calling from the ,east an eagle1 from a far country the man of ,his counsel2 ,i have spoken it1 and will also bring it to pass2 ,i have formed it1 and will also do it4 ,to the ,hebrew3 rawnvt1 the former ,pg #ahg events1 the fulfilled prophecies from former times 7comp4 xlii4 #i71 here the new proof of the sole divinity of the ,god of ,israel is added1 in that ,he sends ,koresh3 ,god now declares4 ,the ,prophet1 by designating the time in which the announcement was issued as ,hebrew3 rawit and ,hebrew3 qd,m1 as beginning and ancient times1 and by founding the proof of the divinity of the ,lord just upon the high age of the announcement1 again puts an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the opponents of the genuineness4 ,the announcement and declaration prove any thing in connection with the execution only2 the bringing to pass1 therefore1 is connected with the declaring1 the doing with the speaking4 ,these words are now spoken1 since1 from the ideal stand-point1 the carrying out is at hand2 they form the antecedent to the calling1 of which ver4 #aa treats4 ,hebrew3 qv,m properly to rise1 opposed to the laying down1 means to bring to stand1 to bring about1 to be fulfilled4 ,the counsel1 i4e41 the contents of the prediction which was spoken of before2 it is the divine counsel and decree to which ,koresh served as an instrument4--,finally--,in chap4 xlviii41 the same subject is treated of2 the divinity of the ,lord is proved from ,his prophecies1 in three sections1 ver4 #a-aa1 ver4 #ab-af1 ver4 #bb4 ,here1 at the close of the first book of the second part1 the argumentation occurs once more in a very strong accumulation1 because the ,prophet is now about to leave it1 and1 in general1 the whole territory of the lower salvation4 ,first1 in ver4 #a-aa3 ,israel should return to the ,lord1 who formerly had manifested and proved ,his sole divinity by a series of prophecies and their fulfilments1 and now was granting new and remarkable disclosures regarding the ,future4 ,ver4 #f3 ,new things ,i shew thee from this time1 hidden things1 and thou didst not know them1 ver4 #g4 ,now they have been created and not of old1 and before this day thou heardest them not2 lest thou shouldest say3 ,behold1 ,i knew them4 ,the deliverance of ,israel by ,cyrus--an announcement uttered in the preceding1 and to be repeated immediately afterwards--is called new in contrast to the old prophecies of the ,lord already fulfilled2 hidden in contrast to the facts which are already subjects of history1 or may be known beforehand by natural ingenuity4 ,to be created is equivalent to being made manifest1 inasmuch as the hidden ,divine counsel enters into life1 only by being manifested1 and ,pg #ahh the prophesied events are created for ,israel1 only by the prophecy4 ,ver4 #h3 ,thou didst not hear it1 nor didst thou know it1 likewise thine ear was not opened beforehand2 for ,i knew that thou art faithless1 and wast called a transgressor from the womb4 ,i have1 says the ,lord1 communicated to thee the knowledge of events of the ,future which are altogether unheard of1 of which1 before1 thou didst not know the least1 nor couldst know4 ,the reason of this communication is stated in the words3 for ,i knew1 c4 ,it is the same reason which1 according to vers4 #d1 #e1 called forth also the former definite prophecies regarding the ,future1 now already fulfilled1 viz41 the unbelief of the people1 which requires a palpable proof that the ,lord alone is ,god1 because it is but too ingenious in finding out seeming reasons for justifying its apostacy4 ,all that is perfectly in keeping with1 and suitable to the stand-point of ,isaiah1 but not to that of the great unknown1 at whose time the conqueror from the ,east was already beheld with the bodily eye2 and ,habakkuk had long ago prophesied the destruction of the ,babylonish world's power1 and ,israel's deliverance2 and ,jeremiah had announced the destruction of ,babylon by the ,modes much more distinctly and definitely than is done here in the second part of ,isaiah4 ,in ver4 #af it is said3 ,come ye near unto me1 hear this3 from the beginning ,i have not spoken in secret2 from the time that it was1 ,i was there1 and now the ,lord ,god hath sent me and ,his ,spirit4 ,the sense is3 ,ever since the foundation of the people1 ,i have given them the most distinct prophecies1 and made them publicly known 7referring to the whole chain of events1 from the calling of ,abraham and onward1 which had been objects of prophecy72 by mine omnipotence ,i have fulfilled them2 and now ,i have sent my servant ,isaiah1 and filled him with my ,spirit1 in order that1 by a new distinguished prophecy1 he may bear witness to my sole divinity4 ,it is only the accompanying mission of the ,spirit which gives its importance to that of the ,prophet4 ,it is from ,god's ,spirit searching the depths of the ,godhead1 and knowing ,his most hidden counsels1 that those prophecies of the second part1 going beyond the natural consciousness1 have proceeded4 ,we believe we have incontrovertibly proved that we are not entitled to draw any arguments against ,isaiah's being the ,pg #ahi author of the second part1 from the circumstance that the exile is not announced1 but that the author takes his stand in it1 as well as in that of ,isaiah's time1 inasmuch as this stand-point is an assumed and ideal one4 ,but if the form1 can prove nothing1 far less can the prophetic contents4 ,it is true that these contents cannot be explained from the natural consciousness of ,isaiah2 but it is not to be overlooked1 that the assailed prophecies of ,isaiah are even as directly as possible opposed to the rationalistic notion of prophetism1 which is arbitrary1 and goes in the face of all facts1 and from which the arguments against their genuineness are drawn4 ,in a whole series of passages of the second part 7the same which we have just been discussing71 the ,prophet intimates that he gives disclosures which lie beyond the horizon of his time2 and draws from this circumstance the arguments for his own divine mission1 and the divinity of the ,god of ,israel4 ,he considers it as the disgrace of idolatry that it cannot give any definite prophecies1 and with a noble scorn1 challenges it to vindicate itself by such prophecies4 ,that rationalistic notion of prophetism removes the boundaries which1 according to the express statements of our ,prophet1 separate the ,kingdom of ,god from heathenism4 ,the rationalistic notional ,god1 however1 it is true1 can as little prophesy as the heathenish gods of stone and wood1 of whom the ,psalmist says3 ,they have ears1 but they hear not1 neither speak they through their throat4 ,it is farther to be considered that the predictions of the ,future1 in those portions of ,isaiah which are assailed just on account of them1 are not so destitute of a foundation as is commonly assumed4 ,there existed1 in the present time and circumstances of the ,prophet1 important actual points of connection for them4 ,they farther rest on the foundation of ideal views and conceptions of eternal truths1 which had been familiar to the ,church of the ,lord from its very beginnings4 ,they only enlarge what had already been prophesied by former prophets2 and well secured and ascertained parallels in the prophetic announcement are not wanting for them4 ,the carrying away of the covenant-people into exile had been actually prophesied by the fact1 that the land had spued out its former inhabitants on account of their sins4 ,the threatening of the exile pervades the whole ,pentateuch from ,pg #aij beginning to end2 compare ,genuineness of the ,pentateuch1 p4 #bgj ff4 ,it is found in the ,decalogue also3 ,that thy days may be long upon the land which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee4 ,david shows a clear knowledge of the sufferings impending over his family1 and hence also over the people of ,god2 comp4 my ,commentary on ,song of ,sol4 ,s4 #bdc4 ,solomon points to the future carrying away in his prayer at the consecration of the temple4 ,amos1 the predecessor of ,isaiah1 foresees with absolute clearness1 that1 before the salvation comes1 all that is glorious1 not only in ,israel1 but in ,judah also1 must be given over to destruction1 compare ,vol4 i4 p4 #ceg4 ,in like manner1 too1 ,hosea prophesies not only the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes1 but also that ,judah shall be carried away into exile1 comp4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #agf4 ,in ,isaiah1 the foreknowledge of the entire devastation of the city and land1 and the carrying away into captivity of its inhabitants--a foreknowledge which stands in close connection with the energy of the knowledge of sin with the ,prophets--meets us from the very beginning of his ministry1 and also in those prophecies1 the genuineness of which no one ventures to assail1 as1 e4g41 in chap4 i4-vi4 ,after the severity of ,god had been manifested before the bodily eyes of the ,prophet in the carrying away of the ten tribes1 it could not1 even from human considerations1 be doubtful to him1 what was the fate in store for ,judah4 ,the knowledge1 that the impending carrying away of ,judah would take place by the ,chaldeans1 and that ,babylon would be the place of their banishment1 was not destitute of a certain natural foundation4 ,in the germ1 the ,chaldean power actually existed even at that time4 ,decidedly erroneous is the view of ,hitzig1 that a ,chaldean power in ,babylon could be spoken of only since the time of ,nabopolassar4 ,this power1 on the contrary1 was very old2 compare the proofs in ,delitzsch's ,commentary on ,habakkuk1 ,s4 #ba4 ,the ,assyrian power1 although1 when outwardly considered1 at its height1 when more closely examined1 began1 even at that time1 already to sink4 ,a weakening of the ,assyrian power is intimated also by the circumstance1 that ,hezekiah ventured to rebel against the ,assyrians1 and the embassy of the ,chaldean ,merodach ,baladan to ,hezekiah1 implies that1 even at that time1 many things gave a title to expect the speedy downfal of the ,assyrian ,pg #aia ,empire4 ,but the fact that ,isaiah possessed the clear knowledge that1 in some future period1 the dominion of the world would pass over to ,babylon and the ,chaldeans1--that they would be the executors of the judgment upon ,judah1 we have already proved1 in our remarks on chaps4 xiii41 xiv41 from the prophecies of the first part1--from chap4 xxiii4 #ac1 where the ,chaldeans are mentioned as the executors of the judgment upon the neighbouring people1 the ,tyrians1 and as the destroyers of the ,assyrian dominion1--and from chap4 xxxix4 ,the attempt of dispossessing him of this knowledge is so much the more futile1 that his contemporary ,micah undeniably possesses it2 comp4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #dfd4 ,so also does ,habakkuk1 between whose time and that of ,isaiah1 circumstances had not essentially changed1 and who likewise still prophesied before the ,chaldean monarchy had been established4 ,while this foreknowledge of the future elevation of ,babylon had a historical foundation1 the foreknowledge of its humiliation and fate1 following soon after1 rested on a theological foundation4 ,with a heathenish people1 elevation is always followed by haughtiness1 with all its consequences2 and1 according to the eternal laws of the divine government of the world1 haughtiness is a matter-of-fact prophecy of destruction4 ,proceeding from this view1 the downfal of the ,chaldean monarchy was prophesied by ,habakkuk also1 at a time when it was still developing1 and was far from having attained to the zenith of its power4 ,in the same manner1 the foreknowledge of the future deliverance of ,israel rises on a theological foundation1 and is not at all to be considered in the same light as if e4g41 the ,prophet had foretold to ,moab its deliverance4 ,that which the ,prophet here predicts is only the individualization of a general truth which meets us at the very beginnings of the covenant-people4 ,the principle which ,st4 ,paul advances in ,rom4 xi4 #b3 ,god hath not cast away ,his people whom ,he foreknew1 and ver4 #bi3 ,for the gifts and calling of ,god are without repentance1 meets us1 clearly and distinctly1 as early as in the books of ,moses4 ,in ,levit4 xxvi4 #db-de1 the deliverance from the land of captivity is announced on the ground of the election of ,israel1 and of the covenant with the fathers1 and as a fulfilment of the promise of future election1 which was given by the fact of ,israel's being delivered from ,pg #aib ,egypt4 ,and according to ,deut4 iv4 #cj1 #ca1 xxx4 ff41 and the close of chap4 xxxii41 the end of all the catastrophes which are inflicted upon the covenant-people is always ,israel's conversion and reception into favour2 behind the judgment1 mercy is always concealed4 ,in the prayer of ,solomon1 the carrying away goes hand in hand with the reception into favour4 ,but it will be altogether fruitless to deny to ,isaiah the knowledge of the future deliverance of ,israel from ,babylon1 since his contemporary ,micah1 in chap4 iv4 #aj1 briefly and distinctly expresses the same3 ,and thou comest to ,babylon2 there shalt thou be delivered2 there shall the ,lord redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies4 ,the only point in the prophetic foreknowledge of the second part which really seems to want1 not only a historical or ideal foundation1 but also altogether corresponding analogies1 is the mention of the name of ,koresh4 ,but this difficulty disappears if1 in strict opposition to the current notion1 it is assumed that ,cyrus was induced1 by our book only1 to appropriate to himself that name4 ,recent investigation has proved that this name is originally not a proper name1 but an honorary title1--that the ,greek writers rightly explain it by ,sun1--that the name of the sun was1 in the ,east generally1 and especially with the ,persians1 a common honorary title of rulers2 comp4 ,brnouf and others in ,hvernick's ,einleitung1 ii4 #b1 ,s4 #afe4 ,this honorary title of the ,persian kings1 ,isaiah might very easily learn in a natural way4 ,and the fact that this ,nomen dignitatis became1 among several others1 peculiar to ,cyrus 7the mention of the name of ,koresh by ,isaiah does not originally go beyond the announcement of the conqueror from the ,east7 is explained by the circumstance that ,cyrus assumed this name in honour of our book1 and as an acknowledgment of the mission assigned to him by it1 although the ,prophet had not used this name in any other manner than ,balaam had that of ,agag1 perhaps with an allusion to its signification2 compare the phrases from the ,east1 from the rising of the sun1 in chap4 xli4 #b1 #be4 ,and it is historically settled and certain1 that ,cyrus had originally another name1 viz41 ,agradates1 and that he assumed this name only at the time of his ascending the throne1 which falls into the time when the prophecies of our book could already be known to him 7comp4 the ,pg #aic proofs in ,hvernick's ,einleit47 ,and as it is farther certain that the prophecies of our book made a deep impression upon him1 and1 in important points1 exercised an influence upon his actions 7this appears not only from the express statement of ,josephus1 ,arch4 xi4 c4 #a4 #a1 #b1 but still more from an authentic document1 the ,edict of ,cyrus1 in ,ezra i4 #a ff41 which so plainly implies the fact reported by ,josephus1 that ,jahn rightly called ,josephus' statement a commentary on this ,edict1 which refers1 partly with literal accuracy1 to a series of passages from the second part of ,isaiah1 compare the particulars in ,kleinert1 ber die ,echtheit des ,jesaias1 ,s4 #adb72--;as the condition of the ,persian religion likewise confirms this result gained from the ,edict of ,cyrus 7,stuhr1 die ,religionssysteme des alten ,orients1 ,s4 #cgc ff41 proves that in the time of ,cyrus1 and by him1 an ,israelitish element had been introduced into it72--there will certainly not be any reason to consider our supposition to be improbable1 or the result of embarrassment4 ,but to this circumstance we must still direct attention1 that those prophetic announcements of the second part which have reference to that which1 even at the time of the great unknown1 still belonged to the future1 are far more distinct1 and can far less be accounted for from natural causes1 than those from which rationalistic criticism has drawn inferences as regards the spuriousness of the second part4 ,the personal ,messianic prophecies of the second part are much more characteristic than those concerning ,cyrus4 ,he who cannot1 by the help of history1 supplement and illustrate the prophecy1 receives only an incomplete and defective image of the latter4 ,and1 indeed1 a sufficiently long time elapsed before even ,exegesis recognised with certainty and unanimity that it was ,cyrus who was meant4 ,doubts and differences of opinion on this point meet us even down to last century4 ,the ,medes and ,persians are not at all mentioned as the conquerors of ,babylon1 and all which refers to the person of ,cyrus has an altogether ideal character2 while the ,messiah is1 especially in chap4 liii41 so distinctly drawn1 that scarcely any essential feature in ,his image is omitted4 ,and it is altogether a matter of course that here1 in the antitypical deliverance1 a much greater clearness and distinctness should prevail2 for it stands ,pg #aid in a far closer relation to the idea1 so that form and substance do far less disagree4 ,it would be inappropriate were we here to take up and refute all the arguments against the genuineness of the second part1 which rationalistic criticism has brought together4 ,besides those which we have already refuted1 we shall bring into view only this argument1 which1 at first sight indeed1 may dazzle and startle even the well-disposed1 viz41 the difference between the first and second parts1 as regards language and mode of representation4 ,the chief error of those who have adduced this argument is1 that they judge altogether without reference to person1--a matter1 however1 quite legitimate in this case1--that they simply apply the same rule to the productions of ,isaiah which1 in the productions of less richly endowed persons1 has indeed a certain right1 e4g41 on the prophetical territory of ,jeremiah1 who1 notwithstanding the difference of subject1 yet does not understand so to change his voice1 that it should not soon be recognized by the skilled ,more than of all the prophets that holds true of ,isaiah1 which ,fichte1 in a letter to a ,knigsberg friend1 writes of himself 7in his ,life1 by his son1 i4 ,s4 #aif73 ,i have properly no style at all1 for ,i have them all4 ,just as the subject demands1 says ,ewald1 without assigning to the circumstance any weight in judging of the second part1 just as the subject demands1 every kind of speech1 and every change of style are easily at his command2 and it is just this in which here his greatness1 as1 in general1 one of his most prominent perfections1 consists4 ,the chief peculiarities of style in the second part stand in close relation to the subject1 and the disposition of mind thereby called forth4 ,the ,prophet1 as a rule1 does not address the mass of the people1 but the election 7,greek3 eklog72 nor the sinful congregation of the ,lord in the present time1 but that of the future1 purified by the judgments of the ,lord1 the seed and germ of which were the election of the ,present4 ,it is to the congregation of brethren that he addresses ,comfort4 ,the beginning3 ,comfort ye1 ,comfort ye1 ,zion1 contains the keynote and principal subject4 ,it is from this that the gentle1 tender1 soft character of the style is to be accounted for1 as well as the frequent repetitions2--the comforting love follows1 step by step1 the grief which is indefatigable in its repetitions4 ,pg #aie ,from this circumstance is to be explained the habit of adding several epithets to the name of ,god2 these are as many shields which are held up against despair1 as many bulwarks against the things in sight1 by which every thought of redemption was cut off ,where ,god is the sole help1 every thing must be tried to make the ,congregation feel what they have in ,him4 ,a series of single phrases which several times recur verbatim1 e4g41 ,i am the ,lord1 and none else1 ,i do not give mine honour to any other1 ,i am the first and the last1 are easily accounted for by the ,prophet's endeavour and anxiety to impress upon the desponding minds truths1 which they were only too apt to forget4 ,if other linguistic peculiarities occur1 which cannot be explained from the subject1 it must be considered that the second part is not by any means a collection of single prophecies1 but a closely connected whole1 which1 as such1 must necessarily have its own peculiar usus loquendi1 a number of constantly recurring characteristic peculiarities4 ,the character of unity must necessarily be expressed in language and style also4 ,the fact1 however1 that1 notwithstanding the difference of style betwixt the first and second parts1 the second part has a great number of characteristic peculiarities of language and style in common with the first part 7a fact which cannot be otherwise1 if ,isaiah was the author of both71 was first very thoroughly demonstrated by ,kleinert1 while ,kper and ,caspari have been the first conclusively to prove1 that the second part was known and made use of by those prophets who prophesied between the time of ,isaiah and that of the great unknown4 ,the close connection of the second part with the first is1 among other things1 proved also by the circumstance that both are equally strongly pervaded with the ,messianic announcement4 ,chap4 i4-xii4 especially have1 in this respect1 a remarkable parallel in the second book of the second part4 ,the fact1 moreover1 that the single ,messianic prophecies of the second part agree1 in the finest and most concealed features1 with those of the first part1 will be shown in the exposition4 ,footnote #a3 ,chap4 xxxvii4 #ch1 7comp4 #b ,kings xix4 #cg71 describing apparently the murder of ,sennacherib as belonging to the past1 does not decide any thing as to the composition of this chapter by ,isaiah1 inasmuch as the year which is assigned for ,sennacherib's death1 ,b4,c4 #fif1 is not historically ascertained and certain4 ,nor can the supposition1 that ,isaiah lived until the time of ,manasseh1 and himself arranged and edited the collection of his prophecies on the eve of his life1 be liable to any well-founded doubts 7,keil1 ,einleitung1 ,s4 #bga74 ,the inscription in chap4 i4 #a1 only indicates that the collection does not contain any prophecies which go beyond the time of ,hezekiah4 ,footnote #b3 ,to a certain degree analogous are those other passages of the ,old ,testament1 in which the ,past presents itself in the form of the ,present1 as the deliverance from ,egypt in ,ps4 lxvi4 #f2 lxxxi4 #f4 ,faith1 at the same time1 makes all the old things new1 fresh1 and lively1 and anticipates the ,future4 ,pg #aif ,,chap4 ,,xlii4 #a-i4 ,the #djth chapter has an introductory character4 ,it comforts the people of the ,lord by pointing1 in general1 to a ,future rich in salvation4 ,in chap4 xli4 the ,prophet describes the appearance of the conqueror from the ,east for the destruction of ,babylon1--an event from which he derives1 as from a rich source1 ample consolations for his poor wretched people1 while1 at the same time1 he represents idolatry as being thereby put to shame4 ,it is on purpose that1 immediately after the first announcement of this conqueror from the ,east1 his antitype is1 in chap4 xlii4 #a-i1 contrasted with him4 ,in the preceding chapter1 the ,prophet had shown how1 by the influence of the king from the ,east1 the ,lord would put idolatry to shame1 and work out deliverance for ,his ,church4 ,in the section now before us1 he describes how1 by the mission of ,his servant1 the ,lord would effect1 definitely and absolutely1 that which the former had done only in a preliminary1 limited1 and imperfect manner4 ,in the subsequent section1 the ,prophet then first farther carries out the image of the conqueror from the ,east2 and from chap4 xlix4 he turns to a more minute representation of the image of the true ,saviour4 ,in chaps4 xlii4 #aj1 to xliii4 #g1 the discourse turns1 from a general description of ,god's instruments of salvation1 to a general description of the salvation in its whole extent2 just as it is the manner of the second part ever again to return from the particular to the general4 ,here1 where the ,servant of ,god is first to be introduced1 ,he is at first spoken of2 it is in ver4 #e that the ,lord first speaks to ,his servant4 ,in chap4 xlix41 on the contrary1 the ,servant of ,god1 being already known from chap4 xlii41 is1 without farther remark1 introduced as speaking4 ,in the whole section1 the ,lord is speaking4 ,it falls into three divisions--,first1 the ,lord speaks of ,his servant1 vers4 #a-d2 then ,he speaks to ,his servant1 ver4 #e-g2 finally4 ,he addresses some closing words to the ,church1 ver4 #h1 #i4 ,the representation1 in harmony with the nature of the prophetic vision1 bears a dramatic character4 ,in ver4 #a-d1 the ,lord1 as it were1 points to ,his servant1 introduces ,him to ,his ,church1 and commends ,him to the ,pg #aig world3 ,behold my ,servant1 c4 ,he1 the beloved and elect ,one1 upheld by ,god1 and endowed with the fulness of the ,spirit of ,god1 shall establish righteousness upon the whole earth1 and bring into submission to himself the whole ,gentile world1 by showing himself meek and lowly in heart1 an helper of the poor and afflicted1 and combining with it never-failing power4 ,the aim3 ,he shall bring forth right to the ,gentiles4 is at once expressed at the close of ver4 #a4 ,in ver4 #b-d1 the means by which ,he attains this aim are then stated4 ,the bringing forth1 or the establishing of right1 recurs again in ver4 #c and #d1 in order to point out this relation of ver4 #b-d to ver4 #a4 ,in ver4 #f and #g1 after having pointed to ,his ,omnipotence as affording a guarantee for the fulfilment of a prophecy so great that it might appear almost incredible1 the ,lord turns to ,his ,servant and addresses ,him4 ,he announces to ,him that it should be ,his glorious destination1 partly to bring1 in ,his person1 the covenant with ,israel to its full truth1 partly to be the light for the ,gentile world1--to be1 in general1 the ,saviour of the whole human race4 ,in the closing verses1 #h1 #i1 the ,lord addresses the ,church1 and directs its attention to the object which the announcement of the mission of ,his ,servant1 declared in the preceding context1 serves3 ,god1 because ,he is ,god1 is anxious for the promotion of ,his glory4 ,in order1 therefore1 that it may be known that ,he alone is ,god1 ,he grants to ,his people disclosures as regards the distant ,future1 as yet fully wrapped up in obscurity4 ,there is no doubt1 and it is now generally admitted1 that the ,servant of the ,lord1 here described1 is the same as ,he who is brought before us in chap4 xlix4 #d2 liii41 lxi4 ,it is1 hence1 not sufficient to point out an individual to whom1 apparently1 the attributes contained in this prophecy belong2 but we must add and combine all the signs and attributes which are contained in the parallel passages4 ,the ,chaldean ,paraphrast who1 in so many instances1 has faithfully preserved the exegetical tradition1 understands the ,messiah by the ,servant of ,god2 and so1 from among the later ,jewish expositors1 do ,dav4 ,kimchi and ,abarbanel1 the latter of whom says of the non-,messianic interpretation1 ,hebrew3 wkl alh ,pg #aih ,hebrew3 h,hkmi,m hkv bsnvri,m that all these expositors were struck with blindness4 ,that this exposition was the current one among the ,jews at the time of ,christ1 appears from ,luke ii4 #cb1 where ,simeon designates the ,saviour as the light to be revealed to the ,gentiles ,greek3 phs eis apokalupsin ethnn1 with a reference to ,is xlii4 #f2 xlix4 #f4 ,it is especially the latter passage which ,simeon has in view1 as also ,st4 ,paul in ,acts xiii4 #df1 #dg1 as appears from the words immediately preceding ,greek3 hoti eidon hoi ophthalmoi mou to strion sou ho htoimasas kata prospon pantn tn lan1 which evidently refer to chap4 xlix4 ,but chap4 xlix4 is1 as regards the point which here comes into consideration1 a mere repetition and confirmation of chap4 xlii4 ,by the ,new ,testament1 this exposition has been introduced and established in the ,church of ,christ4 ,the words which1 at the baptism of ,christ1 resounded from heaven3 ,greek3 houtos estin ho huios mou ho agaptos1 en h eudoksa1 ,matt4 iii4 #ag 7comp4 ,mark i4 #aa7 evidently refer to ver4 #a of the chapter before us1 and point out that ,he who had now appeared was none other than ,he who had1 centuries ago1 been predicted by the prophets4 ,and so do likewise the words which1 according to ,matt4 xvii4 #e 7compare ,mark ix4 #g2 ,luke ix4 #ce2 #b ,pet4 i4 #ag71 at the transfiguration of ,christ1 towards the close of ,his ministry1 resounded from heaven in order to strengthen the ,apostles3 ,greek3 houtos estin ho huios mou ho agaptos1 en h eudoksa4 autou akouete4 ,these voices at the beginning and the close of ,christ's ministry have not been sufficiently attended to by those who have raised doubts against the ,messianic interpretation2 for a doubt in this must necessarily shake also the belief in the reality of those voices4 ,in both of the passages1 the place of the ,servant of ,god in chap4 xlii4 #a 7which passage is indeed not so much quoted1 as only1 in a free treatment1 referred to7 is taken by the ,son of ,god1 from ,ps4 ii4 #g1 just as1 at the transfiguration1 the words ,greek3 autou akouete are at once added from ,deut4 xviii4 #ae4 ,the name of the ,servant of ,god was not high enough fur the sublime moment2 the ,son formed1 in the second passage1 the contrast to the mere servants of ,god1 ,moses and ,elijah4--,in ,matt4 xii4 #ag-ba1 ver4 #a-c are quoted1 and referred to ,christ4 ,the ,messianic explanation of chap4 xlii41 xlix4 lies at the foundation of all the other passages also1 where ,christ is spoken of as the ,greek3 pais ,theou4 ,in ,acts iii4 #ac3 ,greek3 edoxase ton paida ,pg #aii ,greek3 autou ,isoun1 we shall be obliged to follow ,bengel in explaining it by3 ministrum suum1 partly on account of ,matt4 xii4 #ah1 and because the ,,lxx4 often render ,hebrew3 ebd by ,greek3 pais2 partly on account of the obvious reference to the ,old ,testament passages which treat of the ,servant of ,god1 and on account of the special allusion to chap4 xlix4 #c in the ,greek3 edoxase 7,,lxx4 ,greek3 doulos mou ei su ,isral kai en soi eudoxasthsomai74 ,and so likewise in ,acts iii4 #bf2 iv4 #bg3 ,greek3 epi ton hagion paida sou ,isoun1 hon echrisas1 where the last words refer to chap4 lxi4 #a2 farther1 in ,acts iv4 #cj4 ,in all these passages it is not the more obvious ,greek3 doulos1 but ,greek3 pais which is put1 in order to remove the low notions which1 in ,greek1 attach to the word ,greek3 doulos4 ,taking her stand partly on these authorities1 partly on the natural sense of the passage1 the ,christian ,church has all along referred the passage to ,christ2 and even expositors such as ,clericus1 who1 everywhere else1 whensoever it is possible1 seek to set aside the ,messianic interpretation1 are here found among its most decided defenders4 ,in our century1 with the awakening faith1 this explanation has again obtained general dominion2 and wherever expositors of evangelical disposition do not yet profess it1 this is to be accounted for from the still continuing influence of rationalistic tradition4 ,we are led to the ,messianic interpretation by the circumstance that the servant of ,god appears here as the antitype of ,cyrus4 ,a real person can be contrasted with a real person only1 but not with a personification1 as is assumed by the other explanations4 ,we are compelled to explain it of ,christ by this circumstance also1 that it is in ,him only that the signs of the ,servant of ,god are to be found1--that in ,him only the covenant of ,god with ,israel has become a truth1--that ,he only is the light of the ,gentiles1--that ,he only1 without external force1 by ,his gentleness1 meekness1 and love1 has founded a ,kingdom1 the boundaries of which are conterminous with those of the earth4 ,the connection1 also1 with the other ,messianic announcements1 especially those of the first part1 compels us to refer it to ,christ4 ,the reasons against the ,messianic interpretation are of little weight4 ,the assertion that nowhere in the ,new ,testament does ,jesus appear as the ,servant of ,jehovah 7,hendewerk71 is at once overthrown by ,matt4 xii4 #ah1 as well as by the other ,pg #bjj passages already quoted1 in which ,christ appears as ,greek3 pais ,theou4 ,phil4 ii4 #g1 ,greek3 morphn doulou labn comes as near the ,hebrew3 ebd ihvh1 as it was possible1 considering the low notion attached to the ,greek ,greek3 doulos4 ,the passages which treat of the obedience of ,christ1 such as ,rom1 v4 #ai2 ,phil4 ii4 #h2 ,heb4 v4 #h2 ,john xvii4 #d3 ,greek3 ton ergon eteleisa1 ho dedkas moi hina pois1 give only a paraphrase of the notion of the ,servant of the ,lord4 ,with perfect soundness ,dr ,nitzsch has remarked1 that it was required by the typical connection of the two ,testaments1 that ,christ should somehow1 according to ,his ,greek3 hupako1 ,greek3 hupotag1 be represented as the perfect manifestation of the ,hebrew3 ebd--,the assertion3 ,the ,messiah is excluded by the circumstance that the subject is not only to be a teacher of the ,gentiles1 who is endowed with the ,spirit of ,god1 but is also to announce deliverance to ,israel 7,gesenius71 rests only on an erroneous1 falsely literal interpretation of ver4 #g1 which is not a whit better than if1 in ver4 #c1 we were to think of a natural bruised reed1 a natural wick dimly burning4--,the objection that this ,servant of the ,lord is not foretold as a future person1 but is spoken of as one present1 forgets that we are here on the territory of prophetic vision1 that the prophets had not in vain the name of seers1 and puts the real1 in place of the ideal ,present1--a mistake which is here the less pardonable that the ,prophet pre-eminently uses the ,future1 and1 in this way1 himself explains the ideal character of the inserted ,preterites4--,in order to refute the assertion1 that the doctrine of the ,messiah is foreign to the second part of ,isaiah1 that 7as ,ewald held7 in it the former ,messianic hopes are connected with the person of a heathen king1 viz41 ,cyrus 7how very little have they who advance such opinions any idea of the nature of ,holy ,writ671 it is only necessary to refer to chap4 lv4 #c1 #d1 where the second ,david1 the ,messiah1 appears1 at the same time1 as ,teacher1 and as the ,prince and ,lawgiver of the nations1 who is to extend the ,kingdom of ,god far over all heathen nations4 ,that which1 in that passage1 is declared of the ,messiah1 and that which1 in those passages which treat of the ,servant of ,god1 is declared of ,him1 exclude one another1 as soon as1 by the ,servant of ,god1 any other subject than the ,messiah is understood4 ,even this circumstance must raise an unfavourable prejudice against the non-,messianic interpretation1 that its defenders ,pg #bja are at one in the negative only1 but differ in the positive determination of the subject1 and that1 hitherto1 no one view has succeeded in overthrowing the other2 and farther1 that ever anon new subtleties are advanced1 by means of which it is attempted to patch up and conceal the inadmissibilities of every individual exposition4 ,passing over those expositions which have now become obsolete1--such as of ,cyrus1 the ,prophet ,isaiah himself--we shall give attention to those expositions only which even now have their representatives1 and which have some foundation in the matter itself4 ,the ,,lxx4 already understood ,israel by the ,servant of the ,lord4 ,they translate in ver4 #a3 ,greek3 ,iakb1 ho pais mou1 antilpsomai autou1 ,isral1 ho eklektos mou1 prosedexato auton h psuch mou4 ,among the ,jewish interpreters1 ,jarchi follows this explanation1 but with this modification1 that1 by the ,servant of the ,lord1 he understands the collective body of the righteous in ,israel4 ,in modern times1 this view is defended by ,hitzig4 ,it appeals especially to the circumstance that1 in a series of other passages of the second part1 ,israel1 too1 is designated by the ,servant of ,god1 viz4 in chap4 xli4 #h3 ,and thou ,israel1 my servant1 ,jacob whom ,i have chosen1 seed of ,abraham my friend1 ver4 #i3 ,thou whom ,i have taken from the ends of the earth1 and called thee from its sides1 and said unto thee3 ,thou art my servant1 ,i have chosen thee1 and not cast thee away1 chap4 xlii4 #ai1 xliii4 #aj1 xliv4 #a1 #b3 ,and now hear1 ,o ,jacob my servant1 and ,israel whom ,i have chosen4 ,thus saith the ,lord that made thee1 formed thee from the womb and helpeth thee3 ,fear not1 ,o ,jacob1 my servant1 and thou ,jeshurun1 whom ,i have chosen2 chap4 xliv4 #ba1 xlv4 #d1 xlviii4 #bj2 ,say ye1 the ,lord hath redeemed ,his servant ,jacob4 ,in the face of this fact1 we shall not be permitted to refer to the general signification of the expression1 and its manifold use4 ,for1 generally1 it is of very rare occurrence that ,israel is personified as the ,son of ,god 7in ,ps4 cv4 #f1 it is not ,israel1 as ,kster supposes1 but ,abraham who is called ,servant of ,god2 ,jer4 xxx4 #aj1 xlvi4 #bg2 ,ezek4 xxxvii4 #be are1 in all probability1 dependent upon the second part of ,isaiah1 by which this designation first obtained a footing71 and never occurs in such accumulation as here4 ,for this very reason1 we cannot well think ,pg #bjb of an accident2 and if there was an intention1 we can seek it only in the circumstance that there exists a close reference to those prophecies which1 ex professo1 have to do with the ,servant of ,god4 ,to this we are led by another circumstance1 also4 ,while those passages in which ,israel or ,jacob is spoken of as the servant of ,god1 occur in great numbers in the first book of the second part of ,isaiah1 they disappear altogether in the second book1 which is the proper seat of the detail prophecies of the ,servant of ,god in question1 who1 in the first book was1 by way of anticipation only1 mentioned in chap4 xlii4 ,after chap4 xlviii4 #bj1 where the words3 ,the ,lord hath redeemed ,his servant ,jacob1 occur with evident intention1 once more at the close of the first book1 ,jacob1 the servant of ,god1 is1 in general1 no more spoken of1 but the ,plural is used only of the ,israelites as the servants of ,god in chap4 lxiii4 #ag3 ,for thy servants'sake1 the tribes of thine inheritance2 lxv4 #h1 #i-ac1 lxvi4 #ad1--passages which make it only the more evident that the ,prophet purposely avoids bringing forward ,jacob as the ideal person of the ,servant of the ,lord4 ,finally--,the idea of chance is entirely excluded by chap4 xlix4 #c1 where the ,messiah is called ,israel4 ,from these facts1 however1 we are not entitled to infer that1 in the prophetic announcement1 ,israel is simply spoken of as the servant of ,god2 but on the contrary the context must be viewed in a different and nicer way4 ,this is evident from the circumstance that1 while in the passages chaps4 xli4 #g1 xlviii4 #bj1 ,israel and ,jacob are intentionally spoken of as the servant of ,god1 or1 at least1 ,israel is so distinctly pointed out that it cannot be at all misunderstood1 such an express pointing to ,israel is 7with the sole exception of chap4 xlix4 #c71 as intentionally1 avoided in the prophetic announcement of the ,servant of ,god4 ,the phrase ,my servant ,jacob1 which1 in the former passages is the rule1 never occurs in the latter4 ,this circumstance clearly indicates that1 besides the agreement1 there exists a difference4 ,the facts1 however1 which point out the agreement1 receive ample justice by the supposition that the ,prophet considers ,christ as the concentration and essence of ,israel1 that he expects from ,him the realization of the task which was given to ,israel1 but had not been fulfilled by them1 and just thereby1 also1 the realization of the promises given to ,pg #bjc ,israel4 ,but1 besides other reasons1 the fact that the whole description of the ,servant of ,god stands in direct contradiction to what the ,prophet elsewhere says of ,israel1 proves that ,israel is not meant in opposition to the ,messiah1--the body without the head4 ,it is especially chap4 xlii4 #ai which here comes into consideration3 ,who is so blind as my servant1 or so blind as my messenger whom ,i send8 ,israel is here called servant of the ,lord1 because it had been called by ,him to preserve the true religion on earth4 ,parallel is the appellation3 ,my messenger whom ,i send4 ,israel1 as the messenger of ,god1 was to deliver ,his commands to the ,gentiles4 ,the ,prophet sharpens the reproof1 in that he always contrasts what the people were1 and what they ought to have been1 according to the destination given to them by the ,lord4 ,the servant of the ,lord1 who1 in order to execute ,his commissions1 must have a sharp eye1 is blind2 ,his messenger is deaf and cannot hear what ,he says to him4 ,the immense contrast between idea and reality which is here pointed out1 implies1 since the idea must necessarily be realized1 that it shall receive another bearer2 that in place of the messenger1 who has become blind and deaf1 there should come the true ,messenger who first opens the eyes of ,israel1 and then those of the ,gentiles1--that the destination of ,israel1 which the members are unfit to realize1 should be realized by the head4 ,we are not at liberty to say that the servant who had become blind and deaf shall be converted1 shall put off the old man and put on the new man1 and shall then accomplish the great things which1 in the prophecies of the ,servant of ,god1 are assigned to him4 ,for the conversion1--on which everything depends1 and apart from which the announcement of the ,prophet would be an empty fancy--is1 in all these prophecies1 not mentioned by a single word4 ,on the contrary1 the ,servant of ,god is everywhere1 from ,his very origin1 brought before us as the absolutely just4 ,no more glaring contrast can really be imagined than that which exists between that which the ,prophet says of the ordinary ,israel 7whose outward state1 as it is described in chap4 xlii4 #bb3 ,this is a people robbed and spoiled1 they are all of them snared in holes1 and hid in prison-houses1 is only a faithful image of the internal condition71 and the ,son of ,god in whom ,his soul delighteth1 who in exuberant love seeks ,pg #bjd that which is lost1 whose overflowing righteousness justifies many1 and who1 as a substitute1 can suffer for others4 ,it is in ,christ only1 that ,israel attains to its destination1 both in a moral point of view1 and as regards the ,divine preservation and glorification4 ,to this it may still be added1 that neither here1 nor in the parallel passages is ,hebrew3 ebd ihvh ever connected with a ,plural1 but always with the ,singular only2 while elsewhere1 in the case of collective nouns and ideal persons1 the real plurality not uncommonly shines forth from behind the unity2 and in those passages1 especially1 where ,israel appears personified as a unity1 the use of the ,singular is interchanged with that of the ,plural4 ,comp41 e4g41 chap4 xli4 #h3 ,and thou ,israel1 my servant1 ,jacob whom ,i have chosen1 seed 7posterity7 of ,abraham1 my friend1 chap4 xliii4 #aj3 ,ye are my witnesses4 saith the ,lord1 and my servant whom ,i have chosen4 ,but a circumstance1 which alone would be sufficient for the proof1 is the fact1 that in chap4 xli4 #f1 7comp4 chap4 xlix4 #e1 #f7 the ,servant of the ,lord is plainly distinguished from the people4 ,how can the ,lord say of the people1 that ,he will give it for a covenant of the people1 that in it ,he will cause the covenant with the people to attain to its truth8 ,the fact1 that this passage opposes an insurmountable barrier to the explanation which makes the people the subject1 sufficiently appears from the circumstance1 that the expositors saw themselves obliged to set aside its natural sense by a forced1 unphilological explanation4 ,finally1--,in understanding the people by the ,servant of ,god1 the prophecies of the ,servant of ,god are brought into irreconcileable contradiction with all other prophecies1 with the first part of ,isaiah1 and even with the second part1 inasmuch as things would then be prophesied of the people which1 everywhere else1 are constantly assigned to the ,messiah4 ,this is quite openly expressed by ,kster3 ,the ,servant of ,jehovah is the ,jewish people2 viewed1 however1 by the ,prophet in such a manner as to combine in itself the attributes of both1 the prophets and the ,messiah4 ,prophetism would have dug its own grave if its organs had1 in a manner so inconsiderate1 contradicted each other as regards the highest hopes of the people4 ,the national conviction of the inspiration of the prophets1 which formed the foundation of their activity and efficiency1 could1 in that case1 not have arisen at ,pg #bje all4 ,the same arguments decide partly also against a modification of this explanation which evidently has proceeded from embarrassment only1#a against those who1 by the ,servant of ,god1 understand the better portion of ,israel1--such as ,maurer1 ,ewald1 ,oehler 7,ueber den ,knecht ,gottes1 ,tbinger ,zeitschrift1 #ahdj4 ,the latter differs from the other supporters of this view in this1 that1 according to him1 the notion of the ideal ,israel which1 he thinks1 prevails in chap4 xlii4 and xlix41 is1 in chap4 liii41 raised to the view of an individual--the ,messiah71 ,knobel 7,the theocratic substance of the people1 to which especially the prophets and priests belonged47 ,by this modification1 the explanation which makes the people the subject1 loses its only apparent foundation1 inasmuch as it can no more appeal to those passages in which ,israel is spoken of as the ,servant of the ,lord2 for it is obvious that1 in these1 not merely the pious portion of the people is spoken of4 ,at the very outset1 in ver4 #ai1 the whole of the people are undeniably designated by the ,servant of the ,lord4 ,it is they only who are blind and deaf in a spiritual point of view4 ,the whole people1 and not a portion of them1 are in the condition of servitude1 ver4 #bb4 ,in ver4 #bd1 ,jacob and ,israel are expressly mentioned4 ,the whole people1 and not merely the pious portion1 are objects of the ,lord's election 7chap4 xli4 #h1 xliv4 #a1 #b72 the whole people are to be redeemed from ,babylon1 chap4 xlviii4 #bj4 ,the hypothesis of the pious portion of the people can as little account for the unexceptional use of the singular1 as the hypothesis of the whole people2 like it1 it isolates the prophecies of the ,servant of ,god1 and brings them into contradiction with all the other prophecies1 which assign to ,christ the same things that are here assigned to the ,servant of ,god4 ,but what is especially in opposition to this hypothesis is ver4 #c1 where the ,servant of ,god is designated as the ,saviour of the poor and afflicted1 which1 in the first instance1 are no other than the better portion of the people2 as well as other reasons1 which we shall bring out in commenting upon chap4 liii4 by which section the hypothesis is altogether overthrown4 ,according to ,de ,wette 7de morte expiat4 p4 #bf7 and ,gesenius1 ,pg #bjf the subject of the prophecy is the collective body of the prophets4 ,substantially1 ,umbreit too 7,der ,knecht ,gottes1 ,hamburg #ahdj7 adheres to this interpretation4 ,he rejects the explanation which refers it to ,christ in the sense of the ,christian ,church1 and on p4 #ac he completely assents to ,gesenius1 by remarking that he could not find in the prophets any supernatural1 distinct predictions of future events4 ,the ,prophet1 according to him1 formed to himself1 by his own authority1 an ideal of a ,messiah1 the abstraction of what he saw before his eyes in the people1 especially in the better portion of them1 but chiefly in the order of the prophets1 and then persuaded himself that this self-invented image would1 at some future period1 come into existence as a real person4 ,the highest ideal of the prophetic order1 viewed as teaching1 is represented in the unity of a person4 ,we find the prophets as a collective body in the ,hebrew3 ebd1 but chiefly1 the prophets who1 in future only1 on the regained paternal soil1 are1 in some person1 to reach the highest perfection4 ,this hypothesis of the collective body of the prophets violently severs the prophecy before us1 and the parallel passages from those passages of the second part in which ,israel is spoken of as the ,servant of ,god4 ,it is quite impossible to point out anywhere in the ,old ,testament1 and especially in the second part of ,isaiah1 an analogous personification of the order of the prophets as the ,servant of ,god4 ,the reference to chap4 xliv4 #bf3 ,that establisheth the word of ,his servant1 and performeth the counsel of ,his messengers2 that saith of ,jerusalem3 ,she shall be inhabited1 and of the cities of ,judah3 ,they shall be built1 and ,i will raise up the walls thereof1 is1 in this respect1 altogether out of place1 inasmuch as the servant of the ,lord1 in that verse1 is not the collective band of the prophets1 but ,isaiah himself1 just as in chap4 xxiii4 ,the parallelism between the servant of the ,lord and ,his messengers is not a synonymous1 but a synthetic one1 just as1 afterwards1 ,jerusalem and the cities of ,judah are placed beside one another4 ,the parallel passages clearly intimate that1 by the servant of the ,lord1 ,isaiah only is to be understood4 ,throughout1 the ,prophet refers exclusively to his own prophecies1 as regards the impending salvation of ,israel 7the prophecies of others he mentions1 everywhere else1 always in reference to the past only72 ,pg #bjg and it cannot be imagined that1 in this single passage only1 he should have designated himself as one among the many4 ,if we consider those parallel passages1 we must assume that the messengers also are represented chiefly by our ,prophet2 that he is their mouth and organ1 just as1 in ,rev4 i4 #a1 and xxii4 #f1 the servants of ,god and the prophets are represented by ,john4 ,farther--,it cannot be denied that a certain amount of truth lies at the foundation of the explanation which makes the prophetic order the subject4 ,the ,messiah appears in our prophecy pre-eminently as the ,prophet1 in harmony and connection with ,deut4 xviii4 7comp4 ,vol4 i41 p4 #ajg72 and the substratum of the description forms chiefly the prophetic order1 while1 in the prophecies of the first part1 it is chiefly the regal office which appears1 and1 in chap4 liii41 the priestly4 ,but the mistake 7as ,umbreit himself partly saw7 is1 that this explanation changes the person into a personification1 instead of recognizing that the idea1 which hitherto was only imperfectly realised by the prophetic order1 demands a future perfect realisation in an individual1 so that we could not but expect such an one even if there did not exist any ,messianic prophecy at all4 ,every prophet who1 in human weakness1 performed his office1 was a guarantee of the future appearance of the ,prophet1 as surely as ,god never does by halves what1 according to ,his nature1 and as proved by the existence of the imperfect1 ,he must do4 ,but the fact that1 here1 we have not before us a mere personification of the prophetic order1 nor1 as little1 according to the opinion of ,umbreit1 a single individual by whom1 in future1 the idea of the prophetic order was to be most perfectly realised1 is evident from the circumstance that the ,servant of ,god does not1 by any means1 represent himself as being only the ,prophet4 ,the contrast between ,cyrus and the ,servant of ,god1 which ,g4 ,mller advances3 ,evidently1 the former is a conqueror2 the latter1 a meek teacher1 is one-sided2 for the ,servant of ,god appears1 at the same time1 as a powerful ruler1 just as ,christ1 in chap4 lv4 #d1 is at the same time designated as a ,witness1 and as ,prince and ,lawgiver of the nations4 ,to the mere teacher not even ver4 #c is applicable1 if the parallel passages are compared1 but far less ver4 #d3 ,the isles shall wait for ,his law4 ,nor does a mere teacher come up to the embodied covenant with ,israel in ver4 #f1 nor to the ,pg #bjh light1 i4e41 ,salvation and ,saviour of the ,gentiles4 ,by mere teaching1 salvation cannot be wrought out4 ,ver4 #g also does not apply to the mere teacher4 ,the collective body of the prophets1 or the ideal prophet1 is altogether out of place in chap4 liii42 for there the ,servant of ,god does not appear as a ,prophet1 but as a ,high ,priest and ,redeemer4 ,this hypothesis meets with farther difficulties by the mention of ,israel in chap4 xlix4 #c4 ,farther--,it cannot well be conceived how the ,prophet who1 according to these expositors1 lived about the end of the exile1 could expect such glorious things of the prophetic order1 as that from it even a preliminary and partial realization of his hopes should proceed4 ,at that time the prophetic order was already dying out2 and a prophetic order among the exiled cannot well be spoken of ,finally--,that which is here ascribed to the ,servant of ,god--the grand influence upon the heathen world--is not of such a character1 as that the prophets could be considered as even the precursors and companions in the work of the ,prophet4 ,neither prophecy nor history assigns to the prophets any share in this work4 ,this hypothesis severe the second part from its connection with the whole remaining ,old ,testament1 according to which it is by ,christ alone that the reception of the ,gentiles into the ,kingdom of ,god shall be effected4 ,and in this second part itself1 it stands likewise in contradiction to chap4 lv4 #c1 #d4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,ver4 #a4 ,behold my ,servant whom ,i uphold1 mine elect1 in whom my soul delighteth2 ,i have put my ,spirit upon ,him1 ,he shall bring forth right#b to the ,gentiles4 ,every pious man is called1 in general1 servant of the ,lord1 comp4 ,job i4 #h2 ,ps4 xix4 #ab1 #ad2 but ordinarily1 the designation is1 in a special sense1 applied to those whom ,god makes use of for the execution of ,his purposes1 to whom ,he entrusts the administration of ,his affaire1 and whom ,he equips for the promotion of ,his glory4 ,david1 who1 according to ,acts xiii4 #cf1 had in his generation served the counsel of ,god1 calls himself ,pg #bji in his prayer in #b ,sam4 vii41 not fewer than ten times1 the servant of ,god1 7,vol4 i1 p4 #ace1 #acf72 and the same designation he gives to himself in the inscriptions of ,ps4 xviii4 and xxxvi4 ,the ,prophets are called servants of ,god in #b ,kings xiii4 #c2 ,jer4 xxvi4 #e4 ,in the highest and most perfect degree1 that designation belongs to ,christ1 who1 in the most perfect manner1 carried out the decrees of ,god1 and to whom all former servants and instruments of the ,lord in ,his kingdom1 pointed as types4 ,but the designation has not merely a reference to the subjective element of obedience1 but points1 at the same time1 to the dignity of him who is thus designated4 ,it is a high honour to be received by ,god among the number of ,his servants1 who enjoy the providence and protection of their mighty and rich ,lord4 ,that this aspect--the dignity--comes here chiefly into consideration1 in the case of ,him who is the ,servant of ,god ,greek3 kat'ezochn1 and in whom1 therefore1 this dignity must reach its highest degree1 so that the designation1 ,my ,servant1 borders very closely upon that of ,my ,son1 7comp4 ,matth4 iii4 #ag1 xvii4 #e72--that this aspect comes here chiefly into consideration is probable even from the circumstance that1 in those passages of the second part which treat of ,israel as the servant of ,god1 it is just this aspect which is pre-eminently regarded4 ,thus it is in chap4 xli4 #h3 ,and thou ,israel1 my servant1 ,jacob1 whom ,i have chosen1 the seed of ,abraham1 my friend4 ,to be the servant of ,god appears here as an honour1 as the privilege which was bestowed upon ,israel in preference to the ,gentiles4 ,on ver4 #i3 ,thou1 whom ,i have taken from the ends of the earth1 and from her borders called thee1 and said unto thee3 ,thou art my servant1 ,i have chosen thee and not cast thee away1 ,luther remarks3 ,the name1 'my servant1'contains the highest consolation1 both when we look to ,him who speaks1 viz44 ,he who has created everything1 and also to him who is addressed1 viz41 afflicted and forsaken man4 ,in chap4 xliv4 #a1 #b3 ,and now hear1 ,o ,jacob1 my servant1 and ,israel whom ,i have chosen2 thus saith the ,lord that made thee1 and formed thee from the womb1 who will help thee3 ,fear not1 ,o ,jacob1 my servant1 and ,jeshurun1 whom ,i have chosen1 all the designations of ,god and ,israel serve only for an introduction to the exhortation3 ,fear not1 by laying open the necessity which exists for the promise in ,pg #baj ver4 #c1 which1 without such ca foundation1 would be baseless4 ,the context and the parallelism with whom ,i have chosen show that the designation1 servant of ,god in these verses has no reference to a duty imposed1 but to a privilege1 a relation which is the pledge of divine aid to ,israel4 ,jeshurun stands as a kind of nomen proprium1 and is not parallel to ,hebrew3 ebdi1 but to ,jacob4 ,in chap4 xliv4 #ba3 ,remember this1 ,o ,jacob1 and ,israel1 for thou art my servant1 ,i have formed thee for a servant to me1 ,israel1 thou shalt not be forgotten of me1 the ,hebrew3 alh this refers to the folly of idolatry exhibited in the preceding verses4 ,the duty that ,israel should remember this1 is founded upon the fact1 that he is the servant of the ,lord1 called by ,him to a glorious dignity1 to high prerogatives1 of which he must not rob himself by apostatizing from ,him4 ,it is ,he who has bestowed upon him this dignity1 and ,he will soon show by deeds1 that ,he cannot forget him1 if only his heart does not forget his ,god4 ,in a similar manner1 in chap4 xlv4 #d1 the protecting providence and love of ,god are looked to4 ,the aspect of the duty and of the service which ,israel has to perform to his ,lord1 is specially pointed out in a single passage only1 in chap4 xlii4 #ai2 all the other passages place the dignity in the foreground4 ,that1 in the designation4 ,servant of ,god1 in the passage before us1 prominence is also given to the dignity1 is confirmed by the addition of whom ,i uphold1 which presents itself as an immediate consequence of the relation of a servant of ,god1 and by the parallel3 mine elect in whom my soul delighteth4--,hebrew3 tm,k to take1 to seize1 to hold1 when followed by ,hebrew3 b1 always signifies to lay hold of1 to hold fast1 to support4 ,with the words3 ,behold my servant whom ,i uphold1 corresponds what the ,lord says in ,john viii4 #bi3 ,greek3 ho pempsas me met'emou estin4 ouk aphke me monon ho ,patr1 hoti eg ta aresta aut poi pantote2 comp4 ,john iii4 #b2 ,acts x4 #ch4 ,the ,preterite ,hebrew3 ntti is employed1 because the communication of the ,spirit is the condition of his bringing forth right1 just as1 in ver4 #f1 the calling is the ground of the preservation4 ,in the whole of the description of the ,servant of ,god1 the ,future prevails throughout2 the ,praeteritum propheticum is employed only1 where something is to be designated1 which1 relatively1 is antecedent2 compare the words3 ,and the ,spirit of the ,lord rests upon ,pg #baa ,him1 in chap4 xi4 #b2 lxi4 #a2 ,matt4 iii4 #af2 ,john iii4 #cd4 ,the three passages in ,isaiah which speak of the communication of the ,spirit to ,christ are inseparably connected with one another1 and1 on the whole ,old ,testament territory1 there is no passage exactly parallel to them4 ,the ,hiphel of ,hebrew3 ica must not be explained by to announce1 as some interpreters do2 for in this signification it nowhere occurs2 and according to what follows1 and the parallel passages1 the ,servant of ,god does not by any means establish right by the mere announcement1 but by ,his holy disposition4 ,but as little can we explain ,hebrew3 hvcia by to lead out1 in contrast to the circumstance that1 under the ,old ,testament1 right was limited to a single nation4 ,for in the parallel passage1 chap4 li4 #d3 ,hearken unto me1 my people1 and give ear unto me1 ,o my congregation1 for law shalt proceed from me1 and ,i will set my right for the light of the nations1 ,hebrew3 ica does not mean to go out1 but to go forth1 i4e41 to proceed4 ,in the same way1 in ,hab4 i4 #d3 ,and not does right go forth for ever1 i4e41 it never comes forth1 is never established1 comp4 ,vol4 i41 p4 #ddb1 #ddc4 ,hence ,hebrew3 hvcia here can mean only to bring to light1 to bring forth4 ,hebrew3 mwp,t is1 by several interpreters1 taken in the signification1 religion2 but it is just ver4 #d1 by which they support their view1 which shows that the ordinary signification right1 must be retained here4 ,for in that verse1 right stands in parallelism with law1 by which right is established2 comp4 chap4 li4 #d4 ,before ,god's ,kingdom was1 by the ,servant of ,god1 extended to the ,gentile nations1 there existed among them1 notwithstanding all the excellence of outward legal arrangements1 a condition without right in the higher sense4 ,right1 in its essence1 has its root in ,god1 as may be seen from the ,ten ,commandments1 which everywhere go back to ,god1 and in all of which ,luther1 in his exposition of the ten commandments1 rightly repeats3 ,we shall fear and love ,god4 ,where1 therefore1 the living ,god is not known1 there can be no right4 ,the commandment3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself1 e4g41 has any meaning only where the eye is open for the divine image which the neighbour bears1 and for the redemption of which he is a fellow-partaker4 ,the commandment3 ,honour thy father and thy mother will go to the heart only where the divine paternity is known1 of which all earthly paternity is only an image4 ,pg #bab ,in ,deut4 iv4 #e-h1 ,israel's happiness is praised1 in that they alone1 among all the nations1 are in possession of ,god's laws and commandments4 ,those privileges of ,israel are1 by the ,servant of ,god1 to be extended to the ,gentiles who1 because they are destitute of right1 are1 in ,deut4 xxxii4 #ba1 called a foolish nation4 ,in ,ps4 cxlvii4 #ai1 #bj1 it is said3 ,he showeth ,his word unto ,jacob1 ,his statutes and laws unto ,israel4 ,he has not dealt so with any nation1 and law they do not know4 ,this passage touches very closely upon that before us2 like it1 it denies right to the ,gentiles in general4 ,the ,gentiles1 being without ,god in the world1 do not know any right at all4 ,for that which they call so1 is only the shadow of that which really deserves this name1 is only a dark mixture of right and wrong4 ,as regards the first table of the ,ten ,commandments1 they grope entirely in the dark2 and with respect to the second table1 it is only here and there that they see a faint glimpse of light4--,a consequence of the bringing forth of right to the ,gentiles is the ceasing of war1 as it is described in chap4 ii4 #d4 ,when right has obtained dominion1 it cannot tolerate war beside it2 where there is true right1 there is also peace4 ,the benefit which1 in the first instance1 is conferred upon the ,gentiles1 is enjoyed by ,israel also3 ,the intention of comforting and encouraging ,israel clearly appears in the parallel passage1 chap4 li4 #d4 ,for the right which obtains dominion among the ,gentiles1 is ,israel's pride and ornament1 so that1 along with their ,god and ,his right1 they obtain also the dominion over the ,gentile world1 by which they were hitherto kept in bondage2 and whensoever and wheresoever the divine right obtains dominion1 the violent oppression must cease1 under which the people of ,god had been groaning up to that time4 ,the ,servant of ,god1 however1 who brings forth right to the ,gentiles1 forms the contrast to the worldly conqueror1 of whom it was said in chap4 xli4 #be3 ,he cometh upon princes as mortar1 and1 just as the potter treadeth the clay4--,the words3 ,he shall bring forth right1 purposely return again in ver4 #c2 and equally intentionally1 the words3 ,he shall found right on the earth1 in ver4 #d1 refer to them4 ,we have thus--,stier pertinently remarks--in ver4 #a1 the sum and substance1 even to its aim4 ,but it is immediately brought more distinctly to view1 what ,pg #bac will be the spirit and character1 the mode of operation1 by which this aim is to be brought about4 ,ver4 #b2 ,he shall not cry nor lift up1 nor cause ,his voice to be heard in the street4 ,after ,hebrew3 iwa he shall lift up1 ,his voice must be supplied from the context4 ,the words must not be understood in such a manner1 as if they stood in opposition to chap4 lviii4 #a3 ,cry with thy throat1 do not refrain1 lift up thy voice like the trumpet1 and show my people their transgression1 and to the house of ,jacob their sins4 ,the ,prophet1 in that passage1 encourages himself2 and he cannot mean to represent that as objectionable1 by the circumstance that1 in the case of the ,servant of ,god1 the very ideal of all the servants of ,god1 he points out and praises the very opposite4 ,and1 in like manner1 every interpretation is to be avoided according to which dumb dogs which cannot bark find a pretext in this passage4 ,according to ,prov4 i4 #bj3 ,wisdom crieth aloud without1 she uttereth her voice in the streets4 ,just as the prohibition of swearing in ,matt4 v4 #cd is qualified by the opposition to ,pharisaic levity in cursing and swearing1 so here1 also1 the antithesis to the loud manner of the worldly conqueror must be kept in view1--the contrast to his violence which stakes every thing upon carrying his own will1 which cries and rages when it meets with opposition and resistance1 7,matt4 renders ,hebrew3 iceq by ,greek3 erisei1 ,he shall contend71 to the earnestly sought publicity1 to the intention of causing sensation1 as it proceeds from vanity or pride4 ,the ,greek3 kraugasei1 by which ,matthew renders the ,hebrew3 iwa1 has nothing in common with the ,greek3 ekraxe which1 in ,john vii4 #bh1 #cg1 is said of ,christ4 ,with the passionate restlessness1 with which the conqueror from the ,east seeks to carry through his human plans1 and to place himself in the centre of the world's history1 is here contrasted the inward composure and deportment of the ,servant of ,god1 ,his equanimity1 ,his freedom from excitement1--all of which are based upon the clear consciousness of ,his dignity and mission1 upon the conviction of the power of the truth which is of ,god1 of the power of the ,spirit which opens up the minds and hearts for it1 and which has its source in the declaration3 ,i put my ,spirit upon ,him1 by which the great wall of separation between ,him and the conqueror from the ,east is set up4 ,it is just ,pg #bad because of ,his not being beat upon carrying through any thing1 because of ,his great confidence1 that the ,servant of ,god gains everything1 and obtains ,his object of bringing right to the nations4--,matt41 in chap4 xii4 #ae-ba1 finds the confirmation of the character here assigned to ,christ in two circumstances3--first1 in ,his not entering into a violent dispute with the ,pharisees opposing ,him 7,greek3 hoi de pharisaioi sumboulion elabon kat'autou exelthontes1 hops auton apolessin71 in ,his not exciting against them the masses who were devoted to ,him1 but in withdrawing from them 7,greek3 ho de ,isous gnous anechrsen ekeithen1 ver4 #ae71 being convinced that the cause was not ,his but ,god's1 and that there was no reason for getting angry with those who were contending against ,god2 just as ,david said of ,shimei3 ,let him curse1 because the ,lord has said unto him1 ,curse ,david4--,secondly1 in the circumstance that instead of availing himself of the excitement of the aroused masses1 ,he charged them that they should not make known ,his miraculous deeds 7,greek3 kai epetimsen autois hina m phanron auton poissin1 ver4 #af71 being convinced that ,he did not need to seek to draw attention to himself1 but that1 by the secret and hidden power of ,god1 ,his work would be accomplished4 ,ver4 #c4 ,the bent reed shall ,he not break1 and the dimly burning wick shall ,he not quench2 in truth shall ,he bring forth right4 ,here1 too1 the antithesis to the worldly conqueror who1 without mercy1 ,cometh upon princes as mortar1 and as a potter treadeth the clay 7chap4 xli4 #be71 whose mind is bent only upon destroying and cutting off nations not a few 7chap4 x4 #g71 who does not give rest until he has fully cast down to the ground the broken power4 ,the ,servant of ,god1 far from breaking the bent reed1 shall1 on the contrary--this is the positive opposed to the negative--care for1 and assist the wretched with tender love4 ,just thereby does ,he accomplish the object of ,his efforts4 ,the confirmation of the character here assigned to ,christ is1 by ,matthew1 found in ,his healing the sick 7,greek3 kai etherapeusen autous pantas1 ver4 #ae71 as prefiguring all that which ,he1 who has declared the object of ,his coming to be to seek all that which was lost1 did and accomplished1 in general1 for the misery of the human race4 ,there cannot be any doubt that the bent reed and the dimly burning wick are figurative designations ,pg #bae of those who1 beaten down by sufferings1 feel themselves to be poor and miserable4 ,these the weary and heavy laden1 the ,servant of ,god will not drive to despair by severity1 but comfort and refresh by tender love4 ,his conduct towards them is that of a ,saviour4 ,as a bent reed1 ,hebrew3 qnh rcv,c1 ,pharaoh appears on account of his broken power1 in chap4 xxxvi4 #f1 and in chap4 lviii4 #f1 the ,hebrew3 rcvci,m are the oppressed4 ,the fact1 that the wick dimly burning and near to being extinguished is an image of exhausted strength1 is shown by chap4 xliii4 #ag1 where1 in reference to the ,egyptians carried away by the judgment1 it is said3 ,they are extinct1 they are quenched like a wick4 ,in the parallel passages which treat of the ,servant of ,god1 the weary in chap4 l4 #d1 and the broken-hearted in chap4 lxi4 #a1 correspond to it4 ,elsewhere1 too1 the wretched appear as objects of the loving providence of the ,saviour4 ,thus1 in chap4 xi4 #d3 ,and ,he judges in righteousness the low2 in ,ps4 lxxii4 #d3 ,he shall judge the poor of the people2 ,he shall save the children of the needy1 and shall break in pieces the oppressor2 and in vers4 #ab-ad3 ,for ,he delivereth the needy when he crieth1 and the miserable1 and him that hath no deliverer4 ,from oppression and violence ,he delivereth their soul1 and precious is their blood in ,his sight4 ,just as1 in the passage before us1 the bringing forth of right appears as a consequence of the loving providence for the bent reed1 and the dimly burning wick1 so in that ,psalm1 the great fact3 ,and all the kings worship ,him1 and all the nations serve ,him1 is traced back to the tender love with which ,he cares for and helps the poor and needy4 ,in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 the beatitude of the ,greek3 ptchoi1 ,matt4 v4 #c1 of the ,greek3 penthountes1 ver4 #d1 and in ,matt4 xi4 #bh1 the invitation of the ,greek3 kopintes kai pephortismenoi1 exactly correspond4 ,the wicked and ungodly1 upon whom the judgments of ,god have been inflicted1 are not included1 because they are not wretched in the full sense2 for they harden themselves against the suffering1 or seek to divert themselves in it2 they do not take it fully to heart4 ,the ,greek3 t pneumati1 in their consciousness1 which in ,matthew is added to the simple ,greek3 ptchoi1 which alone we find in ,luke1 must be understood as a matter of course4 ,he only is poor in the full sense1 who feels and takes to heart his poverty4 ,according to an interpretation widely spread1 repenting sinners are designated ,pg #baf by the bent reed1 and dimly burning wick4 ,thus ,luther writes3 ,that means that the wounded conscience1 those who are terrified at the sight of their sins1 the weak in life and faith are not cast away by ,him1 are not oppressed and condemned1 but that ,he cares for them1 tends and nurses them1 makes them whole and embraces them with love4 ,but repenting sinners do not here come into consideration per se1 but only as one species of the wretched1 inasmuch as1 according to ,luther's expression1 truly to feel sin is a torment beyond all torments4--,the last words3 ,in truth shall ,he bring forth right again take up the close of ver4 #a1 after the means have been stated1 in the intervening words1 by which ,he is to bring about the result4 ,the ,hebrew3 lamt must not be translated3 ,for truth 7,,lxx3 ,greek3 eis altheian72 for there is a thorough difference between ,hebrew3 l and ,hebrew3 al2 the former does not1 like the latter1 designate the motion towards some object1 but is rather1 here also1 a preposition signifying belonging to2 hence ,hebrew3 lamt means belonging to truth1 in a true manner1 in truth4 ,by every other mode of dealing1 right would be established in appearance and outwardly only4 ,matthew renders it3 ,greek3 hes an ekbal eis nikos tn krisin1 until ,he has led right to victory4 ,by the addition of ,greek3 hes he intimates1 that the last words state the result which is brought about by the conduct of the ,servant of ,god described in the preceding words4 ,greek3 ,eis nikos is a free translation of ,hebrew3 lamt2 ,greek3 krisis is right1 as in chap4 xxiii4 #bc4--;,how objectionable and untenable all the non-,messianic explanations are1 appears very clearly in this verse4 ,if ,israel were the ,servant of ,god1 then the ,gentile world must be represented by the bent reed and dimly burning wick4 ,but in that case1 we must have recourse to such arbitrary interpretations as1 e4g41 that given by ,kster3 ,the weak faith and imperfect knowledge of the ,gentiles4 ,no weak faith1 no imperfect knowledge1 however1 is spoken of2 but the ,servant of ,god appears as a ,saviour of the poor and afflicted1 of those broken by sufferings4 ,those who1 by the ,servant of ,god1 understand the better portion of the people1 or the prophetic order1 speak of the meek spirit of the mode of teaching1 which does not by any means altogether crush the sinner already brought low1 but1 in a gentle1 affectionate manner1 raises him up1 7,umbreit72 or say with ,knobel3 ,these poor and afflicted ,he does not ,pg #bag humble still more by hard1 depressing words1 but speaks to them in a comforting and encouraging way1 raising them up and strengthening them4 ,but in this explanation everything is1 without reason1 drawn into the territory of speech1 while ,matthew rightly sees1 in the healing of the sick by ,christ1 a confirmation by deeds of the prophecy before us4 ,in chap4 lxi41 also1 the ,servant of ,god does not only bring glad tidings1 but creates1 at the same time1 the blessings announced4 ,according to chap4 lxi4 #c1 ,he gives to them that mourn in ,zion beauty for ashes1 joy for mourning1 garment of praise for a weak 7,hebrew3 khh7 spirit4 ,verse #f of the chapter before us most clearly indicates how little we are allowed to limit ourselves to mere speaking2 for1 according to that verse1 the ,servant of ,god is himself the covenant of the people1 and the light of the ,gentiles1 and according to ver4 #g1 ,he opens the eyes of the blind1 c4 ,ver4 #d4 ,he shall not fail nor run away until ,he shall have founded right in the earth1 and for ,his law the isles shall wait4 ,on3 ,he shall not fail1 properly1 ,he shall not become dim1 comp4 ,deut4 xxxiv4 #g1 where it is said of ,moses1 the servant of ,god3 ,his eye had not become dim1 nor had his strength fled4 ,the ,hebrew3 la irv,c ,he shall not run away 7properly1 ,he shall not run7 is qualified and fixed by the parallelism with ,hebrew3 la ikhh ,he shall not fail4 ,hebrew3 rv,c in other passages also1 several times receives1 by the context1 the qualified signification to run away1 to take to flight1 to flee2 comp4 ,judges viii4 #ba2 ,jer4 xlix4 #ai4 ,the words3 ,he shall not fail nor run away imply that1 in the carrying out of ,his vocation1 the ,servant of ,god shall meet with powerful obstacles1 with obstinate enemies1 and shall have to endure severe sufferings4 ,that which is here merely hinted at1 is carried out and detailed in chap4 xlix41 l41 liii4 ,how near ,he was to failing and running away 7,david1 too1 was obliged to say3 ,oh6 that ,i had wings like a dove1 then would ,i fly away and be at rest7 is seen from ,his utterance in ,matt4 xvii4 #ag3 ,greek3 genea apistos kai diestrammen1 hes pote esomi meth' humn2 hes pote anexomai humn4--,according to the current opinion1 ,hebrew3 irv,c is here assumed to be the ,future of ,hebrew3 rc,c1 for ,hebrew3 ir,c1 and that in the appropriate signification3 ,he shall not be broken4 7,thus it was probably ,pg #bah viewed by the ,chaldean ,paraphrast who renders ,hebrew3 la ilai non laborabit2 by the ,,lxx41 who translate ,greek3 ou thrauthssetai1 while ,aquila and ,symmachus1 according to the account of ,jerome1 render1 non curret1 thus following the derivation from ,hebrew3 rv,c74 ,as ,hebrew3 ikhh points back to ,hebrew3 khh in the preceding verse1 so1 in that case ,hebrew3 irv,c would point back to ,hebrew3 rcv,c ,he shall not break that which is bent1 nor quench that which is dimly burning2 but neither shall ,he himself be broken or quenched4 ,but this explanation is opposed by the circumstance1 that we must make up our minds to admit a double anomaly4 ,the territories of the two verbs ,hebrew3 rc,c and ,hebrew3 rv,c are everywhere else kept distinct1 and the former everywhere else means to break1 and not to be broken4 ,in the only passage1 ,eccl4 xii4 #f1 brought forward in support of this irregularity1 ,hebrew3 rv,c to run1 to flee away1 being in parallelism with ,hebrew3 nr,hq to be removed1 is quite appropriate2 just as in the second clause of that verse ,hebrew3 rv,c to be crushed1 is in parallelism with ,hebrew3 nwbr to be broken4--,hebrew3 aii,m are1 in the usus loquendi of ,isaiah1 not so much the real islands1 as rather the islands in the sea of the world1 the countries and kingdoms2 compare remarks on ,rev4 vi4 #ad1 and ,ps4 xcvii4 #a 7second ,edition74 ,the law for which the islands wait is not so much a ready-made code of laws1 as the single decisions of the living ,lawgiver1 which the ,gentiles1 with anxious desire1 shall receive as their rule in all circumstances1 after they have spontaneously submitted to the dominion of the ,servant of ,god1 having been attracted by ,his loving dispensations4 ,several unphilologically translate3 for ,his doctrine1 which does not even give a good sense1 for it is not the doctrine which is waited for2 its value is known only after it has been preached4 ,the ,servant of ,god appears here as the spiritual ,ruler of the nations2 and this ,he becomes by being1 in the fullest sense1 the ,servant of ,god1 so that ,his will is not different from the will of ,god1 nor ,hebrew3 tvrh from that of ,god1 just as1 in a lower territory1 even ,asaph speaks the bold word3 ,hear1 my people1 my law4 ,the singer comes forth as one who has full authority1 the ',seer' and ',prophet' utter laws which leave no alternative between ,salvation and destruction4 ,parallel is chap4 ii4 #c1 #d1 where the nations go up to ,zion1 in order there to seek laws for the regulation of their practical conduct1 and according to which the ,lord judges among the nations1 and the law goes forth ,pg #bai out of ,zion1 and the word of the ,lord from ,jerusalem4 ,the difference is this only1--that1 in that passage1 the matter is traced back immediately to ,god1 while here1 the ,servant of ,god is mentioned as the ,mediator between ,him and the ,gentiles4 ,but we must keep in mind that1 for chap4 ii4 also1 the parallel passages in chap4 iv41 ix41 xi41 furnish the supplement4 ,we must1 farther1 compare also chap4 li4 #e3 ,my righteousness is near1 my salvation goes forth1 mine arms shall judge the nations1 the isles shall wait for me1 and on mine arm shall they hope4 ,the judging in that passage does not mean divine punitive judgments2 but it is rather thereby intimated that all the nations shall recognise the ,lord as their ,king1 to whose government they willingly submit1 and with whom they seek the decision of their disputes4 ,matthew purposely changes it into3 ,and in ,his name shall the ,gentiles trust4 ,the desire for the commands of the ,lord is an effect of the love of ,his name1 i4e41 of ,him who is glorified by ,his deeds4 ,for the name is the product of deeds1--here especially of those designated in ver4 #b and #c4 ,the commands are desired and longed for1 only because the person is beloved on account of ,his deeds4 ,matthew has only distinctly brought out that which1 in the original text1 is intimated by the connection with the preceding verses4 ,in consequence of this1 ,his quiet1 just1 and merciful dispensation1 the isles shall wait for ,his law4 ,in ver4 #e-g the ,lord addresses ,his ,servant1 and promises ,him that1 by ,his omnipotence1 the great work for which ,he has called ,him1 shall be carried out and accomplished1 viz41 that the covenant relation to ,israel shall be fully realized1 and the darkness of the ,gentile world shall be changed into light4 ,ver4 #e4 ,thus saith ,god the ,lord1 who createth the heavens and stretcheth them out2 who spreadeth forth the earth and that which cometh out of it2 who giveth breath unto the people upon it1 and spirit to them that walk thereon4 ,the ,prophet directs attention to the omnipotence of ,god1 in order to give a firm support to faith in the promise which exceeds all human conception4 ,it is by this that the accumulation of the predicates is to be accounted for4 ,he who fully realizes what a great thing it is to bring an apostate world back to ,god1 to that ,god who has become a stranger to it1 ,pg #bbj will surely not explain this accumulation by a disposition1 on the part of the ,prophet1 to diffuseness4 ,ver4 #f4 ,i the ,lord have called thee in righteousness1 and ,i will seize thine hand1 and will keep thee1 and give thee for the covenant of the people and1 for the ,light of the ,gentiles4 ,it is so obvious that ,hebrew3 bcdq must be translated by in righteousness1 that the explanations which disagree with it do not deserve to be even mentioned4 ,the mission of the ,servant of ,god has its root in the divine righteousness1 which gives to every one his due1--to the covenant-people1 salvation4 ,even apart from the promise1 the appearance of ,christ rests on the righteousness of ,god4 ,for it is in opposition to the nature and character of a people of ,god to be1 for any length of time1 in misery1 and shut up to one corner of the earth4 ,that which is to be accomplished for ,israel by the ,servant of ,god1 forms1 in the sequel1 the first subject of discourse4 ,but even that which ,he affords to the ,gentiles is1 at the same time1 given to ,israel1 inasmuch as it is one of their prerogatives that salvation for the ,gentiles should go forth from them4 ,as1 here1 the mission of the ,servant of ,god1 so1 in chap4 xlv4 #ac1 the appearance of the lower deliverer appears as the work of divine righteousness3 ,i have raised him up in righteousness1 and all his ways ,i will make straight4 ,similarly also in chap4 xli4 #b3 ,who raised up from the ,east him whom righteousness calls wherever he goes1 i4e41 him1 all whose steps are determined by ,god's righteousness1 who1 in all his undertakings1 is guided by it4--,the seizing by the hand1 the keeping1 c41 are the consequence of ,his being called1 and are equivalent to3 just because ,i have called him1 therefore will ,i1 c4 ,luther remarks3 ,namely1 for this reason1 that ,satan and the world1 with all their might and wisdom1 will resist thy work4 ,in the words3 ,for the ,covenant of the people1 and for the ,light of the ,gentiles1 ,hebrew3 e,m and ,hebrew3 gvi,m form an antithesis4 ,the absence of the article shows that we ought properly to translate3 ,for a ,covenant of a people1 for a ,light of ,gentiles4 ,it is thus1 in the first instance1 only said that the ,servant of ,god should be the personal covenant for a people2 but what people that should be1 cannot admit of a moment's doubt4 ,to ,israel1 as such1 the name of the people pre-eminently belongs4 ,israel1 in preference to all others1 is called ,hebrew3 e,m 7compare ,gesenius' ,pg #bba ,thesaurus s4v4 ,hebrew3 gvi71 because it is only the people of ,god that is a people in the full sense1 connected by an internal unity2 the ,gentiles are ,hebrew3 la e,m1 non-people1 according to ,deut4 xxxii4 #ba1 because they lack the only real tie of unity4 ,but what is still more decisive is the mention of the ,covenant4 ,the covenant can belong to the covenant-people only1 ,greek3 hn hai diathkai1 ,rom4 ix4 #d1--the old1 no less than the new one4 ,the covenant with ,abraham is an everlasting covenant of absolute exclusiveness1 ,gen4 xvii4 #g4 ,the ,servant of ,god is called the personal and embodied ,covenant1 because in ,his appearance the covenant made with ,israel is to find its full truth2 and every thing implied in the very idea of a covenant1 all the promises flowing from this idea1 are to be in ,him1 ,yea and ,amen4 ,the ,servant of ,god is here called the ,covenant of ,israel1 just in the same manner as in ,mic4 v4 #d 7comp4 ,ephes4 ii4 #ad71 it is said of ,him3 ,this 7man7 is ,peace1 because in ,him1 peace1 as it were1 represents itself personally2--just as in chap4 xlix4 #f1 ,he is called the ,salvation of ,god1 because this salvation becomes personal in ,him1 the ,saviour1--just as in ,gen4 xvii4 #aj1 #ac1 circumcision is called a covenant1 as being the embodied covenant1--just as in ,luke xxii4 #bj1 the cup1 the blood of ,christ1 is called the ,new ,covenant1 because in it it has its root4 ,the explanation3 ,mediator of the covenant1 ,greek3 diathks enguos1 is meagre1 and weakens the meaning4 ,the circumstance that the ,servant of ,god is1 without farther qualification1 called the ,covenant of the people1 shows that ,he stands in a different relation to the covenant from that of ,moses1 to whom the name of the ,mediator of the covenant does not the less belong than to ,him4 ,from ,jer4 xxxi4 #ca1 we learn which are the blessings and gifts which the ,servant of ,god is to bestow1 and by which ,he represents himself as the personal ,covenant4 ,they are concentrated in the closest connection to be established by ,him between ,god and ,his people3 ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 ,it is only in the ,new ,covenant1 described in that passage of ,jeremiah1 that the ,old ,covenant attains to its truth4 ,the second destination of the ,servant of ,god1 which1 according to the context1 here comes into special consideration1 is1 to be the ,light of the ,gentiles4 ,by the realization of this destination1 an important feature in ,pg #bbb the former was1 at the same time1 realized4 ,for it formed part of the promises of the covenant with ,israel that1 from the midst of them1 salvation for all the families of the earth should go forth1 as our ,saviour says3 ,greek3 h stria ek tn ,ioudain estin4 ,light is here1 according to the common usus loquendi of ,scripture1 a figurative designation of salvation4 ,in the parallel passage1 chap4 xlix4 #f1 light is at once explained by salvation4 ,the designation proceeds upon the supposition that the ,gentiles1 not less than ,israel1 7comp4 chap4 ix4 #a #b7 shall1 until the appearance of the ,servant of ,god1 sit in darkness and in the shadow of death1--that they are in misery1 although1 in some instances1 it may be a brilliant misery4 ,the following verse farther carries out and declares what is implied in the promise3 ,light of the ,gentiles4 ,parallel is chap4 lx4 #c3 ,and the heathen walk in thy 7,zion's7 light--they become partakers of the salvation which shines for ,zion--and kings in the brightness which riseth to thee4--,the supporters of that opinion1 which understands ,israel by the ,servant of ,god1 are in no small difficulty regarding this verse1 and cannot even agree as to the means of escape from that difficulty4 ,several assume that ,hebrew3 e,m is used collectively1 and refer it to the ,gentile nations4 ,but opposed to this explanation is the evident antithesis of ,hebrew3 e,m and ,hebrew3 gvi,m2 and it is entirely overthrown by the parallel passage in chap4 xlix4 ,scripture knows nothing of a covenant with the ,gentiles4 ,according to the view of the ,old1 as well as of the ,new ,testament1 the ,gentiles are received into the communion of the covenant with ,israel4 ,others 7,hitzig1 ,ewald7 explain3 covenant-people1 i4e41 a mediatorial1 connecting people1 a bond of union between ,god and the nations4 ,but the passage1 chap4 xlix4 #h1 is most decidedly opposed to this4 ,farther--,the parallelism with ,hebrew3 avr gvi,m shows that ,hebrew3 brit e,m is the status constructus4 ,but foedus alicujus1 is1 according to the remark of ,gesenius1 foedus cum aliquo sancitum4 ,thus in ,lev4 xxvi4 #de1 the covenant of the ancestors is the covenant entered into with the ancestors2 ,deut4 iv4 #ca2 ,lev4 xxvi4 #db 7the covenant of ,jacob1 the covenant of ,isaac1 c47 ,according to ,knobel3 the true theocrats are to become a covenant of the people1 the restorers of the ,israelitish ,theocracy1 they themselves having connection and unity by faithfully holding fast by ,jehovah1 and by representing ,his cause4 ,this explanation1 ,pg #bbc also1 is opposed to the usus loquendi1 according to which covenant of the people can have the sense only of covenant with the people1 not a covenant among the people4 ,and1 farther1 the parallel passage in chap4 xlix4 #h is opposed to this interpretation also1 inasmuch as1 in that passage1 the ,servant of the ,lord is called ,hebrew3 brit e,m1 not on account of what ,he is in himself1 but on account of the influence which ,he exercises upon others1 upon the whole of the people3 ,that thou mayest raise up the land1 distribute desolate heritages1 that thou mayest say to the prisoners3 ,go forth1 c4 ,in that passage the land1 the desolate heritages1 the prisoners1 c41 evidently correspond to the people4 ,finally--,a covenant is a relation between two parties standing opposite one another4 ,the word is used1 says ,gesenius1 of a covenant formed between nations1 between private persons1 e4g41 ,david and ,jonathan1 between ,jehovah and the people of ,israel4 ,but here no parties are mentioned to be united by the covenant4 ,ver4 #g4 ,that thou mayest open blind eyes1 bring out them that are bound from the prison1 and from the house of confinement them that sit in darkness4 ,on account of the connection with the for the ,light of the ,gentiles1 which would stand too much isolated1 if1 in the words immediately following1 ,israel alone were again the subject of discourse1 the activity of ,god here mentioned refers1 in the first instance1 to the ,gentiles2 and the words3 them that sit in darkness1 moreover1 evidently point back to for the ,light of the ,gentiles4 ,but from chap4 xlix4 #i1 and also from ver4 #af of the chapter before us1 where the blindness of ,israel is mentioned1 it appears that ,israel too must not be excluded4 ,hence1 we shall say3 ,it is here more particularly described how the ,servant of ,god proves himself as the ,covenant of the people and the ,light of the ,gentiles1 how ,he puts an end to the misery under which both equally groan4 ,it will be better to understand blindness1 in connection with imprisonment1 sitting in darkness1 as a designation of the need of salvation1 than as a designation of spiritual blindness1 of the want of the light of knowledge4 ,that is also suggested by the preceding3 for the ,light of the ,gentiles1 which1 according to the common usus loquendi1 and according to chap4 ix4 #a 7#b7 is not to be referred to the spiritual illumination especially1 ,pg #bbd but to the bestowal of salvation4 ,to this view we are likewise led by a comparison of ver4 #af3 ,and ,i will lead the blind by a way that they knew not1 ,i will lead them in paths that they have not known1 ,i will change the darkness before them into light1 the crooked things into straightness4 ,the blind in this verse are those who do not know what to do1 and how to help themselves1 those who cannot find the way of salvation1 the miserable2 they are to be led by the ,lord on the ways of salvation1 which are unknown to them4 ,in a similar sense and connection1 the blind are1 elsewhere also1 spoken of1 comp4 ,remarks on ,ps4 cxlv4 #h4--,on the words3 ,bring out them that are bound from the prison1 ,knobel remarks3 ,the citizens of ,judah were1 to a great extent1 imprisoned2 the ,prophet hopes for their deliverance by the theocratic portion of the people4 ,a strange hope6 ,by this coarsely literal interpretation1 the connection with for the ,light of the ,gentiles is broken up2 and this is the less admissible that the words at the close of the verse3 those that sit in darkness1 so clearly refer to it4 ,imprisonment is a figurative designation of the miserable condition1 not less than1 the darkness1 which1 on account of the light contrasted with it1 and on account of chap4 ix4 #a 7#b71 cannot be understood otherwise than figuratively4 ,under the image of men bound in dark prisons1 the miserable and afflicted appear also in ,ps4 cvii4 #aj-af2 ,job xxxvi4 #h1 where the words1 bound in fetters1 are explained by the parallel holden in the cords of misery4 ,when ,david1 in ,ps4 cxlii4 #h1 prays3 ,bring my soul out of the prison1 he himself explains this in ,ps4 cxliii4 #aa by the parallel3 ,thou wilt bring my soul out of trouble2 comp4 also ,ps4 xxv4 #ag3 ,o bring thou me out of my distresses4 ,if we here understand the prison literally1 we might1 with the same propriety in other passages1 also1 e4g41 in ,ps4 lxvi4 #aa1 understand literally the net1 the snare1 the trap4 ,ver4 #h3 ,i the ,lord1 that is my name1 and my honour ,i will not give to another1 nor my glory to idols4 ,ver4 #i4 ,the former 7things71 behold1 they came to pass1 and new 7things7 do ,i declare2 before they spring forth1 ,i cause you to hear4 ,we have here the solemn close and exhortation4 ,at the close of chap4 xli4 it had been pointed out1 how the prediction of the ,conqueror from the ,east serves for the glory of ,jehovah1 ,pg #bbe who thereby proves himself to be the only true ,god4 ,here the zeal of ,god for ,his glory is indicated as the reason which has brought forth the prediction of the ,servant of ,god and ,his glorious work1--a prediction which cannot be accounted for from natural causes4 ,it is thus the object of the prophecy which is here1 in the first instance1 stated4 ,it is intended to manifest the true ,god as such1 as a ,god who is zealously bent on ,his glory4 ,but the same attribute of ,god which called forth the prophecy1 calls forth also the events prophesied1 viz41 the appearance of the ,servant of ,god1 and the victory over the idols accomplished thereby1 the bringing forth of the law of ,god over the whole earth through ,him1 and the full realization of the covenant with ,israel4 ,the thought is this3--that a ,god who does not manifest and prove himself as such1 who is contented with the honour granted to ,him without ,his interference1 cannot be a ,god2 that the true ,god must of necessity be filled with the desire of absolute1 exclusive dominion1 and cannot but manifest and prove this desire4 ,from this thought1 the prophecy and that which it promises flow with a like necessity4--,according to ,stier1 ,hebrew3 rawnvt1 the former 7things7 means the redemption of the exiled by ,cyrus1 which in chaps4 xli4 xlviii4 forms the historico-typical foreground1 whose coming is here anticipated by the ,prophet4 ,but the parallel passages1 chaps4 xli4 #bb1 xliii4 #i1 xlviii4 #c1 are conclusive against this view2 for1 according to these passages1 it is only the former already fulfilled predictions of the ,prophet and his colleagues1 from the beginnings of the people1 which can be designated by the former 7things74 ,by the new 7things7 therefore1 is to be understood the aggregate of the events which are predicted in the second part1 to which belongs the prophecy of the ,servant of ,god which immediately precedes1 and which the ,prophet has here as pre-eminently in view 7,michaelis3 et nova1 imprimis de ,messia71 as1 in the parallel passage chap4 xli4 #bb1 the announcement of the conqueror from the ,east4 ,both of these verses seem to round off our prophecy1 by indicating that such disclosures regarding the ,future are not by any means intended to serve for the gratification of idle curiosity1 but to advance the same object to which the events prophesied are also subservient1 viz41 the promotion of ,god's glory4 ,the ,pg #bbf modern view of ,prophetism is irreconcileable with the verses under consideration1 which evidently shew1 that the prophets themselves were filled with a different consciousness of their mission and position ,and in like manner it follows from them1 that there is no reason to put1 by means of a forced interpretation1 the prophecy within the horizon of the ,prophet's time1 seeing that the ,prophet himself shows himself to be thoroughly penetrated by its altogether supernatural character4 ,footnote #a3 ,this embarrassment becomes still more obvious in the explanation of ,vatke1 who understands by the ,servant of ,god1 the harmless ideal abstract of the people2 and that of ,beck1 who understands thereby the notion of the people4 ,footnote #b3 ,the ,hebrew word is ,hebrew3 mwp,t1 which means judgment1 right1 law4 ,dr4 ,hengstenberg has translated it by ,recht1 which is1 as nearly as possible1 expressed by the ,english word right1 7jus17 as including law and statutes4--,tr4 ,,chapter ,,xlix4 #a-i4 ,the ,servant of ,god1 with whose person the ,prophet had4 by way of preparation1 already made us acquainted in the first book of the second part1 in chap4 xlii41 is here1 at the beginning of the second book1 at once introduced as speaking1 surprising1 as it were1 the readers4 ,in ver4 #a-c1 we have the destination and high calling which the ,lord assigned to ,his ,servant2 in ver4 #d1 the contrast and contradiction of the result of this mission2 the covenant-people1 to whom it is1 in the first instance1 directed1 reward with ingratitude ,his faithful work4 ,in ver4 #e and #f1 we are told what ,god does in order to maintain the dignity of ,his ,servant2 as a compensation for obstinate1 rebellious ,israel1 ,he gives ,him the ,gentiles for an inheritance4 ,from ver4 #g the ,prophet takes the word4 ,in ver4 #g the original contempt which1 according to the preceding verses1 the ,servant of ,god meets with1 especially in ,israel1 is contrasted with the respectful worship of nations and kings which is to follow after it4 ,ver4 #h and #i describe how the ,servant of ,god proves himself to be the embodied covenant of the people1 and form the transition to a general description of the enjoyment of salvation1 which1 in the ,messianic times1 shall be bestowed upon the ,congregation of the ,lord4 ,this description goes on to chap4 l4 #c1 and then1 in chap4 l4 #d ff41 the person of the ,servant of the ,lord is anew brought before us4 ,the ,messianic explanation of our passage is already met with in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is with reference to it that ,pg #bbg ,simeon1 in ,luke ii4 #cj1 #ca1 designates the ,saviour as the ,greek3 strion of ,god1 which ,he had prepared before the face of all people 7comp4 ver4 #f of our passage3 ,that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth71 as the ,greek3 phs eis apokalupsin ethnn kai doxan laou sou ,isral2 comp4 again ver4 #f1 according to which the ,servant of ,god is to be at the same time1 the light of the ,gentiles1 to raise up the tribes of ,jacob1 and to restore the preserved of ,israel4 ,ver4 #a3 ,the ,lord hath called me from the womb1 from the bowels of my mother hath ,he made mention of my name1 is alluded to in ,luke ii4 #ba3 ,greek3 ,kai eklth to onoma autou ,isous1 to klthen hupo tou angelou pro tou sullphthnai auton en t koilia 7comp4 i4 #ca3 ,greek3 sullps en gastri kai tex huion kai kaleseis to onoma autou ,isoun7 as is sufficiently evident from ,greek3 en t koilia sc4 matris1 which exactly answers to the ,hebrew3 mb,t,n in the passage before us4 ,in ,acts xiii4 #df1 #dg1 ,paul and ,barnabas prove1 from the passage under review1 the destination of ,christ to be the ,saviour of the ,gentiles1 and their right to offer to them the salvation despised and rejected by the ,jews3 ,greek3 idou strephometha eis ta ethn4 hout gar entetaltai hmin ho ,kurios4 tetheika se eis phs ethnn tou einai se eis strian hes eschatou ts gs4 ,in the destination which1 in ,isaiah1 the ,lord assigns to ,christ1 ,paul and ,barnabas recognize an indirect command for his disciples1 a rule for their conduct4 ,in #b ,cor4 vi4 #a1 #b1 ver4 #h is quoted1 and referred to the ,messianic time4 ,it is obvious that the ,jews could not be favourable to the ,messianic interpretation2 but the ,christian ,church has held fast by it for nearly #ahjj years4 ,even such interpreters as ,theodoret and ,clericus1 who are everywhere rather disposed to explain away real ,messianic references1 than to find the ,messiah where ,he is not presented1 consider the ,messianic interpretation to be1 in this place1 beyond all doubt4 ,the former says3 ,this was said with a view to the ,lord ,christ1 who is the seed of ,abraham1 through whom the nations received the promise4 ,and when1 in our century1 men returned to the faith1 the ,messianic interpretation also returned4 ,if the ,church has ,christ at all1 it is impossible that she should fail to find ,him here4 ,gesenius1 and those who have followed him1 appeal to the circumstance1 that the ,messiah could not well be introduced as speaking1 and1 least of all1 in such a manner1 without any introduction ,pg #bbh and preparation4 ,but it is difficult to see how this argument can be advanced by those who themselves assume that a mere personification1 the collective body of the prophets1 or1 as ,beck expresses it1 the ,prophet ,greek3 kat'exochn as a general substantial individual1 or even the people1 can be introduced as speaking4 ,the introduction of persons is a necessary result of the dramatic character of prophetic ,speech1 comp41 e4g41 chap4 xiv41 where now the king of ,babylon1 then the inhabitants of the ,sheol1 and again ,jehovah1 are introduced as speaking4 ,the person who is here introduced as speaking is already known from chap4 xlii41 where he is spoken of4 ,the prophecy before us stands to that prophecy in the very same relation as does ,ps4 ii4 #g-i1 where the ,anointed ,one suddenly appears as speaking1 to the preceding verses1 where ,he was spoken of ,the ,messiah is here so distinctly described1 as to ,his nature and character1 that it is impossible not to recognise ,him4 ,who but ,he should be the ,covenant of the people1 the ,light of the ,gentiles1 the ,saviour for all the ends of the earth8 ,the point which was here concerned was not1 first to introduce ,him to the knowledge of the people4 ,his image existed there already in sharp outlines1 even from and since ,gen4 xlix4 #aj1 where the ,peaceful ,one meets us1 in whom ,judah attains to the full height of his destination1 and to whom the people adhere4 ,the circumstance that it is just here that the ,messiah appears as speaking1 forms the most appropriate introduction to the second book1 in which ,he is the principal figure4--,it is by a false literal interpretation only that ver4 #h1 #i have been advanced in opposition to the ,messianic interpretation4 ,the arbitrariness of the non-,messianic interpretation manifests itself in this also1 that its supporters can1 up to this day1 not agree as to the subject of the prophecy4 #a4 ,according to several interpreters--,hitzig1 last of all--the ,servant of ,god is to be ,israel1 and the idea this1 that ,israel would1 at some future period1 be the teacher of the ,gentiles1 and would spread the true religion on earth4 ,it is apparently only that this interpretation receives some countenance from ver4 #c1 where the ,servant of the ,lord is called ,israel4 ,for this name does not there stand as an ordinary nomen proprium1 but as an honorary name1 to designate the high dignity and destination of the ,servant of ,god4 ,as this name had passed over from ,pg #bbi an individual to a people1 so it may again be transferred from the people to that person in whom the people attain their destination1 in which1 up to that time1 they had failed ,but decisive against this explanation1 which makes the whole people the subject1 is ver4 #e1 according to which the ,servant of ,god is destined to lead back to the ,lord1 ,jacob and ,israel 7in the ordinary sense71 who then must be different from ,him2 ver4 #f1 according to which ,he is to raise up the tribes of ,jacob2 ver4 #h1 #i1 according to which ,he is to be the ,covenant of the people1 to deliver the prisoners1 c4 7,knobel remarks on this verse3 ,nothing is clearer than that the ,servant of ,god is not identical with the mass of the people1 but is something different47 ,supposing even that the people1 destined to be the teachers of the ,gentiles1 appear here as speaking1 it is difficult to see how1 in ver4 #d1 they could say that hitherto they had laboured in vain in their vocation1 and seen no fruits1 since hitherto the people had made no attempt at all at the conversion of the ,gentiles4 #b4 ,maurer1 ,knobel1 and others1 endeavour to explain it of the better portion of the people4 ,but conclusive against this interpretation is ver4 #f1 according to which the ,servant of ,god has the destination of restoring the preserved of ,israel1 and hence must be distinct from the better portion2 ver4 #h1 according to which ,he is given for a ,covenant of the people1 from which1 according to ver4 #d and #f1 the ungodly are excluded2 so that the idea of the people is identical with that of the better portion4 ,in general1 the contrasting of the better portion of the people with the whole people1 ,jacob and ,israel1 the centre and substance of which was formed just by the ,greek3 eklog1 can scarcely be thought of1 and is without any analogy4 ,nor is the mention of the womb4 and bowels of the mother1 in ver4 #a1 reconcileable with a merely imaginary person1 and that1 moreover1 a person of a character so indistinct and indefinite1--a character which has no definite and palpable historical beginnings4 ,the parallel passages1 in which the calling from the womb is mentioned1 treat of real persons1 of individuals4--#c4 ,according to several interpreters 7,jarchi1 ,kimchi1 ,abenezra1 ,grotius1 ,steudel1 ,umbreit1 ,hofmann71 the ,servant of the ,lord is to be none other than the ,prophet himself4 ,no argument has been adduced in favour of this view1 except the use of the first person1 7,if here1 without introduction and preparation1 a discourse begins with the first ,pg #bcj person1 it refers most naturally to the ,prophet1 who is the author of the ,book71--an argument of very subordinate significance1 and the more so that the person of the ,prophet1 everywhere else in the second part of ,isaiah1 steps so entirely into the background behind the great objects with which he is engaged4 ,to follow thus the first appearance may1 indeed1 be becoming to a eunuch from ,ethiopia1 but not a ,christian expounder of ,scripture4 ,the contents of the prophecy are decidedly in opposition to this opinion4 ,even the circumstance that a single prophet should assume the name of ,israel1 ver4 #c1 appears an intolerable usurpation4 ,farther-- ,like all the other prophets1 ,isaiah was sent to the ,jews1 and not to the ,gentiles2 but at the very outset1 the most distant lands and all the distant nations are here called upon to hearken4 ,the ,lord says to ,his ,servant that the restoration of ,israel was too little for ,him1 that ,he should be a light and salvation for all the heathen nations from one end of the earth to the other2 kings and ,princes shall fall down before ,him1 adoring and worshipping4 ,the ,prophet would thus simply have raised himself to be the ,saviour4 ,umbreit expressly acknowledges this3 ,he is to be the holy pillar of clouds and fire which leads the people back to their native land1 after the time of their punishment has expired4 ,but a still more glorious vocation and destination is in store for the prophets2 they receive the highest1 the ,messianic destination4 ,the usurpation of which the ,servant of ,god would have made himself guilty1 appears so much the more clearly1 when it is known1 that the work of the ,servant of ,god comprehends even all that also1 which is described in ver4 #aj-bc1 viz41 the blossoming of the ,church of ,god1 her enlargement by the ,gentiles1 c4 ,it is obvious that1 if the interpretation which refers this prediction to the prophets were the correct one1 the authority of the ,old ,testament prophecy would be gone2 the authority of the ,lord himself would be endangered1 inasmuch as ,he always recognizes1 in these prophets1 organs of divine inspiration and power4 ,a vain attempt is made at mitigating this usurpation1 by imperceptibly substituting the collective body of the prophets for the single prophet4 ,this view thus leads to1 and interferes with another which we shall immediately examine4 ,but if we would not give up the sole argument by which this ,pg #bca exposition is supported1 viz41 the use of the first person1 everything must1 in the first instance1 apply to and be fulfilled in ,isaiah2 and the other prophets can come into consideration only as continuators of his work and ministry4 ,he is entitled to use the first person in that case only1 when he is a perfect manifestation of prophetism4--#d4 ,according to ,gesenius1 the ,servant of the ,lord is to be the collective body of the prophets1 the prophetic order4 ,in opposition to this view1 ,stier remarks3 ,we maintain that1 according to history1 there did not at that time 7the time of the exile1 in which ,gesenius places this prophecy7 exist any prophetic order1 or any distinguished blossom of it2 that hence it was impossible for any reasonable man to entertain this hope1 when viewed in this way1 without looking farther and higher4 ,ver4 #a is decisive against a mere personification4 ,the name of ,israel1 too1 in ver4 #c1 is very little applicable to the whole prophetic order4 ,this is sufficiently evident from the fact that ,gesenius1 in his ,commentary1 declared this word to be spurious2 and it was at a later period only1 when he had become bolder1 that he endeavoured to adapt it to his self- chosen subject4 ,nowhere in the ,old ,testament do the prophets appear like the ,servant of ,god here--as the ,covenant of the people1 ver4 #h1 as the ,light of the ,gentiles1 ver4 #f4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,ver4 #a4 ,listen1 ,o isles1 unto me1 and hearken ye people from far2 the ,lord hath called me from the womb1 from the bowels of my mother hath ,he made mention of my name4 ,as the stand-point which the ,messiah occupies in the vision of the ,prophet1 we have to conceive of the time1 at which ,he had already entered upon ,his office1 and had already experienced many proofs of the ,jews'unbelief and hardness of heart1--an event of the ,future1 the foresight of which was1 even in a human point of view1 very readily suggested to the ,prophet after the painful experience acquired during his own long ministry2 comp4 chap4 vi4 ,for the fruitlessness of ,his ministry among the mass of the covenant-people1 ver4 #d1 as well as the great contempt which the ,servant of ,god found among them1 ver4 #g1 are represented as having already taken place2 ,pg #bcb while the enlightenment of the ,gentiles1 the worship of the kings1 c1 which are to be expected by ,him1 are represented as being still future4 ,in the same manner1 in chap4 liii41 the humiliation of the ,servant of ,god appears as past2 the glorification1 as future1 the reason why the isles are addressed 7comp4 remarks on chap4 xlii4 #d7 appears in ver4 #f only1 at the close of the discourse of the ,servant of ,god1 for all that precedes serves as a preparation4 ,in that verse1 the ,servant of the ,lord announces that the ,lord had appointed ,him to be the ,light of the ,gentiles2 that ,he should be ,his salvation unto the ends of the earth4 ,it is very significant that the second book at once begins with an address to the ,gentiles1 inasmuch us1 thus1 we are here introduced into the sphere of a redemption which does not refer to a single nation1 like that with which the first book is engaged1 but to the ends of the earth4 ,at the close of the first book1 in chap4 xlviii4 #bj1 it was said3 ,declare ye1 tell this1 utter it even to the end of the earth1 say ye3 ,the ,lord hath redeemed his servant ,jacob4 ,the fact that the redemption1 in the first instance peculiar to ,jacob1 is to be proclaimed to all the nations of the earth1 leads us to expect that these nations1 too1 have their portion in the ,lord2 that at some future period they are to hear a message which concerns them still more particularly4 ,this expectation is realized here1 at the opening of the second book4 ,the fact that the ,gentiles are to listen here1 as those who have a personal interest in the message1 is proved by the circumstance1 that the words3 ,unto the ends of the earth1 in ver4 #f of the chapter before us1 point back to the same words in chap4 xlviii4 #bj4--,the ,lord had called me from the womb4 ,it is sufficient to go thus far back in order to repress or refute the idea of ,his having himself usurped ,his office1 and to furnish a foundation for the expectation that ,god would powerfully uphold and protect ,his ,servant in the office which ,he himself had assigned to ,him4 ,calvin remarks on these words3 ,they do not indicate the commencement of the time of ,his vocation1 as if ,god had1 only from the womb1 called ,him2 but it is just as if it were said3 ,before ,i came forth from the womb1 ,god had decreed that ,i was to undertake this office4 ,in the same manner ,paul also says that he had been separated from his mother's womb1 although he was chosen before ,pg #bcc the foundation of the world4 ,to be called from the womb is1 in itself1 nothing extraordinary2 it is common to all the servants of the ,lord4 ,jeremiah ascribes it to himself in chap4 i4 #e3 ,before ,i formed thee in the belly1 ,i knew thee2 and before thou camest forth out of the womb ,i sanctified thee2 and in harmony with this passage in ,jeremiah--not with that before us--,paul says in ,gal4 i4 #ae3 ,greek3 ho theos ho aphorisas 7corresponding to3 ,i have sanctified thee7 ,greek3 me ek koilias mtros mou4 ,but we have here merely the introduction to what follows1 where the calling1 to which the ,servant of ,god had been destined from the womb appears as quite unique4--,from the bowels of my mother hath ,he made mention of my name4 ,the name is here not an ordinary proper name1 but a name descriptive of the nature1--one by which ,his office and vocation are designated4 ,this making mention was1 in the case of ,christ1 not a thing concealed2 the prophecy before us received its palpable confirmation and fulfilment2 inasmuch as1 in reference to it1 ,joseph received1 even before ,his birth1 the command to call ,him ,jesus1 ,saviour3 ,greek3 texetai de huion kai kaleseis to onoma autou ,isoun4 autos gar ssei ton laon autou apo tn hamartin autn1 ,matth4 i4 #ba1 after the same command had previously come to ,mary1 ,luke i4 #ca2 comp4 ii4 #ba1 where1 as we have already remarked1 there is a distinct reference to the passage before us4 ,ver4 #b4 ,and ,he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword1 in the shadow of ,his hand hath ,he hid me1 and ,he hath made me a sharpened arrow1 in ,his quiver hath ,he hid me4 ,according to the common interpretation1 the words3 ,he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword4 ,he hath made me a sharpened arrow1 are to express only such a gift of powerful1 impressive speech as is common to all the servants of ,god1 to all the prophets4 ,but the two subjoined clauses are opposed to that interpretation4 ,the second and fourth clauses state the reason of the first and third1 and point to the source from which that emanates which is stated in them4 ,there cannot be any doubt but that in the second and fourth clauses1 the ,servant of ,god indicates that ,he stands under the protection of divine omnipotence1 so that the expression3 ,whom ,i uphold1 in chap4 xlii4 #a1 is parallel4 ,the shadow is the ordinary figure of protection4 ,the figure of the sword is dropped in the second clause1 and hence the objection1 that a drawn sword does not require any protection1 is out of place4 ,this will ,pg #bcd appear from a comparison of chap4 li4 #af3 ,and ,i put my words in thy mouth1 and ,i cover thee with the shadow of mine hand1 where the sword is not mentioned at all1 and the shadow belongs simply to the person4 ,the quiver which keeps the arrow is likewise a natural image of divine protection4 ,the two accessory clauses do not suit1 if the first and third clauses are referred to the rhetorical endowment of the ,servant of ,god2 that does not flow from the source of the protecting omnipotence of ,god4 ,these accessory clauses rather suggest the idea that1 by the comparison of the mouth with the sharp sword1 of the whole person with the sharpened arrow1 there is indicated the absolutely conquering power which1 under the protection of omnipotence1 adheres to the word and person of the ,servant of ,god1 so that ,he will easily put down everything which opposes1--equivalent to3 ,he has endowed me with ,his omnipotence1 so that my word produces destructive effects1 and puts down all opposition1 just as does ,his word2 so that there would be a parallel in chap4 xi4 #d1 where the word of the ,servant of ,god likewise appears as being borne by omnipotence3 ,he smiteth the earth with the rod of ,his mouth1 and with the breath of ,his lips ,he slayeth the wicked4 ,to the same result we are led also by a comparison of chap4 li4 #af1 where the word of the ,lord1 which is put into the mouth of the ,servant of ,god1 is so living and powerful1 so borne by omnipotence1 that thereby the heavens are planted1 and the foundations of the earth are laid4 ,but of special importance are those passages of ,revelation which refer to the verse under consideration4 ,in chap4 i4 #af1 the sharp two-edged sword does not by any means represent the power of the discourse piercing the heart for salvation2 but rather the destructive power of the word which is borne by omnipotence4 ,it designates the almighty punitive power of ,christ directed against his enemies4 ,by the circumstance1 that the sword goes out of the mouth of ,christ1 that destructive power is attributed to ,his mere word1 ,he appears as partaking of divine omnipotence4 ,for it belongs to ,god to slay by the words of ,his mouth1 ,hos4 vi4 #e4 ,the same applies to chap4 ii4 #af4 ,on ,rev4 xix4 #ae3 ,and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword1 that with it ,he should smite the nations1 we remarked3 the sharp sword is not that of a teaching king1 ,pg #bce but that of omnipotence which speaks and it is done1 and slayeth by the breath of the lips4 ,how ,christ casts down ,his enemies by the word of ,his mouth is seen1 in a prophetical instance1 ,john xviii4 #f2 ,acts ix4 #d1 #e4 ,with the sword1 ,christ appears even where ,he does not mean to destroy1 but to bring salvation2 for1 even in those who are to be blessed1 hostile powers are to be overcome4 ,the image1 however1 is here1 in the fundamental passage1 occasioned by the comparison of the ,servant of ,god with the conqueror from the ,east1 whose sword1 according to chap4 xli4 #b1 the ,lord makes as dust1 and his bow as the driven stubble4 ,where the mere word serves as a sword1 the effect must be much more powerful4 ,the conquering power throwing down every opposing power1 which1 in the first clause1 is assigned to the mouth1 is1 in the third clause 7,and ,he hath made me a sharpened arrow71 attributed to the whole person4 ,he1 of whom it was already said in ,ps4 xlv4 #f3 ,thine arrows are sharp1 people fall under thee1 they enter into the heart of the king's enemies1 is himself to be esteemed as a sharp arrow4 ,ver4 #c4 ,and ,he said unto me3 ,thou art my ,servant1 ,o ,israel1 in whom ,i glorify myself4 ,my ,servant stands here as an honorary designation2 to be the ,servant of ,god appears here as the highest privilege1 as is evident not only from the analogy of the parallel passages1 which treat of the ,servant of ,god 7comp4 remarks on chap4 xlii4 #a71 but also from the parallel second clause4 ,in it1 the ,servant of ,god is called ,israel as the concentration and consummation of the covenant-people1 as ,he in whom it is to attain to its destination1 in whom its idea is to be realized4 7,it is evident from ver4 #e1 and from those passages in the second part in which the people of ,israel is spoken of as the ,servant of ,god comp4 remarks on chap4 xlii41 that ,israel must here be understood as the name of the people1 not as the name of the ancestor only47 ,hvernick rightly remarks that the ,messiah is here called ,israel1 in contrast to the people to whom this name does not properly belong4 ,analogous is ,matt4 ii4 #ae1 where that which1 in the ,old ,testament1 is written of ,israel1 is referred to ,christ4 ,as the true ,israel1 ,christ himself also represents himself in ,john i4 #eb2 with a reference to that which in ,gen4 xxviii4 #ab is written1 not of ,jacob as ,pg #bcf an individual1 but as the representative of the whole race1 it is said there3 ,greek3 ap'arti opsesthe ton ouranon anegota1 kai tous angelous tou theou anabainontas kai katabainontas epi ton huion tou anthrpou4 ,all those declarations of the ,old ,testament1 in which the name of ,jacob or ,israel is used to designate the election1 to the exclusion of the false seed1 the true ,israelites in whom there is no guile1--all those passages prepare the way for1 and come near to the one before us4 ,thus ,ps4 lxiii4 #a3 ,truly good is ,god to ,israel1 to such as are of a clean heart2 and then ,ps4 xxiv4 #f3 ,they that seek thy face are ,jacob1 i4e41 those only who1 with zeal and energy in sanctification1 seek for the favour of ,god4 ,in the passage before us1 the same principle is farther carried out4 ,the true ,israel is designated as he in whom ,god glorifies1 or will glorify himself1 inasmuch as his glorification will bear testimony to ,god's mercy and faithfulness2 comp4 ,john xii4 #bc3 ,greek3 elluthen h hra hina doxasth ho huios tou anthrpou2 xvii4 #e3 ,greek3 kai nun doxason me su pater4 ,the verb ,hebrew3 par means in ,piel1 to adorn1 in ,hithp4 to adorn one's self1 to glorify one's self4 ,thus it occurs in ,judg4 vii4 #b2 ,is4 x4 #ae2 lx4 #ba3 ,work of my hands for glorifying1 i4e41 in which ,i glorify myself2 lxi4 #c3 ,planting of the ,lord for glorifying4 ,there is no reason for abandoning this well-supported signification either here or in chap4 xliv4 #bc3 ,the ,lord hath redeemed ,israel and glorified himself in ,israel4 ,if ,god glorifies himself in ,his ,servant1 ,he just thereby gets occasion to glory in ,him as a monument of ,his goodness and faithfulness4 ,our ,saviour prays in ,john xii4 #bh3 ,greek3 ,pater doxason sou to onoma4 ,the ,father1 by glorifying the ,son1 glorifies at the same time ,his name4 ,those who explain ,hebrew3 atpar by3 per quem ornabor1 overlook the circumstance that1 also in the phrase3 ,thou art my ,servant1 the main stress does not1 according to the parallel passages1 lie in that which the ,servant has to perform1 but in ,his being the protected and preserved by ,god4 ,ver4 #d4 ,and ,i said3 ,i have laboured in vain1 ,i have spent my strength for emptiness and vanity2 but my right is with the ,lord1 and my reward with my ,god4 ,the ,servant of ,god1 after having spoken of ,his sublime dignity and mission1 here prepares the transition for proclaiming ,his destination to be a ,saviour of the ,gentiles1 to whom ,his whole discourse is addressed4 ,he complains of the small ,pg #bcg fruits of ,his ministry among ,israel2 but comforts himself by the confidence placed upon the righteousness of ,god1 that the faithful discharge of the duty committed to ,him cannot remain without reward4 ,the speaking on the part of the ,servant of ,god in this verse refers to the speaking of ,god in verse #c4 ,jerome1 who remarks on this point3 ,but when the ,father told me that which ,i have repeated1 ,i answered ,him3 ,how wilt thou be glorified in me1 seeing that ,i have laboured in vain8 recognised this reference1 but erroneously viewed the words as being addressed to the ,lord4 ,it is a soliloquy which we have here before us4 ,instead of ,i said1 we are not at liberty to put3 ,i imagined2 the ,servant of ,god had in reality expended ,his strength for nothing and vanity4 ,as the scene of the vain labour of the ,servant of ,god1 the heathen world cannot be thought of2 inasmuch as this is1 first in ver4 #f1 assigned to ,him as an indemnification for that which1 according to the verse before us1 ,he had lost elsewhere4 ,it is ,israel only which can be the object of the vain labour of the ,servant of ,god2 for it was to them that1 according to ver4 #e1 the mission of the ,servant of ,god in the first instance referred3 ,the ,lord had formed ,him to be ,his ,servant1 to bring back to ,him ,jacob and ,israel that were not gathered4 ,since1 then1 the mission is directed to apostate ,israel1 it can the less be strange that the labour was in vain4 ,to the same result we are led also by the circumstance that1 in ver4 #f1 the saving activity of the ,servant of ,god appears as limited to the preserved of ,israel1 while the original mission had been directed to the whole4 ,and this portion to which ,his activity is limited1 is comparatively a small portion4 ,for that is suggested by the circumstance that to have the preserved of ,israel for ,his portion is represented as a light thing--not at all corresponding to the dignity of the ,servant of ,god4 ,as1 in that verse1 the preserved of ,israel form the contrast to the mass of the people given up by the ,lord1 so in the verse under consideration1 the opposition which the ,servant of ,god finds1 is represented as so great1 that ,his ministry was1 in the main1 in vain2 so that accordingly the great mass of the people must have been unsusceptible of it4--,in the view that a great portion of the people would reject the salvation offered in ,christ1 and thereby become liable to judgment1 the ,song of ,solomon ,pg #bch had already preceded our ,prophet4 ,as regards the natural grounds of this foresight1 we remarked in the ,commentary on the ,song of ,solomon1 ,s4 #bde3 ,with a knowledge of human nature1 and especially of the nature of ,israel1 as it was peculiar to the people from the beginning1 and was firmly and deeply impressed upon them by the ,mosaic laws1--after the experience which the journey through the wilderness1 the time of the ,judges1 the reign of ,david and of ,solomon also offered1 it was absolutely impossible for the enlightened to entertain the hope that1 at the appearance of the ,messiah1 the whole people would do homage to ,him with sincere and cordial devotion4 ,how very much this was the case1 the very first chapter of ,isaiah can prove4 ,it is impossible that one who has so deeply recognized the corrupted nature of his people1 should give himself up to vain patriotic fancies2 to such an one1 the time of the highest manifestation of salvation must necessarily be1 at the same time1 a period of the highest realization of judgment4 ,the same view which is given here1 we meet with also in chap4 liii4 #a-c4 ,in harmony with ,isaiah1 ,zechariah1 too1 prophesies1 in chaps4 xi41 xiii4 #h1 that the greater portion of the ,jews will not believe in ,christ4 ,malachi iii4 #a-f1 #ai1 #bd1 contrasts with the longed-for judgment upon the heathen1 the judgment which1 in the ,messianic time1 is to be executed upon the people itself4--,on the words3 ,my right is with the ,lord1 and my reward with my ,god1 compare ,lev4 xix1 #ac3 ,the reward of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning4 ,the ,god who watches that among men the well-earned wages of faithful labour shall not be withheld1 will surely himself not withhold them from ,his ,servant4 ,the right1 the well-deserved reward of ,his ,servant is with ,him2 it is there safely kept1 in order that it may be delivered up to ,him in due time4 ,that which the ,servant of the ,lord here1 in the highest sense1 says of himself1 holds true of ,his inferior servants also4 ,their labour in the ,lord is1 in truth1 never in vain4 ,their right and their reward can never fail them4 ,ver4 #e4 ,and now1 saith the ,lord that formed me from the womb to be a ,servant to himself1 to bring ,jacob again to ,him1 and ,israel which is not gathered1 and ,i am honoured in the eyes of the ,lord1 and my ,god was my strength4 ,ver4 ,pg #bcif4 ,and ,he saith3 ,it is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my ,servant only to raise up the tribes of ,jacob1 and to restore the preserved of ,israel1 and ,i give thee for a light to the ,gentiles1 that thou mayest be my ,salvation unto the ends of the earth4 ,the confidence which the ,servant of the ,lord has placed in ,him has not been put to shame by the result1 but rather has been gloriously justified by ,him4 ,he who was1 in the first instance1 sent to ,israel1 is appointed to be the ,saviour of the ,gentiles1 in order to compensate ,him for the unbelief of those to whom ,his mission was in the first instance directed4 ,and now1 i4e41 since the matter stands thus 7,gen4 xlv4 #h71--since ,israel1 to whom my mission is1 in the first instance1 directed1 reject me4 ,saith the ,lord--,that which the ,lord spoke follows in ver4 #f only1 which1 on account of the long interruption1 again begins with3 ,and ,he saith1 equivalent to3 ,i say4 ,he hath spoken4 ,the declaration of the ,lord has reference to the destination of ,his ,servant to be the ,saviour of the ,gentiles4 ,this declaration is1 in ver4 #e1 based upon two reasons3--first1 the frustration of the original mission of the ,servant of the ,lord to the ,jews2 and secondly1 on the intimate relation in which ,he stands to the ,lord1 who cannot withhold from ,him the reward which ,he deserves for ,his work4 ,in the ,new ,testament1 also1 the mission of ,christ appears as being at first directed to the ,jews only4 ,the ,lord says1 in ,matt4 xv4 #bd3 ,greek3 ouk apestaln ei m eis ta probata ta apollota oikou ,isral4 ,he says1 in ,matt4 x4 #f1 to the ,apostles1 after having forbidden them to go to the heathens1 and to the ,samaritans1 who were nothing but disguised heathens3 ,greek3 poreuesthe de mallon pros ta probata ta apollota oikou ,isral4 ,paul and ,barnabas say1 in ,acts xiii4 #df3 ,greek3 humin n anankaion prton lalthnai ton logon tou ,theou4 epeid de aptheisthe auton kai ouk axious krinete heautous ts ainiou zs1 idou strephometha eis ta ethn4 ,it is rather an idle question to ask what would have happened1 if the ,jews as a nation had accepted the offered salvation4 ,but so much is certain that here1 in the prediction1 as well as in history1 the rejection of ,christ1 on the part of the ,jews1 appears to have been a necessary condition of ,his entering upon ,his vocation as the ,saviour of the ,gentiles4 ,those who understood the people by the ,servant of the ,lord refer ,hebrew3 lwibb to ,jehovah1 and consider it as a ,gerund4 ,pg #bdj reducendo1 or qui reducit ad se ,jacobum4 ,in the same way they explain also the ,infinit4 with ,hebrew3 l in the following verse1 as also in chap4 li4 #af4 ,but although the ,infinit4 with ,hebrew3 l is sometimes1 indeed1 used for the ,gerund41 yet this is neither the original nor the ordinary use2 and nowhere does it occur in such accumulation4 ,moreover1 by this explanation1 this verse1 as well as the following ones1 are altogether broken up1 and the words ,hebrew3 lwvbb ieqb aliv must indicate the destination for which ,he was formed4 ,and it is not possible that ,jehovah's bringing ,jacob back to himself should be a display of ,israel's being formed from the womb to be the ,servant1 inasmuch as the bringing back would not1 like the formation1 belong to the first stage of the existence of the people4--,and ,israel1 which is not gathered4 ,before ,hebrew3 awr1 ,hebrew3 la must be supplied4 ,according to the parallel words3 ,to bring ,jacob again to ,him1 the not gathering of ,israel is to be referred to its having wandered away from the ,lord4 ,it was appropriate that this should be expressly mentioned1 and not merely supposed1 as is the case in3 ,to bring ,jacob again to ,him4 ,the image which lies at the foundation1 is that of a scattered flock2 comp4 ,mic4 ii4 #ab4 ,parallel is ,isaiah liii4 #f3 ,all we like sheep have gone astray1 we have turned every one to his own way4--,to the words under consideration the ,lord alludes in ,matt4 xxiii4 #cg3 ,greek3 h,ierousalm 444 posakis thelsa epi sunagagein ta tekna sou hon tropon episunagei ornis ta nossia heauts hupo tas pterugas kai ouk thelsate2 comp4 also ,matt4 ix4 #cf3 ,greek3 idn de tous ochlous esplanchnisthe peri autn hoti san eskulmenoi kai erhrimmenoi hsei probata m echonta poimena4 ,on account of chap4 xi4 #ab1 it will not do to take ,hebrew3 as,p in the signification of to snatch away1 to carry off1 as is done by ,hitzig4 ,moreover ,hebrew3 nas,p means1 indeed1 to be gathered1 but never to be carried off ,the ,mazoreths would read ,hebrew3 la for ,hebrew3 lv3 ,and that ,israel might be gathered to ,him4 ,thus it is rendered1 among the ancient translators1 by ,aquila and the ,chaldee2 while ,symmachus1 ,theodoret1 and the ,vulgate express the negation4 ,most of the modern interpreters have followed the ,mazoreths4 ,but the assumption of several of these1 that ,hebrew3 la is only a different writing for ,hebrew3 lv1 is altogether without foundation1 compare the remarks on chap4 ix4 #b2 and the reading of the ,mazoreths is just like all the ,kris1 a mere conjecture1 owing its origin1 as has already been ,pg #bda remarked by ,jerome1 only to a bad ,jewish patriotism4 ,the circumstance that1 with the sole exception1 of #b ,chron4 xxx4 #c1--;an exception which1 from the character of the language of that book1 is of no importance--the verb ,hebrew3 as,p in the signification to gather has the person to whom it is gathered never joined to it by means of ,hebrew3 l1 but commonly by means of ,hebrew3 al1 is of so much the greater importance1 that ,hebrew3 l has nothing to do with ,hebrew3 al4 ,when ,stier remarks that ver4 #f1 where ,jacob and ,israel were again beside each other in a completely parallel clause1 proves that ,israel's gathering can be spoken of positively only1 he has overlooked the essential difference of ver4 #e1 which refers to the position of the ,servant of ,god towards the whole people and ver4 #f1 which refers to ,his destination for the election4--,the words3 ,and ,i am honoured in the eyes of the ,lord1 and my ,god is my strength1 i4e41 my protection and helper1 recapitulate what1 in ver4 #b and #c1 was said about the high dignity of the ,servant of ,god1 of which the effect appears1 in ver4 #f1 in ,his appointment to be the ,saviour of the ,gentiles1 after the mission to ,israel has been fruitless4 ,in ver4 #f1 it is not the decree of the salvation of the ,gentiles through ,christ which forms the subject 7that decree is an eternal one71 but rather that this decree should be carried out4 ,it is for this that ,israel's unbelief offers an occasion ,as the salvation of the elect among ,israel 7in reference to the great mass1 the ,servant of ,god had laboured in vain1 ver4 #d7 would be too small a reward for thee1 ,i assign to thee in addition to them1 an infinitely larger inheritance1 viz41 the whole heathen world4 ,hebrew3 wvb in ,hiphil frequently means to lead back1 in the ordinary sense1 but sometimes also to lead back into the former1 or normal condition1 to restore1 compare remarks on ,dan4 ix4 #be2 ,ps4 lxxx4 #d4 ,the parallel1 to raise up1 which is opposed to the lying down 7,ps4 xli4 #i71 shows that here it stands in the sense of to restore4 ,the local leading back belongs to the sphere of ,koresh1 to whom the first book is dedicated2 but1 with that1 the abnormal condition of misery and abasement1 which is so much opposed to the idea of the people of ,god1 is not completely and truly removed4 ,that which the ,servant of ,god bestows upon the elect of ,israel1 viz41 raising up and restoration1 is1 in substance1 the same which1 according to what follows1 ,he becomes to the ,gentiles1 ,pg #bdb viz41 light and salvation4 ,by becoming light and salvation to the elect of ,israel1 ,he raises them up and leads them back1 inasmuch as this was the normal1 natural condition of the covenant-people1 from which they had only fallen by their sins4 ,it is to that1 that the election is restored by the ,servant of ,god4 ,by the tribes of ,jacob1 the better part only of the people is to be understood1 to the exclusion of those souls who are cut off from their people1 because they have broken the covenant of the ,lord1 comp4 ver4 #d4 ,this appears from the addition3 ,and the preserved of ,israel 7the ,kethibh ,hebrew3 neiri is an adjective form with a passive signification2 the marginal reading ,hebrew3 ncvri is the ,part4 ,pass472 just as1 similarly in ,ps4 lxxiii4 #a1 ,israel is limited to the true ,israel by the explanatory clause3 ,such as are of a clean heart4 ,the verb ,hebrew3 ncr1 to watch1 is1 according to ,gesenius1 especially used de ,jehova homines custodiente et tuente4 ,hence1 the preserved of ,israel are those whom ,god keeps under ,his gracious protection and care1 in contrast to the great mass of the covenant-breakers whom ,he gives up4 ,chap4 lxv4 #ac1 #ad3 ,behold my servants shall eat1 but ye shall be hungry2 behold my servants shall drink1 but ye shall be thirsty2 behold my servants shall rejoice1 but ye shall be ashamed2 behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart1 but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart1 and shall howl for vexation of spirit1 likewise points to a great separation which shall take place in the ,messianic time4 ,light 7compare remarks on chap4 xlii4 #f71 and salvation are related to one another1 as the image to the thing itself ,from the circumstance that the point here in question is the reward for the ,servant of ,god1 who is to be indemnified for the loss which ,he suffered by ,israel 7comp4 ver4 #d71 it is obvious that we must not explain3 that my salvation be1 but3 that thou mayest be my salvation2 for it is only when ,he is the salvation that such an indemnification is spoken of ,moreover1 the ,infinitive with ,hebrew3 l can here not well be understood otherwise than in the preceding clause4 ,the servant of ,god is the personal salvation of the ,lord for the heathen world2 comp4 chap4 xlii4 #f1 and1 in the chapter under consideration1 ver4 #h1 where ,he is called the covenant of the people1 because this covenant finds in ,him its truth2 compare also the expression3 ,this man is peace1 in ,mic4 v4 #d 7#e74 ,gesenius rightly remarks1 that ,pg #bdc there is here an allusion to the promises given to the ,patriarchs1 ,gen4 xii4 #c1 c4 ,in ,christ1 the ,shiloh to whom the people adhere1 the old promise of the future extension of salvation to all the ,gentiles is to be fulfilled4 ,ver4 #g4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 the ,redeemer of ,israel1 his ,holy ,one1 to ,him that is despised by every one1 to the abhorrence of the people1 to the servant of rulers3 ,kings shall see and rise up1 princes1 and prostrate themselves because of the ,lord that is faithful1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel that hath chosen thee4 ,hitherto1 the ,servant of the ,lord has spoken3 here1 the ,prophet speaks of ,him4 ,he gives a short and comprehensive summary of the contents of ver4 #a-f1 the rejection of the ,servant of ,god by the people to whom ,his mission was1 in the first instance1 directed1 and ,his appointment to be the ,saviour of the ,gentiles4 ,the matter is traced back to the ,redeemer of ,israel and their ,holy ,one1 i4e41 the high and glorious ,god1 because the ,servant of ,god is1 in the first instance1 sent to ,israel as ,greek3 diakonos peritoms huper altheias theou eis to bebaisai tas epangelias tn patern1 ,rom4 xv4 #h2 but still more1 because ,he himself is the concentration of ,israel 7ver4 #c71 the ,greek3 kephal tou smatos ts ekklsias1 ,col4 i4 #ah1--;,he in whose glorification the true ,israel1 as opposed to the darkened refuse1 attain to their right4 ,according to the context1 the contempt1 c41 must proceed chiefly from the apostate portion of the covenant-people3 ,the princes and kings must1 according to ver4 #f 7comp4 chap4 lii4 #ae71 be conceived of as heathenish ones4 ,the verse under consideration merely exhibits1 in short outlines1 the contrast already alluded to in the preceding context4 ,it cannot appear at all strange that the ,prophet foresees the reproach of ,christ1 and ,his sufferings from the ungodly world4 ,in those ,psalms which refer to the suffering righteous one1 righteousness and the hostility of the wicked world are represented as being inseparably connected with each other4 ,hence it cannot be conceived of otherwise1 but that the ,servant of ,god1 who1 in ,his person1 represented the ideal of righteousness1 should1 in a very special manner1 have been liable to this hostility4 ,moreover1 it can be proved that1 in some ,psalms which refer to the suffering righteous one1 ,david has1 besides the individual and the whole people1 in view1 at the same time1 his own ,pg #bdd family1 and ,him in whom it was to centre2 comp4 my commentary on ,ps4 ,vol4 iii4 p4 lxxx4 ff4 ,there seems here to be a special reference to ,ps4 xxii4 #g1 #h3 ,and ,i am a worm and no man1 a reproach of man and despised of the people4 ,all they that see me laugh me to scorn1 open their lips1 shake their heads2 and it is the more natural to assume this reference that1 in chap4 lii4 #ad2 liii4 #c1 this passage also is referred to ,hebrew3 bzh is1 after the example of ,kimchi1 viewed by several interpreters as an infinitive form standing in place of a ,noun1 despising or contemning1 instead of contempt1 and this again instead of object of contempt4 ,others view it as the ,stat4 construct4 of an adjective ,hebrew3 bzh with a passive signification4 ,this latter view is more natural2 and the reason which ,stier adduces against it1 viz41 that of verbs ,hebrew3 lh no such forms are found1 cannot be considered as conclusive4 ,hebrew3 bzh-npw1 literally the despised one of the soul might1 according to ,ezek4 xxxvi4 #e3 ,against ,edom who have taken my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart1 with the contempt of their soul1 mean1 who is inwardly and deeply despised1 the soul being viewed as the seat of the affections4 ,but we are led to another explanation by the fundamental passage1 ,ps4 xxii4 #g1 and by the circumstance that ,hebrew3 npw is here parallel to ,hebrew3 nvi1 and that the latter corresponds to the ,hebrew3 e,m in ,ps4 xxii4 ,the despised one of the soul must1 accordingly1 be he who is despised of every one4 ,the soul corresponding to man in ,ps4 xxii4 is1 as it were1 conceived of as a great concrete body4 ,in a similar manner1 soul is used for all that has a soul1 in ,gen4 xiv4 #ba1 where the king of ,sodom says to ,abraham3 ,give me the soul1 and take the goods to thyself4--,to the abhorrence of the people4 ,hebrew3 teb in ,piel never has another signification than to abhor4 ,such is the signification in ,job ix4 #ca also1 where the clothes abhor ,job plunged in the dirt1 resist being put on by him2 likewise in ,ezek4 xv4 #be1 where ,judah abhors his beauty1 disgracefully tramples under feet his glory1 as if he hated it4 ,in favour of the signification3 ,to cause to abhor 7,rdiger3 horrorem incutiens populo1 qui abominationi est populo71 interpreters cannot adduce even one apparent passage1 except that before us4 ,we are1 therefore1 only at liberty to explain1 after the example of ,kimchi3 to the 444 people abhorring1 i4e41 to him against whom the ,pg #bde people feel an abhorrence4 ,hebrew3 gvi is used of the ,jewish people in ,is4 i4 #d also4 ,hofmann is of opinion that it ought to have the article1 if it were to refer to the ,jewish people4 ,but no one asserts a direct reference to them2 it designates1 in itself1 the mass only1 in contrast to single individuals1 just as ,hebrew3 e,m in ,ps4 xxii4 ,the abhorrence is felt by the masses--is popular4 ,the fact that it is among ,israel that the ,servant of ,god meets this general abhorrence1 is not implied in the word itself1 but is suggested by the whole context4 ,while ,hebrew3 npw and ,hebrew3 gvi designate the generality of this hatred1 ,hebrew3 mwli,m points to the highest places of it4 ,of heathen rulers this word occurs in chap4 xiv4 #e2 of native rulers1 in chap4 lii4 #e2 xxviii4 #ad4 ,the heathen rulers can here come into consideration1 in so far only as they are the instruments of the native ones2 comp4 ,john xix4 #aj3 ,greek3 legei aut ho ,pilatos4 emoi ou laleis2 ouk oidas hoti exousian ech staursai se kai exousian ech apolusai se4 ,the servant of rulers forms the contrast to the servant of the ,lord4 ,but in the words3 ,kings shall see1 c41 it is described how the original dignity finally breaks forth powerfully1 and reacts against the momentary humiliation4 ,it was especially at the crucifixion that ,christ presented himself as ,he that was despised by every one1 as the abhorrence of the people1 as the servant of rulers4 ,the historical commentary on these words we have in ,matt4 xxii4 #ci ff43 ,greek3 hoi de paraporeuomenoi eblasphmoun auton k4t4l4 homois de kai hoi archiereis empaizontes meta tn grammaten kai presbutern elegon4 allous essen k4t4l4 to d'auto kai hoi lstai hoi susaurthentes aut hneidizon auton4--,after ,hebrew3 irav they shall see1 the object must be supplied from ver4 #f1 viz41 the brilliant turn which1 under the ,lord's direction4 ,his destiny shall take1--,his being constituted the light and salvation of the ,gentiles4 ,the kings who sit on their thrones rise up2 the nobles who stand around the throne prostrate themselves4 ,the ,servant of ,god is the concentration of ,israel1 ver4 #c4 ,hence ,his glorification is1 at the close1 once more traced back to the ,holy ,one of ,israel2 and that so much the rather1 because the glorification which is bestowed upon ,him is bestowed upon ,him for the benefit of the ,congregation1 whom ,he elevates along with himself out of the condition of deep abasement2 comp4 vers4 #h and #i4 ,the verse before us forms the germ of that which1 in chap4 lii4 #ac1 is carried out and expanded4 ,pg #bdf ,ver4 #h4 ,thus saith the ,lord3 ,in the time of favour have ,i heard thee1 and in the day of salvation have ,i helped thee2 and ,i will preserve thee1 and give thee for the ,covenant of the people1 that thou mayest raise up the land1 divide desolate heritages4 ,ver4 #i4 ,that thou mayest say to the prisoners3 ,go forth2 to them that are in darkness3 ,come to light2 they shall feed in the ways1 and on all bare hills shall be their pasture4 ,the time of favour may be either the time when ,god shows ,his delight in1 and favour to ,his ,servant1 and1 in ,him1 to the ,church1 q4 d41 of delight in thee1 mercy for thee1--in which case chap4 lx4 #aj would be parallel3 ,in my wrath ,i smote thee1 and in my favour have ,i had mercy on thee2 or1 in the time of favour1 may be equivalent to3 at the agreeable1 acceptable time 7,,lxx41 which ,paul follows in #b ,cor4 vi4 #a1 #b1 ,greek3 kair dekt1 ,vulg4 tempore placito72 in contrast to a preceding unacceptable time1 in which the ,lord seemed to have forsaken ,his ,servant1 in which it appeared as if ,he had laboured in vain1 and spent ,his strength for nought and vanity4 ,acceptable is the time to all parties1 not only to the ,servant of ,god1 but also to those who are to be redeemed through ,him2 and not less to ,god1 to whom it is a joy to pour out upon ,his ,servant the rivers of ,his salvation4 ,the ,preterites in ver4 #h must be viewed as prophetic ,preterites4 ,concerning ,covenant of the people1 compare remarks on chap4 xlii4 #f4 ,the idea of the people is more closely defined and qualified by ver4 #f and #g4 ,the souls who have been cut off from their people1 because they have broken the covenant of the ,lord1 and despised ,his ,servant1 are justly passed by4 ,but since ,hebrew3 e,m can here be understood of the better portion of the people only1 of the invisible ,church in the midst of the visible1 the ,servant of ,god cannot be the better portion of the people4--,in the words3 ,that thou mayest raise up the land1 divide desolate heritages1 the bestowal of salvation is described under the image of the restoration of a devastated country4 ,in ver4 #i1 the misery of the ,congregation of ,god is described under the image of pining away in a dark prison2 comp4 remarks on chap4 xlii4 #g4 ,with the second half of the verse1 there begins a more general description of the glorious salvation which the ,lord will giant to ,his people2 and the person of the ,mediator ,pg #bdg steps into the back-ground1 in order afterwards to come forth more prominently4 ,the ways and bare hills have come into consideration as places which1 in themselves1 are completely barren1 and which the wonderful grace of ,god can alone cause to bud and flourish4 ,,chapter ,l4 #d-aa4 ,the ,servant of ,god here also appears as speaking4 ,in ver4 #d1 ,he intimates ,his vocation3 ,god has bestowed upon ,him the gift of comforting those who are weary and heavy laden4 ,he then at once turns to ,his real subject1--the sufferings which1 in fulfilment of this vocation he has to endure4 ,the ,lord has inwardly manifested to ,him that1 in the exercise of ,his office4 ,he shall experience severe trials2 and willingly has ,he borne all these sufferings1 all the ignominy and shame1 ver4 #e1 #f4 ,with this willingness and fortitude ,he is inspired by ,his firm confidence in the ,lord1 who1 he certainly knows1 will help ,him and destroy ,his enemies1 ver4 #g-i4 ,the conclusion1 in ver4 #aj and #aa1 forms the prophetic announcement of the different fates of the two opposing parties among the people4 ,at the foundation of this lies the foresight of heavy afflictions which1 after the appearance of the ,servant of ,god1 will be laid upon the covenant-people4 ,that portion of the people who are devoted to the ,servant of ,god1 are told to hope in the midst of the misery1 and may hope2 their sorrows shall be turned into joy4 ,but the ungodly who1 without regarding the ,lord1 and without hearkening to ,his ,servant1 would help themselves1 will bring destruction upon themselves by their self-willed doings1 and shall be visited by the avenging hand of the ,servant of ,god4 ,an intimation of the lowliness of ,christ at ,his first appearance occurs as early as in chap4 xi4 #a4 ,in chap4 xlii4 #d1 the words3 ,he shall not fail nor run away1 intimate that the ,servant of ,god has to struggle with great obstacles and difficulties in the exercise of ,his calling4 ,according to chap4 xlix4 #d1 ,he will labour in vain among the great mass of the covenant-people1 ,pg #bdh and spend his strength for nought and vanity4 ,in ver4 #g1 it is expressly intimated that severe sufferings shall be inflicted upon ,him by the people4 ,that which was there alluded to1 is here carried out and expanded4 ,but the suffering of the ,servant of ,god is here described from that aspect only which is common to ,christ with ,his members4 ,it is first in chap4 liii4 that its vicarious power is pointed out4 ,the ,servant of ,god comes here before us in ,his deepest humiliation4 ,even in the description of ,his vocation in ver4 #d1 the most unassuming aspect1 the prophetic office only1 is brought forward4 ,it is only quite at the close that a gentle intimation is given of the glory concealed behind the lowliness3 ,he there appears as the judge of those who have rejected ,him4 ,in the ,messianic explanation of this ,section1 the ,lord himself has gone before ,his ,church4 ,we read in ,luke xviii4 #ca1 #cb1 ,greek3 paralabn de tous ddeka eipe pros autous4 idou anabainomen eis h,ierosoluma kai telesthsetai panta ta gegrammena dia tn prophtn t hui tou anthrpou4 paradothsetai gar tois ethnesi kai empaichthsetai kai hubristhsetai kai emptusthsetai kai mastigsantes apoktenousin auton4 ,there cannot be any doubt that the ,lord here distinctly refers to ver4 #f of the prophecy under consideration4 ,there is1 at all events1 no other passage in the whole of the ,old ,testament1 except that before us1 in which there is any mention made of being spat upon4 ,but in other respects1 too1 the reference is visible3 ,i gave my back to the smiters 7 ,greek3 mastigsantes1 ,,lxx4 ,greek3 eis mastigas71 and my cheeks to those plucking 7 ,greek3 empaichthsetai--the plucking of the beard1 an act of degrading wantonness71 my face ,i hid not from shame 7 ,greek3 hubristhsetai7 and spitting4 ,bengel draws attention to the fact of how highly ,christ1 in the passage quoted1 placed the prophecy of the ,old ,testament3 ,jesus most highly valued that which was written4 ,the word of ,god which is contained in ,scripture is the rule for all which is to happen1 even for that which is to happen in eternal life4 ,if1 in respect of the high estimation of prophecy1 our age were to follow in the steps of ,jesus1 it would also most readily agree with ,him as regards the subject of the prophecy before us4 ,this alone is the cause of the aberration from ,him1 that people confined and shut up the prophet within the horizon of his time1 and then imagined that he could not know anything of the suffering of ,christ4 ,it was altogether different in the ,pg #bdi ancient ,christian ,church4 ,in it1 the ,messianic interpretation prevailed throughout2 and ,grotius1 who in a lower sense would refer the prophecy to ,isaiah1 and1 in a higher sense only1 to ,christ1 met with general opposition1 even on the part of ,clericus4 ,in favour of the ,messianic explanation there is the remarkable agreement existing between prophecy and fulfilment1 comp4 ,matt4 xxvi4 #fg1 #fh3 ,greek3 ,tote eneptusan eis to prospon autou kai ekolaphisan auton4 h,oi de erhrapisan legontes4 prophteuson hmin1 christe1 tis estin ho paisas se2 xxvii4 #cj3 ,greek3 kai emptusantes eis auton elabon ton kalamon kai etupton eis tn kephaln autou1--an agreement1 the significance and importance of which are only enhanced by the circumstance that one of the most individualizing features of the prophecy1 viz41 the plucking off of the beard1 is not met with in the history of ,christ2 for it is just thereby that this agreement is proved to be a free and spontaneous one4 ,farther--,the exactness with which1 in ver4 #aj and #aa1 the destinies of ,israel1 after the rejection of ,christ1 are drawn2 and the destruction which the mass of the people1 who did not believe in the ,servant of ,god1 prepared for themselves1 by their attempts to help themselves by their own strength1 by enkindling the flame of war1 whilst those who fear the ,lord and listen to the voice of ,hs ,servant1 obtain salvation4 ,farther--,ver4 #aa1 where the ,servant of ,god ascribes to himself the judgment upon the unbelieving mass of the people3 ,from my hand is this to you1 in harmony with ,matt4 xxvi4 #fd and other passages1 where the ,son of ,man appears as executing judgment upon ,jerusalem4 ,finally--,the parallel passages4 ,most of the modern interpreters assume that the ,prophet himself1 ,isaiah1 or ,pseudo-,isaiah1 is the subject of the prophecy4 ,jerome mentions that this explanation was the prevailing one among the ,jews of his time4 ,the explanation which refers it to the better portion of the people1 found only one defender1 viz41 ,paulus4 ,the explanation which refers it to the whole of the ,jewish people1 or to the collective body of the prophets1 has been entirely abandoned1 although it is maintained in reference to the parallel passages4 ,since it is undeniable that this ,section is related to the other prophecies which treat of the ,servant of ,god1--and hence an identity of subject is necessarily required--those who1 in the ,pg #bej ,section under consideration1 are compelled to give up their former hypothesis1 themselves bear witness against the correctness of it1 at the same time1 also against the soundness of their explanation of the passage before us4 ,for an explanation which compels to the severance of what is necessarily connected1 cannot be right and true4 ,it is only then that ,exegesis has attained its object1 when it has arrived at a subject in whom all those features1 which occur in the single prophecies which are connected with each other1 are found at the same time4 ,knobel1 in saying3 ,this small unconnected ,section1 is the only one in the whole collection1 in which the ,prophet speaks of himself only1 and represents his suffering's and hopes1 has thereby himself pronounced judgment upon his own interpretation of this ,section1 and at the same time1 of the other prophecies of the ,servant of ,god4 ,moreover1 the ,prophet would here form rather a strange figure2 he would appear as it were1 as if he had been blown in by a snow-storm4 ,according to ,hofmann1 he describes how he is rewarded for his activity and zeal in his vocation4 ,but how does this suit the contents of the second part1 which evidently is a whole1 the single parts of which must stand in a close relation to its fundamental idea6 ,it is only a person of central importance that is suitable to this context4 ,it is only when we refer it to ,christ1 that the expectations are satisfied which were called forth by the words3 ,comfort ye1 comfort ye my people4 ,this call is answered only by pointing to the future ,saviour of the world4 ,one element of truth1 indeed1 there is in the explanation which makes the ,prophet the subject4 ,it is revealed to him1 indeed1 that the ,servant of ,god shall undergo persecution1 shame1 and ignominy2 but he has the natural substratum for this knowledge in the experience of himself and his colleagues1 comp4 ,matt4 xxiii4 #bi-cg2 ,heb4 xi4 #cf1 #cg4 ,the divine1 wherever it enters into the world of sin1 as well as the servant of truth who upholds it in the face of prevailing falsehood1 must undergo struggles1 shame1 and ignominy4 ,this truth was confirmed in the case of the prophets as types1 in the case of ,christ as the antitype4 ,all that which the prophets had to experience in their own cases was a prophecy by deeds of the sufferings of ,christ2 and we should the less have any difficulty ,pg #bea in admitting their knowledge of this1 that it would be rather strange if they were destitute of such knowledge4 ,ver4 #d4 ,the ,lord ,jehovah hath given me a disciples tongue1 that ,i should know to help the weary with a word3 ,he awakeneth morning by morning1 wakeneth mine ear1 that ,i may hear as the disciples4 ,the greater number of expositors explain a disciple's tongue by3 ,a tongue such as instructed people or scholars possess1--an eloquent tongue4 ,but ,hebrew3 lmd1 everywhere else in ,isaiah1 means pupil1 disciple1 and is used especially of the disciples of the ,lord1 those who go to ,his school1 are instructed by ,him2 comp4 chaps4 viii4 #af2 liv4 #ac4 ,a disciple's tongue is such as the disciples of the ,lord possess4 ,its foundation is formed by the disciple's ear mentioned at the close of the verse4 ,he who hears the ,lord's words1 speaks also the ,lord's words4 ,the signification1 learned1 is not suitable in the last clause of the verse1 and its reference to the first does not permit of our assuming a different signification in either clause4 ,just as here the ,servant of ,god traces back to ,god that which ,he speaks1 so ,jesus says1 in ,john viii4 #bf3 ,greek3 kag ha kousa par'autou tauta lal eis ton kosmon1 comp4 iii4 #cd3 ,greek3 hon gar apesteilen ho theos ta rhmata tou theou lalei4 ,the verb ,hebrew3 sm,k1 which occurs only here1 means1 according to the ,arabic1 to help1 to support2 ,aquila3 ,greek3 hupostrisai1 ,vulg4 sustentare4 ,like other similar verbs1 e4g41 ,hebrew3 sm,k1 in ,gen4 xxvii4 #cg1 it is construed with a double accusative3 that ,i may help the weary1 word1 i4e41 may support him by comforting words4 ,the weary or fatigued are1 like the bent reed1 the faintly burning wick1 in chap4 xlii4 #c2 the blind1 the prisoners sitting in darkness1 ibid41 ver4 #g2 the broken-hearted1 chap4 lxi4 #a2 them that mourn1 ibid41 ver4 #b4 ,just as here the ,servant of ,god represents the suffering and afflicted ones as the main objects of ,his mission1 so ,christ announces1 that ,his mission is specially directed to these1 comp4 e4g41 ,matt4 v4 #d2 xi4 #bh4 ,in order to be able to fulfil this mission4 ,he must be able to draw from the fulness of ,god1 who looketh to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit1 chap4 lxvi4 #b1 and who alone understands to heal the broken in heart1 and to bind up their wounds1 ,ps4 cxlvii4 #c4--;,in the words3 ,he wakeneth1 c4 we are told in what manner the ,lord gives to ,his ,servant the disciple's tongue4 ,to waken ,pg #beb the ear is equivalent to3 to make attentive1 to make ready for the reception of the divine communications4 ,the expression morning by morning indicates that the divine wakening is going on uninterruptedly1 and that the ,servant of ,god unreservedly surrenders himself to the influences which come from above1 in which ,he has become an example to us4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the ,lord ,jehovah hath opened mine ear1 and ,i was not rebellious1 and have not turned back4 ,the phrases to open or uncover the ear have always the signification1 to make known something to some one1 to reveal to him something4 to inform him1 both in ordinary circumstances 7comp4 #a ,sam4 xx4 #ab2 ,ruth iv4 #d71 and on the religious territory1 comp4 #b ,sam4 vii4 #bg3 ,for thou1 ,lord of ,hosts1 ,god of ,israel1 hast opened the ear of thy servant1 saying3 ,i will build thee an house2 ,isa4 xlviii4 #h3 ,thou heardest not1 thou knewest not1 nor was formerly thine ear opened2 chap4 xlii4 #bj3 ,the ear was opened to him4 ,according to this well established usus loquendi1 ,the ,lord hath opened mine ear1 can only mean3 ,the ,lord hath revealed to me1 hath informed me inwardly2 ,abenezra3 ,hebrew3 glh svdv li ,he has made known to me ,his secret4 ,what the ,lord has made known to ,his ,servant1 we are not here expressly told2 but it may be inferred from ver4 #f1 where the ,servant declares that which1 in consequence of the divine manifestation1 ,he did1 viz41 that ,he should give ,his back to the smiters1 c4 ,the words3 ,the ,lord hath opened mine ear here are connected with3 ,the ,lord wakeneth mine ear1 that ,i may hear1 in the preceding verse3 ,the ,lord has specially made known to me that1 in carrying out my vocation1 ,i shall have to endure severe sufferings4 ,to this subject the ,servant of ,god quickly passes over1 after having1 in the introduction1 described1 by a few features1 the vocation1 in the carrying out of which these sufferings should befal ,him4 ,as the authors of these sufferings1 we must conceive of the party opposed to the weary1 viz41 the proud1 secure1 unbroken sinners4 ,on ,i was not rebellious1 compare what1 in ,deut4 xxi4 #bj1 is written of the stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father2 and farther1 the words3 ,greek3 pln ouch hs eg thel all'hs su1 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ci4 ,pg #bec ,ver4 #f4 ,i gave my back to the smiters1 and my cheeks to the pluckers1 ,i hid not my face from shame and spitting4 ,the words express in an individualizing manner the thought1 that the ,servant of ,god1 in ,his vocation as the ,saviour of the personae miserabiles1 would experience the most shameful and ignominious treatment1 and would patiently bear it4 ,in ,god's providence1 part of the contents was literally fulfilled upon ,christ4 ,but the fact that this literal agreement is not the main point1 but that it serves as a hint and indication only of the far more important substantial conformity which would take place1 although the hatred of the world against the ,saviour of the poor and afflicted should have manifested itself in forms altogether different1--this fact is evident from the circumstance that regarding the fulfilment of the words3 and my cheeks to the pluckers--plucking the cheeks1 or plucking off of the beard being the greatest insult and disgrace in the ,east1 comp4 #b ,sam4 x4 #d--there is no mention in the ,new ,testament history4 ,in vers4 #g-i we have the future glory1 which makes it easy for the ,servant of ,god to bear the sufferings of the ,present4 ,if ,god be for ,him1 who may be against ,him8 ,ver4 #g4 ,but the ,lord ,jehovah helpeth me1 therefore ,i am not confounded1 therefore ,i make my face like a flint1 and ,i know that ,i am not put to shame4 ,hebrew3 nklmti refers to ,hebrew3 klmvt in the preceding verse4 ,he whom the ,lord helps is not confounded or put to shame by all the ignominy which the world heaps upon him4 ,the expression3 ,i make my face like a flint denotes the holy hardness of perseverance 7,stier72 comp4 ,ezek4 iii4 #h4 ,in that passage it is especially the assailing hardness which comes into consideration2 here1 on the contrary1 it is the suffering one4 ,there is an allusion to the passage before us1 in ,luke ix4 #ea3 ,greek3 egeneto de t sumplrousthai tas hmeras ts analpses autou1 kai autos to prospon autou estrixe tou poreuesthai eis h,ierousalm4 ,ver4 #h4 ,he is near that justifieth me2 who will contend with one8 ,let us stand together2 who has a right upon me1 let him come near me4 ,in the confidence and assurance of ,christ1 ,his redeemed ones1 too1 partake1--those that hear the voice of the ,servant of ,god1 ver4 #aj1 comp4 ,rom4 viii4 #cc1 #cd1 where this and the ,pg #bed following verse are intentionally alluded to4 ,the justification is one by deeds4 ,it took place and was fulfilled1 in the first instance1 in the resurrection and glorification of ,christ1 and1 then1 in the destruction of ,jerusalem4--,hebrew3 bel mwp,ti literally1 the master of my right1 i4e41 he who according to his opinion or assertion which1 by the issue is proved to be false1 has a right over me1 comp4 the ,greek3 en emoi ouk echei ouden which1 in ,john xiv4 #cj1 the ,lord says in reference to the chief of ,his enemies4 ,ver4 #i4 ,behold the ,lord ,jehovah will help me2 who is he that shall condemn me8 ,lo1 they shall wax old as a garment1 the moth shall eat them4 ,that which is said herein reference to the enemies of ,christ is1 in chap4 li4 #h1 with a reference to our passage1 said of the opponents of those who know righteousness1 and in whose heart is the law3 ,the moth shall eat them up like a garment4 ,enmity to ,christ and ,his ,church is1 to those who entertain it1 a prophecy of sure destruction4 ,the words3 ,the moth shall eat them1 are farther expanded in ver4 #aa1 where it is described how the people who ventured to condemn the ,servant of ,god1 become a prey to destruction4 ,the ,servant of ,god closes with a double address2 first1 to the godly2 and then1 to the ungodly4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,who is among you that feareth the ,lord1 that obeyeth the word of ,his ,servant8 ,when he walketh in darkness1 in which there is no light to him1 let him trust in the name of the ,lord1 and stay upon his ,god4 ,from the words3 ,of mine hand1 in ver4 #aa1 it appears that the ,servant of ,god is continuing the discourse4 ,hence the voice of ,his ,servant1 q4d41 the voice of me who am ,his ,servant4 ,by the words3 ,among you1 the address is directed to the whole of the people4 ,in this two parties are distinguished4 ,the first is formed by those who fear the ,lord1 and obey the voice of ,his ,servant4 ,both of these things appear as indissolubly connected4 ,the fear of ,god must necessarily prove itself in this1 that ,he whom ,he has sent is obeyed4 ,it is a mere imagination on the part of the people to think that they can fear ,god without obeying the voice of ,his ,servant2 comp4 ,john v4 #bc4 ,there is in this an allusion to the emphatic ,unto him ye shall hearken1 which1 in ,deut4 xviii4 #ae1 had been said in reference to the ,prophet4 ,pg #bee ,from ver4 #aa it appears that the darkness in which those walk who fear the ,lord1 is not to be understood of personal individual calamity which befals this or that godly one1 nor of the sufferings which happen to the pious godly party1 in contrast to the ungodly wicked1 but rather that we have before us the foresight of a dark period of sufferings which1 after the appearance of the ,servant of ,god1 shall be inflicted upon the whole people2 so that both of the parties1--that devoted to the ,servant of ,god1 and that opposed to ,him1--are thereby affected1 but with a different issue4 ,for in ver4 #aa1 it is described how the ungodly1 who likewise walk in darkness1 endeavour to light up their darkness by a fire which they have kindled1 but do so to their own destruction4 ,behind the exhortation3 ,let him trust in the name of the ,lord1 and stay upon his ,god1 there is concealed the promise3 he may trust1 his darkness shall be changed into light1 his sorrow into joy4 ,when the destruction of ,jerusalem approached1 the cry came to believing ,israel3 ,lift up your heads1 for your redemption draweth nigh1 ,luke xxi4 #bh4 ,in the destruction of apostate ,israel1 not obeying the ,servant of ,god1 but persecuting ,his faithful ones1 they beheld the beginning of the victory of the true people of ,god over the world4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,behold all ye that kindle a fire1 that gird sparks1--walk in the light of your fire1 and in the sparks that ye have kindled4 ,from mine hand is this to you2 ye shall lie down in pain4 ,the image begun in the preceding verse is continued4 ,the pious walk in confidence and patience through the lightless darkness1 until the ,lord kindles a light to them4 ,those who do not hear the ,lord1 who do not obey the voice of ,his ,servant1 kindle a fire which is to light up their darkness2 but instead of that1 they are consumed by the fire4 ,thus the ,servant of ,god1 who brings this destruction upon them1 obtains ,his right upon them4--,the fire is often in ,scripture the fire of war1 chap4 ix4 #ah2 ,jer4 li4 #e2 ,rev4 viii4 #g-aj4 ,according to several interpreters 7,hitzig1 ,ewald1 ,knobel71 it is assumed that the discourse is here not of self-assistance by rebellion1 but of the attacks of the wicked upon the godly1 and of the destruction1 into which these attacks turn out for their authors4 ,but this view is opposed by the circumstance that the darkness ,pg #bef is common to both parties2 hence1 it must come from some other quarter4 ,the fire which the wicked kindle is destined to enlighten the darkness in which they also are1 which is especially evident from the words3 ,walk in the light of your fire4 ,they now have a light which enlightens their darkness2 but this self-created light consumes them4--,to gird stands for1 to surround one's self with a girdle1 to put on a girdle4 ,in substance it is equivalent to provide one's self with it4--,the ,greek3 hapax legomenon ,hebrew3 ziqvt cannot with certainty be explained from the dialects4 ,the connection and parallelism are in favour of the signification sparks1 flames1 which is found as early as in the ,septuagint 7 ,greek3 phloga71 and ,vulg4 7flammas74 ,in ,syriac ,hebrew3 ziqa has the signification lightning4 ,those who explain it by fiery darts are not at liberty to refer it to the ,hebrew3 zqi,m in ,prov4 xxvi4 #ah4 ,the signification flames 7not sparks1 as ,stier holds71 is1 in that passage1 quite suitable2 simple arrows could there not be mentioned after the fiery darts without making the discourse feeble4--,hebrew3 lki walk ye1 is equivalent to3 ye shall walk1 yet with an intimation of the fact that this result1 as we are immediately afterwards expressly told1 proceeds from the speaker3 sic volo1 sic jubeo4 ,the words3 ,from mine hand is this to you1 are1 by those who make the ,prophet the subject of this prediction1 supposed to be spoken by ,jehovah4 ,but throughout the whole section1 the ,lord is always only spoken of1 and never appears as speaking4 ,the words are in harmony with the exalted dignity which1 elsewhere also1 is attributed by the ,prophet to the ,servant of ,god who plants the heavens1 and lays the foundation of the earth1 chap4 li4 #af2 whose mouth the ,lord makes like a sharp sword1 chap4 xlix4 #b2 who is the personal salvation1 the ,saviour for the whole earth1 chap4 xlix4 #f2 and the embodied ,covenant for the covenant-people1 chaps4 xlii4 #f2 xlix4 #h4 ,the last passages1 especially1 are of no small importance4 ,the saving and judging activity go hand in hand1 and cannot be separated4 ,we have here thus the ,old ,testament beginnings and preparation for the doctrine of the ,new ,testament1 that the ,father has given all judgment to the ,son1 ,the ,servant of ,god1 in the highest sense1 is ,lord and judge of the fellow servants4--,the ,hebrew3 l in ,hebrew3 lmecbh serves for designating the condition3 so that you belong to pain1 ,hebrew3 wkb occurs in ,pg #beg chap4 xliii4 #ag of the ,egyptians lying down2 comp4 ,ps4 xli4 #i3 ,he that lieth shall rise up no more4 ,in the announcement that ,israel's attempt to help themselves would turn out to their destruction1 the ,song of ,solomon1 in chap4 iii4 #a-c2 v4 #g1 has preceded our ,prophet3 ,the daughter of ,zion1 in her restlessness1 endeavours to bring about1 by worldly1 rebellious doings1 the ,messianic salvation4 ,it is in vain2 what she is seeking she does not find1 but the heavenly watchmen find her4 ,,chapter ,,li4 #a-af4 ,ver4 #a4 ,and ,i put my words in thy mouth1 and cover thee in the shadow of mine hand1 that thou mayest plant the heaven and lay the foundation of the earth1 and say unto ,zion3 ,thou art my people4 ,the discourse in chap4 li4 to lii4 #ab is not addressed to the whole of ,israel1 but to the election4 ,they are1 in chap4 li4 #a1 called those that follow after righteousness1 that seek the ,lord2 in ver4 #g1 those who know righteousness1 in whose heart is the law of the ,lord4 ,these the ,prophet seeks to comfort and strengthen by pointing to the future glorious mercies of the ,lord4 ,the ,section chap4 li4 #d-h comforts the elect by the coming of the salvation1 by the dominion of the people of ,god over the whole world2 points to the foundation of these successes1 viz41 the eternity of the salvation and righteousness for the ,church2 and exhorts them that1 having this eternal salvation before them1 they might patiently bear the temporal reproach of the world given over to destruction4 ,in vers4 #i-aa1 the ,church calls upon the ,lord to do as ,he had promised2 and this prayer1 founded upon ,his almighty love1 which in times past had so gloriously manifested itself1 passes over1 at the close1 into hope and confidence4 ,in vers4 #ab-af follows the answer of the ,lord1 who exhorts the ,church to be stedfast1 by reminding her that her opponents are weak mortals1 while the omnipotent ,god is her protector2 and announces that1 with the same omnipotence which ,he manifests in nature1 ,he would soon bring about her deliverance1 ,pg #beh and that ,ho would do so by ,his ,servant1 in whom all ,his promises should be ,yea and ,amen1 and whom at the close ,ho addresses1 committing to ,him the work of redemption4 ,according to the current opinion1 the discourse in ver4 #af is addressed to the people4 ,but1 in that case1 we must also make up our minds to view the ,infinitive with ,hebrew3 l a ,gerund1 planting1 or by planting1--a supposition which is beset with great difficulties4 ,it was only by an inconsistency that ,stier1 who1 in chap4 xlix4 rejects this view1 could here agree to it4 ,and1 farther1 it is obvious that the words at the close3 ,thou art my people1 are the words which1 according to the commencement of the verse1 are put into the mouth of the speaker1 and that hence1 the planting of heaven and earth1 which prepares for this speaking1 belongs to ,him4 ,if this be not supposed1 one does not at all see to what the3 ,i put my words in thy mouth1 is to refer4 ,what farther militates against this explanation is the unmistakable relation of the passage before us to chaps4 xlix41 l41 which it is impossible to refer to the people4 ,the same reason is also against the supposition of ,gesenius and ,umbreit1 that the discourse is addressed to the prophetical order4 ,nor is it defensible to explain3 to plant the heaven and lay the foundation of the earth1 by3 to establish the new state of ,israel4 ,to these arguments it may be added that1 according to this explanation1 the words3 ,thou art my people1 are unsuitable2 for ,israel was not the people of the ,prophet1 but the people of ,god and of ,his ,servant4 ,the discourse is addressed rather to the ,messiah1 compare the parallel passages1 chap4 xlix41 especially ver4 #b1 and chap4 l41 especially vers4 #d and #e4 ,considering the dramatic character of the whole section1 the change of the person addressed is a circumstance of very little importance2 and chap4 lix4 #ba1 where the word of ,god is put into the mouth of ,jacob1 is parallel in appearance only4 ,even a priori we could not expect that1 in this context1 treating1 as it does1 of the personal ,messiah1 the whole section1 chap4 li4 #a to lii4 #ab1 should lack all reference to the ,messiah4 ,by the words3 ,i put my word in thy mouth1 the ,messiah is appointed to be1 in the highest sense1 the speaker of ,god2 the realization of the divine counsels is committed to ,him4 ,for the fact that it is not mere words which are here treated of1 but such as are living ,pg #bei and powerful1 like those which ,god spoke at the creation1 becomes evident by the circumstance that the planting of heaven and earth is attributed to the ,servant of ,god as bearer of ,his words1--a thing which cannot be done by the ordinary word2 comp4 ,isa4 xl4 #d1 according to which the ,messiah smites the earth with the rod of ,his mouth1 and slays the wicked with the breath of ,his lips4--,i cover thee in the shadow of mine hand1 designates the divine protection and providence which are indispensable in order that the ,servant of ,god may fulfil ,his vocation to be ,god's speaker4 ,the words form an accessory thought only3 ,i appoint thee my speaker whom1 as such1 ,i will keep and protect in order that thou1 etc42--for that which follows is that which the ,servant of ,god is to perform as ,his ,speaker4 ,by the word of ,omnipotence committed to ,him1 ,he plants a new heaven1 and lays the foundation of a new earth1 and invests ,zion with the dignity of the people of ,god4--,to plant the heaven and lay the foundation of the earth1 is equivalent to founding a new heaven1 a new earth2 comp4 chaps4 lxv4 #ag1 lxvi4 #bb2 ,rev4 xxii4 ,for1 as long as the old heaven and the old earth exist1 a planting and founding activity cannot take place in reference to heaven and earth4 ,all that is created1 in so far as it opposes the ,kingdom of ,god1 is unfit for being an abode of the glorified ,kingdom of ,god1 and must be shaken and broken to pieces1 in order that this ,kingdom may enter into its natural conditions1 and find a worthy abode4 ,the activity of ,god and ,his ,servant1 necessary for this purpose1 will most completely take place at the end of days1 at the ,greek3 palingenesia announced by the ,lord1 ,matt4 xix4 #bh2 compare what is said in chap4 xi41 in reference to the entire change of the conditions of the earth4 ,but in a preparatory manner1 this activity pervades all history4 ,the heaven1 according to the usus loquendi of ,scripture1 and also of ,isaiah1 is not only the natural heaven1 but also the heaven of princes1 the whole order of rulers and magistrates1 7comp4 my remarks on ,rev4 vi4 #ac71 whose form and relation to the ,kingdom of ,god underwent a great change1 even at the first appearance of ,christ4--,the saying1 according to the preceding3 ,that thou mayest plant1 c41 is not to be referred to the mere announcing2 but1 according to the frequent usus loquendi1 it includes the performing also1 just as e4g41 in ver4 #ab1 the ,pg #bfj comforting is effected by a discourse in deeds4 ,the distinction between1 and separation of word and deed belongs to human weakness4 ,god speaks and it is done2 and what holds true of ,his word1 applies also to the word of ,his ,servant1 which he has put into ,his mouth4 ,,chapters ,,lii4 #ac-,,liii4 #ab4 ,this section forms the climax of the prophecies of ,isaiah1 of prophetism in general1 of the whole ,old ,testament1 as appears even from the circumstance that the ,lord and ,his ,apostles refer to no part of the ,old ,testament so frequently and so emphatically as to this1--a section which1 according to ,luther's demand1 every ,christian should have committed verbatim4 ,christ is here1 with wonderful clearness1 described to us in ,his highest work--,his atoning suffering4 ,in vers4 #ac-ae of chap4 lii4 ,jehovah speaks4 ,these verses contain a short summary of what is enlarged upon in chap4 liii4 ,the very deepest humiliation of the ,servant of ,god shall be followed by ,his highest glorification4 ,in consequence of the salvation wrought out and accomplished by ,him1 the nations of the earth and their kings shall reverently submit to ,him4 ,in chap4 liii4 #a-aj1 the ,prophet utters the sentiments of the elect in ,israel4 ,at first1 in ,his humiliation1 they had not recognized the ,redeemer2 but now they acknowledged ,him as their ,redeemer and ,saviour1 and saw that ,he had taken upon ,him ,his sufferings for our salvation1 and that they had a vicarious character4 ,the commencement forms1 in ver4 #a1 the lamentation that so many do not believe in the report of the ,servant of ,god1 that so many do not behold the glory of ,god manifested in ,him4 ,in vers4 #b and #c1 we have the cause of this fact1 viz41 the appearance of the ,divine1 in the form of a ,servant--the offence of the cross4 ,in lowliness1 without any outward splendour1 the ,servant of ,god shall go about4 ,sufferings1 heavier than ever befel any man1 shall be inflicted upon ,him4 ,in vers4 #d-f1 the vicarious import of these sufferings is pointed out4 ,the people1 seeing his sufferings1 ,pg #bfa and not knowing the cause of them1 imagined that they were the well-merited punishment of ,his own transgressions and iniquities4 ,but the ,church1 now brought to believe in ,him1 see that they were wrong in imagining thus4 ,it was not ,his own transgressions and iniquities which were punished in ,him1 but ours4 ,his sufferings were voluntarily undergone by ,him1 and for the salvation of mankind1 which else would have been given up to destruction4 ,god himself was anxious to re-unite to himself those who were separated from ,him1 and who walked in their own ways4 ,to the vicarious import of the sufferings of the ,servant of ,god corresponds1 according to ver4 #g1 ,his conduct3 ,he suffers quietly and patiently4 ,in vers4 #h-aj we have the reward which the ,servant of ,god receives for ,his passive obedience4 ,god takes ,him to himself1 and ,he receives an unspeakably great generation1 ver4 #h1 the ominous burial with the rich1 ver4 #i1 numerous seed and long life1 and that the pleasure of the ,lord shall prosper in ,his hand2 ver4 #aj4 ,in vers4 #aa and #ab1 the ,lord again appears as speaking1 and confirms that which has been declared by the faithful ,church4 ,the two verses of the close1 together with the exordium1 chap4 lii4 #ac-ae1 occupy five verses--five being the signature of the half and incomplete4 ,the main body1 ten verses1 is divided into seven referring to the humiliation and suffering1 and three referring to the exaltation of the ,servant of ,god4 ,the seven are1 as usual1 divided into three and four4 ,in the three verses1 the suffering of the ,servant of ,god is exhibited2 in the four1 its cause and vicarious import4 ,by the ,behold1 with which the prophecy opens1 the ,prophet intimates that we have here before us a vision beheld by him in the spirit4 ,as the period in which the ,prophet beholds the vision1 we have to suppose the time between the suffering and the glorification of the ,servant of ,god4 ,the glorification is described chiefly by ,futures1 the suffering by ,preterites2 but1 from the fact that this stand-point is not strictly adhered to1 it is evident that we have to do with a stand-point which is purely ideal4 ,the section forms1 in a formal and material point of view1 a whole by itself2 but1 notwithstanding its absolute independence1 it must stand in a certain connection with what precedes and what follows4 ,let us1 therefore1 now consider the relation ,pg #bfb in which it stands to the portions surrounding it4 ,its relation to what goes before is thus strikingly designated by ,calvin3 ,after ,isaiah had spoken of the restoration of the ,church1 he passes over to ,christ1 in whom all things are gathered together4 ,he speaks of the prosperous success of the ,church1 at a time when it was least to be expected1 which calls them back to their ,king1 by whom all things are to be restored1 and exhorts them to expect ,him4 ,the preceding section begins with chap4 li4 #a4 ,we have already stated the contents up to li4 #af4 ,vers4 #ag-bc are closely connected with the preceding1 in which salvation and mercy were announced to the ,church of ,god4 ,this announcement is here continued in new forms4 ,chap4 lii4 #a-f3 ,as the ,lord had formerly delivered ,his people out of the hand of ,egypt and ,asshur1 so1 now too1 ,he will deliver them4 ,zion appears under the image of a woman imprisoned1 fettered1 lying powerlessly in a miserable garment1 on a dirty floor1 and is called upon to arise1 to strengthen herself1 to throw off her bands1 to put on festive garments1 inasmuch as the time of her deliverance from the misery is at hand4 ,vers4 #g-aj3 ,in the last words of ver4 #f1 the ,lord had announced that ,he was already at hand for the redemption of ,his ,church4 ,this salvation now presents itself vividly to the spiritual eye of the ,prophet1 and is graphically described by him4 ,he beholds a messenger hastening with the glad tidings to ,jerusalem2 watchmen1 who are standing on the ruins of ,jerusalem in longing expectation1 discover him at a distance1 and exultingly call upon the ruins to shout aloud for joy4#a ,how beautiful--so verse #g runs--upon the mountains the feet of the ,messenger of joy1 that announceth peace1 that bringeth good tidings1 that publisheth salvation1 that saith unto ,zion3 ,thy ,god reigneth4 ,in ,rom4 x4 #ae1 the ,apostle refers this passage to the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,that is more than mere application2 it is real explanation4 ,the deliverance from ,babylon is only the first faint beginning of the salvation1 which the ,prophet has before his eye in its ,pg #bfc whole extent4 ,as the substance of the salvation1 the circumstance that ,zion's ,god reigneth1 is intimated4 ,there is1 in this1 an allusion to the formula which was used in proclaiming the ascension of earthly kings to the throne4 ,even this allusion shows that the point here in question is not the continuous government of the ,lord1 but a new1 glorious manifestation of ,his government1 as it were a new ascension to the throne4 ,this the ,lord reigneth1 found a faint beginning only of its confirmation and fulfilment in the destruction of ,babylon1 and the deliverance of ,israel2 but as to its full import1 it is ,messianic4 ,in ,christ1 the ,lord has truly assumed the government1 and will still more gloriously reign in future4--,ver4 #h3 ,the voice of thy watchmen6 they lift up the voice1 they shout together2 for they see eye to eye that the ,lord returneth to ,zion4 ,the watchmen are ideal persons1 representatives of the truth that the ,lord is around ,his people1 and that the circumstances of ,his ,church are to ,him a constant call to help2 or they may be viewed as the holy angels who1 as the servants of the watchmen of ,israel1 form the protecting power for the ,church4 ,these watchmen continue to stand even on the destroyed walls2 for1 even in her misery1 the ,lord is ,zion's ,god4 ,the anxious waiting eye of the watchmen1 and the mercy-beaming eye of ,god returning to ,zion meet one another4 ,the returning here is opposed to the forsaking1 over which ,zion had lamented in chap4 xlix4 #ad4 ,instead of the concealed presence of the ,lord during the misery1 which1 to the feeling1 so easily appears as entire absence1 there comes the presence of ,god manifested in the salvation4 ,this return of the ,lord to ,zion truly took place in ,christ only1 ,luke i4 #fh4--,ver4 #i3 ,break forth into joy1 shout together1 ye ruins of ,jerusalem1 for the ,lord comforteth ,jerusalem1 redeemeth ,his people4 ,this call goes far beyond the time of the restoration of ,jerusalem after the exile2 for1 even at that time1 the spiritual eye still beheld ruins1 where the bodily eye saw firm1 walled buildings4 ,the condition of the ,kingdom of ,god was still miserable1 the eye of the faithful remained still fixed1 with hopes and longings1 upon the ,future which was to bring1 and has brought1 true comfort and consolation4--,ver4 #aj3 ,the ,lord maketh bare ,his ,holy arm in the eyes of all the nations1 and all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our ,god4 ,the making bare of the arm of the ,lord designates the manifestation1 by deeds1 of ,pg #bfd the divine power and glory1 such as took place by the sending of ,christ1 and by the wonderful elevation of the ,church over the world1--an elevation which has it roots in ,him2 comp4 chap4 liii4 #a4 ,in vers4 #aa and #ab there is still the exhortation to the ,church of the ,lord that1 by true repentance1 she should worthily prepare for the impending salvation4 ,after the ,prophet has1 in chap4 li4 #a to lii4 #ab1 described the transition of the ,church of ,god from humiliation and sorrow to glorification1 it is quite natural that he should now turn from the members to the ,head1 through whose mediation this transition was to be accomplished1 after the same contrast had been exhibited in ,himself ,there is the most intimate connection between the ,church of ,god and ,his ,servant2 for1 all that ,he does and suffers4 ,he does and suffers for her2 and all that befals her is prefigured by the way in which ,he has been led by the ,lord4 ,with what follows1 too1 the section before us stands in a close relation4 ,the glorification of the ,servant of ,god described at the close of chap4 liii41 is1 in ,him1 bestowed at the same time1 upon the ,church4 ,thus chap4 liv41 in which the ,church is comforted by pointing to her future glorification1 is connected with the preceding4 ,the ,church of the ,lord appears here as a woman who1 after having been put away by her husband1 and after having1 for a long time1 lived in a childless1 sorrowful solitude1 is again received by him1 and sees herself surrounded by numerous children4 ,the time of punishment is now at an end1 and the time of mercy is breaking4 ,chap4 lii4 #ac4 ,behold1 my ,servant shall act wisely1 ,he shall be exalted and extolled1 and be very high4 ,hebrew3 hwkil always means to act wisely 7,,lxx4 ,greek3 sunsei2 ,aquil4 ,sym43 ,greek3 episthmonisthsetai71 never to be successful 7the ,chaldean1 whom most of the modern interpreters follow1 renders it by ,hebrew3 icl,h71 and this ascertained sense 7comp4 ,remarks on ,jer4 iii4 #ae2 xxiii4 #e1 where the verb is used of the ,messiah1 just as it is here71 must here be maintained so much the more1 that our passage evidently refers to ,david1 the former servant of ,god4 ,of him it is said in #a ,sam4 xviii4 #ad1 #ae3 ,and ,david was acting wisely in all his ways1 and the ,lord was with him4 ,and ,saul saw that he was acting very wisely1 and was afraid of him2 comp4 #a ,kings ii4 #c1 where ,david says to ,solomon3 ,and keep the charge of the ,lord thy ,god 444 in order ,pg #bfe that thou mayest act wisely in all that thou doest1 and whithersoever thou turnest thyself2 ,ps4 ci4 #b1 where ,david1 speaking in the name of his family1 says3 ,i will behave myself wisely in a perfect way2 and #b ,kings xviii4 #g1 where it is said of ,hezekiah3 ,and the ,lord was with him1 and whithersoever he went forth1 he acted wisely4 ,according to these fundamental and parallel passages1 the expression1 ,he shall act wisely refers to the administration of government1 and is equivalent to3 ,he shall rule wisely like his ancestor ,david4 ,stier is wrong in opposing the view1 that the ,messiah here presents himself as ,king4 ,he says3 ,the ,king has here stepped behind the ,prophet1 ,witness1 ,martyr1 ,saviour2 but in chap4 liii4 #ab1 the royal office surely comes out with sufficient distinctness4 ,we must never forget that the different offices of ,christ are intimately connected with one another by the unity of the person4 ,the prosperity and success which the ,servant of ,god enjoys1 are first brought before us and detailed in what follows2 and appear1 just as in the fundamental passages quoted1 as the consequence of acting wisely3 ,my ,servant shall1 after having1 through the deepest humiliation1 attained to dominion1 administer it well1 and thereby attain to the highest glory4 ,to the words3 ,he shall act wisely correspond1 afterwards1 the words3 ,the pleasure of the ,lord shall prosper by ,his hand1 chap4 liii4 #aj4 ,the fact that a person acts wisely is1 in a twofold aspect1 a fruit of his connection with ,god3 first1 because ,god is the source and fountain of all wisdom1 and1 secondly1 because from ,god the blessing proceeds which always accompanies his doings4 ,the ungodly is by ,god involved in circumstances which1 notwithstanding all his wisdom1 make him appear as a fool4 ,compare only chap4 xix4 #aa3 ,the princes of ,zoan become fools1 the counsel of the wise counsellors of ,pharaoh is become brutish2 how can ye say unto ,pharaoh3 a son of the wise am ,i1 a 7spiritual7 son of the 7wise7 kings of ancient times8 comp4 ver4 #ac2 ,job xii4 #ag1 #bj2 ,eccles4 ix4 #aa4 ,in the second clause the ,prophet puts together the verbs which denote elevation1 and still adds ,hebrew3 mad very in order most emphatically to point out the glory of the exaltation of the ,servant of ,god4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,as many were shocked at thee--so marred from man was ,his look1 and ,his form from the sons of man--,ver4 #ae4 ,so shall ,he sprinkle many nations2 kings shall shut their ,pg #bff mouths on account of ,him1 for they who had not been told1 they see1 and they who did not hear1 they perceive4 ,ver4 #ad contains the protasis1 ver4 #ae the apodosis4 ,the former describes the deep humiliation1 the latter the highest glorification of the ,servant of ,god4 ,the so in ver4 #ad begins a parenthesis1 in which the reason why many were shocked is stated1 and which goes on to the end of the verse4 ,in keeping with the dramatic character of the prophetic discourse1 the ,lord addresses ,his ,servant in ver4 #ad3 ,at thee2 while1 in ver4 #ae1 ,he speaks of ,him in the third person3 ,he shall sprinkle2 on account of ,him ,this change has been occasioned by the parenthetical clause which contains a remark of the ,prophet1 and in which1 therefore1 the ,servant of ,god could not but be spoken of in the third person4 ,hvernick and ,stier refuse to admit the existence of a parenthesis4 ,their reasons3 ,parentheses are commonly an ill-invented expedient only1 and3 ,it is not likely that the same particle should have a different signification in these two clauses following immediately the one upon the other1 are not entirely destitute of force1 but are far-outweighed by counter-arguments4 ,they say that the apodosis begins with the first ,hebrew3 k,n1 and that in ver4 #ae a second apodosis follows4 ,but no tolerable thought comes out in this way2--it is hard to co-ordinate two apodoses1--and the transition from the #b;d to the #c;d person remains unaccounted for4 ,hebrew3 wm,m to be desolated is then transferred to the spiritual desolation and devastation1 and receives the signification to be horrified1 to be shocked4--,who the many are that are shocked and offended at the miserable appearance of the ,servant of ,god1 appears from chap4 xlix4 #d1 according to which the opposition to the ,servant of ,god has its seat among the covenant people2 farther1 from the contrast in ver4 #ae of the chapter before us1 according to which the respectful surrender belongs to the ,gentiles2 and farther1 from chap4 liii4 #a1 where the unbelief of the former covenant-people is complained of2 from vers4 #b-d1 where even the believers from among ,israel complain that they had had difficulty in surmounting the offence of the ,cross4 ,hebrew3 mw,ht1 properly corruption1 stands here as abstractum pro concreto1 in the signification1 corrupted1 marred4 ,as to its form1 it is in the status constructus which1 in close connections1 can stand even ,pg #bfg before ,prepositions4 ,from the corresponding ,hebrew3 ,hdl aiwi,m in chap4 liii4 #c1 it appears that the ,preposition stands here only for the sake of distinctness1 and might as well have been omitted4 ,the ,hebrew3 m,n serves for designating the distance1 from man1 from the sons of men1 so that ,he is no more a man1 does no more belong to the number of the sons of men4 ,the correctness of this explanation appears from chap4 liii4 #c1 and ,ps4 xxii4 #g3 ,i am a worm and no man4 ,as regards the sense of the whole parenthesis1 many interpreters remark1 that we must not stop at the bodily disfiguration of the ,servant of ,god1 but that the expression must1 at the same time1 be understood figuratively4 ,thus1 ,luther says3 ,the ,prophet does not speak of the form of ,christ as to ,his person1 but of the political and royal form of a ,ruler1 who is to become an earthly ,king1 and does not appear in royal form1 but as the meanest of all servants2 so that no more despised man than ,he has been seen in the world4 ,but the ,prophet evidently speaks1 in the first instance1 of the bodily appearance only2 and we can the less think of a figurative sense1 that bodily disfiguration forms the climax of misery1 and that1 in this part1 the whole of the miserable condition is delineated4 ,even the severe inward sufferings are a matter of course1 if the outward ones have risen to such a pitch4 ,how both of these go hand in hand is seen from ,ps4 xxii4 ,these interpreters are1 farther1 wrong in this respect1 that they refer the pretended figurative expression solely to the lowliness and humility of the ,messiah1 and not1 at the same time1 to ,his sufferings also4 ,thus1 among the ancient interpreters1 it was viewed by ,jerome3 ,the horrid appearance of ,his form is not thereby indicated1 but that ,he came in humility and poverty2 and among recent interpreters by ,martini3 ,the sense of the passage does not properly refer to the deformity of the face1 but to the whole external weak1 poor1 and humble condition4 ,but1 for that1 the expression is by far too strong4 ,mere lowliness is no object of horror 7comp4 #a ,cor4 i4 #bc1 according to which it is the ,cross which offends the ,jews72 it does not produce a deformity of the countenance2 it cannot produce the effect that the ,servant of ,god should1 as it were1 cease to be a man4 ,all this suggests an unspeakable suffering of the ,servant of ,god1 and that1 moreover1 a suffering which1 in the first instance1 ,pg #bfh manifested itself upon ,his own holy body4 ,farther--,we must also take into consideration that the sprinkling1 in ver4 #ae1 has for its background the shedding of blood1 and is the fruit of it1 at first concealed4 ,if any doubt should yet remain1 it would be removed by the subsequent detailed representation of that which is here given in outline merely4 ,the sole reason of that narrow view is1 that interpreters did not understand the fundamental relation of the section under consideration to the subsequent section2 that they did not perceive that1 here1 we have in a complete sketch what there is given in detail and expansion4--,ver4 #ae4 ,the verb ,hebrew3 nzh occurs in very many passages1 and signifies in ,hiphil1 everywhere1 to sprinkle4 ,it is especially set apart and used for the sprinkling with the blood of atonement1 and the water of purification4 ,when the anointed priest had sinned1 he took of the blood of the sacrifice1 and sprinkled it before the vail of the sanctuary1 ,lev4 iv4 #f2 comp4 v4 #af1 #ag4 ,the high priest had1 every year1 on the great day of atonement1 to sprinkle the blood before the ,ark of the ,covenant1 in order to obtain forgiveness for the people4 ,lev4 xvi4 #ad1 comp4 also vers4 #ah1 #ai3 ,and he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it 7the altar7 with his finger seven times1 and cleanse it1 and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of ,israel4 ,in the same manner the verb is used of the sprinkling of blood upon the healed leper1 ,lev4 xiv4 #g1 and frequently4 ,according to ,numb4 xix4 #ai1 the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean1 on the third day1 and on the seventh day1 with the water in which are the ashes of the red heifer when any one has become unclean by touching a dead body4 ,the outward material purification frequently serves in the ,old ,testament to denote the spiritual purification4 ,thus1 e4g41 in ,ps4 i4 #i3 ,purge me with hyssop1 and ,i shall be clean2 ,ezek4 xxxvi4 #be3 ,and ,i sprinkle clean water upon you1 and you shall be clean from all your filthiness4 ,in all those passages there lies1 everywhere1 at the foundation an allusion to the ,levitical purifications 7the two last quoted especially refer to ,numb4 xix472 and this allusion is by no means so to be understood1 as if he who makes the allusion were drawing the material into the spiritual sphere4 ,on the contrary1 he uses as a figure that which is1 in the law1 used symbolically4 ,all the laws of purification in the ,pentateuch ,pg #bfi have a symbolical and typical character4 ,that which was done to the outward impurity was1 in point of fact1 done to the sin which the people of the ,old ,testament1 well versed in the symbolical language1 beheld under its image4 ,hence1 here also1 the sprinkling has the signification of cleansing from sin4 ,the expression indicates that ,christ is the true ,high ,priest1 to whom the ordinary priesthood with its sprinklings typically pointed4 ,the expression is a summary of that which1 in the following chapter1 we are told regarding the expiation through the suffering and death of the ,servant of ,god4 ,the words3 ,when ,his soul maketh a sin-offering1 in ver4 #aj1 and3 ,he shall justify1 in ver4 #aa1 correspond4 ,among the ancient expositors1 this translation is followed by the ,syriac and ,vulgate1 the asperget of which ,jerome thus explains3 ,he shall sprinkle many nations1 cleansing them by ,his blood1 and in baptism consecrating them to the service of ,god4 ,in the ,new ,testament1 it is alluded to in several passages4 ,thus1 in #a ,pet4 i4 #b1 where the ,apostle speaks of the ,greek3 rhantismos haimatos ,isou ,christou4 ,farther1 in ,heb4 x4 #bb3 ,greek3 erhrantismenoi tas kardias apo suneidses ponras2 xii4 #bd3 ,greek3 kai haimati rhantismou kreitton lalounti para ton ,abel1 and also in chap4 ix4 #ac1 #ad4 ,among ,christian interpreters1 this view was always the prevailing one1 was indeed the view held by the ,church4 ,schrder observ4 ad origin4 ,hebr4 c4 viii4 #aj1 raised some objections which were eagerly laid hold of1 and increased by the rationalistic interpreters4 ,even some sound orthodox expositors allowed themselves to be thereby dazzled4 ,stier declares that1 for this time1 he must take the part of modern ,exegesis against the prevailing tradition of the ,church4 ,yet his disrelish for the doctrine of the atonement held by the ,church has no doubt exercised a considerable influence in this matter2 and ,hofmann1 too1 in so decidedly rejecting this explanation1 which rests on such strong arguments1 and is not touched by any weighty counter-arguments1 seems not to have been guided by exegetical reasons only4 ,but let us submit these objections to a closer examination4 #a4 ,the verb ought not to be construed with the ,accusative of the thing to be sprinkled1 but with ,hebrew3 el4 ,reinke 7in his ,monograph on ,is4 liii47 brings forward1 against this objection1 the passage ,lev4 iv4 #af1 #ag2 but he is wrong in this1 inasmuch as ,hebrew3 at is there not the ,pg #bgj sign of the ,accusative1 but a ,preposition4 ,hebrew3 at pni in the signification before1 is1 elsewhere also1 very frequently used4 ,but even ,gesenius is compelled to agree with ,simonis4#b and to acknowledge that1 in the proper name ,hebrew3 izih the verb is connected with an ,accusative4 ,the deviation is there still greater1 inasmuch as the ,kal is1 at the same time1 used transitively4 ,but even apart from that1 such a deviation cannot appear strange4 ,it has an analogy in chap4 liii4 #aa1 where ,hebrew3 hcdiq1 which everywhere else is construed with the ,accusative1 is followed by ,hebrew3 l2 and likewise in ,hebrew3 rpa1 followed by ,hebrew3 l in chap4 liii4 #e4 ,the signification of the verb1 in such cases1 undergoes a slight modification4 ,hebrew3 hzh with ,hebrew3 el means to sprinkle2 with the ,accusative1 to sprinkle upon4 ,this modification of the meaning has the analogy of other languages in its favour4 ,in the ,ethiopic1 the verb ,hebrew3 nz,h1 which corresponds to the ,hebrew ,hebrew3 nzh1 is used of the sprinkling of both persons and things2 ,heb4 ix4 #ai1 xi4 #bh2 ,ps4 li4 #i4 ,in ,latin1 we may say3 spargere aquam1 but also spargere corpus aqua2 aspergere quid alicui1 but also re aliquem1 conspergere1 perspergere1 respergere quem4 ,why should not this be allowed to the ,jews also1--remarks ,kcher--who have to make up for the defect of compound verbs by the varied use of simple verbs8 ,but the ,prophet had a special reason1 in the liberty specially afforded by the higher style1 for deviating from the ordinary connection4 ,the ,hebrew3 el had to be avoided1 because1 had it been put1 the perception of the correspondence of the subsequent ,hebrew3 eliv with the ,hebrew3 eli,k1 in ver4 #ad1 would have become more difficult4--#b4 ,it is asserted that it is against the connection2 that the contrast to ,hebrew3 mw,m induces us to expect something corresponding4 ,beck says3 ,a change in those who formerly abhorred the ,servant is to be expressed here1 not a deed by the ,servant himself4 ,if there were here1 indeed1 a contrast intended to the many who formerly were shocked1 we might answer that1 indirectly1 the words3 ,he shall sprinkle1 suggest1 indeed1 an opposite conduct of the many ,gentiles4 ,no one is cleansed by the ,servant of ,god1 who does not allow himself to be cleansed by ,pg #bga ,him4 ,but no one will desire to be cleansed by ,him1 who does not put his whole trust in ,him1 who does not recognize ,him as his ,king and ,lord4 ,to the contempt and horror with which the ,jews shrink back from the ,messiah in ,his humiliation1 would thus be opposed the faithful1 humble confidence1 with which the heathens draw near to the glorified ,messiah4 ,but the fact that the real contrast to the ,hebrew3 wmmv is not ,hebrew3 izh1 but rather ,hebrew3 iqpcv1 is clearly shown by ,hebrew3 eliv1 which corresponds with ,hebrew3 eli,k4 ,the ,hebrew3 izh corresponds rather to3 ,he was disfigured4 ,just as this states the cause of their being shocked1 so in3 ,he shall sprinkle1 the cause of the shutting of the mouth is stated4 ,this is also seen from a comparison of chap4 liii4 #c1 #d4 ,his sufferings appeared formerly as the proof that ,he was hated by ,god4 ,now that the vicarious value of ,his suffering manifests itself1 it becomes the reason of humble1 respectful submission4 ,just as1 formerly1 many were shocked at ,him1 because he was so disfigured1 so1 now1 even kings shall shut their mouth at ,him on account of ,his atonement4 ,moreover1 one does not exactly see how this reason could be brought forward1 as1 in a formal point of view1 there is1 at all events1 a deed by the ,servant himself before us1 in whatever way we may view the ,hebrew3 izh4--#c4 ,if sprinkling were meant to be equivalent to cleansing by blood1 the matter of purification could not be omitted4 ,if it were objected to this1 that the noun 'blood' might easily be supplied from the verb's being ordinarily used of cleansing with blood1 the objection would be of no weight1 inasmuch as sprinkling was done not only with blood1 but also with water and oil4 ,but the sprinkling with oil1 denoting sanctification1 appears only quite isolated1 and has for its foundation the sprinkling with blood1 comp4 ,exod4 xxix4 #ba3 ,and thou shalt take of the blood which is upon the altar1 and of the anointing oil1 and sprinkle it upon ,aaron1 and he shall be hallowed4 ,the sprinkling with water has likewise the shedding of blood for its foundation4 ,it was done with such water only1 as had in it the ashes of the sin-offering of the red heifer4 ,but the ,prophet has certainly on purpose made no express mention of the blood1 because that water1 too1 should be included4 ,this fact1 that the sprinkling here comprehends both1 was perceived by the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 in chap4 ix4 #ac1 #ad3 ,greek3 ei gar to haima ,pg #bgb ,greek3 taurn kai tragn kai spodos damales rhantizousa tous kekoinmenous hagiazei pros tn ts sarkos katharotta4 mallon to haima tou ,christou 444 kathariei tn suneidsin hmn apo nekrn ergn eis to latreuein ,the znti4 ,the defilement by dead bodies1 against which the water of purification was specially used1 is the most significant symbol of sinners and sins4--#d4 ,it is1 in general1 not probable that the ,servant of ,god1 who farther down is described as a sacrificial beast 7671--who1 by taking upon ,himself the sins of ,his people1 dies for them1 should here appear as the ,high ,priest justifying them4 ,thus ,umbreit argues4 ,but in opposition to this view1 it is sufficient to refer to3 ,he shall justify1 in chap4 liii4 #aa1 which is parallel to ,he shall sprinkle4 ,that which1 in the typical sacrifices1 is separated1 is1 in the antitypical1 most closely connected4 ,even at the very first beginnings of sacred history1 it was established for all times1 that the difference between him who offers up1 and that which is offered up1 should not go beyond the territory of animal sacrifice4 ,but there is the less ground for setting aside the reference to the priestly office of the ,messiah1 that1 even before ,isaiah1 ,david1 in ,ps4 cx4 #d1 designates ,christ as the true ,high ,priest on account of the atonement to be made by ,him2 and1 after ,isaiah1 ,zechariah says in chap4 vi4 #ac3 ,and ,he sitteth and ruleth upon the throne1 and ,he is a ,priest upon ,his throne4--,it has now become current to derive ,hebrew3 izh from ,hebrew3 nzh in the signification to leap--,he shall cause to leap4 ,this explanation made its appearance at first in a very cautious way4 ,martini says3 ,i myself feel how very far from a right and sure interpretation that is1 which ,i am now1 but very timidly1 to advance1 regarding the sense of the received reading ,hebrew3 izh4 ,by and by1 however1 expositors hardened themselves against the decisive objections which stand in the way of it4 ,these objections are the following4 #a4 ,the ,hebrew usus loquendi is in ,hebrew3 nzh so sure1 that we are not entitled to take the explanation from the ,arabic4 ,the verb is1 in ,hebrew1 never used except of fluids4 ,in ,kal1 it does not mean to leap1 but to spatter1 ,lev4 vi4 #bj 7#bg73 ,and upon whose garment is spattered of the blood2 #b ,kings ix4 #cc2 ,is4 lxiii4 #e4 ,in ,hiphil1 it is set apart and used exclusively for the holy sprinklings2 and the more frequently it occurs in this signification1 the less are we at liberty to deviate from it4 #b4 ,he shall make to leap would be far too indefinite1--a circumstance ,pg #bgc which appears from the vague and arbitrary conjectures of the supporters of this view4 ,gesenius1 in his ,commentary1 ,stier1 and others1 think of a leaping for joy1 in support of which they have quoted the ,kamus1 according to which the verb is used of wanton asses6 ,according to ,gesenius in the ,thesaurus1 ,hofmann1 and others1 the ,gentiles are to leap up1 in order to show their reverence for the ,servant of ,god4 ,according to ,hitzig and others1 it is to leap for astonishment1 while1 according to ,umbreit and others1 it is for joyful admiration4 ,one sees that the mere ,he shall make to leap is in itself too meaningless2 and interpreters are obliged to make the best addition which they can4--#c4 ,according to this explanation1 no cause is assigned by which the homage of the ,gentiles is called forth2 and that cause can the less be omitted1 that the horror of the ,jews is traced back to its cause4 ,the parenthesis in ver4 #ad lacks its antithesis2 and that this antithesis must lie in ,hebrew3 izh1 is rendered probable even by the circumstance1 that this word signifies1 in a formal point of view1 something which the ,servant of ,god does1 and not something which the ,gentiles do1 while we should1 by the antithesis to ,hebrew3 wmmv1 be led to expect just this4#c--;,in the protasis1 the discourse is only of many2 here1 it is of many nations 7,gousset3 ,it is emphatic1 so that it comprehends all1 and denotes1 at the same time1 that they are numerous71 and of kings4 ,this is quite natural2 for it was only members of the covenant-people who felt shocked1 while the reverence is felt by the whole ,gentile world4--,the shutting of the mouth occurs elsewhere1 too1 repeatedly1 as a sign of reverence and humble submission4 ,the reference of ,hebrew3 eliv to ,hebrew3 eli,k1 shows that ,ewald is wrong in explaining it by besides ,him4 ,since the preceding ,hebrew3 el designated the object of the horror1--the substratum of it--it must here1 too1 designate the substratum of the shutting of the mouth1 and over ,him1 be equivalent to3 on account of ,him1 out of reverence for ,him4--,in the exposition of the last words1 the old translations differ4 ,we may explain them either3 ,they to whom it had not been ,pg #bgd told1 see2 thus the ,,lxx43 ,greek3 hois ouk anngel peri autou1 opsontai1 kai hoi ouk akkoasi1 sunsousi1 whom ,paul follows in ,rom4 xv4 #ba4 7,in that context1 however1 the difference of the two explanations is of no consequence2 the passage would be equally suitable1 even according to the other interpretation47 ,or1 we may explain them3 ,that which had not been told them1 they see1 c4 ,thus the other ancient translations explain4 ,according to the first view1 the connection would be this3 ,for1 in order that ye may not wonder at my speaking to you of nations and kings1 they who1 c4 ,according to the second view1 the ground of the reverence of the heathen kings and their people is stated4 ,that which formerly had not been told to them1 had not been heard by them1 is the expiation by the ,servant of ,god4 ,by ,him they receive a blessing not formerly hoped for or expected1 and are thereby filled with silent reverence towards the ,author of the gift4 ,we decide in favour of the former view1 according to which chap4 lxvi4 #ai3 ,that have not heard my fame1 neither have seen my glory1 is parallel4 ,the contrast1 in our verse1 to those who did not hear and who now perceive1 is1 in the subsequent verse1 formed by those who do hear1 and do not believe4 ,the words3 ,who had not been told1 who did not hear1 refer to the ,messianic announcement which was given to ,israel only1 and from which the ,gentiles were excluded4#d ,upon this sketch1 there follows in chap4 liii4 #a-aj1 the enlargement4 ,first1 in vers4 #a-c that is expounded which1 in ver4 #ad had been said of the many being shocked1 and of the cause4 ,the commentary upon ,hebrew3 wmmv they were shocked1 is given in ver4 #a3 a great portion of the ,jews do not believe in the salvation which had appeared4 ,the enlargement of3 so marred1 c41 is given in vers4 #b1 #c4 ,the cause of the ,pg #bge unbelief is1 that the glory of the ,servant of ,god is concealed behind humiliation1 misery1 and shame4 ,chap4 liii4 #a3 ,who believes that which we hear1 and the arm of the ,lord1 to whom it is revealed8 ,the ,prophet1 whose spiritual eye is just falling upon the large1 the enormously large number of unbelievers1 overlooks1 at the moment1 the other aspect1 and1 in his grief1 expresses that which took place in a large portion only1 in such a manner as if it were general4 ,similar representations we elsewhere frequently meet with1 e4g41 ,ps4 xiv4 #c 7compare my ,commentary72 ,jer4 v4 #a--;,hebrew3 wmveh is commonly understood in the signification1 message or discourse4 ,but in favour of the explanation3 ,that which is heard by us1 q4d41 that which we hear1 there is1 in the first instance1 the usus loquendi4 ,the word never occurs in any other than its original signification1 that which is heard1 and in the signification1 rumour1 which is closely connected with the former4 ,in ,isa4 xxviii4 #i1 a passage which is most confidently referred to in proof of the signification1 institutio1 doctrina1 ,hebrew3 wmveh is that which the ,prophet hears from ,god4 ,the mockers who exclaim3 ,whom will he make to understand ,hebrew3 wmveh8 take1 with a sneer1 out of his mouth the word upon which chap4 xxi4 #aj3 ,that which ,i have heard of the ,lord of ,hosts1 ,i declare unto you1 forms a commentary1 ,greek3 ,ako too1 by which1 in the ,new ,testament1 ,hebrew3 wmveh is rendered1 has not at all the signification1 discourse1 preaching4 ,greek3 ,ako in ,rom4 x4 #af1 #ag1 is not the preaching1 but the hearing1 as is shown by the ,greek3 m ouk kousan in ver4 #ah4 ,the ,greek3 ako1 according to ver4 #ag3 ,greek3 h de ako dia rhmatos ,theou1 is the passive to the active to the word of ,god4 ,who believes our ,greek3 ako1 our hearing1 i4e41 that which we hear1 which is made known to us by the ,word of ,god4 ,in a passive sense1 ,greek3 ako stands likewise in the passages ,matt4 iv4 #bd1 xiv4 #a1 xxiv4 #f1 which ,stier cites in support of the signification discourse1 preaching2 it is that which has been heard by some one1 rumour1 report4 ,in ,heb4 iv4 #b 7as also in #a ,thess4 ii4 #ac7 ,greek3 logos akos1 is the word which they heard4 ,that passage3 ,greek3 ouk phelsen ho logos ts akos ekeinous1 m sunkekramenos t pistei tois akousasi1 may simply be considered as a paraphrase of our3 ,who believes that which we hear4 ,a second argument in favour of our explanation3 ,that which we hear lies in the relation ,pg #bgf to the preceding1 which1 only when thus explained1 arranges itself suitably3 ,those understand what they formerly did not hear2 ,israel1 on the contrary1 does not believe that which they have heard4 ,of great importance1 finally1 is the circumstance1 that it is only with this interpretation that the unity of the speaker in vers4 #a-aj can be maintained4 ,in the sequel1 the we everywhere refers to the believing ,church4 ,but1 for this reason1 it is difficult to think here of the order of the teachers1 which must be the case when we translate3 ,who believes our preaching4 ,it has been objected that1 even in this case1 no real change of subject takes place1 but that1 in both cases1 the ,prophet is speaking1 with this difference only1 that1 in ver4 #a1 he numbers himself among the proclaimers of the message1 while1 in ver4 #b ff41 he reckons himself among the believing ,congregation4 ,but we shall be obliged not to bring in the ,prophet at all4 ,in ver4 #b ff41 the speaker is the believing ,church of the ,future1 in the time after the appearance of the ,saviour1 and just so1 in ver4 #a1 the preaching1 if it should be spoken of at all1 cannot belong to the ,prophet and his contemporaries1 but to those only who came forward with the message of the manifested ,saviour2 just as in ,john xii4 #ch2 ,rom4 x4 #af1 our verse is referred to the unbelief of the ,jews in the manifested ,saviour4 ,the cause of the unbelief over which ver4 #a laments is indeed1 according to vers4 #b and #c1 the appearance of the ,saviour in the form of a ,servant1 and ,his bitter suffering4 ,that1 then1 must first have taken place1 before the unbelief manifested itself4#e ,stier rightly remarks3 ,between 'the arm of ,god1'and ourselves1 a ,hebrew3 wmveh is placed as the medium1 and the point is to believe in it4 ,it is the gospel1 the tidings of the manifested ,saviour4 ,by the side of the joy over the many ,gentiles who with delight hear and understand the message of the ,servant of ,god1 there is the sorrow over the many in ,israel who do not believe this message4--,the arm of the ,lord comes into consideration as the seat of ,his divine power2 comp4 chap4 xl4 #aj1 li4 #e-i1 lii4 #aj4 ,pg #bgg ,according to the context1 the manifestation of this power in ,christ is here spoken of ,stier says3 ,in this ,servant1 the redeeming arm manifests itself1 personifies itself ,christ himself is1 as it were1 the outstretched arm of the ,lord4 ,in ,rom4 i4 #af1 the ,gospel is designated as ,greek3 dunamis ,theou eis strian panti t pisteuonti4 ,hebrew3 glh is elsewhere commonly construed with ,hebrew3 al or ,hebrew3 l1 here with ,hebrew3 el4 ,this indicates that the revealing of the arm of the ,lord is of a supernatural kind1 such an one as conies down from above4 ,the ,lord has revealed ,his arm1 ,his power and glory1 as ,he has manifested them in the mission of ,his servant1 in the eyes of all 7comp4 chap4 lii4 #aj3 ,the ,lord hath made bare ,his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations1 and all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our ,god72 but it is really seen by those only whose eyes ,god opens4 ,the deeds of ,god1 even the most manifest1 always retain the nature of a mystery which remains concealed to the worldly disposition4 ,god can be recognised only by ,god4 ,of the ungodly it holds true3 ,with seeing eyes they do not see1 and with hearing ears they do not hear4 ,what was the cause of this unbelief in the ,son of ,god1 we are told in the sequel4 ,it is the appearance of the ,divine in the form of a servant1 which the gross carnal disposition cannot understand1 and by which it is offended4 ,this offence which1 according to the sequel1 even the ,god-fearing had to overcome1 is1 for the ungodly1 a lasting one4 ,ver4 #b4 ,and ,he grew up as the sprout before ,him1 and as the root from a dry ground4 ,he had no form nor comeliness3 and we see ,him1 but there is no appearance that we should desire ,him4 ,the relation of this verse to the preceding one was correctly seen by ,michaelis3 ,the cause of the offence is this1 that ,he does not rise or stand out like the cedar1 but ,he grows up gradually1 c4 ,the subject1 the ,servant of ,god1 is easily inferred from ,hebrew3 eliv in ver4 #ae4 ,this is the more admissible that ver4 #a1 too1 indirectly refers to ,him4 ,he is the subject of the report in whose appearance the arm of the ,lord has been revealed4 ,the sprout1 the twig1 designates1 even in itself1 the poor condition2 and1 notwithstanding ,stier's counter-remarks1 it is the pointing to such a poor condition alone which suits the connection1 and there is no reason why we should here already ,pg #bgh supply from a dry ground4 ,a member of the royal house before its fall resembled1 at his very origin1 a proud tree1 or1 at least1 a proud branch of such a tree4 ,the sprout1 here1 supposes the stump1 ,hebrew3 gze4 in chap4 xi4 #h4 ,hebrew3 ivnq elsewhere always signifies suckling2 comp4 here chap4 xi4 #h4 ,of the sprout1 elsewhere1 the feminine ,hebrew3 ivnqt is used4 ,according to ,stier1 this deviation from the common use is here not a matter of accident4 ,supposing a double sense1 he finds it an indication of the helpless infancy of the ,redeemer1 and in this a representation of ,his lowliness4 ,the ,,lxx43 ,greek3 hs paidion4 ,the suffix in ,hebrew3 lpniv before ,him refers to the immediately preceding ,hebrew3 ihvh1 not to the people4 ,before ,him1 the ,lord--known to ,him1 watched by ,him1 standing under ,his protection1 comp4 ,gen4 xvii4 #ah2 ,job viii4 #af4 ,the lowliness here1 and the contempt of men in ver4 #c1 form the contrast2 ,he is low1 but ,he will not remain so2 for the eye of the ,most ,high is directed towards ,him4 ,before the eyes of men who are not able to penetrate to the substance through the appearance1 ,he is concealed2 but ,god beholds ,him1 beholds ,his concealed glory1 beholds ,his high destination2 and because ,he beholds1 ,he also takes care1 and prepares ,his transition from lowliness to glory4 ,but the before ,him does not by any means here form the main thought2 it only gives a gentle and incidental hint4--,the root denotes here1 as in chap4 xi4 #a1 #aj1 the product of the root1 that whereby it becomes visible1 the sprout from the root4 ,in reference to this parallel passage1 ,stier strikingly remarks3 ,it is1 by our modern interpreters1 put aside as quietly as possible2 for1 with a powerful voice1 it proclaims to us two truths3 that the same ,isaiah refers to his former prophecy1--and that this ,servant of the ,lord here is none other than the ,messiah there4 ,a twig which grows up from a dry place is insignificant and poor4 ,just as the ,messiah is here1 in respect to ,his state of humiliation1 and specially in reference to ,his origin from the house of ,david1 sunk into complete obscurity1 compared to a weak1 insignificant twig1 so ,he is1 in ,ezek4 xvii4 #bc1 in reference to ,his state of glorification1 compared to a lofty1 splendid cedar tree1 under which all the fowls of heaven dwell4 ,the ,jews1 in opposition even to ver4 #bb of ,ezekiel1 expected that ,he should appear so from the very beginning2 and since ,he did not appear so1 they ,pg #bgi despised ,him4 ,the ,hebrew3 vnrahv is1 by most of the modern interpreters1 in opposition to the accents1 connected with the first member3 ,he had no form nor comeliness that we should have seen ,him4 ,but from internal reasons1 this explanation must be rejected4 ,to see1 in the sense of to perceive1 would not be suitable4 ,for1 how could they have such views of the condition of the ,servant of ,god1 if they overlooked ,him8 ,but it is not possible to adduce any real demonstrative parallel passage in support of ,hebrew3 rah with the ,accusat41 without ,hebrew3 b1 ever having the signification1 to look at1 to consider with delight4 ,the circumstance that the ,future is used in the sense of the ,present3 and we see ,him1 is explained from the ,prophet's viewing it as present4--,the statement that the ,servant of ,god had no form1 nor comeliness1 nor appearance1 must not be referred to ,his lowliness before ,his sufferings only2 we must1 on the contrary1 perceive1 in ,his sufferings and death1 the completion of this condition2 in the ,ecce ,homo1 the full historical realization of it4 ,calvin rightly points out that that which here1 in the first instance1 is said of the ,head1 is repeated upon the ,church2 ,he says3 ,this must not be understood of ,christ's person only1 who was despised by the world1 and was at last given up to an ignominious death1 but of ,his whole ,kingdom which1 in the eyes of men1 had no form1 nor comeliness1 nor splendour4 ,ver4 #c4 ,despised and most unworthy among men1 a man of pains and an acquaintance of disease1 and like one hiding ,his face from us1 despised1 and we esteemed ,him not4 ,in the preceding verse1 we are told what the ,servant of ,god had not1 viz41 anything which could have attracted the natural man who had no conception of the inward glory1 and as little of the cause why the ,divine appears in the form of a ,servant and a sufferer4 ,here we are told what ,he had1 viz43 everything to offend and repulse him to whom the arm of the ,lord had not been revealed1--the full measure of misery and the cross4 ,instead of the most unworthy among men1 the text literally translated has3 one ceasing from among men 7 ,hebrew3 ,hdl in the signification ceasing in ,ps4 xxxix4 #e71 i4e41 one who ceases to belong to men1 to be a man1 exactly corresponding to from man1 and from the sons of men1 in the sketch1 ver4 #ad1 and to3 ,i am a worm and no man1 in ,ps4 xxii4 ,pg #bhj ,the explanation3 ,forsaken by men1 rejected of men1 is opposed by the usus loquendi1 and by these parallel passages4--,a man of pains--one who1 as it were1 possesses pains as his property4 ,there is a similar expression in ,prov4 xxix4 #a3 ,a man of chastenings--one who is often chastened4 ,an acquaintance of disease1--one who is intimately acquainted with it1 who has1 as it were1 entered into a covenant of friendship with it4 ,the passive ,participle has no other signification than this1 ,deut4 i4 #ac1 #ae1 and does not occur in the signification of the active ,participle knowing4--,there is no reason for supposing that disease stands here figuratively4 ,it comprehends also the pain arising from wounds1 #a ,kings xxii4 #cd2 ,jer4 vi4 #g1 x4 #ai2 and there is so much the greater reason for thinking of it here1 that ,hebrew3 h,hli in ver4 #aj1 evidently refers to the ,hebrew3 ,hli in this place4 ,as an acquaintance of disease1 the ,lord especially showed himself in ,his passion4 ,and then every sorrow may be viewed as a disease2 every sorrow has1 to a certain degree1 disease in its train4 ,on ,ps4 vi41 where sickness is represented as the consequence of hostile persecution1 ,luther remarks3 ,where the heart is afflicted1 the whole body is weary and bruised2 while1 on the other hand1 where there is a joyful heart1 the body is also so much the more active and strong4 ,hebrew3 hstir always means to hide2 the whole phrase occurs in chap4 l4 #f1 in the signification to hide the face4 ,hebrew3 mstr is the ,participle in ,hiphil4 ,in the singular1 it is true1 such a form is not found any where else2 but1 in the ,plural1 it is1 ,jer4 xxix4 #h4 ,in favour of the interpretation3 ,like one hiding ,his face from us1 is the evident reference to the law in ,lev4 xiii4 #de3 ,the leper in whom the plague is1 his clothes shall be rent and his head bare1 and the beard he shall have covered over1 and shall cry3 ,unclean1 unclean1--where that which the leper crieth forms the commentary upon the symbolical act of the covering4 ,they covered themselves1 as a sign of shame1 as far as possible1 in order to allow of breathing1 up to the nose2 hence the mention of the beard4 ,in my ,commentary on the ,song of ,solomon i4 #g1 it was proved that covering has every where the meaning of being put to shame--of being in a shameful condition4 ,the leper was by the law condemned to be a living representation of sin4 ,no horror was like that which was felt in his presence4 ,hence ,pg #bha it is the highest degree of humiliation and abasement which is expressed by the comparison with the leper1 who must hide his face1 whom ,god has marked4 ,it is the more natural to suppose this reference to the leper1 that probably1 the ,hebrew3 ,hdl aiwi,m likewise pointed to the leper4 ,the leper was one ceasing from men4 ,in #b ,kings xv4 #e2 #b ,chron4 xxvi4 #ba1 a house in which lepers dwell is called a house of liberty1 i4e41 of separation from all human society2 compare the expression free among the dead1 in ,ps4 lxxxviii4 #f4 ,lepers were considered as dead persons4 ,uzziah1 while in his leprosy1 was1 according to the passage in ,chronicles already cited1 cut off from the house of the ,lord1 and forfeited his place there1 where all the servants of the ,lord dwell with ,him4 ,to leprosy1 the term ,hebrew3 ngve in ver4 #d likewise points4 ,beck's objection3 ,the point in question here is not that which the unfortunate man does but that which others do in reference to him1 is based upon a misconception4 ,neither the one nor the other is spoken of ,the comparative ,hebrew3 k must not be overlooked4 ,the comparison with the leper1 the culminating point of all contempt1 is highly suitable to the parallelism with ,hebrew3 nbzh4 ,ordinarily ,hebrew3 mstr is now understood as a substantivum verbale3 ,he was like hiding of the face before ,him1 i4e41 like a thing or person before which or whom we hide our face1 because we cannot bear its horrible and disgusting appearance4 ,but with one before whom we hide our face1 the ,servant of ,god could not be compared2 the comparison would1 in that case1 be weak4--,hebrew3 nbzh is not the #ast pers4 ,fut4 but ,partic4 ,niph41 despised4--,the close of the verse returns to its beginning1 after having been1 in the middle1 established and made good4 ,the second subdivision from ver4 #d to ver4 #g furnishes us with the key to the sufferings of the ,servant of ,god described in what precedes1 by pointing to their vicarious character1 to which 7ver4 #g7 the conduct of the ,servant of ,god under ,his sufferings corresponds4 ,ver4 #d4 ,but our diseases ,he bore1 and our pains ,he took upon ,him3 and we esteemed ,him plagued1 smitten of ,god1 and afflicted4 ,the words ,hebrew3 ,hli and ,hebrew3 mkab of the preceding verse here appear again4 ,he was laden with disease and pains2 but these sufferings1 the wages of sin1 were not inflicted upon ,him on account ,pg #bhb of ,his own sins1 but on account of our sins1 so that the horror falls back upon ourselves1 and is changed into loving admiration of ,him4 ,beck remarks3 ,properly speaking1 they had not become sick or unfortunate at all2 this had a priori been rendered impossible by the vicarious suffering of the ,son of ,god2 but since they deserved the sickness and calamity1 the averting of it might be considered as a healing4 ,but this view is altogether the result of embarrassment4 ,disease is the inseparable companion of sin4 ,if the persons speaking are subject to the latter1 the disease cannot be considered as an evil merely threatening them4 ,if they speak of their diseases1 we think1 in the first instance1 of sickness by which they have already been seized2 and the less obvious sense ought to have been expressly indicated4 ,in the same manner1 the healing also suggests hurts already existing4 ,but quite decisive is ver4 #f1 where the miserable condition clearly appears to have already taken place4--,according to the opinion of several interpreters1 by diseases1 all inward and outward sufferings are figuratively designated2 according to the opinion of others1 spiritual diseases1 sins4 ,but even from the relation of this verse to the preceding1 it appears that here1 in the first instance1 diseases and pains1 in the ordinary sense1 are spoken of2 just as the blind and deaf in chap4 xxxv4 are1 in the first instance1 they who are naturally blind and deaf4--,disease and pain here cannot be spoken of in a sense different from that in which it is spoken of there4 ,diseases1 in the sense of sins1 do not occur at all in the ,old ,testament4 ,the circumstance that in the parallel passage1 vers4 #aa and #ab1 the bearing of the transgressions and sins is spoken of1 does not prove anything4 ,the ,servant of ,god bears them also in their consequences1 in their punishments1 among which sickness and pains occupy a prominent place4 ,of the bearing of outward sufferings1 ,hebrew3 nwa ,hli occurs in ,jer4 x4 #ai also4 ,if the words are rightly understood1 then at once1 light falls upon the apostolic quotation in ,matt4 viii4 #af1 #ag3 ,greek3 pantas tous kaks echontas etherapeusen1 hops plrth to rhthen dia saiou tou prophtou legontos4 autos tas astheneias hmn elabe kai tas nosous ebastase2 and this deserves a consideration so much the more careful1 that the ,evangelist here intentionally deviates from the ,alexandrine version 7 ,greek3 houtos tas hamartias hmn pherei kai peri hmn odunatai74 ,in doing so1 we ,pg #bhc do not give an external meaning to that which is to be understood spiritually2 but when the ,saviour healed the sick1 ,he fulfilled the prophecy before us in its most proper and obvious sense4 ,and this fulfilment is even now going on4 ,for him who stands in a living faith in ,christ1 sickness1 pain1 and1 in general all sorrow1 have lost their sting4 ,but it has not yet appeared what we shall be1 and we have still to expect the complete fulfilment4 ,in the ,kingdom of glory1 sickness and pain shall have altogether disappeared4--,some interpreters would translate ,hebrew3 nwa by to take away2 but even the parallel ,hebrew3 sbl is conclusive against such a view2 and1 farther1 the ordinary use of ,hebrew3 nwa of the bearing of the punishment of sin1 e4g41 ,ezek4 xviii4 #ai2 ,num4 xiv4 #cc2 ,lev4 v4 #a1 xx4 #ag4 ,but of conclusive weight is the connection with the preceding verse1 where the ,servant of ,god appears as the intimate acquaintance of sickness1 as the man of pains4 ,he has1 accordingly1 not only put away our sicknesses and pains1 but ,he has1 as our substitute1 taken them upon ,him2 ,he has healed us by ,his having himself become sick in our stead4 ,this could be done only by ,his having1 in the first instance1 as a substitute1 appropriated our sins1 of which the sufferings are the consequence2 compare #a ,peter ii4 #bd3 ,greek3 hos tas hamartias hmn autos annenken en t smati autou epi to xulon4--,plagued1 smitten of ,god1 afflicted1 are expressions which were commonly used in reference to the visitation of sinful men4 ,it is especially in the word plagued1 which is intentionally placed first1 that the reference to a self-deserved suffering is strongly expressed1 compare ,ps4 lxxiii4 #ad3 ,for all the day long am ,i plagued1 and my chastisement is new every morning4 ,of ,uzziah1 visited on account of his sin1 it is said in #b ,kings xv4 #e3 ,and the ,lord inflicted a plague upon the king1 and he was a leper unto the day of his death4 ,hebrew3 nge plague is in ,lev4 xiii41 as it were1 nomen proprium for the leprosy1 which in the law is so distinctly designated as a punishment of sin4--,hebrew3 hkh too1 is frequently used of the infliction of divine punishments and judgments4 ,num4 xiv4 #ab2 ,deut4 xxviii4 #bb4 ,the people did not err in considering the suffering as a punishment of sin1 but only in considering it as a punishment for the sins committed by the ,servant of ,god himself4 ,according to the view of both the ,old and ,new ,testament1 every suffering is ,pg #bhd punishment4 ,the suffering of a perfect saint1 however1 involves a contradiction1 unless it be vicarious4 ,by his completely stepping out of the territory of sin1 he must also step out of the territory of evil1 which1 according to the doctrine established at the very threshold of revelation1 is the wages of sin1 for otherwise ,god would not be holy and just4 ,hence1 as regards the ,servant of ,god1 we have only the alternatives3 either ,his sinlessness must be doubted1 or the vicarious nature of ,his sufferings must be acknowledged4 ,the persons speaking took up1 at first1 the former position2 after their eyes had been opened1 they chose the latter4 ,ver4 #e1 ,and ,he was pierced for our transgressions1 crushed for our iniquities2 the chastisement of our peace was upon ,him1 and by ,his wounds we are healed4 ,hebrew3 hva ,he stands in front1 in order emphatically to point out ,him who suffered as a substitute1 in contrast to those who had really deserved the punishment3 ,he1 on account of our transgressions4 ,there is no reason for deviating31 in the case of ,hebrew3 ,hll1 from the original signification to pierce1 and adopting the general signification to wound2 the ,,lxx4 ,greek3 etraumatisth4 ,the chastisement of our peace is the chastisement whereby peace is acquired for us4 ,peace stands as an individualizing designation of salvation2 in the world of contentions1 peace is one of the highest blessings4 ,natural man is on all sides surrounded by enemies2 ,greek3 dikaithentes ek pistes eirnn echomen pros ton ,theo dia tou kuriou hmn ,isou ,christou1 ,rom4 v4 #a1 and peace with ,god renders all other enemies innocuous1 and at last removes them altogether4 ,the peace is inseparable from the substitution4 ,if the ,servant of ,god has borne our sins1 ,he has thereby1 at the same time1 acquired peace2 for1 just as ,he enters into our guilt1 so we now enter into ,his reward4 ,the justice of ,god has been satisfied through ,him2 and thus an open way has been prepared for ,his bestowing peace and salvation4 ,the chastisement can1 according to the context1 be only an actual one1 only such as consists in the infliction of some evil4 ,it is in misconception and narrowness of view that the explanation of the followers of ,menke originated3 ,the instruction for our peace is with ,him4 ,this explanation militates against the whole context1 in which not the doctrine but the suffering of the ,servant of ,god is spoken of2 against the parallelism ,pg #bhe with3 ,by ,his wounds we are healed2 against the ,hebrew3 eliv1 upon ,him1 which1 according to a comparison with3 ,he bore our disease1 and took upon ,him our pains1 must indicate that the punishment lay upon the sufferer like a pressing burden4 ,it is only from aversion to the doctrine of the vicarious satisfaction of ,christ1 that we can account for the fact1 that that doctrine could be so generally received by that theological school4 ,more candid are the rationalistic interpreters4 ,thus ,hitzig remarks3 ,the chastisement of our peace is not a chastisement which would have been salutary for our morality1 nor such as might serve for our salvation1 but according to the parallelism1 such as has served for our salvation1 and has allowed us to come off safe and unhurt4 ,stier1 too1 endeavours to explain the chastisement of our peace1 in an artificial way4 ,according to him1 there is always implied in ,hebrew3 mvsr the tendency towards setting right and healing the chastised one himself2 but wherever this word occurs1 a retributive pain and destruction are never spoken of ,but1 in opposition to this view1 there is the fact that ,hebrew3 mvsr does not by any means rarely occur as signifying the punishments which are inflicted upon stiff-necked obduracy1 and which bear a destructive character1 and which1 therefore1 cannot be derived from the principle of correction1 but from that of retribution only4 ,thus1 e4g41 in ,prov4 xv4 #aj3 ,bad chastisement shall be to those that forsake the way1 and he that hateth chastisement shall die1 on which ,michaelis remarks3 ,in antanaclasi ad correptionem amicam et paternum1 mortem et mala quaelibet inferens1 in ira1 ,ps4 vi4 #b4 ,of destructive punishment1 too1 the verb is used in ,jer4 ii4 #ai4 ,but one does not at all see how the idea of setting right should be suitable here2 for surely1 as regards the ,servant of ,god himself1 the absolutely ,righteous1 the suffering here has the character of chastisement4 ,it is not the mere suffering1 but the chastisement1 which is upon ,him2 but that necessarily requires that the punishment should proceed from the principle of retribution1 and that the ,servant of ,god stands forth as our ,substitute4--,hebrew3 nrpa1 ,preter4 ,niph41 hence healing has been bestowed upon us2--,hebrew3 rpa with ,hebrew3 l1 in the signification to bring healing1 occurs also in chap4 vi4 #aj1 but nowhere else4 ,the healing is an individualising designation of deliverance from the punishments of sin1 called forth by the ,pg #bhf circumstance that disease occupied so prominent a place among them1 and had therefore been so prominently brought forward in what precedes4 ,in harmony with the ,apostolic quotation1 the expression clearly shows that the punitive sufferings were already lying upon the persons speaking2 that by the ,substitute they were not by any means delivered from the future evils1 but that the punishment1 the inseparable companion of sin1 already existed1 and was taken away by ,him4 ,ver4 #f4 ,all we like sheep have gone astray1 we have turned every one to his own way1 and the ,lord hath made the iniquities of us all to fall upon ,him4 ,calvin remarks3 ,in order the more strongly to impress upon the hearts of men the benefits of ,christ's death1 the ,prophet shews how necessary is that healing which was mentioned before4 ,there is herd an elegant antithesis2 for1 in ourselves we are scattered1 but1 in ,christ collected2 by nature we go astray and are carried headlong to destruction1--in ,christ we find the way in which we are led to the gate of salvation2 our iniquities cover and oppress us1--but they are transferred to ,christ by whom we are unburdened4--,all we--in the first instance1 members of the covenant-people1--not1 however1 as contrasted with the rest of mankind1 but as partaking in the general human destiny4--,we have turned every one to his own way2 we walked through life solitary1 forsaken1 miserable1 separated from ,god and the good ,shepherd1 and deprived of ,his pastoral care4 ,according to ,hofmann1 the going astray designates the liability to punishment1 but not the misery of the speakers2 and the words also3 ,we have turned1 c41 mean1 according to him1 that they chose their own ways1 but not that they walked sorrowful or miserable4 ,but the ordinary use of the image militates against that view4 ,in ,ps4 cxix4 #agf3 ,i go astray like a lost sheep1 seek thy servant1 the going astray is a figurative designation of being destitute of salvation4 ,the misery of the condition is indicated by the image of the scattered flock1 also in #a ,kings xxii4 #ag3 ,i saw all ,israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have not a shepherd4 ,michaelis pertinently remarks3 ,nothing is so miserable as sheep without a shepherd1--a thing which ,scripture so often repeats1 ,num4 xxvii4 #ag1 c4 ,as a commentary upon our passage1 ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #d-f may serve2 ,pg #bhg and according to that passage we shall be compelled to think of their being destitute of the care of a shepherd3 ,and they are scattered1 because there is no ,shepherd2 and they become meat to all the beasts of the field4 ,my sheep wander on all the mountains1 and on every high hill1 and over the whole land my sheep are scattered1 and there is none that careth for them1 or seeketh them4 ,the point of comparison is very distinctly stated in ,matt4 ix4 #cf also3 ,greek3 idn de tous ochlous esplanchnisthe peri autn1 hoti san eskulmenoi kai erhrimenoi hsei probata m echonta poimena4 ,without doubt1 turning to one's own ways is sinful1 comp4 chap4 lvi4 #aa2 but here it is not so much the aspect of sin1 as that of misery1 which is noticed4 ,as the chief reason of the sheep's wandering and going astray1 the bad condition of the shepherd must be considered1 comp4 ,jer4 l4 #f3 ,perishing sheep were my people2 their shepherds led them astray1 ,john x4 #h3 ,greek3 pantes hosoi pro emou lthon1 kleptai eisi kai lstai4--,hebrew3 pge with ,hebrew3 b signifies to hit2 hence ,hiphil1 to cause to hit4 ,the iniquities of the whole community hit the ,servant of ,god in their punishments2 but according to the biblical view1 their punishments can come upon ,him only as such1 only by ,his coming forward as a substitute for sinners1 and not because ,he suffers for the guilt of others to which ,he remained a stranger4 ,by this throwing the guilt upon the ,servant of ,god1 the condition of being without a shepherd is done away with1 the flock is gathered from its scattered condition4 ,the wall of separation which was raised by its guilt1 and which separated it from ,god1 the fountain of salvation1 is now removed by ,his substitution1 and the words3 ,the ,lord is my ,shepherd1 now become a truth1 comp4 ,john x4 #d4 ,ver4 #g4 ,he was oppressed1 and when ,he was plagued1 ,he does not open ,his mouth1 like a lamb which is brought to the slaughter1 and as a sheep which is dumb before her shearers1 and ,he does not open his mouth4 ,in these words1 we have a description of the manner in which the ,servant of ,god bore such sufferings4 ,it flows necessarily from the circumstance1 that it was a vicarious suffering4 ,the substitution implies that ,he took them upon ,him spontaneously2 and this has patience for its companion4 ,first1 the contents of ver4 #f are once more summed up in the word ,hebrew3 ngw1 ,he was oppressed3 then1 this condition of the ,servant ,pg #bhh of ,god is brought into connection with ,his conduct1 which1 only in this connection1 appears in its full majesty4--,hebrew3 ngw is the ,preterite in ,niphal1 and not1 as ,beck thinks1 #ast pers4 ,fut4 ,kal4 ,for the ,future would be here unusual2 the verb has elsewhere the ,future in o2 the suffix is wanting1 and the sense which then arises suits only the untenable supposition that1 in vers4 #a-aj1 the ,gentiles are speaking4 ,the ,niphal occurs in #a ,sam4 xiii4 #f1 of ,israel oppressed by the ,philistines2 and in #a ,sam4 xiv4 #bd1 of those borne down by heavy toil and fatigue4 ,hebrew3 ngw and ,hebrew3 nenh to be humbled1 oppressed1 abused1 do not1 in themselves essentially differ2 it is only on account of the context1 and the contrast implied in it1 that the same condition is once more designated by a word which is nearly synonymous4 ,the words and ,he separate ,hebrew3 nenh from what precedes1 and connect it with what follows4 ,the explanation3 ,he was oppressed1 but ,he suffered patiently1 has this opposed to it1 that the two ,niphals1 following immediately upon one another1 cannot here stand in a different meaning4 ,the idea of patience would here not be a collateral1 but the main idea1 and hence1 could not stand without a stronger designation4--,in ,hebrew3 ipt,h1 the real ,future has taken the place of the ideal ,past2 it shows that the preceding ,preterites are to be considered as prophetical1 and that1 in point of fact1 the suffering of the ,servant of ,god is no less future than ,his glorification4 ,the lamb points back to ,exod4 xii4 #c1 and designates ,christ as the true paschal lamb4 ,with a reference to the verse under consideration1 ,john the ,baptist calls ,christ the ,lamb of ,god1 ,john i4 #bi2 comp4 #a ,pet4 i4 #ah1 #ai2 ,acts viii4 #cb-ce4 ,but since it is not the vicarious character of ,christ's sufferings which here1 in the first instance1 comes into consideration1 but ,his patience under them1 the lamb is associated with the female sheep1 and that not in relation to her slayers1 but to her shearers4 ,the last words3 ,and ,he does not open ,his mouth1 are not to be referred to the lamb1 as some think1 7even the circumstance that the preceding ,hebrew3 r,hl is a feminine noun militates against this view71 but1 like the first3 ,he does not open ,his mouth1 to the ,servant of ,god4 ,it is an expressive repetition1 and one which is intended to direct attention to this feature2 comp4 the close of ver4 #c2 ,gen4 xlix4 #d3 ,judges v4 #af4 ,the fulfilment is shown by #a ,pet4 ii4 #bc3 ,pg #bhi ,greek3 hos loidoroumenos ouk anteloidorei1 paschn ouk peilei1 paredidou de t krinonti dikais2 and likewise ,matt4 xxvii4 #ab-ad3 ,greek3 kai en t katgoreisthai auton hupo tn archieren kai tn presbutern ouen apekrinato4 ,tote legei aut ho ,pilatos4 ouk akoueis posasou katamarturousi2 kai ouk apekrith aut pros ouden hen rhma1 hste thaumazein ton hgemona lian4 ,comp4 xxvi4 #fb2 ,mark xv4 #e2 ,luke xxiii4 #i2 ,john xix4 #i4 ,the third subdivision of the principal portion1 vers4 #h-aj1 describes the reward of the ,servant of ,god1 by expanding the words3 ,kings shall shut their mouths on account of ,him1 in chap4 lii4 #ae1 and ,he shall be exalted1 in ver4 #ac4 ,ver4 #h4 ,from oppression and from judgment ,he was taken1 and ,his generation who can think it out2 for ,he was cut of out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people1 whose the punishment4 ,god--such is the sense--takes ,him to himself from heavy oppression1 and ,he who apparently was destroyed without leaving a trace1 receives an infinitely numerous generation 7compare ,john xii4 #cb3 ,greek3 kag hean hupsth ek ts gs pantas helkus pros emauton71 as a deserved reward for having1 by ,his violent death1 atoned for the sins of ,his people1 delivered them from destruction1 and acquired them for ,his property4--,hebrew3 ecr oppression1 as ,ps4 cvii4 #ci1 properly1 according to the signification of the verb3 ,shutting up1 restraining1 hindering4 ,from what goes before1 where the evils from which the ,servant of ,god is here delivered are described more in detail1 it appears that here we have not to think of a prison properly so called2 for there1 it is not a prison1 but abuse and oppression which are spoken of4--,hebrew3 mwp,t is commonly referred to the judgment which the enemies of the ,servant of ,god passed upon ,him1 ,the premised ,hebrew3 ecr then furnishes the distinct qualification of the judgment1 shows that that which1 in a formal point of view1 presents itself as a judicial proceeding1 is1 in point of fact1 heavy oppression4 ,but1 at the same time1 ,hebrew3 mwp,t serves as a limitation for ,hebrew3 ecr4 ,we learn from it that the hatred of the enemies moved within the limits of judicial proceedings1--just as it happened in the history of ,christ4 ,but behind the human judgment1 the divine is concealed1 ,jer4 i4 #af2 ,ezek4 v4 #h2 ,ps4 cxliii4 #b4 ,this is shown by what precedes1 where the suffering of the ,servant of ,god is so emphatically and repeatedly designated as the punishment of sin inflicted upon ,pg #bij ,him by ,god4--,hebrew3 lq,h with ,hebrew3 m,n to be taken away from2 according to ,stier3 taken away from suffering1 being delivered from it by ,god's having taken ,him to himself1 to the land of eternal bliss4 ,this view1 according to which the words refer to the glorification of the ,servant of ,god1 has been adopted by the ,church4 ,it is adopted by the ,vulgate3 ,de angustia et judicio sublatus est2 by ,jerome1 who says on this passage3 ,from tribulation and judgment ,he ascended1 as a conqueror1 to the ,father2 and by ,michaelis who thus interprets it3 ,he was taken away1 and received at the right hand of the ,majesty4 ,by several interpretations1 the words are still referred to the state of humiliation of the ,servant of ,god3 ,through oppression and judgment ,he was dragged to execution4 ,but the ,prophet has already1 in ver4 #c1 finished the description of the mere sufferings of the ,servant of ,god--vers4 #d-g exhibit the cause of ,his sufferings and ,his conduct under them2 ,hebrew3 lq,h cannot1 by itself1 signify to be dragged to execution--in that case1 as in ,prov4 xxiv4 #aa1 to death would have been added2 ,hebrew3 m,n must be taken in the signification1 from1 out of1 as in the subsequent ,hebrew3 mar,c1 compare #b ,kings iii4 #i1 where ,hebrew3 lq,h with ,hebrew3 m,n signifies to take from4 ,in the passage under consideration1 as well as in those two passages which refer to the ascension of ,elijah1 there is a distinct allusion to ,gen4 v4 #bd1 where it is said of ,enoch3 ,and he was no more1 for ,god had taken him4--,and ,his generation who can think it out8 ,hebrew3 dvr1 properly circle1 is not only the communion of those who are connected by co-existence1 but also of those who are connected by disposition1 be it good or bad4#f ,thus1 the generation of the children of ,god in ,ps4 lxxiii4 #ae2 the generation of the righteous1 ,ps4 xiv4 #e2 the generation of the upright1 in ,ps4 cxii4 #b4 ,here1 the generation of the ,servant of ,god is the communion of those who are animated by ,his ,spirit1 filled with ,his life4 ,this company will1 after ,his death1 increase to an infinite greatness4 ,hebrew3 wv,h and ,hebrew3 wi,h to meditate1 is commonly connected with ,hebrew3 b of the object1 but occurs also with ,pg #bia the simple ,accusative1 in the signification to meditate upon something1 in ,ps4 cxlv4 #e4 ,there is1 as it appears1 an allusion to the promise to ,abraham1 ,gen4 xiii4 #af3 ,and ,i make thy seed as the dust of the earth1 so that if a man can number the dust of the earth1 then shall thy seed also be numbered1--a promise which received its complete fulfilment just by the ,servant of ,god4 ,the explanation which we have given was adopted by the ,,lxx43 ,greek3 tn genean autou tis digsetai4 ,next to it1 comes the explanation3 ,who can think out ,his posterity2 but against this1 it is conclusive that ,hebrew3 dvr never occurs in the signification posterity4 ,the parallel passage in ver4 #aj3 ,he shall see seed1 or posterity1 holds good even for our view2 for since the posterity is a spiritual one1 it is substantially identical with generation here4 ,but it may1 a priori1 be expected that the same thing shall be designated from various aspects4 ,if generation be taken in the signification posterity1 then the words3 ,he shall see seed would be a mere repetition4 ,the appropriateness of the sense which1 according to our explanation1 comes out1 will become especially evident1 if we consider that1 in vers4 #h-aj1 we have the carrying out of that which1 in the sketch1 was said of the respectful homage of the many nations and kings4 ,a whole host of explanations assigns to ,hebrew3 dvr significations which cannot be vindicated4 ,thus1 the translation of ,luther3 ,who shall disclose the length of ,his life8 that of ,hitzig3 ,his destiny2 that of ,beck3 ,his importance and influence in the history of the world2 that of ,knobel3 ,his dwelling place1 i4e41 ,his grave1 who considered8 ,the signification1 dwelling place1 does not at all belong to ,hebrew3 dvr4 ,in ,isaiah xxxviii4 #ab1 ,hebrew3 dvr are the cotemporaries from whom the dying man is taken away1 and who are withdrawn from him3 ,my generation is taken away1 and removed from me like a shepherd's tent--dying ,hezekiah there laments4 ,inadmissible1 likewise1 is the explanation3 ,who of ,his cotemporaries will consider1 or considered1 it for ,hebrew3 at1 the sign of the ,accusative1 cannot stand before the ,nomin4 ,absol4 ,in ,nehem4 ix4 #cd1 this use is by no means certain1 and1 at all events1 we cannot draw any inference from the language of ,nehemiah as to that of ,isaiah4 ,the ,ellipses3 the true cause of ,his death1 the importance and fruit of ,his death1 the salvation lying behind it 7,stier71 are very ,pg #bib hard1 and the sense which is purchased by such sacrifices is rather a common-place one1 little suitable to this context1 and to the relation to chap4 lii4 #ae4--;,for ,he was cut off from the land of the living1 for the transgression of my people1 whose the punishment4 ,the reason is here stated why the ,servant of ,god receives so glorious a reward2 why1 after ,he has been removed to ,god1 a generation so infinitely great is granted to ,him4 ,he has deserved this reward by ,his having suffered for the sins of ,his people1 as their substitute4 ,the first clause must not be separated from the second3 for the transgression1 c4 ,for it is not the circumstance1 that the ,servant of ,god suffered a violent death at all1 but that for the sin of ,his people ,he took it upon ,him1 which is the ground of ,his glorification4 ,hebrew3 ngzr to be cut off never occurs of a quiet1 natural death2 not even in the passage1 quoted in support of this use of the word1 viz41 ,psa4 lxxxviii4 #f2 ,lam4 iii4 #ed1 but always of a violent1 premature death4 ,the cognate ,hebrew3 ngrz also has1 in ,psa4 xxxi4 #bc1 the signification of extermination4 ,hebrew3 lmv1 poetical form for ,hebrew3 lh,m1 refers to the collective ,hebrew3 e,m4 ,before it1 the relative pronoun is to be understood3 for the sin of my people1 whose the punishment1 q4d41 whose property the punishment was1 to whom it belonged4 ,stier prefers to adopt the most violent interpretation rather than to conform and yield to this so simple sense1 which1 as he says1 could be entertained only by that obsolete theory of substitution where one saves the other from suffering4 ,several interpreters take the suffix in ,hebrew3 lmv as a ,singular3 on account of the transgression of my people1 punishment was to ,him4 ,and passages1 indeed1 are not wanting where the supposition that ,hebrew3 mv designates the ,singular1 has some appearance of probability2 but1 upon a closer examination1 this appearance everywhere vanishes4#g ,moreover1 as we have already remarked1 it is1 on account of the sense1 inadmissible to separate the two clauses4--,by ,hebrew3 emi my people1 the hypothesis of the non-,messianic interpreters is set aside1 that in ,pg #bic vers4 #a-aj the ,gentiles are speaking4 ,it is a single people to which the speakers belong1 the covenant-people1 for whose benefit the atonement and substitution of the ,servant of ,god were1 in the first instance1 intended 7comp4 ,greek3 ssei ton laon hautou apo tn hamartin autn1 ,matth4 i4 #ba7 yea1 were1 to a certain degree1 exclusively intended1 inasmuch as the believing ,gentiles were received into it as adopted children4 ,it is a forced expedient to say3 every single individual of the ,gentiles1 or of their princes1 says that the ,servant of ,god has suffered for the sin of ,his people1 hence also for ,his own4 ,and just as inadmissible is the supposition that a representative of the heathen world is speaking2 the whole heathen world cannot be designated as a people4 ,ver4 #i4 ,and they gave ,him ,his grave with the wicked1 and with a rich in ,his death1 because ,he had done no violence1 neither was any deceit in ,his mouth4 ,hebrew3 vit,n is intentionally without a definite ,subject1 q4d43 it was given to ,him1 ,ewald #bgc;a4 ,the acting subject could not be at all more distinctly marked out1 because there was a double subject4 ,men fixed for ,him the ignominious grave with criminals2 by the providence of ,god1 ,he received the honourable grave with a rich1 and that for the sake of ,his innocent sufferings1 as a prelude to the greater glorification which1 as a reward1 was to be bestowed upon ,him1 as an example of what is said in ver4 #ab3 ,he shall divide spoil with the strong4 ,the wicked who are buried apart from others1 can be the real criminals only1 the transgressors in ver4 #ab4 ,criminals received1 among the ,jews1 an ignominious burial4 ,thus ,josephus1 ,arch4 iv4 #h1 #f1 says3 ,he who has blasphemed ,god shall1 after having been stoned1 be hung up for a day1 and be buried quietly and without honour4 ,maimonides 7see ,iken on this passage in the ,biblia ,hagana ii4 #b7 says3 ,those who have been executed by the court of justice are not by any means buried in the graves of their ancestors2 but there are two graves appointed for them by the court of justice1--one for the stoned and burnt2 the other for the decapitated and strangled4 ,just as the ,prophet had1 in the preceding verse1 said that the ,servant of ,god would die a violent death like a criminal1 so he says here1 that they had also fixed for ,him a grave in common with executed criminals4 ,and with a rich ,pg #bid 7they gave ,him ,his grave7 in ,his death3 they gave ,him ,his grave1 first with the wicked2 but1 indeed1 ,he received it with a rich1 since ,god's providence was watching over the dead body of ,his ,servant4 ,hebrew3 vit,n1 in so far as it refers to the first clause1 receives its limitation by the second4 ,before their fulfilment1 the words had the character of a holy riddle2 but the fulfilment has solved this riddle4 ,the designation of ,joseph of ,arimathea as ,greek3 anthrpos plousios in ,matt4 xxvi4 #eg1 is equivalent to an express quotation4 ,although it was by a special divine providence that the ,singular was chosen1 yet we may suppose that1 in the first instance1 the rich man here is contrasted with the wicked men1 and is an ideal person1 the personified idea of the species4 ,in ,his death is1 in point of fact1 equivalent to3 after ,he had died2 but1 notwithstanding1 there is no necessity for giving to the ,hebrew3 b the signification after4 ,death rather denotes the condition of death2 in death is contrasted with3 in life4 ,altogether in the same manner we find in ,lev4 xi4 #ca3 ,whosoever doth touch them in their death1 for1 after they have died4 ,farther--#a ,kings xiii4 #ca3 ,in my death you shall bury me in the sepulchre4 ,the ,plural ,hebrew3 mvti,m the deaths1 conditions of death1 cannot be adduced as a proof that the subject of the prophecy must be a collective person2 for1 in that case1 rather the ,plural of the suffix would be required 7,ps4 lxxviii4 #fd is a rare exception72 and in ,ezek4 xxviii4 #h1 #aj1 death is likewise spoken of in the ,plural4 ,the ,plural is formed after the analogy of ,hebrew3 ,hii,m1 for which reason it commends itself to explain ,hebrew3 ar,c ,hii,m in the preceding verse1 land of life1 instead of land of the living4 ,but the ,plural can here the less occasion any difficulty1 that it is not dying which is spoken of1 but the continuing condition of death4--,because ,he had done no violence1 c4 ,hebrew3 el very frequently denotes the cause upon which the effect depends1 e4g41 in #a ,kings xvi4 #g2 ,ps4 xliv4 #bc1 lxix4 #h2 ,jer4 xv4 #ae2 ,job xxxiv4 #f4 ,the whole following clause is treated as a noun4 ,ordinarily1 it is explained3 ,although1 c4 ,but this use of ,hebrew3 el is quite isolated2 it occurs only in two passages of the ,book of ,job1 in x4 #g and xxxiv4 #f4 ,the former explanation is found in the ,alexand4 version3 ,greek3 hoti anomian ouk epoise4 ,the innocence is designated negatively1 and in an external manner 7 ,hebrew3 ,hms and ,hebrew3 mrmh are gross sins74 ,the reason of this is ,pg #bie in the intention of ,his enemies1 which is expressed in the preceding words1 to give ,him ,his grave with the wicked4 ,since ,he had not acted like them1 ,god took care that ,he did not receive their ignominious burial1 but an honourable one4 ,in reference to the passage under consideration1 it is said in #a ,pet4 ii4 #bb3 ,greek3 hos amartian ouk epoise oude heurethe dolos en t stomati autou4 ,instead of violence1 ,peter intentionally employs sin4--,hofmann has advanced the following arguments against the explanation which we have given4 #a4 ,by what is this contrast 7which1 according to our explanation1 is contained in the words3 ,they gave ,him ,his grave with the wicked1 and with a rich man in ,his death7 to be recognized in the text8 ,there remains no trace of a contrast1 unless it be contained in ,hebrew3 rwei,m and ,hebrew3 ewir4 ,are these really two ideas so contradictory1 that they alone are sufficient to bring into contrariety two clauses which have altogether the appearance of being intended for the same purpose8 ,but in this argument1 ,hofmann overlooks the circumstance1 that the wicked are specially criminals--for they alone had a peculiar grave--and that it is not the general relation of the wicked and rich to one another which comes into consideration1 but especially the relation in which they stand to one another as regards the burial4 ,if this be kept in view1 it is at once evident that the contrariety is expressed with sufficient clearness4 ,from ,isa4 xxii4 #af2 ,job xxi4 #cb2 ,matt4 xxvii4 #eg1 it appears that the rich man1 and the honourable grave1 are closely connected with each other4 ,hence1 it must have been by an opposite activity that to the ,servant of ,god a grave was assigned with the wicked1 and with a rich4 #b4 ,to be rich is not in itself a sin which deserved an ignominious burial1 far less received it1 but on the other hand1 to find his grave with a rich man is not an indemnification to the just for the disgrace of having died the death of a criminal4 ,but the fact that the first ,evangelist reports it so minutely 7,matt4 xxvii4 #eg-fa7 clearly enough shows the importance of the circumstance2 comp4 also how ,john1 in chap4 xix4 #cc ff41 points out the circumstance that ,christ's legs were not broken1 as were those of the malefactors4 ,in the little1 the great is prepared and prefigured4 ,and although the burial with a rich man is1 in itself1 of no small importance when viewed as the first point where the exaltation ,pg #bif began--in the connection with the preceding and following verses1 we cannot but look upon it as being symbolically significant and important4 ,and how could it be otherwise1 since the burial of the ,servant of ,god with a rich man implies that the rich man himself has been gained for ,him8 ,it has1 farther1 been objected that ,christ was not buried with ,joseph1 but in his grave only1 but in an ideal point of view with has its full right4 ,comp4 chap4 xiv4 #ai1 where it is said to the king of ,babylon3 ,but thou art cast out of thy grave1 although1 bodily1 he had not yet been in the grave2 but he had a right to come like his ancestors2 he had1 in an ideal point of view1 taken his place there4--,beck says3 ,the orthodox expositors are strongly embarrassed with these words4 ,that is indeed a remarkable interchange of positions4 ,embarrassment6--that is the sign of everything which unscriptural exegesis advances on this verse4 ,it is concentrated in the ,hebrew3 ewir4 ,the most varied conjectures and freaks are here so many symptoms of helpless embarrassment4 ,according to the opinion of several interpreters1 the rich man here stands in the sense of the ungodly4 ,in this1 even ,luther 7marginal note3 rich man1 one who in his doings founds himself on riches1 i4e41 an ungodly man71 and ,calvin had preceded them4 ,the assertion that the rich1 can simply stand for the wicked1 can neither be proved from ,job xxvii4 #ai 7for there1 according to the context1 the rich is equivalent to he who is wicked1 notwithstanding his riches71 nor from the word of the ,lord in ,matt4 xix4 #bc3 ,greek3 duskols plousios eiseleusetai eis tn basileian tn ourann4 ,for that which1 on a special occasion1 the ,lord here says of the rich1 applies to the poor also4 ,poverty1 not less than wealth1 is encompassed with obstacles to conversion1 which can be removed only by the omnipotence of divine grace4 ,according to ,matt4 xiii4 #bb1 the word is not only choked by the deceitfulness of riches1 but is as much so by care also1 the dangers of which are particularly set forth by our ,lord in ,matt4 vi4 #be ff4 ,in ,prov4 xxx4 #h1 #i it is said3 ,give me neither poverty nor riches1 lest ,i be full and deny thee1 and say3 ,where is the ,lord8 or lest ,i be poor and steal1 and take the name of my ,god in vain4 ,the dangers of riches are more frequently pointed out in ,scripture than those of poverty2 but this fact is accounted for by the circumstance1 that riches are surrounded ,pg #big with a glittering appearance1 and that it is therefore necessary to warn those who are apt to choose them for their highest good4 ,stier rightly calls to mind the promise of earthly blessings to those who fear ,god4 ,but the circumstance must not be overlooked that the rich comes here into consideration1 chiefly as to his burial4 ,the ,prophet would then not only proceed from the idea that all rich people are wicked1 but also would simply suppose that all the rich receive an ignominious burial4 ,but of that1 the parable of the rich man in ,luke xvi4 #bb1 knows nothing3 ,greek3 apethane de kai ho plousios kai etaph1 according to his riches2 it is in hell only that he receives his reward4 ,in opposition to ,gesenius1 ,hitzig remarks3 ,that transition of the signification is a fable4 ,following the example of ,martini he derives ,hebrew3 ewir from the ,arabic4 ,but in opposition to that1 ,gesenius again remarks in the ,thesaurus3 ,sed haud minoribus difficultatibus laborat ea ratio1 qua improbitatis significatum voluerunt ,martinius et ,hitzigius1 collata nimirum radice ,hebrew3 ewr caespitavit4 ,tum enim haec radix nullam prorsum cum verbo ,hebrew3 ewr necessitudinem habet1 ita ut ,hebrew3 ewir h4 l4 ,greek3 ap4 leg4 esset2 tum caespitandi vis nusquam ad peccatum1 licet ad fortunam adversam1 translata est4 ,if1 with words of such frequent occurrence1 it were allowable to search in the dialects1 the business of the expounder would be a very ungrateful one4 ,nor does the form1 which is commonly passive1 favour this interpretation4 ,according to ,beck1 ,hebrew3 ewir is another form for ,hebrew3 eri,c4 ,others would change the reading4 ,ewald proposes ,hebrew3 ewiq2 ,bttcher1 ,hebrew3 ewi re4 ,against all those conjectures1 moreover1 the circumstance militates1 that1 according to them1 the verse would still belong to the humiliation of the ,servant of ,god2 whereas the description of the glorification had already begun in the preceding verse4 ,for ,hebrew3 bmvtiv in ,his death1 ,gesenius and others propose to read ,hebrew3 bmvtiv1 to which they assign the signification ,his tomb-hill4 ,but1 altogether apart from this arbitrary change of the vowels1 there is opposed to this conjecture the circumstance1 that ,hebrew3 bmh never occurs of the grave4 ,according to ,gesenius1 ,hebrew3 bmvt1 in ,ezek4 xliii4 means tombs2 but the common signification high places1 must be retained there also4 ,in a spiritual point of view the sanctuaries of the ,lord had become high places4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,and the ,lord was pleased painfully to crush ,pg #bih ,him3 when ,his soul hath given restitution1 ,he shall see seed1 ,he shall prolong ,his days1 and the pleasure of the ,lord shall prosper through ,his hand4 ,and the ,lord was pleased--,this pleasure of the ,lord is not such an one as proceeds from caprice4 ,the ground on which it rests has already been minutely exhibited in what precedes4 ,by the vicarious influence of this suffering1 peace is to be acquired for mankind2 and since this object is based upon the divine nature1 upon ,god's mercy1 the choice of the means also1 by which alone it could be attained 7for1 without a violation of the divine character1 sin could not remain unpunished71 must be traced to the divine character4 ,here the ground on which the pleasure rests is stated in the words immediately following1--a connection which is clearly indicated by the obvious relation in which the ,hebrew3 ,hp,c ihvh of the close stands to ,hebrew3 ihvh ,hp,c of the beginning2 so that the sense is3 ,it was the pleasure1 c41 and this for the purpose that1 after having made an offering for sin1 ,he should see seed1 c4 ,hence the pleasure of the ,lord has this in view3--that the will of the ,lord should be realized1 ,his ,servant glorified1 and the salvation of mankind promoted4 ,painfully to crush ,him4 ,hebrew3 ,hlh to be sick1 to suffer pains4 ,in this sense the ,niphal occurs in ,amos vi4 #f1 and the participle ,hebrew3 n,hlh in the signification painful1 grievous1 in ,nah4 iii4 #ai2 ,jer4 xiv4 #ag1 and other passages1 ,in ,hiphil it means3 to make painful1 ,mic4 vi4 #ac4 ,the common explanation1 ,the ,lord was pleased to crush ,him1 ,he has made ,him sick1 has this against it1 that ,copula and ,suffix are wanting in ,hebrew3 h,hli1 and that the word would come in unconnected1 and in a very disagreeable manner4 ,and then the passage in ,micah1 which we have quoted1 decides against it4--,when ,his soul hath given restitution4 ,there cannot be any doubt that1 in a formal point of view1 it is the soul which gives restitution4 ,knobel's explanation3 ,his soul gives itself1 is not countenanced by the usus loquendi2 ,hebrew3 wi,m is not a reflective verb4 ,as little can we suppose with ,hofmann that ,hebrew3 twi,m is the second person1 and an address to ,jehovah4 ,in opposition to this view1 there is not only the circumstance that ,jehovah is spoken of before and afterwards1 but1 in a material point of view1 the circumstance also1 that offerings for sin1 and1 generally1 all sacrifices1 were never offered up by ,god1 ,pg #bii but always to ,god4 ,the fact also1 that according to the sequel1 the ,servant of ,god receives the reward for ,his meritorious work1 proves that it is ,he who offers up the sacrifice4 ,but1 on the other hand1 it is1 in point of fact1 the soul only which can be the offering1 the restitution2 for it could scarcely be imagined that1 just here1 that should be omitted on which everything mainly depends4 ,it is sufficiently evident1 from what precedes1 who it is that offers the restitution2 what the restitution was1 it was necessary distinctly to point out4 ,farther--,in the case of sacrifices1 it is just the soul upon which every thing depends2 so that if the soul be mentioned in a context which treats of sacrifices1 it is1 a priori1 probable that it will be the object offered up4 ,in ,lev4 xvii4 #aa1 it is said3 ,for the soul of the flesh is in the blood1 and ,i give it to you upon the altar1 to atone for your souls1 for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul1 viz41 by the soul per animam1 vi animae in eo sanguine constantis 7,gussetius74#h ,the soul1 when thus considered as the passive object1 is here therefore in a high degree in its proper place2 and there can the less be any doubt of its occurring here in this sense1 that it occurs twice more in vers4 #aa and #ab1 of the natural psychical life of the ,servant of ,god1 which was given up to suffering and death4 ,but1 on the other hand1 if the soul be considered as the active object1 it stands here at all events rather idle1--a circumstance which is sufficiently apparent from the supposition of several interpreters1 that ,hebrew3 npw soul1 stands here simply for the personal pronoun1--,his soul1 for ,he1 a usus loquendi which occurs in ,arabic1 but not in ,hebrew4 ,and1 strictly speaking1 the offering of the sacrifice does not belong to the soul1 but to the spirit of the ,servant of ,god1 compare ,heb4 ix4 #ad1 according to which passage1 ,christ ,greek3 dia pneumatos ainiou heauton prosnenken ammon t ,the2 and on the subject of the difference between soul and spirit1 compare my ,commentary on ,ps4 iv4 p4 lxxxvii4 ,but how will it now be possible to reconcile and harmonize ,pg #cjj our two results1 that1 in a formal point of view1 the soul is that which offers up1 and1 in a material point of view1 that which is offered up8 ,by the hypothesis that1 in a rhetorical way of speaking1 that is here assigned to the soul as an action which1 in point of fact1 is done upon it4 ,all that is necessary is to translate3 ,if ,his soul puts or gives a trespass-offering2 for1 to put1 stands here1 as it does so frequently1 in the sense of to give1 compare ,ezek4 xx4 #bh1 where it is used in this sense in reference to sacrifice4 ,but1 in point of fact1 this is equivalent to3 ,if it is made a trespass-offering1 or1 ,if ,he1 the ,servant of ,god1 offers it as a trespass-offering4 ,it is analogous to this when1 in ,job xiv4 #bb1 the soul of the deceased laments2 and a cognate mode of representation prevails in ,rev4 vi4 #i1 where1 to the souls of the slain1 life is assigned for the sole purpose of their giving utterance to that which was the result of the thought regarding them1 in combination with the circumstances of the time4 ,to a certain degree analogous is also chap4 lx4 #g1 where it is said of the sacrificial animals3 ,they ascend1 for my pleasure1 mine altar4 ,the fact that it is in reality the soul which is offered up1 is confirmed also by the remarkable reference to the passage before us in the discourses of our ,lord4 ,our ,lord says in ,john x4 #ab3 ,greek3 eg eimi ho poimn ho kalos4 ho poimn ho kalos tn chuchn hautou tithsin huper tn probatn4 ,ver4 #ae3 ,greek3 kai tn chuchn mou tithmi huper tn probatn4 ,vers4 #ag1 #ah3 ,greek3 dia touto ho patr me agapa1 hoti eg tithmi tn psuchn mou hina palin lab autn4 ,oudeis airei autn ap'emou1 all'eg tithmi autn ap'emautou4 exousian ech theinai autn1 kai exousian ech palin labein autn4 ,in ,john xv4 #ac3 ,greek3 meizona tauts agapn oudeis echei hina tis tn psuchn autou th huper philn hautou4 ,the expression3 ,to put one's soul for some one1 does not1 independently and by itself1 occur anywhere else in the ,new ,testament2 in ,john xiii4 #cg1 #ch1 ,peter takes the word out of the mouth of the ,saviour1 and in #a ,john iii4 #af1 it is used in reference to those declarations of our ,lord4 ,the expression is nowhere met with in any profane writers1 nor in the ,hellenistic usus loquendi4 ,the following reasons prove that it refers to the ,old ,testament1 and especially to the passage under consideration4 #a4 ,its ,hebraizing character4 ,de ,wette and ,lcke erroneously take ,greek3 theinai in the sense of laying down2 but that is too negative4 ,it is evident that the ,hebraism to put1 instead of to give1 has been ,pg #cja transferred into ,greek1 as is proved by the synonymous ,greek3 dounai tn psuchn hautou in ,mark x4 #de2 ,matt4 xx4 #bh4--b4 ,the fact that the same uncommon expression occurs not fewer than five times in the same discourse of ,christ1 and that so intentionally and emphatically1 is explicable only when it was thereby intended to point to an important fundamental passage of the ,old ,testament4--#c4 ,in the discourses of our ,lord1 the expression is1 no less than in the passage before us1 used of ,his sacrificial death4--,if1 then1 it be established that those passages in which our ,lord speaks of a putting of ,his soul1 refer to the passage under consideration1 this must be acknowledged of those also in which ,he speaks of a giving of ,his soul1 as in ,matt4 xx4 #bh3 ,greek3 dounai tn psuchn hautou lutron anti polln1 where the ,greek3 lutron clearly points to the ,hebrew3 aw,m here4 ,in all those utterances1 the ,saviour simply has reduced the words to what they signify1 just as1 in quoting the passage ,zech4 xiii4 #g1 in ,matt4 xxvi4 #ca1 ,he likewise drops the rhetorical figure1 the address to the sword4 ,he himself appears simply as ,he who offers up2 the soul is that which is offered up4--,hebrew3 aw,m is1 in ,numb4 v4 #e1 called that of which some one has unjustly robbed another1 and which he is bound to repay to him4 ,an essential feature of sin is the robbing of ,god which is thereby committed1 the debt thereby incurred1 which implies the necessity of recompence4 ,all sin-offerings are1 in the ,mosaic economy1 at the same time debt-offerings2 and this feature is very intentionally and emphatically pointed out in them4 ,if1 besides the sin-offerings1 there is still established a kind of trespass-offerings1 the ,hebrew3 aw,m1 for sins in which the idea of incurring a debt comes out with special prominence1 this is done only with the view1 that this feature1 thus brought forward by itself and independently1 may be so much the more deeply impressed1 in order that1 in the other sin-offerings too1 it may be the more clearly perceived4 ,compare the investigation on the sin-offerings and trespass-offerings in my work on the ,genuineness of the ,pentateuch1 ii4 p4 #agd ff4 ,but the sin- and trespass-offerings of the ,old ,testament typically point to a true spiritual sin- and trespass-offering2 and their chief object was to awaken in the people of ,god the consciousness of the necessity of substitution 7compare my ,book3 ,die ,opfer der ,heil4 ,schrift1 ,berlin #aheb74 ,this antetypical sacrifice will be offered up by the true ,high-,priest4 ,for the sins of the human race which ,pg #cjb without compensation1 cannot be forgiven1 ,he furnishes the restitution which could not be paid by the sinners1 and thereby works out the justification of the sinner before ,god4--,to the trespass-offering here1 all those passages of the ,new ,testament point1 in which ,christ is spoken of as the sacrifice for our sins1 especially #b ,cor4 v4 #ba1 where the apostle says that ,god made ,christ to be ,greek3 hamartia for us1 that in ,him we might be made righteous before ,god2 ,rom4 viii4 #c1 according to which ,god sent ,christ ,greek3 peri hamartias1 as a sin-offering2 ,rom4 iii4 #be1 where ,christ is called ,greek3 hilastrion1 propitiation2 #a ,john ii4 #b3 ,greek3 kai autos hilasmos esti peri tn hamartin hmn1 iv4 #aj2 ,heb4 ix4 #ad4--,the ,hebrew3 a,m at the beginning must not be explained by as a signification1 which it never has2 it has its ordinary signification when1 and the ,future is to be understood as a real ,future3 the offering of the trespass-offering is the condition of ,his seeing1 c41 and1 according to the context1 indeed1 the absolutely necessary condition4 ,the translation3 ,even if could proceed from one only who had not understood this context4 ,it is not death in general1 but sacrificial death1 which is specially spoken of2 and to such a death1 which is a necessary foundation of the glorification1 and especially the foundation of ,he shall see seed1 when only is suitable1 and not even if4--,in the words3 ,he shall see seed1 prolong ,his days1 that is1 in a higher sense1 promised to this ,servant of ,god1 which1 under the ,old ,testament1 was considered as a distinguished divine blessing4 ,the spiritual interpretation has the less difficulty1 that it must necessarily be granted in the case of ,hebrew3 aw,m1 immediately preceding4 ,just in the same relation in which the sin-offering of the ,servant of ,god stands to the sin-offering of the bullocks and goats1 does ,his posterity1 the length of ,his days1 stand to the ordinary posterity and length of days4 ,the seed of the ,servant of ,god1 identical with ,his generation1 in ver4 #h1 are just those for whom1 according to the words immediately preceding1 ,he offers ,his soul as a trespass-offering--the many who1 according to ver4 #ab1 are assigned to ,him as ,his portion2 who1 according to chap4 lii4 #ae1 are to be sprinkled by ,him2 who1 according to ver4 #aa1 are to be justified by ,him2 they whose sins ,he has taken upon ,him 7ver4 #e71 and for whom ,he intercedes before ,god1 ver4 #ab4 ,even in the ,old ,testament1 the word children is frequently used in a spiritual ,pg #cjc sense4 ,in ,gen4 vi4 #b1 believers appear as the children of ,god4 ,the ,israelites are not unfrequently designated as sons of ,jehovah4 ,those prophets who were endowed with specially rich gifts1 were surrounded by a crowd of sons of the prophets4 ,the wise man1 too1 looks upon his disciples as his spiritual sons1 ,prov4 iv4 #bj1 xix4 #bg2 ,eccles4 xii4 #ab4 ,in the ,new ,testament1 the ,lord addresses the man sick of the palsy by ,greek3 teknon4 ,matt4 ix4 #b2 and with special emphasis4 ,his apostles as little children1 ,greek3 teknia eti mikron meth'humn eimi1 ,john xiii4 #cc2 and the ,apostles1 too1 consider those who have been awakened by their ministry as their spiritual children1 #a ,cor4 iv4 #ag2 #a ,tim4 i4 #b2 #a ,pet4 v4 #ac4 ,the thought is this--that in the sacrificial death of the ,servant of ,god there will be an animating power2 that1 just thereby1 ,he will found ,his ,church4 ,the words3 ,he shall prolong ,his days1 allude1 as it appears1 to the promise which was given to ,david and his seed1 comp4 ,ps4 xxi #e3 ,he asked life of thee1 and thou gavest it to him1 even length of days for ever and ever2 #a ,sam4 vii4 #ac3 ,i will establish the throne of ,his kingdom for ever1 comp4 ver4 #af2 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #e1 cxxxii4 #ab1--;a promise which found its final fulfilment in ,christ4 ,but the long life here must not be viewed as isolated1 but must be understood in close connection both with what precedes and what follows4 ,it is the life of the ,servant of ,god in communion with ,his seed1 in carrying out the will of ,god4 ,hebrew3 ,hp,c never means business1 but always pleasure2 and this signification1 which occurs in chap4 xliv4 #bh also1 is here the less to be given up1 that the ,hebrew3 ,hp,c here1 at the close1 evidently refers to the ,hebrew3 ,hp,c at the beginning4 ,by this reference1 the reason is stated why it was the pleasure of the ,lord to crush ,him4 ,according to vers4 #aa and #ab1 it is the pleasure of ,god that sinners should be justified through ,him1 on the foundation of ,his vicarious suffering2 according to chap4 xlii4 and xlix41 that ,israel should be redeemed1 and the ,gentiles saved4 ,while the pleasure of the ,lord is prospering through ,his hand1 he1 at the same time1 sees seed4 ,in vers4 #aa and #ab1 we have the closing words of the ,lord4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,on account of the sufferings of ,his soul ,he seeth1 ,he is satisfied2 by ,his knowledge ,he1 the ,righteous ,one1 my ,servant1 shall justify the many1 and ,he shall bear their iniquities4 ,pg #cjd ,the ,hebrew3 m,n in ,hebrew3 meml is on account of4 ,in ver4 #aj1 to which the discourse of the ,lord is1 in the first instance1 connected1 the suffering likewise appears as the cause of the glorification4 ,the ,vulgate translates3 ,pro eo quod laboravit anima ejus2 the ,,lxx4 rather feebly3 ,greek3 apo tou ponou ts psuchs autou4 ,with ,hebrew3 irah the object is omitted1 and that purposely1 in order that the words of ,god may be immediately connected with ver4 #aj4 ,we must supply3 the fruits and rewards of ,his sufferings announced there 7just as1 in a manner quite similar1 in chap4 xlix4 #g1 they shall see1 refers to the preceding verse71 specially that the pleasure of the ,lord shall prosper through ,his hand1--which1 in the sequel1 is enlarged upon4 ,the words3 ,he is satisfied1 point out that the blissful consequences of the atoning suffering will take place in the highest fulness4 ,hebrew3 bdetv must1 according to the accents1 be connected with the subsequent words4 ,the knowledge does not belong to the ,servant of ,god1 in so far as it dwells in ,him1 but as it concerns ,him2 just as the ,greek3 agap tou ,theou in ,luke xi4 #db1 and in other passages does not mean the love which dwells in ,god1 but the love which has ,god for its object4 ,by ,his knowledge is thus equivalent to3 by their knowing ,him1 getting acquainted with ,him1 ,this knowledge of the ,servant of ,god according to ,his principal work1 as it was described in what precedes1 viz41 mediatorial office1 or faith1 is the subjective condition of justification4 ,as the efficient cause of it1 the vicarious suffering of the ,servant of ,god was represented in the preceding context4 ,it is just this1 which is subjectively appropriated by the knowledge of the ,servant of ,god1 and which must be conceived of as essential and living4 ,thus ,j4 ,h4 ,michaelis says3 ,per scientiam sui 7,clericus3 ,cognitione sui71 non qua ipse cognoscit1 sed qua vera fide et fiducia ipse tanquam propitiator cognoscitur4 ,the explanation3 ,by ,his knowledge 7in the sense of understanding7 or wisdom1 gives a sense unsuitable to the context4 ,in the whole prophecy1 the ,servant of ,god does not appear as a ,teacher1 but as a ,redeemer2 and the relation of ,hebrew3 cdiq to ,hebrew3 hcdiq shows that here1 too1 ,he is considered as such4 ,to supply1 as is done by some interpreters3 in which 7knowledge7 ,he perceived the only possible means of redemption and reconciliation1 and gave practical effect to this knowledge1 is1 after all1 too unnatural2 the ,pg #cje discourse would in that case be so incomplete that we should have been shut up to conjectures4 ,others translate3 ,by ,his doctrine2 but ,hebrew3 det never means doctrine4 ,the explanation3 ,by ,his full1 absolute knowledge of the divine counsel 7,hvernick71 or1 by the absolute knowledge of ,god 7,umbreit71 puts into the simple word1 which only means knowledge1 more than is implied in it4 ,according to the parallelism with the subsequent words3 ,he shall bear their iniquities4 and according to the context 7for1 in the whole section1 the ,servant of ,god is not described as a ,teacher1 but as a ,priest1 as ,he who1 in order to expiate our sin1 has offered himself up as a sacrifice71 ,hebrew3 hcdiq must not be translated to convert1 but to justify4 ,in favour of this translation is also the construction with ,hebrew3 l1 which is to be accounted for from a modification of the signification3 to bring righteousness4 ,but it is specially the position of ,hebrew3 cdiq which is decisive in favour of it4 ,it is for the justification only that the personal righteousness of the ,servant of ,god has that significant meaning which is1 in this manner1 assigned to it4 ,moreover1 in the usus loquendi1 the meaning to justify only occurs4 ,in it1 the verb is used1 chap4 v4 #bc1 l4 #h2 and there is no reason for deviating from it in the only passage which can be adduced in favour of the signification to convert1 viz41 ,dan4 xii4 #c3 ,and the wise1 ,hebrew3 mwkili,m1 shall shine as the brightness of the firmament1 and justify many as the stars1 for ever and ever4 ,in this passage1 that is applied to believers which1 in chap4 liii41 was ascribed to ,christ4 ,even a certain strangeness in the style makes us suppose such a transference2 and the fact1 that ,daniel had our passage specially in view1 cannot be doubted1 if we compare the ,hebrew3 mwkili,m of ,daniel with the ,hebrew3 iwkil with which the prophecy under consideration opens 7chap1 lii1 #ac71 and ,daniel's3 justify many1 with the passage before us4 ,the justification1 which in its full sense belongs to ,christ the ,head only1 is by ,daniel ascribed to the wise1 because they are the instruments through whom many attain justification2 ,calvin3 ,quia causa sunt ministerialis justitiae et salutis multorum4 ,hvernick refers1 for a comparison1 to #a ,tim4 iv4 #af3 ,for1 in doing this1 thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee4 ,hebrew3 ediq must not be immediately connected with ,hebrew3 ebdi2 for1 in that case1 it ought to have stood after it1 and been qualified ,pg #cjf by the article4 ,on the contrary1 ,hebrew3 ediq stands first1 because it stands by itself and substantively3 ,the righteous ,one1 ,my ,servant4 ,a similar construction occurs1 ,jer4 iii41 vii4 #aj3 ,and she does not turn unto me1 the treacherous one1 ,hebrew3 bgirh1 her sister ,judah4 ,by thus making ,hebrew3 cdiq prominent1 and connecting it immediately with ,hebrew3 hcdiq1 it is intended to point out the close connection in which the righteousness of the ,servant of ,god1 who1 although altogether innocent and sinless1 ver4 #i1 yet suffered the punishment of sin1 stands with the justification to be bestowed by ,him4 ,maurer thus pertinently expresses this3 ,to many1 for righteous is my ,servant1 shall ,he procure righteousness4 ,by these words thus the ,hebrew3 izh1 in chap4 lii4 #ae1 is explained2 and the seal of the divine confirmation is impressed upon that which1 in vers4 #d-f1 the believing ,church had said1 especially upon the words3 ,by ,his wounds we are healed1 ver4 #e4 ,the many points back to chap4 liii4 #ae1 and forms the contrast not to all 7,stier3 ,because ,he cannot1 overturning all laws1 save all by coercion1 or arbitrary will1--a limitation which would in this context be out of place71 but to few3 ,the one1 the many1 ,rom4 v4 #ae4--;,and ,he shall bear their iniquities2 the iniquities and their punishment1 as a heavy burden which the ,servant of ,god lifts off from those who are groaning under their weight1 and takes upon himself ,jerome says3 ,and ,he himself shall bear the iniquities which they could not bear1 and by the weight of which they were borne down4 ,calvin expresses himself thus3 ,a wonderful change indeed6 ,christ justifies men by giving them ,his righteousness1 and in exchange4 ,he takes upon ,him their sins1 that ,he may expiate them4 ,in opposition to those who translate3 ,he bore their iniquities1 7the ,future might1 in that case1 he accounted for from the ,prophet's viewing the whole transaction as present71 even ,gesenius has remarked that the preceding and subsequent ,futures all refer to the state of glorification4 ,even the parallelism with ,hebrew3 icdiq shows that we must translate as the ,,lxx4 do3 ,greek3 kai tas hamartias autn autos anoisei4 ,moreover1 the subject of discourse in the whole verse is not the acquiring of the righteousness1 which was done in the state of humiliation1 but the communication of it1 as the subjective condition of which the knowledge of the ,servant of ,god was mentioned in the preceding clause4 ,pg #cjg ,in the case of every one who1 after the exaltation of the ,servant of ,god1 fulfils this condition1 ,he takes upon ,himself their sins1 i4e41 ,he causes ,his vicarious suffering to be imputed to them1 and grants them pardon4 ,the expression3 ,he shall bear their iniquities is1 in point of fact1 identical with3 ,he shall justify them4 ,the ,servant of ,god has borne the sin once for all2 by the power of ,his substitution1 effected by the shedding of ,his blood1 ,he takes upon himself the sins of every individual who knows ,him4 ,the taking away is implied in ,hebrew3 vsbl in so far only1 as it is done by bearing4 ,it was only because he was misled by his rationalistic tendencies1 that ,gesenius explains3 ,and ,he lightens the burden of their sins1 i4e41 by ,his doctrine ,he shall correct them1 and thereby procure to them pardon4 ,by such an explanation he contradicts himself1 inasmuch as1 in ver4 #d1 he referred the bearing of the diseases and pains to the vicarious satisfaction4 ,it cannot1 in any way1 be said of the ,teacher1 that he takes upon himself iniquities4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,therefore will ,i give ,him a portion in the many1 and ,he shall divide the spoil with the strong1 because ,he hath poured out ,his soul unto death and was numbered with the transgressors1 and ,he beareth the sin of many1 and for the transgressors ,he shall make intercession4 ,the first words are thus explained by many interpreters3 ,therefore ,i will give ,him mighty ones for ,his portion1 and strong ones ,he shall divide as a spoil4 ,but ,hebrew3 ,hlq with ,hebrew3 b cannot mean simply to allot1 7although1 indeed1 this explanation is given by the ,,lxx42 ,greek3 dia touto autos klronomsei pollous2 ,vulg43 ideo dispertiam ei plurimos72 it only signifies to give a portion in1 ,job xxxix4 #ag4 ,from the comparison with ,hebrew3 rbi,m in ver4 #aa and at the close of this verse1 as well as from the reference to the many nations in the sketch1 ver4 #ae1 it is evident that ,hebrew3 rbi,m here1 too1 cannot mean mighty ones1 but many4 ,even elsewhere1 the signification great ones1 mighty ones1 appears oftentimes to be only forced upon ,hebrew3 rbi,m4 ,in ,job xxxv4 #i1 the many are the many evil-doers2 and in ,job xxxii4 #i1 the utterance3 ,not the many are wise1 is explained from the circumstance1 that the view given by ,job's friends was that of the great mass4 ,the fact that the ,hebrew3 at in the second clause is not the sign of the ,accusative1 but a ,preposition1 ,pg #cjh is probable even from the circumstance1 that the former ,hebrew3 at commonly stands before qualified nouns only2 and1 farther from the corresponding2 with the transgressors4 ,but what is conclusive is1 that the phrase ,hebrew3 ,hlq wll always means to divide spoil1 never to distribute as spoil1 and that the phrase ,hebrew3 ,hlq wll at gai,m to divide spoil with the proud occurs in ,prov4 xvi4 #ai4 ,the reason of the use of this expression lies in the reference to ordinary victors and conquerors of the world1 especially to ,cyrus4 ,by ,his sufferings and death1 the ,servant of ,god shall secure to himself the same successes as they do by sword and bow4 ,although participating in the government of the world1 and dividing spoil are here ascribed to the ,servant of ,god1 yet the participation in worldly triumphs is not spoken of ,on the contrary1 behind the equality which has given rise to the secular-looking expression 7the thought is merely this1 that through ,christ and ,his sacrificial death1 the ,kingdom of ,god enters into the rank of world-conquering powers71 a contrast lies concealed1--as appears1 #a4 ,from what is stated1 in the preceding verses1 about the manner in which the ,servant of ,god has attained to this glory4 ,worldly triumphs are not acquired by the deepest humiliation1 by sufferings and death voluntarily undergone for the salvation of mankind4 #b4 ,from that which the ,servant of ,god1 in the state of glory1 is to do to those who turn to ,him4 ,according to chap4 lii4 #ae1 ,he is to sprinkle them with ,his blood2 and this sprinkling is there expressly stated as the reason of the reverential homage of the ,gentile world4 ,he is to justify them and to bear their sins1 ver4 #aa1 and to make intercession for them1 ver4 #ab4 ,all that does not apply to a worldly conqueror and ruler4--,the merits of the ,servant of ,god are then once more pointed out1--the merits by which ,he has acquired so exalted and all-important a position to himself1 and1 at the same time1 to the ,kingdom of ,god1 of which ,he is the ,head4 ,because ,he hath poured out ,his soul unto death1 ,hebrew3 erh in the ,niphal1 to be poured out1 means in ,piel to pour out1 ,gen4 xxiv4 #bj1 and ,ps4 cxli4 #h1 where it is said of the soul3 ,do not pour out my soul1 just as here the ,hiphil is used4 ,the term has been transferred to the soul from the blood1 in which is the soul4 ,gen4 ix4 #d3 ,flesh with its soul 7namely with its blood7 you shall not eat4 ,ver4 #e3 ,your blood in ,pg #cji which your souls4 ,hebrew3 nmnh1 ,he was numbered1 is here1 according to the context1 equivalent to3 ,he caused himself to be numbered2 for it is only that which was undergone voluntarily which can be stated as the reason of the reward4 ,this voluntary undergoing1 however1 is not implied in the word itself1 but only in the connection with3 ,he hath poured out ,his soul2 for that signifies a voluntary act4 ,the ,hebrew3 pwei,m here1 just as the ,hebrew3 rwei,m in ver4 #i1 are not sinners1 but criminals4 ,this appears from the connection in which the being numbered with the transgressors stands with the pouring out of the soul unto death4 ,we can hence think of executed criminals only4 ,the pure1 innocent ,one was not only numbered with sinners1 such as all men are1 but ,he was numbered with criminals4 ,it is in this sense also that our ,lord understands the words1 in ,his quotation of them in ,luke xxii4 #cg3 ,greek3 leg gar humin1 hoti heti touto to gegrammenon dei telesthnai en emoi1 to4 kai meta anomn elogisth1 kai gar ta peri emou telos echei2 ,compare ,matt4 xxvi4 #ed1 where the ,lord strengthens ,his disciples against the offence of ,his being taken a prisoner1 by saying1 with a view to the passage before us3 ,greek3 ps oun plrthsin hai graphai1 hoti hout dei genesthai2 ver4 #ef1 where1 after having reproached the guards for having numbered ,him with criminals3 ,greek3 hs epi lstn exlthete meta machairn kai xuln sullabein me1 ,he says to them3 ,greek3 touto de holon gegonen hina plrthsin hai graphai tn prophtn4 ,mark1 in chap4 xv4 #bh1 designates the fact that two robbers were crucified with ,christ1 as the most perfect fulfilment of our prophecy4 ,it was in this fact that it came out most palpably1 that ,christ had been made like criminals4 ,the rulers of the people caused two common criminals to be crucified with ,him1 just that they might declare that they put ,him altogether among their number4--,and ,he beareth the sin of many1 and for the transgressors ,he shall make intercession4 ,by ,hebrew3 vhva1 it is indicated that the subsequent words are no more to be viewed as depending on ,hebrew3 t,ht awr4--,hebrew3 ipgie must not1 as is done by the ,,lxx41 be referred to the state of humiliation2 for the ,future in the preceding verses has reference to the exaltation4 ,the parallel ,hebrew3 nwa must therefore be viewed as a ,praeteritum propheticum4 ,it corresponds with ,hebrew3 isbl in ver4 #aa1 and1 like it1 does not designate something done but once by the ,servant of ,god1 but something which ,he does constantly4 ,the intercession is ,pg #caj here brought into close connection with the bearing of the sin1 by which ,christ represents himself as being the true sin-offering 7comp4 ver4 #aj1 where ,he was designated as the true trespass-offering71 and hence it is equivalent to3 ,he will make intercession for sinners1 by taking upon himself their sin1--of which the thief on the cross was the first instance4 ,this close connection1 and the deep meaning suggested by it1 are overlooked and lost by those expositors who1 in the intercession1 think of prayer only4 ,the servant of ,god1 on the contrary1 makes intercession1 by pleading before ,god ,his merit1 as the ground of the acceptance of the transgressors1 and of the pardon of their sins4 ,this is evident from the connection also in which3 ,for the transgressors ,he shall make intercession1 stands with3 ,he was numbered with the transgressors4 ,the vicarious suffering is thereby pointed out as the ground of the intercession4 ,calvin says3 ,under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 the ,high-priest1 who never went in without blood1 made intercession for the people4 ,what was there foreshadowed has been fulfilled in ,christ4 ,for1 in the first place4 ,he offered up the sacrifice of ,his body1 and shed ,his blood1 and thus suffered the punishment due to us4 ,and1 in the second place1 in order that the expiation might profit us4 ,he undertakes the office of an advocate1 and makes intercession for all who1 by faith1 lay hold of this sacrifice4 ,comp4 ,rom4 viii4 #cd3 ,greek3 hos kai entunchanei huper hmn2 ,hebr4 ix4 #bd1 according to which passage ,christ is entered into the holy places ,greek3 nun emphanisthnai t prosp tou ,theou huper hmn2 #a ,john ii4 #a3 ,greek3 paraklton echomen pros ton patera ,isoun ,christon dikaion4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,we have hitherto expounded the passage before us without any regard to the difference of the interpretation as to the whole1 and have supposed the reference to ,christ to be the correct one4 ,but it is still incumbent upon us3 ,i4 to give the history of the interpretation2 ,,ii4 to refute the arguments against the ,messianic interpretation2 ,,iii4 to state the arguments in favour of it2 and ,,iv4 to show that the non-,messianic interpretation is untenable4 ,footnote #a3 ,one needs only to consider passages such as this1 to be enabled to distinguish between the ideal and real ,present1 and to be convinced of the utter futility of the chief argument against the genuineness of the second part1 viz41 that the ,babylonish exile appears as present4 ,proceeding from the certainty of deliverance--so ,hitzig remarks--the ,prophet here beholds in spirit that going on1 to which1 in chap4 xl4 #i1 he exhorts4 ,if the ,prophet beholds at all in the spirit1 why should he not see in spirit the misery also8 ,footnote #b3 ,simonis4 ,onom43 ,hebrew3 izih1 quem aspergat1 i4e41 purificet et expiet ,domimus2 ,gesenius3 quod vix aliter explicari potest quam3 quem consperget1 i4e41 expiabit ,jehova4 ,frst gives a different derivation2 but it at once shows itself to be untenable4 ,footnote #c3 ,in order to defend this explanation1 interpreters have referred to the ,,lxx3 ,greek3 hout thaumasontai ethn polla ep'aut2 but even ,martini remarks3 ,from a dark passage1 they have tried1 by ingenious conjecturing1 to bring out any sense whatsoever4 ,footnote #d3 ,thus ,theodoret says3 ,for they who did not receive the prophetic promises and announcements1 but served idols1 shall1 through the messengers of the truth1 see the power of the promised ,one1 and perceive ,his greatness4 ,jerome3 ,the rulers of the world1 who had not the ,law and the ,prophets1 and to whom no prophecies concerning ,him were given1 even they shall see and perceive4 ,by the comparison with them1 the hardness of the ,jews is reproved1 who1 although they saw and heard1 yet verified ,isaiah's prophecy against them4 ,calvin3 ,the ,jews had1 through the ,law and the ,prophets1 heard something of ,christ1 but to the ,gentiles ,he was altogether unknown4 ,hence it follows that these words properly refer to the ,gentiles4 ,footnote #e3 ,according to ,knobel1 the author is supposed to speak1 in chap4 liii4 #a1 in his own name and that of the other prophets2 in vers4 #b-f1 in the name of the whole people2 in vers4 #g-aj1 in his own name4 ,an explanation which is compelled to resort to such changes1 without their being in any way clearly and distinctly intimated1 pronounces its own condemnation4 ,footnote #f3 ,gesenius3 ,neglecta actatis notione saepe est genus hominum1 in bonam partem--in malam partem2--and in reference to the passage under consideration3 ,genus ejus1 ,servi ,jehovae1 sunt homines qui iisdem cum illo studiis tenentur4 ,in the same manner it is explained by ,maurer1 who refers to ,ps4 xiv4 #e1 xxiv4 #f4 ,footnote #g3 ,the double ,hebrew3 lmv in ,deut4 xxxiii4 #b refers to ,israel1 not to ,god4 ,in reference to the ,hebrew3 lmv in ,is4 xliv4 #ae1 ,j4 ,h4 ,michaelis remarks3 iis talibus diis4 ver4 #g4 ,but the suffix rather refers to the trees1 ver4 #ad2 comp4 ,hebrew3 mh,m in ver4 #ae4 ,if construed thus1 the sense is much more expressive4 ,in ,job xxii4 #b1 ,hebrew3 mwkil is used collectively4 ,in ,ps4 xi4 #g1 the plural suffix is to be explained from the richness and fulness of the ,divine ,being4 ,these are all the passages which ,ewald quotes in #bdg d4 ,footnote #h3 ,thus ,bhr1 ,symbolik1 ii4 ,s4 #bjg1 says3 ,it is not the material elements of the blood which make it a means of expiation1 but it is the ,hebrew3 npw which is connected with it1 which is in it1 whose instrument and bearer it is1 which gives to it atoning power4 ,the ,hebrew3 npw is thus the centre around which1 in the last instance1 everything moves4 ,this is especially confirmed by the circumstance1 that the object of the expiation to be effected by the ,hebrew3 npw in the sacrificial blood1 is1 according to this passage1 the ,hebrew3 npw of him who offers up the sacrifice4 ,pg #caa ,i4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,interpretation4 ,a4 ,,with ,,the ,,jews4 #a4 ,there cannot be any doubt that1 in those earlier times1 when the ,jews were still more firmly attached to the tradition of their ,fathers1--when the carnal disposition had not yet become so entirely prevalent among them1--and when controversy with the ,christians had not made them so narrow-minded in their ,exegesis1 the ,messianic explanation was pretty generally received1 at least by the better portion of the people4 ,this is admitted even by those later interpreters who pervert the prophecy1 e4g41 ,abenezra1 ,jarchi1 ,abarbanel1 ,moses ,nachmanides4 ,gesenius also says3 ,it was only the later ,jews who abandoned this interpretation1--no doubt1 in consequence of their controversies with the ,christians4 ,we shall here collect1 from the existing ,jewish writings1 the principal passages in which this interpretation occurs4 ,the whole translation of the ,chaldee ,paraphrast1 ,jonathan1 notwithstanding the many perversions in which he indulges1 refers the prophecy to ,christ4 ,he paraphrases the very first clause3 ,hebrew3 ha icl,h ebdi mwiha behold my ,servant ,messiah shall prosper4 ,the ,medrash ,tanchuma1 an old commentary on the ,pentateuch 7ed4 ,cracov4 f4 #ec1 c4 #c1 l4 #g71 remarks on the words3 ,hebrew3 hnh iwkil ebdi 7ed4 ,cracov4 f4 #ec1 c4 #c1 l4 #g73 ,hebrew3 hmwi,h irv,m vgbh vnwa mavd vri,m m,n abrh,m vnwa mmwh vgdh m,n mlaki hwrt zh ml,k 7this is the ,king ,messiah who is high and lifted up1 and very exalted1 more exalted than ,abraham1 elevated above ,moses1 higher than the ministering angels74 ,this passage is remarkable for this reason also1 that it contains the doctrine of the exaltation of the ,messiah above all created beings1 and even above the angels themselves1 and1 hence1 the doctrine of ,his divinity1--a doctrine contested by the later ,jews4 ,still more remarkable is a passage from the very old book ,pesikta1 cited in the treatise ,abkath ,rokhel 7,hebrew3 abqt rvkl1 printed separately at ,venice in #aeig1 and reprinted in ,hulsii ,theologia ,judaica1 where ,pg #cab this passage occurs p4 #cji73 ,when ,god created ,his world ,he stretched out ,his hand under the throne of ,his glory1 and brought forth the soul of the ,messiah4 ,he said to ,him3 ',wilt thou heal and redeem my sons after #fjjj years8',he answered ,him3 ',i will4',then ,god said to ,him3 ',wilt thou then also bear the punishment in order to blot out their sins1 as it is written3 ',but he bore our diseases' 7chap4 liii4 #d78 ,and ,he answered ,him3 ,i will joyfully bear them4 ,in this passage1 as well as in several others which will be afterwards cited1 the doctrine of the vicarious sufferings of the ,messiah is contained1 and derived from ,is4 liii41 although the later ,jews rejected this doctrine4 ,in a similar manner1 ,rabbi ,moses ,haddarshan expresses himself on ,gen4 i4 #c 7,latin in ,galatinus1 ,de ,arcanis ,cath4 ver4 p4 #cbi2 in the original in ,raimund ,martini ,pug4 ,fid4 fol4 #ccc2 comp4 ,wolf1 ,bibl4 ,hebr4 i4 p4 #hah73 ,jehovah said3 ,messiah1 thou my righteous ,one1 those who are concealed with thee will be such that their sins will bring a heavy yoke upon thee4--,the ,messiah answered3 ,lord of the universe1 ,i cheerfully take upon myself all those plagues and sufferings2 and immediately the ,messiah1 out of love1 took upon himself all those plagues and sufferings1 as is written in ,is4 liii43 ,he was abused and oppressed4 ,compare another passage1 in which ver4 #e is referred to the ,messiah1 in ,raim4 ,martin1 fol4 iv4 #cj4 ,in the ,talmud 7,gemara1 tract4 ,sanhedrim1 chap4 xi471 it is said of the ,messiah3 ,he sits before the gates of the city of ,rome among the sick and the leprous 7according to ver4 #c74 ,to the question3 ,what is the name of the ,messiah1 it is answered3 ,he is called ,hebrew3 ,hivvra the leper1 and1 in proof1 ver4 #d is quoted according to the erroneous interpretation of ,hebrew3 ngve by leprosus1--an interpretation which is met with in ,jerome also4--,in the work ,rabboth 7a commentary on the ,pentateuch and the five ,megilloth1 which1 as to its principal portions1 is very old1 although much interpolated at later periods1 and which1 according to the statements of the ,jews1 was composed about the year of our ,lord #cjj1 comp4 ,wolf1 ,i4 c4 ,,ii41 p4 #adbc1 sqq4 in commentary on ,ruth ii4 #ad p4 #df1 ed4 ,cracov471 the fifth verse is quoted1 and referred to the sufferings of the ,messiah4--,in the ,medrash ,tillim 7an allegorical commentary on the ,psalms1 printed at ,venice in #aedf71 it is said in ,ps4 ii4 #g1 7fol4 #d73 ,the things of ,king ,messiah and ,his mysteries are announced ,pg #cac in the ,law1 the ,prophets1 and the ,hagiographa4 ,in the ,prophets1 e4g41 in the passage ,is4 lii4 #ac1 and xlii4 #a2 in the ,hagiographa1 e4g41 ,ps4 cx4 and ,dan4 vii4 #ac4 ,in the book ,chasidim 7a collection of moral tales1 printed at ,venice and ,basle in #aeha7 p4 #fj1 the following story is to be found3 ,there was1 among the ,jews1 a pious man1 who in summer made his bed among fleas1 and in winter put his feet into cold water2 and when it froze1 his feet froze at the same time4 ,when asked why he did so1 he answered1 that he too must make some little expiation1 since the ,messiah bears the sin of ,israel 7,hebrew3 mwi,h svbl evnvt iwral74 ,the ancient explanation is1 from among the later interpreters1 assented to by ,rabbi ,alschech 7his commentary on ,is4 liii4 is given entire in ,hulsii ,theologia ,judaica1 p4 #cba sqq474 ,he says3 ,upon the testimony of tradition1 our old ,rabbins have unanimously admitted that ,king ,messiah is here the subject of discourse4 ,for the same reason1 we1 in harmony with them1 conclude that ,king ,david1 i4e41 the ,messiah1 must be considered as the subject of this prophecy1--a view which is indeed quite obvious4 ,we shall see1 however1 subsequently1 that he adheres to the right explanation only in the first three verses1 and afterwards abandons it4 ,but passages especially remarkable are found in the cabbalistic book ,sohar4 ,it is true that the age of the book is very uncertain2 but it cannot be proved to have been composed under ,christian influence4 ,we shall here quote only some of the principal passages4 7,sohar1 ed4 ,amstelod4 p4 ii4 fol4 #bab2 ed4 ,solisbac4 p4 ii4 f4 #he2 ,sommeri theol4 ,sohar p4 #id47 ,when the ,messiah is told of the misery of ,israel in their captivity1 and that they are themselves the cause of it1 because they had not cared for1 nor sought after the knowledge of their ,lord1 ,he weeps aloud over their sins2 and for this reason it is written in ,scripture 7,isa4 liii4 #e73 ,he was wounded for our transgressions1 ,he was smitten for our iniquities4--,in the garden of ,eden there is an apartment which is called the sick chamber4 ,the ,messiah goes into this apartment1 and summons all the diseases1 all the pains1 and all the chastisements of ,israel to come upon ,him1 and they all come upon ,him4 ,and unless ,he would take them away from ,israel1 and lay them upon himself1 no man would be able to bear the chastisements of ,israel1 which are inflicted upon them on account of the ,law1 as it is ,pg #cad written3 ,but ,he took upon himself our sicknesses1 c4 ,in another passage 7,sohar1 ed4 ,amstelod p4 iii4 f4 #bah2 ,solisbac4 iii4 f4 #hh2 ,sommeri theol4 ,sohar p4 #hi2 ,auszge aus dem ,buche ,sohar1 mit ,deutscher ,uebersetzung1 ,berlin #eb1 ,s4 #cb71 it is said3 ,when ,god wishes to give to the world a means of healing4 ,he smites one of the pious among them1 and for his sake ,he gives healing to the whole world4 ,where1 in ,scripture1 do we find this confirmed8 ,in ,isa4 liii4 #e1 where it is said3 ,he was wounded for our transgressions4 ,he was crushed for our sins4 ,what has been said will be a sufficient proof that the ancient ,jews1 following tradition1 referred the passage to the ,messiah2 and1 as it appears from the majority of the passages quoted1 referred it indeed to the suffering ,messiah4 ,but it would really have been a strange phenomenon1 if this interpretation had remained the prevailing one among the ,jews4 ,according to the declaration of the ,apostle1 the ,cross of ,christ is to the ,jews a stumbling-block1 and to the ,greeks foolishness4 ,the idea of a suffering and expiating ,messiah was repugnant to the carnally minded ,jews4 ,and the reason why it was repugnant to them is1 that they did not possess that which alone makes that doctrine acceptable1 viz41 the knowledge of sin1 and the consciousness of the need of salvation1--because1 not knowing the holiness of ,god1 and being ignorant of the import of the ,law1 they imagined that through their own strength1 by the works of the ,law1 they could be justified before ,god4 ,what they wished for was only an outward deliverance from their misery and their oppressors1 not an internal deliverance from sin4 ,for this reason1 they looked exclusively to those passages of the ,old ,testament in which the ,messiah in glory is announced2 and those passages they interpreted in a carnal manner4 ,in addition to this1 there were other reasons which could not fail to render them averse to refer this passage to the suffering ,messiah4 ,as they could not compare the prophecy with the fulfilment1--the deep abasement of the ,messiah which is here announced1 the contempt which ,he endures1 ,his violent death1 appeared to them irreconcileable with those passages in which nothing of the kind is mentioned1 but1 on the contrary1 the glorified ,messiah only is foretold4 ,they had too little knowledge of the nature ,pg #cae of prophetic vision to enable them to perceive that the prophecies are connected with the circumstances of the time1 and1 therefore1 exhibit a one-sided character1--that they consist of separate fragments which must be put together in order that a complete representation of the subject may be obtained4 ,they imagined that because1 in some passages1 the ,messiah is at once brought before us in glory1 just because ,he1 in this way1 represented ,himself to the prophets4 ,he must also appear at once in glory4 ,and1 lastly1 by their controversy with ,christians1 they were led to seek for other explanations4 ,as long as they understood the passage as referring to a suffering ,messiah1 they could not deny that there existed the closest agreement between the prophecy and the history of ,christ4 ,now since the ,christians1 in their controversies with the ,jews1 always proceeded from the passages1 which by ,hulsius is pertinently called a carnificina ,judaeorum1 and always returned to it1--since they saw what impression was1 in numerous cases1 produced by the controversy of the ,christians founded upon this passage1 nothing was more natural1 than that they should endeavour to discover an expedient for remedying this evil4 ,and the discovery of such an expedient was the more easy to them1 the more that1 in general1 they were destitute of a sense of truth1 and especially of exegetical skill1 so that they could not see any reason for rejecting an interpretation on the ground of its being forced and unnatural4 ,in proof of what we have said1 we here briefly present the arguments with which ,abarbanel opposes the explanation of a suffering and expiating divine ,messiah4 ,in the first place1 by the absurd remark that the ancient teachers did not intend to give a literal1 but an allegorical explanation1 he seeks to invalidate the authority of the tradition on which the later ,jewish interpreters laid so great a stress1 whensoever and wheresoever it agrees with their own inclination2 and1 at the same time1 he advances the assertion that they referred the first four verses only to the ,messiah1--an assertion which the passages quoted by us show to be utterly erroneous4 ,then1 after having combatted the doctrine of original sin1 he continues3 ,suppose even that there exists such a thing as original sin1--when ,god1 whose power is infinite1 was willing to pardon1 was ,his hand too short to redeem 7,isa4 l4 #b71 so ,pg #caf that1 on this account1 ,he was obliged to take flesh1 and to impose chastisements upon himself8 ,and even although ,i were to grant that it was necessary that a single individual of the human race should bear this punishment1 in order to make satisfaction for all1 it would1 at all events1 have been at least more appropriate that some one from among ourselves1 some wise man or prophet1 had taken upon him the punishment1 than that ,god himself should have done so4 ,for1 supposing even that ,he became incarnate1 ,he would not be like one of us4--,it is altogether impossible and self-contradictory that ,god should assume a body2 for ,god is the first cause1 infinite1 and omnipotent4 ,he cannot1 therefore1 assume flesh1 and subsist as a finite being1 and take upon himself man's punishment1 of which nothing whatsoever is written in ,scripture4--,if the prophecy referred to the ,messiah1 it must refer either to the ,messiah ben ,joseph1 or the ,messiah ben ,david 7compare the ,treatises at the close of this work74 ,the former will perish in the beginning of his wars2 neither that which is said of the exaltation1 nor that which is said of the humiliation of the ,servant of ,god applies to him2 much less can the latter be intended4 7,there then follows a quotation of several passages treating of the exalted ,messiah47 ,that it was nevertheless difficult for the carnally-minded among the ,jews to reject the tradition1 is seen from the paraphrase of ,jonathan4 ,this forms a middle link between the ancient interpretation--which was retained1 even at a later period1 by the better portion of the nation--and the recent interpretation4 ,jonathan 7see his paraphrase1 among others1 in ,lowth's comment1 edited by ,koppe1 on the passage2 and in ,hulsii ,theol4 ,judaica7 acknowledges the tradition1 in so far1 that he refers the whole prophecy to the ,messiah4 ,on the other hand1 he endeavours to satisfy his repugnance to the doctrine of a suffering and expiating ,messiah1 by referring1 through the most violent perversions and most arbitrary interpolations1 to the state of glory1 every thing which is here said of the state of humiliation4 ,a trace of the right interpretation may yet perhaps be found in ver4 #ab1 where ,jonathan says that the ,messiah will give ,his soul unto death2 but it may be that thereby he understands merely the intrepid courage with which the ,messiah will expose himself to all ,pg #cag dangers1 in the conflict with the enemies of the covenant-people4 ,this mode of dealing with the text1 however1 could satisfy only a few4 ,they1 therefore1 went farther1 and sought for an entirely different subject of the prophecy4 ,how very little they were themselves convinced of the soundness of their interpretation1 and satisfied with its results1 may be seen from the example of ,abarbanel1 who advances two explanations which differ totally1 viz41 one referring it to the ,jewish people1 and the other to king ,josiah1 and then allows his readers to make their choice betwixt the two4 ,it is in truth only1 that there is unanimity and certainty2 error is always accompanied by disagreement and uncertainty4 ,this will appear from the following enumeration of the various interpretations of this passage1 which1 at a subsequent period1 were current among the ,jews4 7,the principal non-,messianic interpretations of this passage are found in the ,rabbinical ,bibles1 and also in ,hulsius1 l4c41 p4 #cci1 both in the original and translation47 ,the interpreters may be divided into two main classes3 #a4 ,those who by ,hebrew3 ebd ihvh understand some collective body2 and1 #b4 ,those who refer the prophecy to a single individual4 ,the first class again falls into two subdivisions1 7a71 those who make the whole ,jewish people the subject1 in contrast to the ,gentiles2 and 7b7 those who make the better portion of the ,jewish people the subject1 in contrast to the ungodly portion4 ,these views1 and their supporters1 we shall now proceed to submit to a closer examination4 #a4 7a47 ,among the non-,messianic interpreters1 the most prevalent opinion is1 that the ,jewish people are the subject of the prophecy4 ,this opinion is found at an early period4 ,at this we need not be surprised1 as the cause which produced the deviation from the ,messianic interpretation existed at a period equally early4 ,when ,origen was making use of this passage against some learned ,jews1 they answered3 that that which here was prophesied of one1 referred to the whole people1 and was fulfilled by their dispersion4 ,this explanation is followed by ,r4 ,salomo ,jarchi1 ,abenezra1 ,kimchi1 ,abarbanel1 ,lipmann 7,hebrew3 spr nc,hv,n1 fol4 #aca74 ,the main features of this view are the following3 ,the prophecy is supposed to describe the misery of the people in their present exile1 the firmness with ,pg #cah which they bear it for the glory of ,god1 and resist every temptation to forsake ,his law and worship2 and the prosperity1 power1 and glory which shall be bestowed upon them at the time of the redemption4 ,in vers4 #a-aj1 the ,gentiles are supposed to be introduced as speaking1 and making a humble and penitent confession that hitherto they had adopted an erroneous opinion of the people of ,god1 and had unjustly despised them on account of their sufferings1 inasmuch as their glory now shows1 that it was not for the punishment of their sins that these sufferings were inflicted upon them4 ,some of these interpreters1 e4g41 ,abenezra and ,rabbi ,lipmann1 understand1 indeed1 by the ,hebrew3 ebd ihvh1 the pious portion only of the people who remained faithful to ,jehovah2 but this makes no material difference1 inasmuch as they1 too1 contrast the ,hebrew3 ebd ihvh with the heathen nations1 and not with the ungodly1 or less righteous portion of the nation1 as is done by the interpreters of the following class4 7b74 ,others consider the appellation ,hebrew3 ebd ihvh as a collective designation of the pious1 and find in this section the idea of a kind of vicarious satisfaction made by them for the ungodly4 ,those interpreters come nearer the true explanation1 in so far as they do not1 like those of the preceding class1 set aside the doctrine of vicarious satisfaction1 either by a figurative explanation1 or1 like ,kimchi1 by the absurd remark1 that this doctrine is an error put into the mouth of the ,gentiles4 ,on the other hand1 they depart from the true explanation1 in so far that they generalize that which belongs to a definite subject1 and that1 flattering the pride of the natural man1 they ascribe to mere man what belongs only to the ,god-man4 ,most distinctly was this view expressed by the ,commentator on the book ,hebrew3 ei,n ieqb or ,hebrew3 ei,n iwral1 which has been very frequently printed1 and which contains all sorts of tales from the ,talmud4 ,he says3 ,it is right to suppose that the whole section contains a prophecy regarding the righteous ones who are visited by sufferings4 ,he then makes two classes of righteous men3--those who in general must endure many sufferings and much misery3 and those who are publicly executed1 as ,rabbi ,akiba and others4 ,he supposes that the ,prophet shows the dignity of both of these classes of righteous men1 to both of which the name of a ,servant of ,god is justly due4 ,a similar opinion is held by ,rabbi ,pg #cai ,alshech4 ,as we have already seen1 he refers only chap4 lii4 #ac-ae to the ,messiah1 and to ,his great glory acquired by ,his great sufferings4 ,then the ,prophet speaks1 as he supposes1 in the name of all ,israel1 approves of what ,god had said1 and confesses that1 by this declaration of ,god regarding the sufferings of the ,messiah1 they have received light regarding the sufferings of the godly in general4 ,they perceive it to be erroneous and rash to infer guilt from suffering2 and1 henceforth1 when they see a righteous man suffering1 they will think of no other reason1 than that he bears their diseases1 and that his chastisements are for their salvation4 ,the ,servant of ,god is thus supposed to be as it were1 a personification of the righteous ones4--,a similar view probably lies at the foundation of those passages of the ,talmud1 where some portions of the prophecy under consideration are referred to ,moses1 and others to ,rabbi ,akiba1 who is revered as a martyr by the ,jews4 ,it does not appear that the prophecy was confined to ,moses or ,akiba2 but it was referred to them1 only in so far as they belonged to the collective body which is supposed to be the subject of it4 #b4 ,that view which makes a single individual other than the ,messiah the subject of the prophecy1 has found1 with the ,jews1 comparatively the fewest defenders4 ,we have already seen1 that1 besides the explanation which makes the ,jewish people the subject1 ,abarbanel advances still another1 which refers it to king ,josiah4 ,rabbi ,saadias ,haggaon explained the whole section of ,jeremiah4 ,notwithstanding all these efforts1 however1 the ,rabbins have not succeeded in entirely supplanting the right explanation1 and in thus divesting the passage of all that is dangerous to their system4 ,among the ,cabbalistical ,jews1 it is even still the prevailing one4 ,in numerous cases1 it was just this chapter which formed1 to proselytes from ,judaism1 the first foundation of their conviction of the truth of ,christianity4 ,b4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,interpretation ,,with ,,the ,,christians4 ,among ,christians1 the interpretation has taken nearly the same course as among the ,jews4 ,similar causes have produced ,pg #cbj similar effects in both cases4 ,by both1 the true explanation was relinquished1 when the prevailing tendencies had become opposed to its results4 ,and if we descend to particulars1 we shall find a great resemblance even between the modes of interpretation proposed by both4 #a4 ,even1 a priori1 we could not but suppose otherwise than that the ,christian ,church1 as long as she possessed ,christ1 found ,him here also1 where ,he is so clearly and distinctly set before our eyes1--that as long as she in general still acknowledged the authority of ,christ1 and of the ,apostles1 she could not but1 here too1 follow their distinct1 often-repeated testimony4 ,and so1 indeed1 do we find it to be4 ,with the exception of a certain ,silesian1 called ,seidel--who1 given up to total unbelief1 asserted that the ,messiah had never yet come1 nor would ever come1 7comp4 ,jac4 ,martini l4 #c1 de tribus ,elohim1 p4 #eib7--;and of ,grotius1 both of whom supposed ,jeremiah to be the subject1 no one in the ,christian ,church has1 for seventeen centuries1 ventured to call in question the ,messianic interpretation4 ,on the contrary1 this passage was always considered to be the most distinct and glorious of all the ,messianic prophecies4 ,out of the great mass of testimonies1 we shall quote a few4 ,augustine1 ,de ,civitate ,dei1 i4 #ah1 c4 #bi1 says3 ,isaiah has not only reproved the people for their iniquity1 and instructed them in righteousness1 and foretold to the people calamities impending over them in the ,future2 but he has also a greater number of predictions1 than the other prophets1 concerning ,christ and the ,church1 i4e41 concerning the ,king1 and the ,kingdom established by ,him2 so that some interpreters would rather call him an ,evangelist than a ,prophet4 ,in proof of this assertion1 he then quotes the passage under consideration1 and closes with the words3 ,surely that may suffice6 ,there are in those words some things too which require explanation2 but ,i think that things which are so clear should compel even enemies1 against their will1 to understand them4 ,in a similar manner he expresses himself in3 ,de consensu ,evangelistarum l4 i4 c4 #ca4 ,theodoret remarks on this passage 7opp4 ed4 ,hal4 t4 ii4 p4 #ceh73 ,the ,prophet represents to us1 in this passage1 the whole course of ,his 7,christ's7 humiliation unto death4 ,most wonderful is the power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for that which was to take place after many generations4 ,he showed ,pg #cba to the holy prophets in such a manner that they did not merely hear ,him declare these things1 but saw them4 ,in a similar manner1 ,justin1 ,irenaeus1 ,cyril of ,alexandria1 and ,jerome1 express themselves4 ,from the ,churches of the ,reformation1 we shall here quote the testimonies of two of their founders only4 ,zwingle1 in ,annot4 ad h4 l4 7opp4 t4 iii4 ,tur4 #aedd1 fol4 #bib7 says3 ,that which now follows is so clear a testimony of ,christ1 that ,i do not know whether1 anywhere in ,scripture1 there could be found anything more consistent1 or that anything could be more distinctly said4 ,for it is quite in vain that the obstinacy and perversity of the ,jews have tried it from all sides4 ,luther remarks on the passage3 ,and1 no doubt1 there is not1 in all the ,old ,testament ,scriptures1 a clearer text or prophecy1 both of the suffering and the resurrection of ,christ1 than in this chapter4 ,wherefore it is but right that it should be well known to all ,christians1 yea should be committed to memory1 that thereby we may strengthen our faith1 and defend it1 chiefly against the stiff-necked ,jews who deny their only promised ,christ1 solely on account of the offence of ,his cross4 ,it was reserved to the last quarter of the last century to be the first to reject the ,messianic interpretation4 ,at a time when ,naturalism exercised its sway1 it could no longer be retained4#a ,for1 if this passage contains a ,messianic prophecy at all1 its contents offer so striking an agreement with the history of ,christ1 that its origin cannot at all be accounted for in the natural way4 ,expedients were1 therefore1 sought for2 and these were so much the more easily found1 that the ,jews had1 in this matter1 already opened up the way4 ,all that was necessary1 was only to appropriate their arguments and counter-arguments1 and to invest them with the semblance of solidity by means of a learned apparatus4 ,the non-,messianic interpretation among ,christians1 like those among the ,jews1 may be divided into two main classes3 #a4 ,those which are founded upon the supposition that a collective ,pg #cbb body is the subject of the prophecy2 and #b1 those which1 by the ,servant of ,god1 understand any other single individual except the ,messiah4 ,the first class1 again1 falls into several sub-divisions3 7a471 those interpretations which refer the prophecy to the whole ,jewish people2 7b471 those which refer it to the ,jewish people in the abstract2 7c471 those which refer it to the pious portion of the ,jewish people2 7d471 those which refer it to the order of the priests2 7e471 those which refer it to the order of the prophets4 #a4 7a47 ,comparatively the greatest number of non-,messianic interpreters make the whole ,jewish people the subject of the prophecy4 ,this hypothesis is adopted1 among others1 by ,doederlein1 7in the preface and annotations1 in the third edition of ,isaiah1 but in such a manner that he still wavers betwixt this and the ,messianic interpretation1 which formerly he had defended with great zeal72 by ,schuster 7in a special treatise1 ,gttingen #agid72 by ,stephani 7,gedanken ber die ,entstehung u4 ,ausbildung der ,idee von inem ,messias1 ,nrnberg #aghg72 by the author of the letters on ,isaiah liii41 in the #fth vol4 of ,eichhorn's ,bibliothek2 by ,eichhorn 7in his exposition of the ,prophets72 by ,rosenmller 7in the second edition of his ,commentary1 leaving to others the interpretation which referred the prophecy to the prophetic order1 although he himself had first recommended it71 and many others4 ,the last who defend it are ,hitzig1 ,hendewerk1 and ,kster 7de ,serv4 ,jeh4 ,kiel1 #ch74 ,substantially1 it has remained the same as we have seen it among the ,jews4 ,the only difference is1 that these expositors understand1 by the sufferings of the ,servant of ,god1 the sufferings of the ,jewish people in the ,babylonish captivity2 while the ,jewish interpreters understand thereby the sufferings of the ,jewish people in their present exile4 ,they1 too1 suppose that1 from vers4 #a to #aj1 the ,gentile nations are introduced as speaking1 and make the penitent confession that they have formed an erroneous opinion of ,israel1 and now see that its suffering's are not the punishment of its own sins1 but that it had suffered as a substitute for their sins4 7b47 ,the hypothesis which makes the ,jewish people in the abstract--in antithesis to its single members--the subject of this prophecy1 was discovered by ,eckermann1 theol4 ,beitrge1 ,pg #cbc ,bd4 i4 ,h4 i4 ,s4 #aib ff4 ,according to ,ewald1 the prophecy refers to ,israel according to its true idea4 ,according to ,bleek1 the ,servant of ,god is a designation of the whole people1 but not of the people in its actual reality1 but as it existed in the imagination of the author1--the ideal of the people4 7c47 ,the hypothesis1 that the pious portion of the ,jewish people--in contrast to the ungodly--are the subject1 has been defended especially by ,paulus 7,memorabilien1 ,bd4 #c1 ,s4 #age-aib1 and ,clavis on ,isaiah74 ,his view was adopted by ,ammon 7,christologie1 ,s4 #ajh ff474 ,the principal features of this view are the following3--,it was not on account of their own sins that the godly portion of the nation were punished and carried into captivity along with the ungodly1 but on account of the ungodly who1 however1 by apostatising from the religion of ,jehovah1 knew how to obtain a better fate4 ,the ungodly drew from it the inference that the hope of the godly1 that ,jehovah would come to their help1 had been in vain4 ,but when the captivity came to an end1 and the godly returned1 they saw that they had been mistaken1 and that the hope of the godly was well founded4 ,they1 therefore1 full of repentance1 deeply lament that they had not long ago repented of their sins4 ,this view is adopted also by ,von ,clln in his ,biblische ,theologie2 by ,thenius in ,wiener's ,zeitschrift1 ii4 #a2 by ,maurer and ,knobel4 ,the latter says3 ,those who were zealous adherents of the ,theocracy had a difficult position among their own people1 and had to suffer most from foreign tyrants4 ,the true worshippers of ,jehovah were given up to mockery and scorn1 to persecution and the grossest abuse1 and were in a miserable and horrible condition1 unworthy of men and almost inhuman4 ,the punishments for sin had to be endured chiefly by those who did not deserve them4 ,thus the view easily arose that the godly suffered in substitution for the whole people4 7d47 ,the hypothesis which makes the priestly order the subject1 has been defended by the author of3 ,ausfhrliche ,erklrung der smmtlichen ,weissagungen des ,a4 ,t4 #ahja4 7e47 ,the hypothesis which makes the collective body of the prophets the subject1 was first advanced by ,rosenmller in the treatise3 ,leiden und ,hoffnungen der ,propheten ,jehovas1 ,pg #cbd in ,gablers ,neuestes theol4 ,journal1 vol4 ii4 ,s4 #d1 p4 #ccc ff4 ,from him it came as a legacy to ,de ,wette 7de morte ,jes4 ,chr4 expiatoria1 p4 #bh sqq471 and to ,gesenius4 ,according to ,schenkel 7,studien und ,kritiken #cf7 the prophetic order was the quiet1 hidden blossom1 which early storms broke4 ,according to ,umbreit the ,servant of ,god is the collective body of the prophets1 or the prophetic order1 which is here plainly represented as the sacrificial beast 767 taking upon itself the sins of the people4 ,he finds it rather strange that the ,prophet who1 in chap4 lxvi4 #c 7of course according to a false interpretation71 plainly rejects sacrifice altogether1 should speak of the shedding of the blood of a man1 and1 moreover1 of a pure1 sinless man1 in the room of the guilty4 ,the manner in which ,umbreit seeks to gain a transition to the ,messianic interpretation1 although not in the sense held by the ,christian ,church1 has been pointed out by us on a former occasion1 in the remarks on chap4 xlii4 ,hofmann 7,schriftbeweis1 ii4 #a ,s4 #hi ff47 has got up a mixture composed of these explanations which refer the prophecy to the people1 to the godly1 to the prophetic order1 and1 if one will1 of that also which refers it to the ,messiah4 ,he says3 ,the people as a people are called to be the servant of ,god2 but they do not fulfil their vocation as a congregation of the faithful2 and it is1 therefore1 the work of the prophets to restore that congregation1 and hence also the fulfilment of its vocation4--,prophetism itself is represented not in its present condition only1 when it exists in a number of messengers and witnesses of ,jehovah1 in the first instance in ,isaiah himself1 but also in the final result1 into which the fulfilment of its vocation will lead1 when the ,servant of ,jehovah unites in ,his person the offices of a proclaimer of the impending work of salvation1 and of its ,mediator1 and1 from the shame and suffering attached to ,his vocation as a witness1 passes over into the glory of the salvation realised in ,him4 ,in order to render such a mixture possible1 everything is tried in order to remove the vicarious character of the sufferings of the ,servant of ,god1 since that character is peculiar to ,christ1 and excludes every comparison4 ,of a priestly self-sacrifice of the ,servant of ,god--says ,hofmann1 ,s4 #aja1 #b--;,i cannot find anything4 ,the assertion that the words ,hebrew3 izh gvi,m1 denote a priestly work1 no longer requires a refutation4 ,his ,pg #cbe vocation is to be the mediator of a revelation of ,god in words2 and although the fulfilment of this vocation brings death upon ,him1 without ,his endeavouring to escape1 this is not a proof nor a part of ,his priestly vocation4 ,in just the same case is the assertion that the ,messiah appears here as a ,king also4 ,as long as we proceed from the supposition that the ,prophet predicts truth1 we are1 by that very supposition1 forbidden to distribute the property of the one among the many2 but that is thus violently set aside4 ,the ,rationalistic interpreters have in this respect an easier task4 ,they allow the substitution to stand2 but they consider it as a vain fancy4 ,the fact that ,hofmann does not recoil from even the most violent interpretations1 in order to remove the exclusive reference to ,christ1 appears1 e4g41 from his remark1 ,s4 #acb1 that the chastisement of our peace designates an actual chastisement1 which convinces them of their sin1 and of the earnestness of divine holiness1 and thus serves for their salvation4 ,surely ,gesenius and ,hitzig's explanations are far more unbiassed4 #b4 ,among the interpretations which refer the prophecy to a single individual other than the ,messiah1 scarcely any one has found another defender than its own author4 ,they are of importance only in so far1 as they show that most decidedly does the prophecy make the impression1 that its subject is a real person1 not a personification2 and1 farther1 that it could not by any means be an exegetical interest which induced rationalism to reject the interpretation which referred it to ,christ4 ,the persons that have been guessed at are the following3 ,king ,uzziah1 7,augusti71 ,king ,hezekiah1 7,konynenburg and ,bahrdt71 the ,prophet ,isaiah himself1 7,studlin71 an unknown prophet supposed to have been killed by the ,jews in the captivity 7an anonymous author in ,henke's ,magazin1 ,bd4 i4 ,h4 #b71 the royal house of ,david1 which suffered innocently when the children of the unhappy king ,zedekiah were killed at the command of ,nebuchadnezzar 7,bolten on ,acts viii4 #cc71 the ,maccabees 7an anonymous writer in the ,theologische ,nachrichten1 #ahba1 ,s4 #gi ff47 ,even at this present time1 this kind of explanation is not altogether obsolete4 ,schenkel thinks that the chapter under consideration may1 perhaps1 belong to the period of the real ,isaiah1 whose language equals that of the description of the ,servant of ,god now ,pg #cbf under consideration1 in conciseness and harshness1 and may have been originally a ,psalm of consolation in sufferings1 which was composed with a view to the hopeful progeny of some pious man or prophet innocently killed1 and which was rewritten and interpreted by the author of the book1 and embodied in it4 ,ewald 7,proph4 ii4 ,s4 #djg7 says3 ,farther1 the description of the ,servant of ,god is here altogether very strange1 especially v4 #h f41 inasmuch as1 notwithstanding all the liveliness with which the author of the book conceives of ,him1 ,he is nowhere else so much and so obviously viewed as an historical person1 as a single individual of the ,past4 ,how little soever the author may have intended it1 it was very obvious that the later generations imagined that they would here find the historical ,messiah4 ,we are therefore of opinion1 that the author here inserted a passage1 which appeared to him to be suitable1 from an older book where really a single martyr was spoken of4--,it is not likely that the modern controversy on chap4 liii4 will ever cease as long as this truth is not acknowledged2--a truth which quite spontaneously suggested itself1 and impressed itself more and more strongly upon my mind4 ,these are1 no doubt1 assertions which cannot be maintained1 and are yet of interest1 in so far as they show1 how much even those who refuse to acknowledge it are annoyed by a two-fold truth1 viz41 that ,isaiah is the author of the prophecy1 and that it refers to a personal ,messiah4 ,at all times1 however1 that explanation which refers the prophecy to ,christ has found able defenders2 and at no period has the anti-,messianic explanation obtained absolute sway4 ,among the authors of complete ,commentaries on ,isaiah1 the ,messianic explanation was defended by ,dathe1 ,doederlein 7who1 however1 wavers in the last edition of his translation71 ,hensler1 ,lowth1 ,kocher1 ,koppe1 ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis1 v4 d4 ,palm1 ,schmieder4 ,in addition to these we may mention3 ,storr1 dissertatio qua ,jes4 liii4 illustratur1 ,tbingen1 #agij2 ,hansi ,comment4 in ,jes4 liii41 ,rostock #agia 7this work has considerably promoted the interpretation1 although its author often shows himself to be biassed by the views of the time1 and especially1 in the interest of ,neology1 seeks to do away with the doctrine of satisfaction72 ,krger1 ,comment4 de ,jes4 liii41 interpret2 ,jahn1 ,append4 ad ,hermen4 fasc ii42 ,steudel1 ,pg #cbg ,observ4 ad ,jes4 liii41 ,tbingen #ahbe1 #bf2 ,sack1 in the ,apologetik2 ,reinke1 exegesis in ,jes4 liii41 ,mnster #ahcf2 ,tholuck1 in his work3 ,das ,a4 ,t4 in ,n4 ,t42 ,hvernick1 in the lectures on the ,theology of the ,old ,testament2 ,stier1 in the ,comment4 on the second part of ,isaiah4 ,footnote #a3 ,the author of the article3 ,ueber die ,mess4 ,zeiten in ,eichhorn's ,bibliothek d4 bibl4 ,literatur1 ,bd4 #f1 p4 #fee1 confesses quite candidly1 that the ,messianic interpretation would soon find general approbation among ,bible expositors1 had they not1 in recent times1 obtained the conviction1 that the prophets do not foretel any thing of future things1 except what they know and anticipate without special divine inspiration4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,arguments ,,against ,,the ,,messianic ,,interpretation4 ,the arguments against the ,messianic interpretation cannot be designated in any other way than as insignificant4 ,there is not one among them which could be of any weight to him who is able to judge4 ,it is asserted that the ,messiah is nowhere else designated as the ,servant of ,god4 ,even if this were the fact1 it would not prove anything4 ,but this name is assigned to the ,messiah in ,zech4 iii4 #h--;a passage which interpreters are unanimous in referring to the ,messiah--where the ,lord calls the ,messiah ,his ,servant ,zemach1 and which the ,chaldee ,paraphrast explains by ,hebrew3 mwi,ha vitgli ,messiam et revelabitur2 farther1 in ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #bc1 #bd1 not to mention ,is4 xlii4 #a1 xlix4 #c1 #f1 l4 #aj4--;,it is farther asserted that in the ,messianic interpretation everything is viewed as future2 but that this is inadmissible for grammatical and philological reasons4 ,the suffering1 contempt1 and death of the ,servant of ,god are here1 throughout1 represented as past1 since in chap4 liii4 #a-aj1 all the verbs are in the ,preterite4 ,it is the glorification only which appears as future1 and is expressed in the ,future tense4 ,the writer1 therefore1 occupies a position between the sufferings and the glorification1 and the latter is still impending4 ,but the stand-point of the ,prophet is not an actual1 but a supposed one1--not a real1 but an ideal one4 ,in order to distinguish between condition and consequence1--in order to put sufferings and glorification in the proper relation1 he takes his stand between the sufferings and the glorification of the ,servant of ,god1 and from that position1 that appears to him as being already past which1 in reality1 was ,pg #cbh still future4 ,it is only an interpreter so thoroughly prosaic as ,knobel who can advance the assertion3 ,no prophet occupies1 in prophecy1 another stand-point than that which in reality be occupies4 ,in this1 e4g41 ,hitzig does not by any means assent to him2 for be 7,hitzig7 remarks on chap4 lii4 #g3 ,proceeding from the certainty of the salvation1 the ,prophet sees1 in the ,spirit1 that already coming to pass which1 in chap4 xl4 #i1 he called upon them to do4 ,and the same expositor farther remarks on ,jer4 vi4 #bd-bf3 ,this is a statement of how people would then speak1 and1 thereby1 a description of the circumstances of that time4 ,but in our remarks on chap4 xi4 and in the introduction to the second part1 we have already proved that the prophets very frequently occupy an ideal stand-point1 and that such is the case here1 the ,prophet has himself expressly intimated4 ,in some places1 he has passed from the prophetical stand-point to the historical1 and uses the ,future even when he speaks of the sufferings1--a thing which appears to have been done involuntarily1 but which1 in reality1 is done intentionally4 ,thus there occurs ,hebrew3 ipt,h in ver4 #g1 ,hebrew3 twi,m in ver4 #aj1 and1 according to the explanations of ,gesenius and others1 also ,hebrew3 ipgie in ver4 #ab while1 on the other hand1 he sometimes speaks of the glorification in the ,preterite4#a ,compare ,hebrew3 lq,h in ver4 #h1 ,hebrew3 nwa in ver4 #ab4 ,this affords a sure proof that we are here altogether on an ideal territory4 ,the ancient translators too have not understood the ,preterites as a designation of the real ,past1 and frequently render them by ,futures4 ,thus the ,,lxx4 ver4 #ad3 ,greek3 ekstsontai--adoxsei2 ,aqui4 and ,theod41 ver4 #b1 ,greek3 anabsetai4--,it is farther asserted1 that the idea of a suffering and expiating ,messiah is foreign to the ,old ,testament1 and stands in contradiction even to its prevailing views of the ,messiah4 ,but this objection cannot be of any weight2 nor can it prove anything1 as long as1 in the ,church of ,christ1 the authority of ,christ is still acknowledged1 who ,himself declares that ,his whole suffering had been foretold in the books of the ,old ,testament1 and explained to ,his disciples the prophecies concerning it4 ,even the fact1 that at ,pg #cbi the time when ,christ appeared the knowledge of a suffering ,messiah was undeniably possessed by the more enlightened1 proves that the matter stands differently4 ,this knowledge is shown not only by the ,baptist1 but also by ,simeon1 ,luke ii4 #cd1 #ce4 ,an assertion to the contrary can proceed only from the erroneous opinion1 that every single ,messianic prophecy exhibits the whole view of the ,messiah1 whereas1 indeed1 the ,messianic announcements bear throughout a fragmentary1 incidental character1--a mode of representation which is generally prevalent in ,scripture1 and by which ,scripture is distinguished from a system of doctrines4 ,but even if there had existed an appearance of such a contradiction1 it would long ago have been removed by the fulfilment4 ,but even the appearance of a contradiction is here inadmissible1 inasmuch as the ,servant of ,god is here not only represented as suffering and expiating1 but1 at the same time1 as an object of reverence to the whole ,gentile world2 and the ground of this reverence is ,his suffering and expiation4 ,as regards the other passages of the ,old ,testament where a suffering ,messiah is mentioned1 we must distinguish between the ,messiah simply suffering1 and the ,messiah suffering as a substitute4 ,the latter1 indeed1 we meet with in this passage only4 ,but to make up for this isolated mention1 the representation here is so full and exhaustive1 so entirely excludes all misunderstanding1 except that which is bent upon misunderstanding1 or which is the result of evil disposition1 is so affecting and so indelibly impressive1 is indeed so exactly in the tone of doctrinal theology1 and therefore different from the ordinary treatment1 which is always incidental1 and requires to be supplemented from other passages1 that this single isolated representation1 which sounds through the whole of the ,new ,testament1 is quite sufficient for the ,church4 ,the suffering and dying ,messiah1 on the other hand1 we meet with frequently in other passages of the ,old ,testament also1 although1 indeed1 not so frequently as the ,messiah in glory4 ,in this light ,he is brought before us1 e4g41 in chap4 xlix4 #ej2 in ,dan4 ix42 in ,zech4 ix4 #i1 #aj1 xi4 #ab1 #ac4 ,the fact that the humiliation of ,christ would precede ,his exaltation is distinctly pointed out in the first part of ,isaiah also1 in chap4 xi4 #a1--;a passage which contains1 in a germ1 all that1 in the second part1 ,pg #ccj is more fully stated regarding the suffering ,messiah1 and which has many striking points of contact specially with chap4 liii4 ,and just so it is with ,isaiah's contemporary1 ,micah1 who1 in chap4 v4 #a 7#b71 makes the ,messiah proceed1 not from ,jerusalem1 the seat of the ,davidic family after it was raised to the royal dignity1 but from ,bethlehem1 where ,jesse1 the ancestor1 lived as a peasant1--as a proof that the ,messiah would proceed from the family of ,david sank back into the obscurity of private life4 ,this knowledge1 that the ,messiah should proceed from the altogether abased house of ,david1--a knowledge which appears as early as in ,amos1 and which pervades the whole of prophecy--touches very closely upon the knowledge of ,his sufferings4 ,lowliness of origin1 and exaltation of destination1 can hardly be reconciled without severe conflicts4 ,but it is a priori impossible1 that the idea of the suffering ,messiah should be wanting in the ,old ,testament4 ,since1 in the ,old ,testament1 throughout1 righteousness and suffering in this world of sin are represented as being indissolubly connected1 the ,messiah1 being ,greek3 kat'exochn the ,righteous ,one1 must necessarily appear also as ,he who suffers in the highest degree4 ,if that were not the case1 the ,messiah would be totally disconnected from all ,his types1 especially from ,david1 who1 through the severest sufferings1 attained to glory1 and who in his ,psalms1 everywhere considers this course as the normal one1 both in the ,psalms which refer to the suffering righteous in general1 and in those which especially refer to his family reaching their highest elevation in the ,messiah2 compare my ,commentary on the ,psalms1 ,vol4 iv41 p4 lxxx4 ff4 ,footnote #a3 ,the same thing occurs also in the parallel passages1 chap4 xlix4 #i1 on which ,gesenius was constrained to remark3 ,as the deliverance was still impending1 the ,preterites cannot well be understood in any other way than as ,futures4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,arguments ,,in ,,favour ,,of ,,the ,,messianic ,,interpretation4 ,even the fact that this is among the ,jews the original interpretation1 which was given up from their evil disposition only1 makes us favourably inclined towards it4 ,the authority of tradition is here of so much the greater consequence1 the more that the ,messianic interpretation was opposed to the disposition ,pg #cca of the people4 ,how deeply rooted was this interpretation1 appears even from the declaration of ,john the ,baptist1 ,john i4 #bi3 ,greek3 ide ho amnos tou ,theou ho airn tn hamartian tou kosmou4 ,there cannot be any doubt that1 in this declaration1 he points to the prophecy under consideration1 inasmuch as this passage is the first in ,holy ,scripture in which the sin-bearing lamb is spoken of in a spiritual sense4 ,bengel1 following the example of ,erasmus1 remarks1 in reference to the article before ,greek3 amnos3 ,the article looks back to the prophecy which was given concerning ,him under this figure1 in ,is4 liii4 #g4 ,as regards ,greek3 ,theou1 compare ver4 #aj3 ,it pleased the ,lord painfully to crush ,him1 and ver4 #b3 ,before ,him2 as regards ,greek3 ho airn1 c4 comp4 ver4 #d1 rendered by the ,,lxx43 ,greek3 houtos tas hamartias hmn pherei2 comp4 ver4 #aa4 ,an external argument of still greater weight is the testimony of the ,new ,testament4 ,above all1 it is the declarations of our ,lord himself which here come into consideration4 ,in ,luke xxii4 #cg1 ,he says that the prophecies concerning ,him were drawing near their perfect fulfilment 7,greek3 ta peri emou telos echei71 comp4 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ea1 and that therefore the declaration3 ,and ,he was reckoned among the transgressors must be fulfilled in ,him4 ,in ,mark ix4 #ab1 the ,lord asks3 ,greek3 ps gegraptai epi ton huion tou anthrpou1 hina polla path kai exoudenth1 with a reference to from man1 and from the sons of man in lii4 #ad1--to ,he had no form nor comeliness in ver4 #b1--to despised1 ,hebrew3 nbzh1 which1 by ,symmachus and ,theodotian is rendered by ,greek3 exoudenmenos1 in ver4 #c4 ,in the ,gospel of ,john1 the ,lord emphatically and repeatedly points out1 that the words3 ,when ,his soul hath given restitution1 are written concerning ,him2 compare remarks on ver4 #aj4 ,after these distinct quotations and references1 we shall be obliged to think chiefly of our passage1 in ,luke xxiv4 #be-bg1 #dd-df also4 ,the opponents themselves grant that1 if in any passage of the ,old ,testament the doctrine of a suffering and atoning ,messiah is contained1 it is in the passage under review4 ,the circumstance also1 that the disciples of the ,lord refer1 on every occasion1 and with such confidence1 the passage to the ,lord1 likewise proves that ,christ especially interpreted it of ,his sufferings and exaltation4 ,of ,matt4 viii4 #ag1 and ,mark xv4 #bh1 we have already spoken4 ,john1 in chap4 xii4 #cg1 #ch1 and ,paul in ,rom4 x4 #af1 ,pg #ccb find a fulfilment of chap4 liii4 #a in the unbelief of the ,jews4 ,in ,acts viii4 #bh-ce1 ,philip1 on the question of the eunuch from ,ethiopia1 as to whom the prophecy referred1 explained it of ,christ4 ,after the example of ,de ,wette1 ,gesenius lays special stress on the circumstance1 that the passage was never quoted in reference to the atoning death of ,christ4 ,but ,peter1 when speaking of the vicarious satisfaction of ,christ1 makes a literal use of the principal passages of the prophecy under consideration1 #a ,pet4 ii4 #ba-be2 and it is1 in general1 quite the usual way of the ,new ,testament to support its statements by our passage1 whensoever the discourse falls upon this subject2 comp4 e4g41 besides the texts quoted at ver4 #aj1 ,mark ix4 #ab2 ,rom4 iv4 #be2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #c2 #b ,cor4 v4 #ba2 #a ,john iii4 #e2 ,pet4 i4 #ai2 ,rev4 v4 #f1 xiii4 #h4 ,even ,gesenius himself acknowledges elsewhere1 that we have here the text for the whole ,apostolic preaching on the atoning death of ,jesus4 ,most ,hebrew readers--so he says1 ,th4 iii4 ,s4 #aia--who were so familiar with the ideas of sacrifice and substitution1 could not by any means understand the passage in any other way2 and there is no doubt that the whole apostolic notion of the atoning death of ,christ is chiefly based upon this passage4 ,the circumstance1 that the reference to this passage appears commonly only in the form of an allusion1 and not of express quotation1 proves only so much the more clearly1 that its reference to the atoning death of ,christ was a point absolutely settled in the ancient ,church4 ,in favour of the ,messianic interpretation are not only the passages from the second part1 chap4 xlii41 c41 but also1 from the first part1 the passage chap4 xi4 #a1 which so remarkably agrees with chap4 liii4 #b1 that both must be referred to the same subject4 ,to these external reasons1 the internal must be added4 ,the ,christian ,church--the best judge--has at all times recognised in this prophecy the faithful and wonderfully accurate image of her ,lord and ,saviour in ,his atoning sufferings and the glory following upon them1 in ,his innocence and righteousness1 in ,his meekness and silent patience 7the ,new ,testament1 in speaking of them1 frequently points back to our passage71 and in the burial with a rich man1 ver4 #i4 ,the most characteristic feature is the atoning character of the suffering of the ,pg #ccc ,servant of ,god1 and of the shedding of ,his blood4 ,several interpreters have endeavoured to explain away this feature which they dislike4 ,kimchi says3 ,one must not imagine that the case really stands thus1 that in ,israel the captivity actually bears the sins and diseases of the heathens 7for that would be opposed to the justice of ,god71 but that the ,gentiles at that time1 when seeing the glorious deliverance of ,israel1 would thus judge concerning it4 ,a futile evasion6 ,it is not the ,gentiles who speak in chap4 liii4 #a-aj1 but the believing ,church4 ,every sincere reader will at once feel1 that it is not the foolish fancies of others which the ,prophet communicates in these verses1 but the divine truth made known to him4 ,the doctrine of the substitution1 the ,prophet1 moreover1 states in his own name1 by saying1 ,he shall sprinkle many nations2 and so likewise in the name of ,god1 in chap4 liii4 #aa1 #ab4 ,according to ,martini1 ,de ,wette1 and others1 the expressions are to be understood figuratively1 and the contents and substance to be this only1 that those severe calamities which that divine minister would have to sustain would be useful and salutary to ,his compatriots4 ,but the fact that the same doctrine constantly returns under the most varied expressions1 is decidedly in favour of the literal interpretation4 ,thus1 it is said in chap4 lii4 #ae1 that the ,servant of ,god should sprinkle many nations2 in liii4 #d1 that ,he bore our diseases and took upon ,him our pains2 in ver4 #e1 that ,he was pierced for our transgressions2 in ver4 #h1 that ,he bore the punishment which the people ought to have borne2 in ver4 #aj1 that ,he offered his soul as a sin-offering2 in ver4 #aa1 that by ,his righteousness many should be justified2 in ver4 #ab1 that ,he bore the sins of many1 and poured out ,his soul unto death1 and that ,he could make intercession for transgressors1 because ,he was numbered with them4 ,to this it may still be added that in chap4 lii4 #ae 7,hebrew3 izh71 liii4 #aj 7,hebrew3 aw,m71 and ver4 #ab3 ,he bears the sins of many1 7compare ,levit4 xvi4 #ba1 #bb2 ,michaelis3 ,ut typice hircus pro ,isralitis7 the ,servant of ,god appears as the antitype of the ,old ,testament sin-offerings in which1 as has been proved 7compare my pamphlet3 ,die ,opfer der heil4 ,schrift1 ,s4 #ab ff471 the idea of substitution in the doctrine of the ,old ,testament finds its foundation4 ,there cannot be the least doubt1 that the ,prophet could not express himself more clearly1 strongly1 ,pg #ccd and distinctly1 if his intention was to state the doctrine of substitution2 and those who undertake to explain it away1 would not1 by so doing1 leave any thing firm and certain in ,scripture4 ,rosenmller 7,gabler's ,journal1 ii4 ,s4 #cfe71 ,gesenius1 ,hitzig have indeed candidly confessed that the passage contained the doctrine of vicarious satisfaction1 after ,alshech had1 among the ,jews1 given the honour to truth4 ,,iv4 ,,examination ,,of ,,the ,,non-,,messianic ,,interpretations4 ,passing over mere whims1 three explanations present themselves which require a closer examination1 viz4--7#a71 that which makes the whole ,jewish people the subject2 7#b71 that which refers it to the godly portion of the ,jewish people2 and 7#c71 that which refers it to the collective body of the ,prophets4 ,the following reasons militate against all the three interpretations simultaneously4 #a4 ,according to them1 the contents of the section in question present themselves as a mere fancy2 and its principal thought1 the vicarious suffering of the ,servant of ,god is an absurdity4 ,according to them1 the prophets can no longer be considered as godly men who spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,spirit2 and their name ,hebrew3 nbia1 by which they claimed divine inspiration1 is a mere pretence4 ,and this reflection is1 at the same time1 cast upon the ,lord1 who1 throughout1 treats these visionaries as organs of immediate divine communications4 #b4 ,according to all the three explanations1 the subject is not a real person1 but an ideal one1 a personified collective4 ,but not one sure analogous instance can be quoted in favour of a personification carried on through a whole section1 without the slightest intimation1 that it is not a single individual who is spoken of4 ,in ver4 #c1 the subject is called ,hebrew3 aiw2 in vers4 #aj and #ab a soul is ascribed to ,him2 grave and death are used so as to imply a subject in the ,singular4 ,scripture never leaves any thing to be guessed4 ,if we had an allegory before us1 distinct hints as to the interpretation would certainly ,pg #cce not be wanting4 ,it is1 e4g41 quite different in those passages where the ,prophet designates ,israel by the name of the ,servant of the ,lord4 ,in them1 all uncertainty is prevented by the addition of the names of ,jacob and ,israel1 xli4 #h1 #i2 xliv4 #a1 #b1 #ba2 xlv4 #d2 xlviii4 #bj2 and in them1 moreover1 the ,prophet uses the ,plural by the side of the ,singular1 to intimate that the ,servant of the ,lord is an ideal person1 a collective1 e4g41 xlii4 #bd1 #be2 xlviii4 #bj1 #ba2 xliii4 #aj-ad4 #c4 ,the first condition of the vicarious satisfaction which1 according to our prophecy1 is to be performed by the ,servant of ,god1 is1 according to ver4 #i 7,because ,he had done no violence1 neither was any deceit in ,his mouth71 but more especially still1 according to ver4 #aa 7,he1 the righteous one1 my ,servant1 shall justify the many7 the absolute righteousness of the suffering subject4 ,he who is himself sinful cannot undergo punishment for the sins of others4 ,he is1 on the contrary1 visited for his own sins1 both as a righteous retribution1 and for sanctification4 ,of such an one that would indeed be true which1 according to the second clause of ver4 #d1 was only erroneously supposed in reference to the ,servant of ,god4 ,all the three interpretations1 however1 are unable to prove that this condition existed4 ,all the three interpretations move on the purely human territory2 but on that1 absolute righteousness is not to be found4 ,at the very threshold of ,holy ,writ1 in ,gen4 ii4 and #c1 compare v4 #c1 the doctrine of the universal sinfulness of mankind meets us2 and how deep a knowledge of sin pervades the ,old ,testament1 is proved by passages such as ,gen4 vi4 #e1 viii4 #ba2 ,job xiv4 #d1 xv4 #ad-af2 ,ps4 xiv41 li4 #g2 ,prov4 xx4 #i4 ,that is not a soil on which ideas of substitution could thrive4--,the doctrine of a substitution by men is indeed nowhere else found in the ,old ,testament2 and ,gesenius1 who 7l4 c41 ,s4 #ahi7 endeavoured to prove that it is very general has not adduced any arguments which are tenable or even plausible4 ,the guilt of the fathers is visited upon the children1 only when the latter walk in the steps of their fathers1 and the latter are first punished2 comp4 ,genuineness and ,authenticity of the ,pentateuch1 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #ddf ff4 ,the same holds true in reference to #b ,sam4 xxi4 #a-ad1 ,the evil spirit which filled ,saul1 pervaded his family1 at the same time1 as we here see in the instance of ,michal4 ,it was probably in the ,pg #ccf interest of his family1 and with their concurrence1 that the wicked deed had been perpetrated4 7,michaelis says3 ,in order that he might appropriate their goods to himself and to his family1 under the pretext of a pious zeal for ,judah and ,israel47 ,as ,saul himself was already overtaken by the divine judgment1 the crime was punished in the family who were accomplices4 ,in #b ,sam4 xxiv4 the people do not suffer as substitutes for the sin1 which ,david had committed in numbering the people2 but the spirit of pride which had incited the king to number the people1 was widely spread among them4 ,but the fact1 that the king himself was punished in his subjects1 is brought out by his beseeching the ,lord1 in #b ,sam4 xxiv4 #ag1 that ,he might rather visit the sin directly upon himself ,the sin of ,david and ,bathsheba is not atoned for by the death of the child 7#b ,sam4 xii4 #ae-ah71 for ,david had already obtained pardon1 ver4 #ac4 ,it is not the child which suffers1 but ,david1 whose repentance was to be deepened by this visitation4 ,in the fact1 that the whole army must suffer for what ,achan has committed 7,josh4 vii4 #a71 a distinct intimation is implied1 that the criminal does not stand alone1 but that1 to a certain degree1 the whole community was implicated in his guilt4 ,substitution is quite out of the question1 inasmuch as ,achan himself1 with his whole family and posterity1 was burnt4 ,least of all1 finally1 can ,dan4 xi4 #ce come into consideration4 ,according to ,gesenius1 it is there said3 ,and they of understanding shall fall1 in order to purge1 purify1 and make white those 7the others74 ,but ,hebrew3 bh,m refers rather to the ,hebrew3 mwkili,m themselves4 ,thus1 nowhere in the ,old ,testament1 is even the slightest trace found of a satisfaction to be accomplished by man for man2 nor can it be found there1 because1 from its very commencement4 ,scripture most emphatically declares3 ,greek3 pantas huph'hamartian einai1 ,rom4 iii4 #i4 ,the explanation1 which makes the ,jewish people the subject1 has already been overthrown by the parallel passages1 before arriving3 at the section under consideration4 ,even so far back as chap4 xlii4 #a1 difficulties are met with1 remarks ,beck4 ,how is it possible that the people who1 in ver4 #ai of that chapter1 are described as blind and deaf1 should here appear as being altogether penetrated by the ,spirit1 so as to become the teachers of the ,gentiles8 ,chap4 xlix4 is a true ,pg #ccg cross for the interpreters4 ,finally1 the section1 chap4 l41 ,hitzig himself is obliged to explain as referring to the ,prophet2 and thus this interpretation forfeits the boast of most strictly holding fast the unity of this notion4 ,but still more decisively is the interpretation overthrown by the contents of the section under discussion4 ,the ,servant of ,god has1 according to it1 voluntarily taken upon ,himself ,his sufferings 7according to ver4 #aj1 ,he offers himself as a sacrifice for sin2 according to ver4 #ab1 ,he is crowned with glory because ,he has poured out ,his soul unto death74 ,himself sinless1 ,he bears the sins of others1 vers4 #d-f1 #i4 ,his sufferings are the means by which the justification of many is effected4 ,he suffers quietly and patiently1 ver4 #g4 ,not one of these four signs can be vindicated for the people of ,israel4 7a74 ,the ,jews did not go voluntarily into the ,babylonish exile1 but were dragged into it by force4 7b74 ,the ,jewish people were not without sin in suffering2 but they suffered1 in the captivity1 the punishment of their own sins4 ,their being carried away had been foretold by ,moses as a punitive judgment4 ,lev4 xxvi4 #ad ff42 ,deut4 xxviii4 #ae ff4 xxix4 #ai ff41 and as such it is announced by all the prophets also4 ,in the second part1 ,isaiah frequently reminds ,judah that they shall be cast into captivity by divine justice1 and be delivered from it by divine mercy only2 comp4 chaps4 lvi4-lix41 especially chap4 lix4 #b3 ,your iniquities separate between you and your ,god1 and your sins hide ,his face from you that ,he doth not hear4 ,for your hands are defiled with blood1 and your fingers with iniquity1 your lips speak lies1 and your tongue meditates perverseness4 ,their feet run to evil1 and they make haste to shed innocent blood1 their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity1 wasting and destruction are in their paths4 ,the way of peace they know not1 and there is no right in their paths2 they pervert their paths2 whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace4 ,apostacy and denying the ,lord1 and departing away from our ,god1 speaking oppression and revolt1 conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood4 ,comp4 chap4 xlii4 #bd3 ,who gave ,jacob for a spoil1 and ,israel to the robbers8 ,did not the ,lord1 ,he against whom we have sinned1 and in whose ways they would not walk1 neither were they obedient unto ,his law4 ,farther1 ,pg #cch chap4 xliii4 #bf1 #bg1 where the detailed proof that ,israel's merits could not be the cause of their deliverance1 inasmuch as they did not exist at all1 is1 by the ,prophet1 wound up by the words3 ,put me in remembrance1 let us plead together1 declare then that thou mayest be justified4 ,thy first father hath sinned1 and thy mediators have transgressed against me4 ,therefore ,i profane the princes of the sanctuary1 and give ,jacob to the destruction1 and ,israel to reproaches4 ,it is solely to the mercy of ,god that1 according to chap4 xlviii4 #aa1 ,israel owes deliverance from the severe suffering into which they fell in the way of their sins4 ,one may confidently assert there is not a single page in the whole book1 which does not offer a striking refutation of this view4 ,and most miserable are the expedients to which1 in the face of such facts1 the defenders of this view betake themselves4 ,rosenmller was of opinion1 that the ,prophet introduced those ,gentiles only as speaking1 who1 by this flattery1 wished to gain the favour of the ,jews1--without considering that it is just in the words of the ,lord1 in ver4 #aa1 that the absolute righteousness of the ,servant of ,god is most strongly expressed4 ,hitzig is of opinion1 that the people had indeed suffered for their sins2 but that the punishment had been greater than their sins1 and that by this surplus the ,gentiles were benefited4 ,but the ,prophet expressly contradicts such a gross view4 ,he repeatedly declares that the punishment was still mitigated by mercy2 that1 in the way of their works1 ,israel would have found total destruction4 ,thus1 e4g41 chap4 xlviii4 #i3 ,for my name's sake will ,i be long-suffering1 and for my praise will ,i moderate mine anger unto thee1 that ,i cut thee not off2 chap4 i4 #i3 ,except the ,lord of ,hosts had left unto us a very small remnant1 we should have been as ,sodom2 we should have been like unto ,gomorrah4 ,in order to be fully convinced how much this view of ,israel1 enforced upon the godly men of the ,old ,testament1 is in contradiction to their own view1 the prayer of ,ezra may still be compared in ,neh4 ix41 especially ver4 #bj ff4--7c47 ,the sufferings of the ,jewish people cannot be vicarious1 because they are destitute of the very first condition of substitution1 viz41 sinlessness and righteousness4 ,that even ,hitzig does not venture to claim for them4 ,but how can an ungodly man1 even supposing that his punishment is too severe1 justify others ,pg #cci by a righteousness of his which does not exist8 ,finally--,the fourth sign1 patience1 so little belongs to the ,jewish people1 that it is one of the main tasks of our ,prophet himself to oppose their murmuring impatience2 comp4 e4g41 chap4 xlv4 #i ff4 ,against the hypothesis that the people are the subject of the prophecy1 there is the circumstance that it carries along with it the unnatural supposition that1 in chap4 liii4 #a-aj1 the heathens are introduced as speaking4 ,decisive against this supposition are specially the designation ,hebrew3 emi in ver4 #h1 and the most forced explanation to which it compels us1 in some verses1 especially ver4 #b4 ,the interpretation which considers the godly portion of the people to be the subject of the prophecy1 is overthrown by the fact that1 according to the view of ,scripture1 even those who1 in the ordinary sense1 are righteous1 are unable to render a vicarious satisfaction for others4 ,for such1 absolute righteousness is required4 ,but the righteous ones are begotten by sinful seed 7,ps4 li471 and they have need daily to pray that ,god would pardon their secret sins1 ,ps4 xix4 #ac2 they themselves live only by the pardoning mercy of ,god1 and cannot think of atoning for others1 ,ps4 xxxii4 ,even for believers1 the captivity is1 according to chap4 xlii41 the merited punishment of their sins4 ,in that passage1 the greatness of the mercy of ,god is pointed out1 who grants a twofold salvation for sins1 while infinite punishment should be their natural consequence4 ,it is not to a single portion of the people1 but to the whole1 that1 in the passages formerly quoted1 every share in effecting deliverance and salvation is denied4 ,how little an absolute righteousness existed in the elect1 sufficiently appears from the fact1 that1 in the second part1 it forms a main object of the ,prophet to oppose their want of courage1 their despair and distrust of ,god4 ,farther--,the ungodly could not by any means consider the sufferings of the righteous ones as vicarious1 because they themselves suffered as much2 and as little could they despise the godly on account of their sufferings4 ,it is a mere invention1 destitute of every historical foundation1 to assert that it was especially the ,god-fearing who had to suffer so grievously in the captivity4 ,on the contrary1 their fear of ,god gained for them the respect of the ,gentiles2 and among ,pg #cdj their own people also1 whose sinful disposition was broken by the punishment1 they occupied an honourable position4 ,ezekiel we commonly find surrounded by the elders of the people1 listening to his words2 and ,daniel1 ,esther1 and ,mordecai1 ,ezra1 and ,nehemiah1 richly furnished with the goods of this world1 enjoyed high esteem in the ,gentile world4 ,the fact that the supporters of this hypothesis are compelled to have recourse to such an unhistorical fiction1 which has been carried to the extreme1 especially by ,knobel1 sufficiently proves it to be untenable4 ,in opposition to the interpretation which refers the prophecy to the collective body of the ,prophets1 ,hitzig very justly remarks3 ,the supposition that1 by the ,servant of ,god1 the prophetic order is to be understood1 is destitute of all foundation and probability4 ,in commenting on chap4 xlii4 we remarked1 that there are no analogous cases at all in favour of such a personification of the prophetic order4 ,moreover1 the defenders of this view commonly deny1 at the same time1 the genuineness of the second part4 ,from this stand-point it becomes still more evident1 how untenable this hypothesis is4 ,a prophetic order can1 least of all1 be spoken of during the time of the ,babylonish captivity4 ,with the captivity1 ,prophetism began to die out4 ,jeremiah in ,jerusalem1 and ,ezekiel among the exiled1 already stood very much isolated4 ,jeremiah1 during the last days of the ,jewish state1 stands out everywhere as a single individual1 opposed to the whole mass of the false prophets4 ,there is no more any prophet1 is1 at the time of the destruction by the ,chaldeans1 the lamentation of the author of ,ps4 lxxiv4 in ver4 #i4 ,according to an unanimous tradition 7comp4 #a ,maccab4 ix4 #bg1 iv4 #df1 xiv4 #da1 and the passages from the ,talmud and other ,jewish writings in ,knibbe's history of the ,prophets1 ,s4 #cdg ff41 and in ,joh4 ,smithi ,dissert4 de ,prophetis1 in the ,appendix to ,clericus' ,commentary on the ,prophets1 chap4 xii471 ,haggai1 ,zechariah1 and ,malachi were the last of the prophets1 and according to the historical books and their own prophecies1 the only prophets of their time4 ,how1 now1 were it possible that the ,prophet should speak of a great corporation of the prophets1 who become not only the founders and rulers of the new state1 but who are to enlighten all the other nations of the earth with the light of the time religion1 ,pg #cda and incorporate them into the church of ,god8 ,of all that is characteristic of the vocation of the prophets1 nothing is found here2 while1 on the other hand1 almost everything which is said of the ,servant of ,god is in opposition to the vocation and destination of the prophets4 ,that which here1 above everything1 comes into consideration is the vicarious satisfaction4 ,chap4 vi41 where the ,prophet when1 after having administered the prophetic office for several years1 he beheld the ,lord1 exclaims3 ,woe is unto me for ,i am undone1 because ,i am a man of unclean lips1 and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips1 is sufficient to show how far the thoughts of such a vicarious satisfaction were from the prophets4 ,such is surely not the ground from which the delusion of being substitutes for others can grow up4 ,all those who entertained such a delusion1 such as ,gichtel1 ,bourignon1 ,guyon1 were misled into it by proudly shutting their eyes to their own sinfulness4 ,it would surely be abasing the prophets without any cause1 if we were to assign to them that delusion4 ,moreover1 the hopes which here1 according to these interpreters1 are uttered in reference to the prophetic order1 contradict its idea1 and institution4 ,a prophetic pride would here come out1 such as is not equalled by priestly pride in all history4 ,schenkel1 no doubt1 is right in remarking against the interpretation which makes the ,jewish people the subject of the prophecy1--an interpretation of which ,hitzig is the representative3 ,is it to believed that the prophets1 whose object all along it was to suppress the moral pride of the people1 should wantonly have awakened it by such a thought8 ,but ,hitzig is equally in the right when1 in opposition to ,schenkel and others who refer this prediction to the prophetic order1 he remarks3 ,it is quite obvious1 how very unsuitable it would be to limit the hitherto wretched condition and the future glory of the people to the prophets1 as if they alone1 as true ,greek3 katakurieuontes tn klrn1 constituted the people4 ,according to this hypothesis1 the prophets are supposed to flatter themselves with the hope that they would be the rulers of the state again flourishing1 and would celebrate worldly triumphs4 ,altogether apart from the folly of this hope1 it was entirely opposed to the destiny of the prophetic order4 ,by divine institution1 the dominion in the ,kingdom of ,god had for ever been given over to ,david ,pg #cdb and his family4 ,by usurping it1 the prophets would have rebelled against ,god1 whose lights they were called to uphold4--,farther1 ,as the principal sphere of the ministry of the ,servant of ,god1 the heathen world here appears4 ,but with it1 the prophets have1 nowhere else1 any thing to do2 their mission is everywhere to ,israel only4--,the sufferings which the prophets had to endure during the captivity1 were not different from those of the people4 ,every proof1 yea1 even every probability1 is wanting that1 during the time of the captivity1 the prophets--and history mentions and knows only ,jeremiah1 ,ezekiel1 and ,daniel--were pre-eminently afflicted4 ,on the contrary1 they occupy an honourable position4 ,jeremiah receives1 after the capture of ,jerusalem1 proofs of esteem from ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,daniel is entrusted with the highest public offices4 ,ezekiel is held in honour by his compatriots4 ,how then could the people despise the prophets on account of their sufferings8 ,how could they imagine that they had been smitten by ,god8 ,how could they afterwards conceive the idea that the sufferings of the prophets had a vicarious character8--,to what quarter soever we look1 impossibilities present themselves2 and if1 moreover1 we also look at the parallel passages1 we must indeed wonder1 that a hypothesis altogether so untenable should ever have been listened to4 ,,chapter ,,lv4 #a-e4 ,the ,lord exhorts those who are anxious to be saved1 to appropriate the blessings of salvation which are so liberally offered1 and which1 although bestowed without money and price1 can alone truly satisfy the soul1 vers4 #a and #b4 ,for ,he is to make with them a covenant of everlasting duration1 in which the eternal mercy promised to the family of ,david is to be realized1 ver4 #c4 ,david--such is the salvation in store for the ,church--is to be a witness1 prince1 and lawgiver of all the ,gentiles who1 with joyful readiness1 shall unite themselves to ,israel4 ,pg #cdc ,ver4 #a4 ,ho1 all ye that thirst1 come ye to the water1 and ye that have no silver1 come ye1 buy and eat2 yea1 come1 buy wine and milk without silver and without price4 ,the discourse is addressed to the members of the ,church pining away in misery4 ,by the water1 salvation is denoted1 as is not unfrequently the case1 comp4 chap4 xii4 #c3 ,and with joy ye shall draw water out of the wells of salvation1 xliv4 #c2 ,ps4 lxxxvii4 #g1 lxxxiv4 #g1 cvii4 #ce4 ,the thirsty one is he who stands in need of salvation4 ,to the words3 ,ho1 all ye that thirst1 come ye to the water1 the ,lord refers in ,john vii4 #cg3 ,greek3 ean tis dipsa erchesth pros me kai pinet1 where the ,greek3 pros me had been added from ver4 #c4 ,it is to be observed that ,christ there appropriates to himself what ,jehovah is here speaking4 ,michaelis says3 ,christ1 in consequence of the highest identity1 makes the words of the ,father ,his own4 ,there is an evident reference to the same words in ,rev4 xxi4 #f also3 ,greek3 eg t dipsnti ds ek ts pgs tou hudatos ts zs drean4 ,similarly in ,rev4 xxii4 #ag3 ,greek3 kai ho dipsn erchesth1 ho theln labet hudr zs drean4 ,in a somewhat more distant relation to the words before us1 but yet undeniably depending upon them1 is ,john iv4 #aj3 ,greek3 su an tsas auton kai edken an soi hudr zn4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad3 ,greek3 pas ho pinn ek tou hudatos toutou dipssei palin4 hos d'an pi ek tou hudatos1 hou eg ds aut ou m dipss eis ton aina4 ,and so does1 in another aspect4 ,matt4 xi4 #bh3 ,greek3 deute pros me hoi kopintes kai pephortismenoi kag anapaus humas1 which1 however1 has still nearer points of resemblance to ver4 #c2 for ,greek3 deute pros me corresponds to ,hebrew3 lkv ali in that verse2 the words ,greek3 kag anapaus humas1 to3 ,your soul shall live there1 but yet in such a way that there is1 at the same time1 a reference to ,jer4 vi4 #af2 the ,greek3 kopintes kai pephortismenoi are the thirsty ones in the verse before us4 ,it is remarkable to see how important this unassuming declaration was to our ,lord1 and how much ,he had it at heart4 ,we are thereby urgently called upon1 by means of deep and earnest study and meditation1 to arrive at the full meaning of the ,old ,testament1 which is everywhere connected with the ,new ,testament1 not only by the strong and firm ties of express quotations1 but also by the nicest and most tender threads of gentle allusions4 ,even ,matt4 v4 #f3 ,greek3 makarioi hoi peinntes kai dipsntes tn dikaiosunn comes into a close relation to our passage1 as soon as it is recognized that ,greek3 dikaiosunn is not the subjective righteousness ,pg #cdd which is excluded from that context1 but rather righteousness as a gift of ,god1 the actual justification1 such as takes place in the bestowal of salvation2 so that1 hence1 the righteousness there corresponds with the water here4 ,the subsequent eat furnishes the foundation for the fact1 that the need of and desire for salvation1 is designated by hunger also1--,come ye1 buy and eat4 ,hebrew3 wbr to break1 is used of the appeasing of thirst 7comp4 ,ps4 civ4 #aa71 and hunger 7comp4 ,gen4 xlii4 #ai72 and corn is called ,hebrew3 wbr for this reason that it breaks the hunger4 ,the verb never means to buy in general1 but only such a buying as affords the means of appeasing hunger and thirst4 ,nor does it1 in itself1 stand in any relation to corn1 except in so far only as the latter is a chief moans of appeasing hunger4 ,this we see not only from ,ps4 civ4 #aa1 but also from that which here immediately follows1 where it is used of the buying of wine and milk4 ,the buying of necessary provisions is commonly designated by the ,kal2 the selling by the ,hiphil4 ,in ,gen4 xli4 #bf1 the selling too is designated by the ,kal4 ,he who causes that one can break or appease1 may himself also be designated as he who breaks or appeases4 ,this verb1 so very peculiar1 and the noun ,hebrew3 wbr1 occur in a certain accumulation1 in the history of ,joseph only2 elsewhere1 their occurrence is sporadic only4 ,it is then to the hunger of ,israel in ancient times1 and to its being appeased by ,joseph1 that the double ,hebrew3 wbrv alludes2 and from this circumstance also the fact is to be explained1 that it is first used in reference to food2 comp4 ,hebrew3 wbrv vaklv in our verse1 with ,hebrew3 wbr akl in ,gen4 xlii4 #g-aj4 ,christ is the true ,joseph1 who puts an end to the hunger and thirst of the people of ,god1 by offering true food and true drink4--,the word eat suggests substantial food1 bread in contrast to the drink by which it is surrounded on both sides2 compare ,john vi4 #ce3 ,greek3 eg eimi ho artos ts zs4 ho erchomenos pros me ou m peinas ,hebrew3 wbrv ,greek3 kai ho pisteun eis eme ou m dipss ppote4 ,ver4 #ee3 ,greek3 h gar sarx mou alths esti brsis1 kai to hima mou alths esti posis4 ,from the sequel 7comp4 vers4 #f1 #g71 it appears that the thrice repeated coming and the buying are accomplished by true repentance1 the ,greek3 metanoia1 which is the indispensable condition of the participation in the salvation4 ,in ,john vi4 #ce1 the words3 ,greek3 ho erchomenos pros me are explained by3 ,greek3 ho pisteun eis eme4 ,faith is the soul of repentance4--,the circumstance that the ,pg #cde buying is done without money1 intimates that the blessings of salvation are a pure gift of divine grace4 ,these blessings of salvation are first designated by water2 afterwards1 by wine and milk1--thus approximating to those passages in which the blessings of the ,kingdom of ,christ appear under the image of a rich repast1 to which the members of the ,kingdom are invited as guests1 ,ps4 xxii4 #bf-cj2 ,matt4 viii4 #aa1 xxii4 #b2 ,luke xiv4 #af2 ,rev4 xix4 #i4--,some ,rationalistic interpreters understand1 by the offered blessings1 the salutary admonitions of the ,prophet2 but decisive against these are vers4 #c and #aa1 according to which it is not present1 but future blessings1 not words1 but real things which are spoken of1 viz41 the salvation which is to be brought through ,christ4 ,what that is which constitutes the substance of this salvation1 we learn from chap4 liii4 ,it is the redemption and reconciliation by the ,servant of ,god4 ,yet we must not1 after the manner of several ancient interpreters1 limit ourselves to the evangelical righteousness4 ,on the contrary1 the whole fulness of the salvation in ,christ is comprehended in it2 and according to vers4 #d and #e1 this includes the dominion over the world by the ,kingdom of ,god1--its dominion over the ,gentile world1 and the investiture of its members with the full liberty and glory of the children of ,god4 ,ver4 #b4 ,wherefore do ye weigh money for that which is not bread1 and your labour for that which satisfieth not8 ,hearken1 hearken unto me1 and eat ye that which is good1 and let your soul delight itself in fatness4 ,from ver4 #c1 we see that it is not the ,prophet1 but the ,lord who speaks4 ,that which is not bread1 and that which satisfieth not1 is something which outwardly has the appearance of good and nutritious food1 and to obtain which the hungry ones therefore strive1 and exert themselves with all their might1 but which afterwards shows itself to be food in appearance only1 and which has not the power of satisfying4 ,that which is not bread1 is1 in the first instance1 the imagined salvation which they sought to obtain from idols for much money4 ,this appears from the intentional literal reference to chap4 xlvi4 #f1 where the ,prophet reproves the folly of those who1 in the face of the living ,god1 lavish gold out of the bag1 and weigh silver in the balance1 and hire a goldsmith1 ,pg #cdf that he make it a god1 work also and fall down4 ,with perfect justice ,stier remarks3 ,notwithstanding the connection with1 and allusion to1 the circumstances of that time1 the word of the ,prophet is to be understood in a general1 spiritual way1 as a melancholy1 bitter lamentation over the general misery1 and man's deep-rooted perverseness in running with effort and exertion1 after that which is pernicious to the soul1 and in serving some ,baal better than ,jehovah4 ,fatness occurs as a figurative designation of the glorious gifts of ,god1 in ,ps4 xxxvi4 #i also4 ,ver4 #c4 ,incline your ears and come unto me1 hear and your soul shall live1 and ,i will grant to you an everlasting covenant1 the constant mercies of ,david4 ,the introductory words allude1 in a graceful manner1 to two ,messianic psalms1 and remind us of the fact1 that the prophecy before us moves on the same ground as these psalms4 ,on incline your ear1 and come unto me1 hear1 comp4 ,ps4 xlv4 #aa3 ,hear1 ,o daughter1 and see1 and incline thine ear 7from the fundamental passage1 the ,singular is here retained71 and forget thy people and thy father's house4 ,on your soul shall live1 comp4 ,ps4 xxii4 #bg3 ,the meek shall eat and be satisfied1 they shall praise the ,lord that seek ,him1 your heart shall live for ever4 ,analogous are the references to ,ps4 lxxii4 in chap4 xi4 ,the soul dies in care and grief ,in the words3 ,i will grant to you1 c41 there follow the glad tidings which are to heal the dying hearts4 ,hebrew3 krt brit is used of ,god1 even where no reciprocal agreement takes place1 but where ,he simply confers grace2 because every grace which ,he bestows imposes1 at the same time1 an obligation1 and may hence be considered as a covenant4 ,the onesidedness is1 in such a case1 indicated by the construction with ,hebrew3 l1 comp4 chap4 lxi4 #h3 ,and ,i give them their reward in truth1 and ,i make 7grant7 to them an everlasting covenant1 ,jer4 xxxii4 #dj2 ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #be2 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #d4 ,since to make a covenant is here identical with granting mercy1 ,hebrew3 akrth may also be connected with the subsequent the constant mercies of ,david1 and there is no necessity for supposing a ,zeugma4 ,the everlasting covenant here1 is the new covenant in ,jer4 xxxi4 #ca-cd2 for the words ,i will make show that1 here too1 a new covenant is spoken of4 ,the substance of the covenant to be made is expressed in the words3 ,pg #cdg ,the constant mercies of ,david1 c4 ,by ,david1 many interpreters here understand the descendant of ,david1 the ,messiah1 who1 in other passages also1 e4g41 ,jer4 xxx4 #i1 bears the name of ,his type4 ,even ,abenezra refers to the fact that1 in ver4 #d1 the ,messiah is necessarily required as the subject4 ,the constant mercies of ,david are1 according to this view--in parallelism with the everlasting covenant--the mercies constantly continuing1 in contrast to the merely transitory mercies1 such as had been those of the first ,david4 ,according to the opinion of other interpreters1 ,david designates here1 as in ,hos4 iii4 #e1 the family of ,david who1 in ,ps4 xviii41 and in a series of other psalms1 speaks in the name of his whole family4 ,as regards the sense1 this explanation arrives at the same result4 ,for1 according to it1 the ,messiah is ,he in whom the ,davidic house attains to its fall destiny1 the channel through which the mercies of ,david flow in upon the ,church4 ,for the latter interpretation1 however1 is decisive the evident reference to the divine promise to ,david1 in #b ,sam4 vii41 especially vers4 #ae1 #af3 ,and my mercy shall not depart from him 7thy race7 444 and constant 7,hebrew3 nam,n7 is thine house1 and thy kingdom for ever before thee1 thy throne shall be firm for ever2 compare ,ps4 lxxxix4 #bi3 ,my mercy will ,i keep for him for evermore1 and my covenant is constant in him4 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #b1 #ej3 ,lord1 where are thy former mercies which thou swarest unto ,david in thy truth8 likewise suggest that1 by ,david1 not simply ,christ is to be understood1 but the ,davidic family4 ,the constant mercies of ,david are1 accordingly1 the mercies which have been sworn to the ,davidic house as constant1 which1 therefore1 can never rest until ,christ has appeared with ,his everlasting ,kingdom1 in which they find their true and full realization4 ,in the expectation of the ,messiah from the house of ,david1 the prophecy under consideration goes hand in hand with chap4 xi4 #a1 where the ,messiah appears as a twig which proceeds from the cut-down tree of ,jesse2 and with chap4 ix4 #f1 according to which ,he sits on the throne of ,david4 ,this passage alone is fully sufficient against those 7,ewald1 ,umbreit1 and others7 who advance the strange assertion1 that the ,prophet had altogether given up the idea of a ,messiah from the house of ,david1 and had distributed ,his property between ,cyrus and the prophetic order1 ,pg #cdh or the pious portion of the people4 ,it is of the greatest importance for the explanation of those passages which treat of the ,servant of ,god1 and forms a point of union for the ,messianic passages of the first and second part4 ,the passage before us is quoted in ,acts xiii4 #cd3 ,greek3 hoti de anestsen auton ek nekrn1 mketi mellonta hupostrephein eis diaphthoran houts1 eirken4 hoti ds humin ta hosia ,dabid ta pista4 ,greek3 h,osia ,dabid1 sancta ,davidis1 are the sacred1 inviolable1 inalienably guaranteed mercies and blessings which have been promised to the house of ,david4 ,as certainly as these must be granted1 so certainly ,christ1 who was to bring them1 could not remain in the power of death4 ,ver4 #d4 ,behold1 ,i give him for a witness to the people1 for a prince and lawgiver of the people4 ,here1 and in ver4 #e1 we have the expansion of the mercies of ,david4 ,their greatness and glory appear from the circumstance that1 around his scion1 the whole heathen world1 which hitherto was hostile and pernicious to the ,church of ,god1 will gather4 ,the ,suffix in ,hebrew3 nttiv can refer only to ,david1 or the family of ,david4 ,from the connection with chap4 liii41 it appears that it is in his descendant1 the righteous ,one1 to whom the heathen and their kings do homage1 that ,david will attain to the dignity here announced4 ,hebrew3 ed has no other signification than witness4 ,every true doctrine bears the character of a witness4 ,the teacher sent by ,god does not teach on his own authority1 ,greek3 a m eraken embateun1 but only witnesses what he has seen and heard4 ,with a reference to1 and in explanation of the passage before us1 ,christ says to ,pilate1 in ,john xviii4 #cg3 ,for this end was ,i born1 and for this cause ,i came into the world1 that ,i should bear witness unto the truth4 ,and the passages1 ,rev4 i4 #e3 ,and from ,jesus ,christ who is the faithful witness1 and ,rev4 iii4 #ad3 ,these things says the ,amen1 the faithful and true witness1 likewise point back to the passage before us2 compare farther1 ,john iii4 #aa1 #cb1 #cc4 ,in ,john xviii4 #cg1 ,rev4 i4 #e1 ,his being a witness is1 just as in the passage before us1 connected with ,his being a ,king2 so that the reference to this passage cannot be at all doubtful4 ,it is intentionally that ,hebrew3 ed is put at the head4 ,it is intended to intimate that the future dominion of the ,davidic dynasty over the heathen world shall be essentially different from that which1 in former times1 it exercised ,pg #cdi over some neighbouring people4 ,it is not based upon the power of arms1 but upon the power of truth4 ,he in whom the ,davidic dynasty is to centre shall connect the prophetic with the regal office2 just as already1 in the prophecy of the ,shiloh1 in ,gen4 xlix4 #aj1 the prophetic office is concealed behind the royal4 ,the contrast to the first ,david can the less be doubtful1 that1 while ,hebrew3 ed is never applied to him1 it is just the subsequent ,hebrew3 ngid which1 in a series of passages1 is ascribed to him4 ,in #b ,sam4 vi4 #ba1 ,david himself says that the ,lord appointed him to be ruler over the people of the ,lord1 over ,israel2 in #b ,sam4 vii4 #h1 ,nathan says3 ,i took thee from the sheep-cot to be ruler over my people1 over ,israel2 comp4 #a ,sam4 xxv4 #cj2 #b ,sam4 v4 #e4 ,in those passages1 however1 ,david is always spoken of as a ruler over ,israel2 so that even as regards the ,hebrew3 ngid1 the second ,david1 the prince of the people1 is not only placed on a level with the first ,david1 but is elevate d above him4 ,for the dominion by force which ,david exercised over some heathen nations1 ,hebrew3 ngid was the less appropriate designation1 inasmuch as it designates the ruler as the chief of his people4 ,ver4 #e4 ,behold1 thou shall call a nation that thou knowest not1 and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee1 because of the ,lord thy ,god1 and of the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 for ,he adorneth thee4 ,the words here are addressed to the true ,israel1 to the exclusion of those souls who are cut off from among their people1 compare ,ps4 lxxiii4 #a1 where ,israel and those that are of a clean heart go hand in hand1--and1 in substance1 they also were addressed in vers4 #a and #b4 ,for the thirsty ones1 who are there called upon to partake of the blessings so liberally offered by the ,lord1 are just the members of the ,church4 ,in connection with that glorification of ,david1 the ,church shall invite nations from a great distance1 who were hitherto unknown to it1 to its communion2 and those nations who hitherto scarcely knew by name the ,church of ,god shall joyfully and willingly comply with the invitation2 comp4 chap4 ii4 #b4 ,this great change proceeds from the ,lord1 the ,almighty and ,holy ,one1 who1 as the protector and ,covenant-,god of ,his ,church1 has resolved to glorify it2 for ,he adorneth thee4 ,this glorification consists1 according to chap4 iv4 #b1 in the appearance of ,pg #cej ,christ1 the immediate consequence of which is the conversion of the heathen world4 ,we must now review that exposition by which ,rationalism has endeavoured to deprive our passage of its ,messianic import1--an attempt in which ,grotius led the way4 ,gesenius1 whom ,hitzig1 ,maurer1 ,ewald1 and ,knobel follow1 translates in vers4 #c and #d3 ,that ,i may make with you an everlasting covenant1 may show to you constant mercies1 as once to ,david4 ,behold1 ,i have made him a ruler of the nations1 a prince and lawgiver of the nations1 and refers both of the verses to the first ,david4 ,in ver4 #e1 then1 the mercy is to follow which1 in some future time1 ,god will bestow upon the whole people1 as gloriously as once upon the single ,david4 ,but this explanation proves itself to be1 in every aspect1 untenable4#a ,we are the less entitled to put mercies like ,david's instead of the mercies of ,david1 that these mercies are1 elsewhere also1 mentioned in reference to the eternal dominion promised to ,david for his family2 comp4 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #b1 #ej4 ,with the epithet1 constant1 these interpreters do not know what to do4 ,apart from the promise of the eternal dominion of his house1 no constant mercies can1 in the case of ,david1 be pointed out which would be equally bestowed upon the people1 and upon him4 ,moreover1 ,hebrew3 namni,m distinctly points back to #b ,sam4 vii4 ,ver4 #d forms1 according to this explanation1 a historical reminiscence1 most unsuitable in the flow of a prophetic discourse 7,umbreit74 ,but what in itself is quite conclusive is the circumstance1 that the first ,david could not by any possibility be designated as the witness of the ,gentile nations4 ,it indeed sounds rather nave that ,knobel1 after having endeavoured to explain ,hebrew3 ed of the opening up of the law1 feels himself obliged to add3 ,the word does not1 however1 occur anywhere else in this signification4 ,nor could ,david1 without farther limitation1 be designated as the prince and lawgiver of the peoples2 and that so much the more ,pg #cea that1 in ver4 #e1 there is an invitation to the ,gentile world1 and that1 in ver4 #d1 too1 the ,gentile world1 in the widest sense1 is to be thought of4 ,after the promise1 there follows1 in vers4 #f-ac1 the admonition to repentance based upon it4 ,repent ye1 for the ,kingdom of heaven is at hand1 vers4 #f1 #g4 ,do not doubt that the ,kingdom of heaven is at hand1 because it does not seem probable to you4 ,for the counsels of ,god go beyond all the thoughts of men2 and1 therefore4 ,he and ,his work must not be judged by a human measure1 vers4 #h1 #i4 ,with ,him1 word and deed are inseparably connected1 vers4 #aj1 #aa4 ,this will be manifested in your redemption and glorification1 vers4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #a3 ,vitringa already remarked in opposition to it3 ,this exposition is rather far fetched1 and is the weakest of all that can be advanced4 ,i add1 that the constancy of the promises given to ,david does not appear1 if we exclude the ,kingdom of the ,messiah4 ,but are any other promises of constant and eternal blessings1 such as are here promised1 to be thought of8 ,,the ,,prophecy--,,chap4 ,,lxi4 #a-c4 ,as in chaps4 xlix4 and l41 so here1 the ,servant of ,god is introduced as speaking1 and announces to the ,church what a glorious office the ,lord had bestowed upon ,him1 namely1 to deliver them from the misery in which they had hitherto been lying1 and to work a wonderful change in their condition4 ,in vers4 #d-i1 the ,prophet takes the word1 and describes the salvation to be bestowed by the ,servant of ,god4 ,in vers4 #aj and #aa1 the ,church appears1 and expresses her joy and gratitude4 ,according to the ,jewish and ,rationalistic interpreters1 the ,prophet himself is supposed to be speaking in vers4 #a-c4 ,that opinion was last expressed by ,knobel3 ,the author places before his promises a remembrance of his vocation as a preacher of consolation4 ,in favour of the ,messianic interpretation1 in which our ,lord himself preceded ,his ,church 7,luke iv4 #ag-ai71 are conclusive1 not only the parallel passages1 but also the contents of the prophecy itself1 which go far beyond the prophetic territory1 and the human territory generally4 ,the speaker designates himself as ,he who is called1 not merely to announce the highest blessings to the ,church1 ,pg #ceb but actually to grant them4 ,he does not represent himself as a mere ,evangelist1 but rather as a ,saviour4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord ,jehovah is upon me1 because the ,lord hath anointed me to preach glad tidings unto the meek2 ,he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted1 to proclaim liberty to the captives1 and opening to them that are bound4 ,on the words3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord ,jehovah is upon me1 compare chap4 xi4 #b1 xlii4 #a4 ,hebrew3 ie,n always means because of ,the whole succeeding clause stands instead of a noun1 so that1 in substance1 because of is equivalent to because2 but it never can mean therefore4 ,nor would the latter signification afford a good sense4 ,the verb ,hebrew3 mw,h must1 in that case1 be subjected to arbitrary explanations4 ,the anointing1 whether it occurs as a symbolical action really carried out1 or as a mere figure1 is always a designation of the gifts of the ,holy ,spirit2 compare #a ,sam4 x4 #a1 xvi4 #ac1 #ad1 and remarks on ,dan4 ix4 #bd4 ,since1 then1 the anointing is identical with the bestowal of the ,spirit1 the words3 because the ,lord hath anointed me must not be isolated1 but must be understood in close connection with the subsequent words2 so that the sense is3 ,and ,he hath1 for this reason1 endowed me with ,his ,spirit1 in order that ,i may preach good tidings1 c4 ,the ,hebrew3 envi,m are the ,greek3 praeis in ,matt4 v4 #e2 ,hebrew3 eni and ,hebrew3 env are never confounded with one another4 ,the ,,lxx41 whom ,luke follows1 have ,greek3 ptchois4 ,this rendering does not differ so much from the original text as to make it appear expedient to give up the version at that time received4 ,in the world of sin1 the meek are1 at the same time1 those who are suffering2 and the glad tidings which imply a contrast to their misery1 show that1 here especially1 the meek are to be conceived of as sufferers4 ,the ,hebrew3 envi,m1 in contrast to the wicked1 appear1 in chap4 xi4 also1 as the people of the ,messiah4--,the binding up--,stier remarks--already passes over into the actual bestowal of that which is announced4 ,the term ,hebrew3 qra drvr is taken from the ,jubilee year1 which was a year of general deliverance for all those who1 on account of debts1 had become slaves2 compare ,lev4 xxv4 #aj3 ,and ye shall hallow the fiftieth year1 and proclaim liberty throughout the land for all the inhabitants thereof2 it shall be a jubilee year unto you1 and ye ,pg #cec shall return every man unto his possession1 and ye shall return every man unto his family4 ,such a great year of liberty is both to be proclaimed and to be brought about by the ,servant of ,god4 ,for ,he does not announce any thing which ,he does not1 at the same time1 grant1 as is clearly shown by ver4 #c4 ,his saying is based upon ,his being and nature2 ,he delivers from the service of the world1 and brings into the glorious liberty of the children of ,god4--,most of the modern interpreters agree with the ancient versions in declaring it to be wrong to divide the word ,hebrew3 pq,hqv,h1 although this writing is found in most of the manuscripts4 ,the word is1 by its form of reduplication1 the most emphatic term for the most complete opening1 and designates1 opening1 unclosing of every kind1 of the eyes1 ears1 and heart1 of every barrier and tie from within1 or from without4 ,the ,,lxx41 proceeding upon the fact that ,hebrew3 pq,h occurs1 with especial frequency1 of the opening of the eyes1 translate3 ,greek3 kai tuphlois anablepsin4 ,luke does not wish to set aside this version1 because it gives one feature of the sense2 and partly also because of the close resemblance to the parallel passage1 chap4 xlii4 #g1 which1 in this way1 was brought in and connected with the passage under consideration4 ,but since outward deliverance and redemption are1 in the first instance1 to be thought of1 when opening to the captives is spoken of1 be1 in order to complete the sense1 adds3 ,greek3 aposteilai tethrausmenous en aphesei1 borrowing the expression from the ,alexand4 ,vers4 itself in chap4 lviii4 #f4 ,ver4 #b4 ,to proclaim a year of acceptance to the ,lord1 and a day of vengeance to our ,god1 to comfort all that mourn4 ,a year 444 to the ,lord is a year when the ,lord shows himself gracious and merciful to ,his people2 compare chap4 xlix4 #h4 ,the words farther still allude to the ,jubilee year2 and it is in consequence of this allusion1 that we can account for its being a year instead of a time1 indefinitely4 ,in that year1 a complete restitutio in integrum took place4 ,it was1 for all in misery1 a year of mercy1 a type of the times of refreshing 7,acts iii4 #ai7 which the ,lord grants to ,his ,church1 after it has been exercised by the ,cross4 ,hand in hand with the year of mercy goes the day of vengeance4 ,when the ,lord shows mercy to the meek1 and to them that mourn1 this shall1 at the same time1 be accompanied by a manifestation of anger ,pg #ced against the enemies of ,god1 and of ,his ,church4 ,the one cannot be thought of without the other4 ,the mercy of the ,lord towards ,his people is1 among other things also1 manifested in ,his sitting in judgment upon ,his and their enemies1 upon the proud world which afflicts and oppresses them4 ,it is only in this respect that the vengeance here comes into consideration2 and it is for this reason also1 that the first feature at once reappears in the third verse4 ,the ,lord1 in quoting the verse1 limits himself to the first clause1 ,his first coming into the world was in the form of meekness1 and1 therefore1 in the meantime1 the bright side only is brought out4 ,ver4 #c4 ,to put upon them that mourn in ,zion1--to give them a crown for ashes1 oil of joy for mourning1 garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness2 and they shall be called terebinths of righteousness1 planting of the ,lord for glorifying4 ,it is in this verse that it comes clearly out1 that the speaker is not merely to announce the mercy of ,god1 but1 at the same time1 to bestow it2 that the announcement is not an empty one1 but one which brings along with it that which is promised2 that it is not a ,prophet or ,evangelist who speaks1 but the ,saviour4 ,such a change cannot be effected by merely announcing it4 ,everywhere1 in the second part1 it is brought about1 not by words1 but by deeds4 ,how were it possible that by mere words1 as long as the reality stood in glaring contrast to them1 the believers could become terebinths of righteousness1 a glorious planting of the ,lord8--,the connection of the two verbs ,hebrew3 wv,m and ,hebrew3 nt,n is to be accounted for from the circumstance1 that the pronoun suited the first noun only--the ornament for the head4 ,it is only when ,hebrew3 wv,m is understood in the sense1 to put upon1 or1 to put on1 that there is a sufficient reason for adding ,hebrew3 nt,n2 but that is not the case when it is taken in the signification to grant1 to appoint4 ,hebrew3 par crown1 and ,hebrew3 apr ashes1 are connected with one another1 because mourners were accustomed to strew ashes on their heads4 ,the expression oil of joy1 which is to be explained from the custom of people anointing themselves with oil in cases of joy1 is taken from ,ps4 xlv4 #h4 ,as the ,messiah there appears as the possessor of the oil of joy1 so1 here1 ,he appears as the bestower4 ,in chap4 lv4 #c1 there is ,pg #cee likewise an allusion to ,ps4 xlv41 and along with it1 to ,ps4 xxii4 ,the spirit of heaviness refers to chap4 xlii4 #c4 ,the fact that1 instead of it1 they receive garments of praise1 intimates that they shall be altogether clothed with praise1 songs of praise for the divine goodness which manifested itself in them2 on the garments as symbols of the condition1 compare remarks on ,rev4 vii4 #ad4 ,the righteousness which is appropriate to the spiritual terebinths1 is the actual justification1 which the ,lord grants to ,his people at the appearance of the ,messiah4 ,there is in it an allusion to the planting of paradise2 ,god now prepares for himself a new paradisaical plantation1 consisting of living trees4 ,pg #cef ,,the ,,prophet ,,zephaniah4 ,by the inscription1 the ,prophet's origin is1 in a way rather uncommon1 traced back to his fourth ancestor1 ,hezekiah1--no doubt the king4 ,he appeared as a prophet under the reign of ,josiah--before the time1 however1 at which the reforms of that king had attained their completion1 which took place in the #ahth year of his reign--and1 hence1 prophesied1 like his predecessor ,habakkuk1 in the view of the ,chaldean catastrophe4 ,the prophecy begins with threatening judgment upon the sinners1 and closes with announcing salvation to the believers1--a circumstance which proves that it forms one whole4 ,the threatening is distinguished from that of ,habakkuk by the circumstance1 that it has more of a general comprehensive character1 and does not1 as is done in ,habakkuk1 view the ,chaldean catastrophe as a particular historical event4 ,it is not an incidental circumstance1 that the ,chaldeans are not expressly mentioned by ,zephaniah1 as is done by ,habakkuk1 and was done by ,isaiah4 ,the ,prophet can1 therefore1 have had them in view as being1 in the first instance only1 the instruments of ,divine punishment4 ,the prophecy begins1 in chap4 i4 #b1 #c1 with announcing the judgment impending over the whole world4 ,then1 the ,prophet shows how it manifests itself in ,judah2 first1 in general outlines1 vers4 #d-g2 then1 in detail1 vers4 #h-ah4 ,in close connection1 this is followed by a call to repent1 in chap4 ii4 #a-c4 ,this call is founded on the fearful character of the impending judgment which1 according to vers4 #d-ae1 will be inflicted not only upon ,judah1 but also upon the world1 and will especially bring destruction upon all the neighbouring nations3 in the ,pg #ceg ,west1 upon the ,philistines2 in the ,east1 upon ,ammon and ,moab2 in the ,south1 on ,cush2 in the ,north1 upon ,nineveh1 upon whose destruction the ,prophet especially dwells1 since1 up to that time1 it had been the bearer of the world's power4 ,in chap4 iii41 in the first instance1 the threatening against ,judah is resumed4 ,apostate ,jerusalem1 corrupt in its head and members1 irresistibly hastens on towards judgment4 ,but1 notwithstanding1 the afflicted and poor people of the land shall not despair4 ,on the contrary1 as salvation cannot proceed from the midst of the people1 they are to put their trust in the ,lord4 ,by ,his judgments 7viz41 those declared in chap4 ii41 which at last shall bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness1 compare ,isa4 xxvi4 #i3 ,for when thy judgments are in the earth1 the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness7 will ,he break the pride of the ,gentile world1 and bring about their conversion1--and the converted ,gentile world will bring back to ,jerusalem the scattered ,congregation4 ,being purified and justified1 it will then enjoy the full mercy of the ,lord4 ,the principal passage is chap4 iii4 #h-ac4 ,ver4 #h4 ,therefore wait ye upon me1 saith the ,lord1 until the day that ,i rise up to the prey2 for my right is 7i4e41 the exercise of my right consists in this7 to gather the nations1 and to assemble the kingdoms1 to pour out upon them mine indignation1 all the heat of mine anger2 for all the earth shall be devoured by the fire of my jealousy4 ,ver4 #i4 ,for then will ,i turn unto the nations a clean lip1 that they may all call upon the name of the ,lord1 to serve ,him with one shoulder4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,from beyond the rivers of ,ethiopia shall they bring my suppliants1 the daughter of my dispersed for a meat-offering to me4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,in that day shall thou not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me2 for then will ,i take away out of the midst of thee them that proudly rejoice in thee1 and thou shall no more be haughty on mine holy mountain4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,and ,i leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people1 and they trust in the name of the ,lord4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the remnant of ,israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies2 neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth2 for they shall feed and lie down1 and none shall make them afraid4 ,pg #ceh ,zephaniah1 who opens the series of the prophets who are preeminently dependent upon other prophets1 just as ,habakkuk closes the series of those pre-eminently independent1 leans1 in this section1 chiefly upon ,isaiah2 and it is from this circumstance that it appears1 that the person of the ,messiah1 although not appearing here1 stands in the background and forms the invisible centre4 ,therefore ver4 #h3 ,since the salvation cannot proceed from the midst of the people1 inasmuch as1 in the way of their works1 they receive nothing but destructive punishment4 ,on the words3 ,wait ye upon me1 compare ,hab4 ii4 #c4 ,the day that the ,lord rises up to the prey is the time when ,he will begin ,his great triumphal march against the ,gentile world4 ,with the words3 ,for my right1 c41 a new argument for the call ,wait ye upon me1 commences4 ,but this does not by any means close with the #hth verse1 but goes on to the end of ver4 #aj4 ,first3 ,wait1 for ,i will judge the nations4 ,it is not without meaning that1 as regards your hope1 ,i refer you to the judgment upon the ,gentiles2 for1 in consequence of this judgment1 their conversion will take place1 and a consequence of their conversion is1 that they bring back to ,zion her scattered members4 ,in the thought1 that the judgments upon the ,gentile world will break their hardness of heart1 and prepare them for their conversion1 ,zephaniah follows ,isaiah1 who1 e4g4 in chap4 xix41 exemplifies it in the case of ,egypt1 and in chap4 xxiii4 in that of ,tyre4 ,the bruised reed and the faintly burning wick is not merely a designation of the single individuals who have been endowed with the right disposition for the kingdom of ,god1 but of whole nations4 ,the clean lip in ver4 #i forms the contrast to the unclean lips in ,is4 vi4 ,with unclean lips they had1 in the time of the long-suffering of ,god1 invoked their idols1 ,ps4 xvi4 #d4 ,on the words3 ,to serve ,him with one shoulder1 comp4 ,is4 xix4 #bc3 ,and ,egypt serves with ,asshur4 ,the words3 ,from beyond the rivers of ,ethiopia1 in ver4 #aj1 rest on ,is4 xviii4 #a4 ,in both of the passages1 ,ethiopia is the type of the whole ,gentile world to be converted in future4 ,in ,is4 xviii4 ,ethiopia offers itself and all which it has to the ,lord2 here it brings the scattered members of the community of the ,israelitish people to the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,hebrew3 etr always means to supplicate1 ,pg #cei never to burn incense4 ,ezek4 viii4 #aa must thus be translated3 ,every man1 his censer in his hand1 and the supplication of the cloud of incense went up2 compare remarks on ,rev4 v4 #h4 ,the dispersed members of the ,church supplicate that the ,lord would again receive them into ,his communion 7compare ,hos4 xiv4 #c2 ,jer4 xxxi4 #i1 #ah2 ,zech4 xii4 #aj72 and these supplications cannot remain without an answer1 since they from whom they proceed stand in a close relation to the ,lord4 ,the daughter of my dispersed is the daughter or communion1 consisting of the dispersed of the ,lord1 just as in the phrase the daughter of the ,chaldeans1 the ,chaldeans themselves are the daughter or virgin4 ,the designation1 in itself1 plainly suggests the dispersed members of the old ,congregation1 inasmuch as they only can be designated as the dispersed of the ,lord4 ,to this1 moreover1 must be added the reference to ,deut4 iv4 #bg3 ,and the ,lord disperses you among the nations2 xxviii4 #fd3 ,and the ,lord disperses thee among all the nations from the one end of the earth even unto the other1--an announcement which1 at the time of ,zephaniah1 had already been fulfilled upon the ten tribes1 and the fulfilment of which was soon to commence upon ,judah4 ,it is only when the members of the old ,congregation are understood by the suppliants and dispersed1 that the call1 ,wait ye upon me is here established and confirmed4 ,the offering of the meat-offering signifies1 in the symbolism of the ,mosaic law1 diligence in good works1 such as is to be peculiar to the redeemed4 ,a single manifestation of it is the missionary zeal which is here shown by the converted ,gentiles4 ,in harmony with the ,song of ,solomon1 ,isaiah announces in several passages1 that the converted ,gentiles shall1 at some future period1 labour for the restoration of ,israel2 compare the remarks on ,is4 xi4 #ab4 ,zephaniah here specially refers to the remarkable passage1 ,is4 lxvi4 #ah-ba1 which we must here subject to a somewhat closer examination3 ,ver4 #ah4 ,and ,i 444 their works and their thoughts2 the time cometh to gather all ,gentiles and tongues1 and they come and see my glory4 ,the first hemistich still belongs to the threatening4 ,the holy ,god and unholy men1 the unholy members of the ,church to which the ,lord spake3 ,ye shall be holy1 for ,i am holy1 and their sinful thoughts and words are simply placed beside one another1 ,pg #cfj other1 and it is left to every one to draw from it the inference as to the fate awaiting them4 ,i and their works--what an immense contrast1 a contrast which must be adjusted by the judgment6 ,with the threatening1 the ,prophet then connects1 by a suitable contrast to the rejection of a great part of the covenant-people1 the calling of the ,gentiles4 ,the glory of the ,lord1 which the ,gentiles see1 is ,his glory which1 up to that time1 was concealed1 but is now manifested2 compare ,is4 xl4 #e1 lx4 #b1 lii4 #aj1 liii4 #a4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,and ,i set a sign among them1 and send from among them escaped ones unto the nations1 to ,tarshish1 c41 to the isles afar off that have not heard my fame1 neither have seen my glory1 and they declare my glory among the ,gentiles1--,the suffix in ,hebrew3 bh,m can refer to those only from among the nations and tongues who have come and seen the glory of ,god4 ,they are sent out to bring the message of the living ,god1 the message of salvation to those also who hitherto have not come4 ,by the demonstration of the ,spirit and power1 they are marked out as blessed of the ,lord1 as ,his servants1 separated from the world given up to destruction4 ,just as the wicked1 the servants of the prince of this world1 have their mark1 ,gen4 iv4 #ej1 so have the servants of ,god theirs also1 which may be recognised by all who are well disposed4 ,it is only by one's own fault1 and at one's own risk1 that the sign is not understood4 ,the fact that unto the nations forms the beginning1 and the isles afar off--isles in the sea of the world1 kingdoms--the close1 shows that the single names1 ,tarshish1 c41 are only individualizations4 ,in the following verse1 too1 all the heathens are spoken of ,ver4 #bj3 ,and they bring1 out of all nations1 your brethren for a meat-offering unto the ,lord1 upon horses1 c41 to my holy mountain to ,jerusalem1 as the children of ,israel bring the meat-offering in a clean vessel unto the house of the ,lord4 ,it is in this verse that it clearly appears1 that ,zephaniah depends upon it2 and it is by the offering of the spiritual meat-offering that his dependence is recognized4 ,the subject in they bring is the ,gentiles1 to whom the message of salvation has been brought4 ,they1 having themselves attained salvation1 offer to the ,lord1 as a meat-offering1 the former members of ,his ,kingdom who were separated from it4 ,it is they1 not the ,gentiles who have become believers1 who in the second ,pg #cfa part of ,isaiah1 are throughout designated as the brethren4 ,salvation is first to pass from ,israel to the ,gentiles1 and shall then1 from them1 return to ,israel4 ,the two verses before us thus contain a sanction for the mission among the heathens and among ,israel4 ,vers4 #ah and #ai divide the conversion of the ,gentiles into two main stations2 it is only when the ,church has arrived at the second1 that the missionary work among ,israel will fully thrive and prosper4 ,to the clean vessel in which the outward sacrifice was offered1 correspond the faith and love with which they1 who were formerly heathens1 offer the spiritual meat-offering4 ,ver4 #ba3 ,and of them also will ,i take for ,levitical priests1 saith the ,lord4 ,of them1 i4e41 of those who formerly were heathens2 for it is to them that1 in the words preceding1 a priestly function1 viz41 the offering of the meat-offering1 is assigned4 ,of them also2 not merely from among the old covenant-people1 to whom1 under the former dispensation1 the priestly office was limited4 ,the fact that the priests are designated as ,levitical priests1 is intended to keep out the thought that the point in question related only to priests in a lower sense1 beside whom the ,levitical priesthood1 attached to natural descent1 would continue to exist in full vigour4 ,priests with full dignities and rights are here so much the more required1 that1 according to what precedes1 the point in question does not refer merely to a personal relation to the ,lord1 to immediate access to the throne of grace1 but to the priestly office proper4 ,vers4 #aa-ac describe the internal condition of the redeemed ,church of the future1--a condition so different from the present one4 ,the expression1 they that proudly rejoice in them1 is from ,is4 xiii4 #c4 ,hebrew3 ki in ver4 #ac is to be accounted for from the fact1 that wherever there exists the blessing promised by the ,law of ,god 7,lev4 xxvi4 #f7 to faithfulness1 faithfulness itself must exist4 ,in ver4 #ad ff41 the ,jerusalem of the future is addressed2 compare the expression1 at that time1 ver4 #bj4 ,pg #cfb ,,the ,,prophet ,,jeremiah4 ,,general ,,preliminary ,,remarks4 ,in ,malachi iii4 #a1 the ,lord promises that ,he would send ,his messenger who should prepare the way before ,him1 who was to come to ,his temple1 judging and punishing2 vers4 #bc1 #bd 7iv4 #e1 #f73 that before the coming of ,his great and dreadful day1 before ,he smites the land with a curse1 ,he would send another ,elijah1 who should bring back the heart of the fathers to the children1 and the heart of the children to their fathers4 ,even before this prophecy was expressed in words1 it had actually been given in the existence of ,jeremiah1 who1 during the whole long period of forty-one years1 before the destruction1 announced the judgments of the ,lord1--who1 with burning zeal and ardent love to the people1 preached repentance1--and who1 even after the destruction1 sought the small remnant that had been left1 and was anxious to secure it against the new day of the ,lord1 which1 by its obstinate impenitence1 it was drawing down upon itself4 ,it is this typical relation of ,jeremiah to ,john the ,baptist and ,christ1 of which the ,jewish tradition had an anticipation1 although it misunderstood and expressed it in a gross1 outward manner1 by teaching that1 at the end of days1 ,jeremiah would again appear on earth1--it is this1 which invests with a peculiar charm the contemplation of his ministry1 and the study of his prophecies4 ,the name of the ,prophet is to be explained from ,exod4 xv4 #a1 from which it is probably taken4 ,it signifies ,the ,lord throws4 ,he who bore it was consecrated to that ,god who with an almighty hand throws to the ground all ,his enemies4 ,from chap4 i4 #aj3 ,see1 ,i set thee to-day over the nations ,pg #cfc and over the kingdoms1 to root out and to pull down1 to destroy and to throw down1 to build and to plant1 it appears that it was by a dispensation of divine providence1 that the ,prophet bore this name with full right1 and that the character of his mission is thereby designated4 ,the judging and destructive activity which the ,prophet1 as an instrument of ,god1 is to exercise1 is here not only placed at the commencement1 but four appellations are also devoted to it1 whilst only two are devoted to his healing and planting activity4 ,as the object of the throwing1 we have to conceive1 not of the unfaithful covenant-people only4 ,this appears from the mention of the nations and kingdoms here1 and farther1 from ver4 #ad1 where the ,lord says to the ,prophet3 ,out of the ,north the evil breaks forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth4 ,to be the herald of the judgment to be executed upon the whole world by the ,chaldeans1 was so much the destiny of the ,prophet1 that1 in chap4 i4 #c1 the eleventh year of ,zedekiah1 in which this judgment was brought to a close1 as far as ,judah was concerned1 is mentioned as the closing point of his ministry4 ,the ,prophet1 as is reported by the book itself1 still continued his ministry even among the remnant of the people2 but that is lost sight of ,the carrying away of ,jerusalem is treated as the great closing point2 just as1 in a manner altogether similar1 it is1 in the case of ,daniel1 in chap4 i4 #ba1 the year of ,israel's deliverance1 although1 according to chap4 x4 #a1 his prophetic ministry extended beyond that period4 ,jeremiah was called to his office when still a youth1 in the #acth year of king ,josiah1 and hence one year after the first reformation of this king1 who1 as early as in the #afth year of his life1 and the #hth of his reign1 which lasted #ca years1 began to seek the ,lord4 ,a king such as he1 unto whom no king before him was like1 who turned to the ,lord with all his heart1 and with all his soul1 and with all his might1 7#b ,kings xxiii4 #be71 in the midst of an evil and adulterous generation1 is a remarkable phenomenon1 as little conceivable from natural causes as the existence of ,melchizedec without father1 without descent--isolated from all natural development--in the midst of the ,canaanites who1 with rapid strides and irresistibly1 hastened on to the completion of their sin4 ,his existence has the same root as that of ,jeremiah1--a fact which becomes the ,pg #cfd more evident when we take into consideration the connection of the ,regal and ,prophetical offices in ,christ for the salvation of the people hastening anew to its destruction1 and the faithfulness of the ,covenant-,god1 and ,his long-suffering which makes every effort to lead the apostate children to repentance4 ,the zeal of both1 of ,josiah and ,jeremiah1--although supported by manifold assistance from other quarters1 as e4g4 by the prophetess ,huldah and the prophet ,zephaniah--was unable to stem the tide of prevailing corruption1 and1 hence1 to stop the tide of the divine judgments4 ,the corruption was so deeply rooted1 that only single individuals could be saved1 like brands from the burning4 ,it had made fearful progress under the protracted reign of ,manasseh1 whose disposition must be regarded as a product of the spirit of the time then prevailing1 of which he must not be considered as the creator1 but as the representative only1 #b ,kings xxiii4 #bf1 #bg1 xxiv4 #c1 #d4 ,the scanty fruits of his late conversion had been again entirely consumed under the short reign of his wicked son ,amon2 it had indeed so little of a comprehensive or lasting influence1 that the author of the ,book of ,kings thought himself entitled altogether to pass it over4 ,it was even difficult to put limits to outward idolatry2 and how imperfectly he succeeded in this1 is seen from the prophecies of ,jeremiah uttered after the reformation4 ,and even where he was successful in his efforts2 even where an emotion was manifested1 a wish to return to the living fountain which they had forsaken1 even there1 the corruption soon broke forth again1 only in a different form4 ,with deep grief1 ,jeremiah reprovingly reminds the people of this1 whose righteousness was like the morning dew1 in chap4 iii4 #d1 #e3 ,hast thou not but lately called me3 ,my ,father1 friend of my youth1 thou8 ,will ,he reserve ,his anger for ever1 will ,he keep it to the end8 ,behold1 thus thou spakest1 and soon thou didst the evil1 didst accomplish--an accomplishment quite different from that of the ancestor4 ,gen4 xxxii4 #bi4 ,since the disease had not been healed1 but had only been driven out from one part of the diseased organism1 the foolish inclination to idolatry was followed by as foolish a confidence in the miserable righteousness by works1 in the divine election1--the offering up of sacrifices1 c41 being considered as the sole condition of its validity4 ,trust ye not in lying words--so ,pg #cfe the ,prophet is obliged to admonish them in chap4 vii4 #d--saying1 ,the temple of the ,lord1 the temple of the ,lord1 the temple of the ,lord are they 7the people imagined that they could not be destroyed1 because the ,lord had1 according to their opinion1 for ever established ,his residence among them2 compare #a ,cor4 iii4 #ag2 #a ,tim4 iii4 #ae74 ,thou sayest1 ,i am innocent2 ,his anger hath entirely turned from me2 behold ,i plead with thee1 because thou sayest3 ,i have not sinned1 chap4 ii4 #ce4 ,to what purpose shall there come for me incense from ,sheba1 and sweet cane1 the goodly1 from a far country8 ,your burnt-offerings are not acceptable1 nor your sacrifices pleasant unto me1 chap4 vi4 #bj4 ,towards the end of ,josiah's reign1 the approaching judgment of ,god upon ,judah became more perceptible4 ,the former ,asiatic dominion of the ,assyrians passed over entirely to the ,chaldeans1 whose fresh and youthful strength so much the more threatened ,judah with destruction1 that from the ,assyrians they had inherited the enmity to ,egypt1 on account of which ,judah obtained great importance in their eyes4 ,according to the announcement of the prophets generally1 and of ,jeremiah especially1 who1 at his very vocation1 had it assigned to him as his main task to announce the calamity from the ,north1 it was by the ,chaldeans that the deadly stroke should be inflicted upon the people implicated in the conflicts of these hostile powers2 but it was the ,egyptians who inflicted upon them the first severe wound4 ,josiah fell in the battle with ,pharaoh ,necho4 ,the people1 conscious of guilt1 were1 by his death1 filled with a fearful expectation of the things that were to come4 ,they had forebodings that they were now standing at the boundary line where grace and anger separate 7compare remarks on ,zech4 xii4 #aa72 and these forebodings were soon converted into bitter certainty by experience4 ,jehoiakim ascended the throne1 after ,jehoahaz or ,shall um1 had1 after a short reign1 been carried away by the ,egyptians4 ,he stood to his father ,josiah in just the same relation as did the people to ,god1 in reference to the mercy which ,he had offered to them in ,josiah4 ,a more glaring contrast 7see its exhibition in chap4 xxii47 can hardly be imagined4 ,throughout1 ,jehoiakim shows himself to be entirely destitute not only of love to ,god1 but also of the fear of ,god2 he furnishes the complete image of a king whom ,god had given in anger4 ,he ,pg #cff is a blood-thirsty tyrant1 an exasperated enemy to truth4 ,at the beginning of his reign1 some influence of ,josiah's spirit is still seen4 ,the priests and false prophets1 rightly understanding the signs of the time1 came forward with the manifestation of their long restrained hatred against ,jeremiah1 in whom they hate their own conscience4 ,they bring against him a charge of life and death1 because he had prophesied destruction to the city and temple2 but the rulers of the people acquit him1 chap4 xxvi4 ,this influence1 however1 soon ceased4 ,the king became the centre around whom gathered all that was ungodly1 which1 under ,josiah1 had timorously withdrawn into concealment4 ,soon it became a power1 a torrent overflowing the whole country2 and that the more easily1 the weaker were the dams which still existed from the time of ,josiah4 ,one of the first victims for truth who fell1 was the prophet ,urijah4 ,the king1 imagining that he was able to kill truth itself in those who proclaimed it1 could not bear the thought that he was still living1 although it was in distant ,egypt1 and caused him to be brought thence 7see l4 c74 ,the fact that ,jeremiah escaped every danger of death during the eleven years of this king's reign1 although he ever anew threatened death to the king and destruction to the people1 was a constant miracle1 a glorious fulfilment of the divine promise given to him when he was called 7i4 #ai73 ,they shall fight against thee1 and they shall not prevail against thee2 for ,i am with thee1 saith the ,lord1 to deliver thee4 ,the threatened divine punishment advanced1 under ,jehoiakim1 several steps towards its completion4 ,in the fourth year of his reign1 ,jerusalem was1 for the first time1 taken by the ,chaldeans 7compare ,dissertations on the ,genuineness of ,daniel1 p4 #de ff471 after the power of the ,egyptian ,empire had been for ever broken by the battle at ,carchemish on the ,euphrates4 ,the victor this time acted with tolerable mildness2 the sin of the people was to appear in its full light by the circumstance1 that ,god gave them time for repentance1 and did not at once proceed to the utmost rigour1 but advanced1 step by step1 in ,his judgments4 ,but here too it was seen that crime1 in its highest degree1 becomes madness2 the more nearly that people and king approached the abyss1 the greater became the speed with which they hastened towards it4 ,it is true that they ,pg #cfg did not remain altogether insensible when the threatenings of the ,prophet began to be fulfilled4 ,this is seen from the day of fasting and repentance which was appointed in remembrance of the first capture by the ,chaldeans 7compare ,dissertations on the ,genuineness of ,daniel1 p4 #di72 but fleeting emotions cannot stop the course of sin4 ,soon it became worse than it had been before2 and therefore the divine judgments also reached a new station4 ,even political wisdom advised the king quietly to submit to dependence on the ,chaldeans1 which was1 comparatively1 little oppressive4 ,it was obvious that1 unsupported1 he could effect nothing against the ,chaldean power2 and1 to the unprejudiced eye1 it was as obvious that the ,egyptians could not help him2 and even had it been possible1 he would only have changed masters4 ,but1 according to the counsel of ,god1 who takes away the understanding of the wise1 these political reasons1 obvious though they were1 should not exercise any influence upon him1 because his obdurate heart prevented him from listening to the religious arguments which ,jeremiah brought before him4 ,melancthon 7opp4 ii41 p4 #djg ff47 points it out as a remarkable circumstance that1 while other prophets1 e4g41 ,samuel1 ,elisha1 ,isaiah1 exhort to a vigorous opposition to the enemies1 and1 in that case1 promise divine assistance1 yea that1 to some extent1 they even took an active part in the deliverance1 ,jeremiah1 on the other hand1 always preaches unconditional submission4 ,the issue1 which is as different as the advice1 shows that this difference has not1 by any means1 its foundation in the persons1 but in the state of things4 ,the seventy years of ,chaldean servitude were irrevocably decreed upon ,judah2 even the exact statement of years1 which else is so uncommon in reference to the fate of the covenant-people1 shows how firm and determined was that decree4 ,they had altogether1 and more fully than at any other time1 given themselves over to the internal power of heathenism2 according to a divine necessity1 they must therefore also be given over to the external power of the heathen1 both for punishment and reform4 ,god himself could not change that decree1 for it rested on ,his nature4 ,hence1 it would be in vain though even the greatest intercessors1 ,moses and ,samuel1 should stand before ,him1 ,jer4 xv4 #a ff4 ,intercessory prayer can be effectual1 only if it be offered in ,pg #cfh the name of ,god4 ,but if such were the case1 how foolish was it to rebel against the ,chaldean power2 to attempt to remove the effect1 while they allowed the cause to remain2 to stop the brook1 while the source still continued to send forth its waters4 ,it would have been foolish1 even if the relative power of the ,jews and ,chaldeans had been altogether reversed4 ,for when the ,lord sells a people1 one can chase a thousand1 and two can put ten thousand to flight 7,deut4 xxxii4 #cj74 ,but the shepherd of the people had become a fool1 and did not enquire after the ,lord4 ,he could not1 therefore1 act wisely2 and the whole flock was scattered1 ,jer4 x4 #ba4 ,jehoiakim rebelled against the ,chaldeans1 and for some years he was allowed to continue in the delusion of having acted very wisely1 for ,nebuchadnezzar had more important things to mind and to settle4 ,but then he went up against ,jerusalem1 and put an end to his reign and life1 ,jer4 xxii4 #a-ab2 #b ,kings xxiv4 #b2 ,dissertations on the ,genuineness of ,daniel1 p4 #di4 ,as yet1 the long-suffering of ,god1 and1 hence1 the patience of the ,chaldeans1 were not at an end4 ,jehoiachin or ,jeconiah was raised to the throne of his father4 ,even the short reign of three months gave to the youth sufficient occasion to manifest the wickedness of his heart1 and his enmity to ,god4 ,suspicions against his fidelity arose2 a ,chaldean army anew entered the city1 and carried away the king1 and1 along with him1 the great mass of the people4 ,this was the first great deportation4 ,in the providence of ,god it was so arranged that1 among those who were carried away1 there was the very flower of the nation4 ,the apparent suffering was to them a blessing4 ,they were1 for their good1 sent away from the place over which the storms of ,god's anger were soon to discharge themselves1 into the land of the ,chaldeans1 and formed there the nucleus for the ,kingdom of ,god1 in its impending new form1 ,jer4 xxiv4 ,nothing now seemed to stand in the way of the divine judgment upon the wicked mass that had been left behind1 like bad figs that no one can eat for badness1--they whom the ,lord had threatened that ,he would give them over to hurt and calamity in all the kingdoms of the earth1 to reproach1 and a proverb1 and a taunt1 and a curse1 in all places whither ,he would drive them1 ,jer4 xxiv4 #i4 ,and still the ,lord was waiting before ,he carried out this ,pg #cfi threatening1 and smote the land to cursing4 ,mattaniah or ,zedekiah1 the son of ,josiah1 the uncle of ,jehoiachin1 who was given to them for a king1 might1 at least partially1 have averted the evil4 ,but he too had to learn that the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom4 ,from various quarters1 attempts have been made to exculpate him1 on the plea that his fault was only weakness1 which made him the tool of a corrupt party2 but ,scripture forms a different estimate of him1 and he who looks deeper will find its judgment to be correct1--will be able to grant to him that preference only over ,jehoiakim which ,c4 ,b4 ,michaelis assigned to him in the words3 ,jehoiakim was of an obdurate and wild disposition2 ,zedekiah had some fear of ,god1 although it was a servile1 hypocritical fear1 but ,jehoiakim had none at all4 ,and even this preference1 when more narrowly examined1 amounts to nothing1 for it belongs to nature1 and not to grace4 ,whether corruption manifests itself as weakness1 or as a carnal1 powerful opposition to divine truth1 is accidental1 and depends upon the diversity of mental and bodily organization4 ,the fact that ,zedekiah did not altogether put away from himself the truth and its messengers 7,dahler remarks3 ,he respected the ,prophet1 without having the power of following his advice2 he even protected his life against his persecutors1 but he did not venture to secure him against their vexation7 cannot be put down to his credit2 he was1 against his will1 forced to do so2 and indeed he could not resist a powerful impression of any kind4 ,in a man of ,jehoiakim's character1 the same measure of the fear of ,god would induce us to mitigate our opinion2 for in such a one it could not exist without some support from within4 ,confiding in the help of the neighbouring nations1 especially the ,egyptians2 persuaded by the false prophets and the nobles2 himself seized by that spirit of giddiness and intoxication which1 with irresistible power1 carried away the people to the abyss1 ,zedekiah broke the holy oath which he had sworn to the ,chaldeans1 and1 after an obstinate resistance1 ,jerusalem was taken and destroyed4 ,as yet1 the long suffering of ,god1 and1 hence1 also that of man1 was not altogether at an end4 ,the conquerors left a comparatively small portion of the inhabitants in the land4 ,the grace of ,god gave them ,gedaliah1 an excellent man1 for their civil superior1 and ,jeremiah for their ecclesiastical ,pg #cgj superior4 ,the latter preferred to remain in the smoking ruins1 rather than follow the brilliant promises of the ,chaldeans1 and was willing to persevere to the last in the discharge of his duty1 although he was by this time far advanced in life1 and oppressed with deep grief ,but it appears as if the people had been bent upon emptying1 to the last drop1 the cup of divine wrath4 ,gedaliah is assassinated4 ,even those who did not partake in the crime fled to ,egypt1 disregarding the word of the ,lord through the ,prophet1 who announced a curse upon them if they fled1 but a blessing if they remained4 ,what the ,prophet had to suffer under such circumstances1 one may easily imagine even without consulting history4 ,even although he had remained free from all personal vexations and attacks1 it could not but be an immeasurable grief to him to dwell in the midst of such a generation1 to see their corruption increasing more and more1 to see the abyss coming nearer and nearer1 to find all his faithful warnings unheeded1 and his whole ministry in vain1 at least as far as the mass of the people were concerned4 ,o that they would give me in the wilderness a lodging-place for wayfaring men--so he speaks as early as under ,josiah1 chap4 ix4 #a 7#b7--;and ,i would leave my people and go from them2 for they are all adulterer1 an assembly of treacherous men4 ,but from these personal vexations and attacks1 he neither was1 nor could be exempted4 ,mockery1 hatred1 calumny1 ignominy1 curses1 imprisonment1 bonds were his portion4 ,to bear such a burden would have been difficult to any man1 but most of all to a man of his disposition4 ,the more tender the heart1 the deeper the smart4 ,he was not a second ,elijah2 he had a soft disposition1 a lively sensibility2 his eyes were easily filled with tears4 ,and he who would have liked so much to live in peace and love with all1 having entered into the service of truth1 was obliged to become a second ,ishmael1 his hand against every man1 and every man's hand against him4 ,he who so ardently loved his people1 must see this love misconstrued and rejected2 must see himself branded as a traitor to the people1 by those men who were themselves traitors4 ,all these things were to him the cause of violent struggles and conflicts1 which he candidly lays before us in various passages1 especially in chap4 xii4 and ,pg #cga xx41 because1 by the victory1 the ,lord1 who alone could give it1 was glorified4 ,he was sustained by inward consolations1 by wonderful deliverances1 by the remarkable fulfilment of his prophecies which he himself lived to witness2 but especially by the circumstance that the ,lord caused him to behold ,his future salvation with the same clearness as ,his judgments2 so that he could consider the latter only as transient1 and1 even by the most glaring contrast between the appearance and the idea1 never lost the firm hope of the final victory of the former4 ,this hope formed the centre of his whole life4 ,for a long series of years1 he is somewhat cautious in giving utterance to it2 for1 just as ,hosea in the kingdom of the ten tribes1 so he too has to do with secure and gross sinners1 who must be terrified by the preaching of the ,law1 and the message of wrath4 ,but1 even here1 single sunbeams everywhere constantly break through the dark clouds4 ,but towards the close1 when the total destruction is already at hand1 and his commission to root out and destroy draws to an end1 because now the ,lord himself is to speak by deeds1 he can1 to the full desire of his heart1 carry out the second part of his calling1 viz41 to plant and to build 7compare chap4 i472 and it is now1 that his mouth is overflowing1 that it is seen how full of it his heart had always been4 ,the whole vocation of the ,prophet1 ,calvin strikingly expresses in these words3 ,i say simply that ,jeremias was sent by ,god to announce to the people the last defeat1 and1 farther1 to proclaim the future redemption1 but in such a manner1 that he always puts in the seventy years'exile4 ,that1 according to him1 this redemption is not destined for ,israel only1 but that the ,gentiles also partake in it1 appears not incidentally only in the prophecies to his own people2 but it is also prominently brought out in the prophecies against the foreign nations themselves1 e4g41 in the prophecy against ,egypt1 chap4 xlvi4 #bf2 against ,moab1 chap4 xlviii4 #dg2 against ,ammon1 xlix4 #f4 ,in announcing the ,messiah from the house of ,david 7chap1 xxii4 #e1 xxx4 #i1 xxxiii4 #ae71 ,jeremiah agrees with the former prophets4 ,the ,messianic features peculiar to him are the following3--,the announcement of a revelation of ,god1 which by far outshines the former one from above the ,ark of the ,covenant1 and by which the ,ark of the ,covenant1 with every ,pg #cgb thing attached to it1 shall become antiquated1 chap4 iii4 #ad-ag2 the announcement of a new covenant1 distinguished from the former by greater richness in the forgiveness of sins1 and the outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit3 ,i give my law in their inward parts1 and ,i will write it in their hearts1 chap4 xxxi4 #ca-cd2 the intimation of the impending realization of the promise of ,moses3 ,ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests1 with which the abolition of the poor form of the priesthood hitherto is connected1 chap4 xxxiii4 #ad-bf4 ,as regards the style of ,jeremiah1 ,cunaeus 7de repub4 ,hebr4 i4 #c1 c4 #g7 pertinently remarks3 ,the whole majesty of ,jeremiah lies in his negligent language2 that rough diction becomes him exceedingly well4 ,it is certainly very superficial in ,jerome to seek the cause of that humilitas dictionis of the ,prophet1 whom he1 at the same time1 calls in majestate sensuum profundissimum1 in his origin from the viculus ,anathoth4 ,it would be unnatural if it were otherwise4 ,the style of ,jeremiah stands on the same ground as the hairy garment and leather girdle of ,elijah4 ,he who is sorrowful and afflicted in his heart1 whose eyes fail with tears 7,lament4 ii4 #aa71 cannot adorn and decorate himself in his dress or speech4 ,from chap4 xi4 #ba1 xii4 #e1 #f1 several interpreters have inferred1 that the ,prophet first came forward in his native place ,anathoth1 and that1 because they there said to him3 ,thou shalt not prophecy in the name of the ,lord1 else thou shalt die by our hand1 he then went to ,jerusalem4 ,but those passages rather refer to an experience which the ,prophet made at an incidental visit in his native place1 quite similar to what our ,saviour experienced at ,nazareth1 according to ,luke iv4 #bd4 ,for in chap4 xxv4 #c1 ,jeremiah says to all the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 that he had spoken to them since the thirteenth year of ,josiah4 ,as early as in chap4 ii4 #b1 at the beginning of a discourse which bears a general introductory character1 and which immediately follows1 and is connected with his vocation in chap4 i41 he receives the command3 ,go1 and cry into the ears of ,jerusalem4 ,the opening speech itself cannot1 according to its contents1 have been spoken in some corner of the country1 but in the metropolis only1 in the temple more specially1 the centre of the nation and its spiritual dwelling place4 ,it was there that that must be delivered which was to be told to the whole people as such4 ,pg #cgc ,,the ,,section1 ,,chap4 ,,iii1 #ad-ag4 ,the whole ,section1 from chap4 iii4 #f1 to the end of chap4 vi41 forms one connected discourse1 separated from the preceding context by the inscription in chap4 iii4 #f1 and from the subsequent context1 by the inscription in chap4 vii4 #a4 ,this separation1 however1 is more external than internal4 ,the contents and tone remain the same through the whole series of chapters which open the collection of the prophecies of ,jeremiah1 and that to such a degree1 that we are compelled to doubt the correctness of the proceeding of those interpreters1 who would determine the chronological order of the single portions1 and fix the exact period in the reign of ,josiah to which every single portion belongs4 ,if such a proceeding were admissible1 why should the ,prophet have expressed himself1 in the inscription of the ,section before us1 in terms so general as3 ,and the ,lord said unto me in the days of ,josiah the king8 ,every thing on which these interpreters endeavour to found more accurate determinations in regard to the single ,sections1 disappears upon a closer consideration4 ,thus1 e4g41 the twofold reference to the seeking of help from ,egypt1 in chap4 ii4 #af ff41 xxxvi41 xxxvii41 on which ,eichhorn and ,dahler lay so much stress4 ,we are not entitled here to suppose a reference to a definite historical event1 which1 moreover1 cannot be historically pointed out in the whole time of ,josiah1 but can only be supposed on unsafe and unfounded conjectures4 ,in both of the passages something future is spoken of1 as is evident from vers4 #af and #ai4 ,the thought is this3--that ,asshur1 i4e41 the power on the ,euphrates 7compare #b ,kings xxiii4 #bi71 which had4 for a long time opened its mouth to swallow up ,judah1 just as it had already swallowed up the kingdom of the ten tribes1 would not be conciliated1 and that ,egypt could not grant help against him4 ,this thought refers to historical circumstances which had already existed1 and continued to exist for some centuries1 and which1 in reference to ,israel1 is given utterance to as early as by ,hosea1 compare ,vol4 i4 p4 #afd1 f4 ,our view is this3 ,we have here before us1 not so much a series of prophecies1 each of which had literally been so uttered at some particular ,pg #cgd period in the reign of ,josiah1 as rather a resum of the whole prophetic ministry of ,jeremiah under ,josiah2 a collection of all which1 being independent of particular circumstances of that time1 had1 in general1 the destiny to give an inward support to the outward reforming activity of ,josiah1 a specimen of the manner in which the ,prophet discharged the divine commission which he had received a year after the first reformation of ,josiah4 ,even the manner in which chap ii4 is connected with chap4 i4 places this relation to his call beyond any doubt4 ,we have thus before us here the same phenomenon which we have already perceived in several of the minor prophets2 comp4 e4g41 the introduction to ,micah4 ,in the section before us1 the ,prophet is engaged with a two-fold object1--first1 with the proclamation of salvation for ,israel1 chap4 iii4 #f-;iv4 #b2 secondly1 with the threatening for ,judah1 chap4 iv4 #c1 to the end of chap4 vi4 ,it is only incidentally1 in chap4 iii4 #ah1 that it is intimated that ,judah also1 after the threatening has been fulfilled upon them1 shall partake in the salvation4 ,it is self-evident that these two objects must not be considered as lying beside one another4 ,according to the whole context1 the announcement of salvation for ,israel cannot have any other object than that of wounding ,judah4 ,this object even comes out distinctly in ver4 #f-aa1 and the import of the discourse may1 therefore1 be thus stated3 ,israel does not continue to be rejected as pharisaical ,judah imagined2 ,judah does not continue to be spared4--,when the ,prophet entered upon his ministry1 ninety-four years had already elapsed since the divine judgment had broken in upon ,israel2 every hope of restoration seemed to have vanished4 ,judah1 instead of being thereby warned2 instead of beholding1 in the sin of others1 the image of its own2 instead of perceiving1 in the destruction of the kingdom of its brethren1 a prophecy of its own destruction1 was1 on the contrary1 strengthened in its obduracy4 ,the fact that it still existed1 after ,israel had1 long ago1 hopelessly perished1 as they imagined1 appeared to them as a seal which ,god impressed upon their ways4 ,they rejoiced at ,israel's calamity1 because1 in it1 they thought that they saw a proof of their own excellency1 just as1 at the time of ,christ1 the blindness of the ,jews was increased by the circumstance that they still considered themselves as the sole members of ,pg #cge the ,kingdom of ,god1 and imagined the ,gentiles to be excluded from it4 ,the ,saviour's announcement of the calling of the ,gentiles stands in the same relation as the ,prophet's announcement of the restoration of ,israel4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,ver4 #ad4 ,turn1 ,o apostate children1 saith the ,lord1 for ,i marry myself unto you1 and ,i take one of a city1 and two of a family1 and bring you to ,zion4 ,the question here is3--,to whom is the discourse here addressed1--to the members of ,israel1 i4e41 the kingdom of the ten tribes1 as most of the interpreters suppose 7,abarbanel1 ,calvin1 ,schmid1 and others71 or1 as others assume1 to the inhabitants of ,judea8 ,the decision has considerable influence upon the exposition of the whole passage2 but it must unhesitatingly and unconditionally be given in favour of the first view4 ,there is not one word to indicate a transition2 the very same phrase1 turn1 ,o apostate children1 occurs1 in ver4 #bb1 of ,israel4 ,apostate ,israel is1 in the preceding verses 7#f1 #h1 #aa17 the standing expression1 while ,judah is designated as treacherous1 ver4 #h-aa4 ,the measure of guilt is determined by the measure of grace4 ,the relation of the ,lord to ,judah was closer1 and hence1 her apostacy was so much the more culpable4 ,farther--,a detailed announcement of salvation for ,judah would here not be suitable1 inasmuch as no threatening preceded2 and ver4 #ah 7,in those days1 the house of ,judah shall come by the side of literally1 'over' the house of ,israel1 according to which the return of ,judah is1 in the meantime1 a subordinate point which has here been mentioned incidentally7 clearly shows that that announcement of salvation1 contained in vers4 #ad-ag1 refers to ,israel4 ,to ,israel the ,prophet immediately returns in ver4 #ai2 for1 from the contrast to the house of ,judah in ver4 #ah1 and to ,judah and ,jerusalem in chap4 iv4 #c1 it is evident that by the house of ,israel in ver4 #bj1 and by the sons of ,israel in ver4 #ba1 ,israel1 in the stricter sense1 is to be understood4 ,finally--,it will be seen from the exposition1 that it is only on the supposition that ,israel is addressed1 that the contents of ver4 #af1 #ag1 become intelligible4--,in our explanation of the words ,hebrew3 ki anki belti atk,m1 we follow the precedent of the ,vulgate 7quia ego vir vester71 of ,luther 7,i will ,pg #cgf marry you to me71 of ,calvin1 ,schimd1 and others4 ,on the other hand1 others1 especially ,pococke1 ad ,p4,m4 p4 #b1 ,schultens on ,prov4 xxx4 #bb1 ,venema1 ,schnurrer1 ,gesenius1 ,winer1 ,bleek1 have made every endeavour to prove that ,hebrew3 bel is used sensu malo here1 as well as in chap4 xxxi4 #cb1 where it occurs in a connection altogether similar2 so that the decision must be valid for both of the passages at the same time4 ,this signification they seek to make out in a twofold way4 ,some altogether give up the derivation from the ,hebrew usus loquendi1 and refer solely to the ,arabic1 where ,hebrew3 bel means fastidire4 ,others derive from the ,hebrew signification1 to rule1 that of a tyrannical dominion1 and support their right in so doing1 by referring1 with ,gesenius1 to other verbs in which the signification1 to subdue1 to be distinguished1 to rule1 has been changed into that of looking down1 despising1 and contemning4 ,as regards the first derivation1 even if the ,arabic usus loquendi were proved1 we could not from it make any certain inference as regards the ,hebrew usus loquendi4 ,but with respect to this ,arabic usus loquendi1 it is far from being proved and established4 ,it is true that such would not be the case if there indeed occurred in ,arabic the expression ,arabic3 9999 fastidivit vir mulierem eamque expulit1 s4 repudiavit2 but it is only by a strange quid pro quo that interpreters1 even ,schultens among them1 following the example of ,kimchi1 have saddled this expression upon the ,arabic4 ,the error lies in a hasty view of ,adul ,walid1 who1 instead of it1 has ,arabic3 9999 any one is embarrassed in his affair4 ,the signification fastidire1 rejicere1 is1 in general1 quite foreign to the ,arabic4 ,the verb ,arabic3 9999 denotes only3 mente turbatus1 attonitus fuit1 i4e41 to be possessed1 deprived of the use of one's strength1 to be embarrassed1 not to know how to help one's self3 compare the ,camus in ,schultens and ,freytag4 ,as soon as the plain connection of this signification with the ordinary one is perceived1 it is seen at once1 that it is here out of the question4 ,as regards the second derivation1 we must bring this objection against it1 that the fundamental signification of ruling1 from which that of ruling tyrannically is said to have arisen1 is entirely foreign to the ,hebrew4 ,more clearly than by modern ,lexicographers it was seen by ,cocceius1 that the fundamental1 yea the only signification of ,hebrew3 bel1 is that of possessing1 ,pg #cgg occupying4 ,it may1 indeed1 be used also of rulers1 as1 e4g4 ,isa4 xxvi4 #ac1 and #a ,chron4 iv4 #bb2 but not in so far as they rule1 but in so far as they possess4 ,on the former passage3 ,jehovah our ,god1 ,hebrew3 belvnv advni,m zvlti,m1 ,lords beside thee have dominion over us1 ,schultens1 it is true1 remarks3 ,every one here easily recognizes a severe and tyrannical dominion2 but it is rather the circumstance that the land of the ,lord has at all foreign possessors1 which is the real sting of the grief of those lamenting1 and which so much occupies them1 that they scarcely think of the way and manner of the possessing4--,passages such as ,is4 liv4 #a1a lxii4 #d1 compare ,job i4 #h1 where a relation is spoken of1 founded on most cordial love1 show that the signification to marry1 does not by any means proceed from that of ruling1 and is not to be explained from the absolute1 slavish dependence of the wife in the ,east1 but rather from the signification to possess4 ,and this is farther proved by passages such as ,deut4 xxi4 #aj-ac1 xxvi4 #a1 where the copula carnalis is pointed out as that by which the ,hebrew3 bel is completed4 ,and1 finally1 it is seen from the ,arabic1 where the wife is also called1 ,hebrew3 belh1 ,arabic3 99991 just as the husband is called ,hebrew3 bel1 ,arabic3 99994--,it is farther obvious that1 in the frequent compositions of ,hebrew3 bel with other nouns1 in order1 by way of paraphrasis1 to form adjectives1 the signification lord is far less suitable than that of possessor1 e4g41 ,hebrew3 bel ,hlmvt1 the dreamer1 ,hebrew3 bel a,p1 the angry one1 ,hebrew3 bel npw1 the covetous one1 ,hebrew3 bel mzmzt1 the deceitful one1 ,hebrew3 beli eir oppidani1 ,hebrew3 beli brit1 the members of the covenant1 etc4 ,we arrive at the same conclusion1 if we look to the dialects4 ,here1 too1 the signification to possess appears as the proper and original signification4 ,in the ,ethiopic1 the verb signifies multum possedit1 dives fuit4 ,in ,arabic1 the significations are more varied2 but they may all be traced back to one root4 ,thus1 e4g4 ,arabic3 99991 ,hebrew3 bel1 according to the ,camus1 a high and elevated land which requires only one annual rain2 farther1 a palm-tree1 or any other tree or plant which is not watered1 or which the sky alone irrigates2 i4e41 a land1 a tree1 a plant which themselves possess1 which do not require to borrow from others4 ,this reason of the appellation clearly appears in ,dsheuhari 7compare ,pg #cgh ,schultens l4 c473 ,it is used of the palm-tree1 which1 by its roots1 provides for itself drink and sap1 so that there is no need for watering it4 ,in favour of the signification to rule in this verb1 the following gloss from the ,camus only can be quoted3 ,both 7the #ast and #ajth conjugations7 when construed with ,hebrew3 elih super illum1 denote3 he has taken possession of a thing1 and behaved himself proudly towards it4 ,but the latter clause must be struck out2 for it has flowed only from the false reading ,arabic3 9999 in ,schultens1 for which 7compare ,freytag7 ,arabic3 9999 noluit must be read1 ,hebrew3 bel with ,hebrew3 el accordingly signifies to be the possessor of a thing1 and1 as such1 not to be willing to give it up to another4 ,and thus every ground has been taken from those who1 from the ,hebrew usus loquendi1 would interpret ,hebrew3 bel in a bad sense1--,the same result1 however1 which we have reached upon philological grounds1 we shall obtain also1 when we look to the context4 ,from it1 they are most easily refuted1 who1 like ,schultens1 understand the whole verse as a threatening4 ,that which precedes1 as well as that which follows1 breathes nothing but pure love to poor ,israel4 ,she is not terrified by threatenings1 like ,judah who has not yet drunk of the cup of ,god's wrath1 but allured by the call3 ,come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden1 for ,i will give you rest4 ,but they also labour under great difficulties who1 after the example of ,kimchi 7ego fastidivi vos1 eo scil4 quod praeteriit tempore1 ac jam colligam vos71 refer the ,hebrew3 ki not so much to ,hebrew3 belti1 as rather to ,hebrew3 lqhti3 ,for ,i have1 it is true1 rejected you formerly1 but now ,i take1 c4 ,this is the only shape in which this interpretation can still appear2 for it is altogether arbitrary to explain ,hebrew3 ki by although1 an interpretation still found in ,de ,wette4 ,if it had been the intention of the ,prophet to express this sense1 nothing surely was less admissible1 than to omit just those words1 upon which everything depended--the words formerly and now4 ,hebrew3 lq,hti and ,hebrew3 belti evidently stand here in the same relation2 both together form the ground for the return to the ,lord4 ,to these reasons we may still add the circumstance that1 according to our explanation1 we obtain the beautiful parallelism with ver4 #ab3 ,return thou1 apostate ,israel1 saith the ,lord2 ,i will not cause mine anger to fall upon you2 for ,i am merciful2 ,i do not keep anger for ever1--a circumstance which has already been ,pg #cgi pointed out by ,calvin4 ,israel's haughtiness is broken2 but despondency now keeps them from returning to the ,lord4 ,he1 therefore1 ever anew repeats ,his invitation1 ever anew founds it upon the fact1 that ,he delights in showing mercy and love to those who have forsaken ,him4 ,the rejection of ,israel had1 in ver4 #h1 been represented under the image of divorce3 ,because apostate ,israel had committed adultery1 ,i had put her away1 and given her the bill of divorce4 ,what1 therefore1 is more natural1 than that her being received again1 which was offered to her out of pure mercy1 should appear under the image of a new marriage2 and that so much the more1 that the apostacy had1 even in the preceding verse1 been represented as adultery and whoredom8 7,thou hast scattered thy ways1 i4e41 thou hast been running about to various places after the manner of an impudent whore seeking lovers--,schmid2 compare ver4 #f47 ,farther to be compared is ver4 #bb3 ,return ye apostate children1 7for7 ,i will heal your apostacy4 ,behold we come unto thee1 for thou art the ,lord our ,god4 ,the objection that ,hebrew3 bel1 in the signification to take in marriage is construed with the ,accusative only1 is of no weight4 ,in a manner altogether similar1 ,hebrew3 zkr1 which else is connected with the simple ,accusative1 is1 in ver4 #af1 followed by the ,preposition ,hebrew3 b4 ,hebrew3 bel with ,hebrew3 b altogether corresponds to our to join onesself in marriage2 and the construction has perhaps a certain emphasis1 and indicates the close and indissoluble connection4 ,of still less weight is another objection1 viz41 that1 in that case1 the ,suffix ,plur4 is inadmissible4 ,it is just the ,israelites who are the wife2 and this is so much the more evident that1 in the preceding verses1 and even still in ver4 #ac1 they had been treated as such4 ,hence nothing remains but to determine the sense of our passage1 as was done by ,calvin3 ,because despair might take hold of them1 in such a manner that they might be afraid of approaching ,him4444 ,he saith that ,he would marry himself to them1 and that ,he had not yet forgotten that union which ,he once had bestowed upon them4 ,this is the only correct view2 and by thus determining the sense1 we at the same time obtain the sure foundation for the exposition of chap4 xxxi4 #cb2 just as1 vice versa1 the sense which will result from an independent consideration of that passage1 ,pg #chj will serve to confirm that which was here established4#b ,in the right determination of the sense of the subsequent words1 too1 ,calvin distinguishes himself advantageously from the earlier1 and most of the later interpreters3 ,god shows that there was no reason why some should wait for others2 and farther1 although the very body of the people might be utterly corrupted in their sins1 yet1 if even a few were to return4 ,he would show himself merciful to them4 ,the covenant had been entered into with the whole people4 ,the single individual might1 therefore1 have been disposed to imagine that his repentance was in vain4 ,but in opposition to such fears1 the ,prophet says3 ',although only one of a town should come to me1 he shall find an open door2 although only two of one tribe come to me1 ,i will admit even them4' ,after him ,loscanus too 7in his ,dissertation on this passage1 ,frankf4 #agbj7 has thus correctly stated the sense3 ,the small number shall not prevent ,god from carrying out ,his counsel4 ,thus it is seen--and this is alone suitable in this context--that the apparent limitation of the promise is1 in truth1 an extension of it4 ,how great must ,god's love and mercy be to ,israel1 in how wide an extent must the declaration be true3 ,greek3 ametamelta ta charismata kai h klsis tou ,theo1 ,rom4 xi4 #bi1 if even a single righteous ,lot is by ,god delivered from the ,sodom of ,israel2 if ,joshua and ,caleb1 untouched by the pefunishment of the sins of the thousands1 reach the ,holy ,land2 if every penitent heart at once finds a gracious ,god6 ,thus it appears that this passage is not by any means in contradiction to other passages by which a complete restoration of ,israel is promised4 ,on the contrary1 the ,greek3 epitunchanein of the ,greek3 eklog 7,rom4 xi4 #g7 announced here1 is a pledge and guarantee for the more comprehensive and general mercy4--,expositors are at variance as to the historical reference of the prophecy4 ,some1 e4g4 ,theodoret1 ,grotius1 think exclusively of the return from the ,babylonish captivity4 ,others 7after the example of ,jerome and the ,jewish interpreters7 think of the ,messianic time4 ,it need ,pg #cha scarcely be remarked1 that here1 as in so many other passages1 this alternative is out of place4 ,the prophecy has just the very same extent as the matter itself1 and1 hence1 refers to all eternity4 ,it was a commencement1 that1 at the time of ,cyrus1 many from among the ten tribes1 induced by true love to the ,god of ,israel1 joined themselves to the returning ,judeans1 and were hence again engrafted by ,god into the olive-tree4 ,it was a continuation of the fulfilment that1 in later times1 especially those of the ,maccabees1 this took place more and more frequently4 ,it was a preparation and prelude of the complete fulfilment1 although not the complete fulfilment itself1 that1 at the time of ,christ1 the blessings of ,god were poured upon the whole ,greek3 ddekaphulon1 ,acts xxvi4 #g4 ,the words3 ,i bring you to ,zion1 in the verse under consideration1 and3 ,they shall come out of the land of the ,north to the land that ,i have given for an inheritance unto their fathers1 in ver4 #ah1 do not at all oblige us to limit ourselves to those feeble beginnings2 the idea appears here only in that form1 in which it must be realised1 in so far as its realisation belonged to the time of the ,old ,testament4 ,zion and the ,holy ,land were1 at that time1 the seat of the ,kingdom of ,god2 so that the return to the latter was inseparable from the return to the former4 ,those from among ,israel who were converted to the true ,god1 either returned altogether to ,judea1 or1 at least1 there offered up their sacrifices4 ,but ,zion and the ,holy ,land likewise come into consideration1 as the seat of the ,kingdom of ,god only2 and1 for that very reason1 the course of the fulfilment goes on incessantly1 even in those times when even the ,north has become ,zion and ,holy ,land4--,the circumstance that two are assigned to a family1 while only one is assigned to a town1 shows that we must here think of a larger family which occupied several towns2 and the circumstance that the town is put together with the family1 shows that it is cities of the land of ,israel which are here spoken of1 and not those which the exiled ones inhabited4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,and ,i give you shepherds according to mine heart1 and they feed you with knowledge and understanding4 ,the question is3--,who are here to be understood by the shepherds8 ,calvin thinks that it is especially the prophets and priests1 inasmuch as it was just the bad condition of these ,pg #chb which had been the principal cause of the ruin of the people2 and that it is the greatest blessing for the ,church1 when ,god raises up true and sincere teachers4 ,similar is the opinion of ,vitringa 7obs4 lib4 vi41 p4 #dag71 who1 in a lower sense1 refers it to ,ezra and the learned men of that time1 and1 in a higher sense1 to ,christ4 ,among the ,fathers of the ,church1 ,jerome remarked3 ,these are the apostolical men who did not feed the multitude of the believers with ,jewish ceremonies1 but with knowledge and doctrine4 ,others refer it to leaders of every kind2 thus ,venema3 ,pastores sunt rectores1 ductores4 ,others1 finally1 limit themselves to rulers2 thus ,kimchi 7gubernatores ,israelis cum rege ,messia71 ,grotius1 and ,clericus4 ,the latter interpretation is1 for the following reasons1 to be unconditionally preferred4 #a4 ,the image of the shepherd and of feeding occurs sometimes1 indeed1 in a wider sense1 but ordinarily of the ruler specially4 ,thus1 in the fundamental passage1 #b ,sam4 v4 #b1 it occurs of ,david1 compare ,micah v4 #c4 ,thus also in ,jeremiah ii4 #h3 ,the priests said not4 ,where is the ,lord1 and they that handle the law knew me not1 and the shepherds transgressed against me1 and the prophets prophesied in the name of ,baal2 comp4 ver4 #bf3 ,they1 their kings1 their princes1 and their priests1 and their prophets4 #b4 ,the word ,hebrew3 klbi contains an evident allusion to #a ,sam4 xiii4 #ad1 where it is said of ,david3 ,the ,lord hath sought him1 a man after ,his own heart1 and the ,lord hath appointed him to be a prince over ,his people4 #c4 ,all doubt is removed by the parallel passage1 chap4 xxiii4 #d3 ,and ,i raise shepherds over them1 and they feed them1 and they fear no more1 nor are dismayed4 ,that1 by the shepherds1 in this verse1 only the rulers can be understood1 is evident from the contrast to the bad rulers of the present1 who were spoken of in chap4 xxii41 no less than from the connection with ver4 #e1 where that which1 in ver4 #d1 was expressed in general1 is circumscribed within narrow limits1 and the concentration of the fulfilment of the preceding promise is placed in the ,messiah3 ,behold1 days come1 saith the ,lord1 and ,i raise unto ,david a righteous ,branch1 and ,he reigneth as a king and acteth wisely1 and setteth up judgment and justice in the land4 ,this parallel passage is1 in so far also1 of importance1 as it shews that the prophecy under consideration likewise had its final reference to the ,pg #chc ,messiah4 ,the kingdom of the ten tribes was punished by bad kings for its apostacy from the ,lord1 and from ,his visible representative4 ,in the whole long series of ,israelitish kings1 we do not find any one like ,jehoshaphat1 or ,hezekiah1 or ,josiah4 ,and that is very natural1 for the foundation of the ,israelitish throne was rebellion4 ,but1 with the cessation of sin1 punishment too shall cease4 ,israel again turns to that family which is the medium and channel through which all the divine mercies flow upon the ,church of the ,lord2 and so they receive again a share in them1 and particularly in their richest fulness in the exalted scion of ,david1 the ,messiah4 ,the passage under consideration is thus completely parallel to ,hosea iii4 #e3 ,and they seek ,jehovah their ,god1 and ,david their king2 and that which we remarked on that passage is here more particularly applicable2 compare also ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #bc3 ,and ,i raise over them one ,shepherd1 and ,he feedeth them1 my servant ,david1 he shall feed them1 and he shall be their shepherd4 ,the antithesis to the words3 ,according to mine heart1 is formed by the words in ,hos4 viii4 #d3 ,they have set up kings not by me1 princes whom ,i knew not1--words which refer to the past history of ,israel4 ,formerly1 the rebellious chose for themselves kings according to the desires of their own hearts4 ,now1 they choose ,him whom ,god hath chosen1 and who1 according to the same necessity1 must be an instrument of blessing1 as the former were of cursing4--,hebrew3 deh and ,hebrew3 hwkil stand adverbially4 ,hebrew3 hwkil to act wisely is1 in appearance only1 intransitive in ,hiphil4 ,the foundation of wisdom and knowledge is the living communion with the ,lord1 being according to ,his heart1 walking after ,him4 ,the foolish counsels of the former rulers of ,israel1 by which they brought ruin upon their people1 were a consequence of their apostacy from the ,lord4 ,the two fundamental passages are1 ,deut4 iv4 #f3 ,and ye shall keep and do 7the law72 for this is your wisdom and understanding2 xxix4 #h 7#i73 ,ye shall keep the words of this covenant and do them1 that ye may act wisely4 ,besides the passage under consideration1 the passages ,josh4 i4 #g2 #a ,sam4 xviii4 #ad1 #ae2 #a ,kings ii4 #c2 ,is4 lii4 #ac2 ,jer4 x4 #ba1 xxiii4 #e1 are founded upon these two passages4 ,if all these passages are compared with one another1 and with the fundamental passages1 one cannot but wonder at the arbitrariness ,pg #chd of interpreters and lexicographers who1 severing several of these passages from the others1 have forced upon the verb ,hebrew3 hwkil the signification to prosper1--a signification altogether fanciful ,god's servants act wisely1 because they look up to ,god2 and he who acts wisely finds prosperity for himself and his people4 ,hence1 it is a proof of the greatest mercy of ,god towards ,his people1 when ,he gives them ,his servants for kings4 ,ver4 #af4 ,and it cometh to pass1 when ye be multiplied and fruitful in the land1 in those days1 saith the ,lord1 they shall say no more3 ,the ,ark of the ,covenant of the ,lord6 ,and it will not come into the heart1 neither shall they remember it1 nor miss it1 nor shall it be made again4 ,first1 we shall explain some particulars4 ,the words3 ,when ye be1 c4 refer to ,gen4 i4 #bh1 ,as it is ,god's general providence which brings about the fruitfulness of all creatures1 so it is ,his special providence which brings about the increase of ,his ,church whose ranks have been thinned by ,his judgments2 and it is thus that ,his promise to the patriarchs is carried on towards its fulfilment2 compare remarks on ,hos1 ii4 #a4 ,god's future activity in this respect1 has an analogy in ,his former activity in ,egypt1 ,exod4 i4 #ab4 ,the words3 ,the ,ark of the ,covenant must be viewed as an exclamation1 in which an ellipsis1 in consequence of the emotion1 must be supposed1 q4d4 it is the aim of all our desires1 the object of all our longings4 ,the mere mention of the object with which the whole heart is filled1 is sufficient for the lively emotion4 ,venema's exposition2 ,arca foederis ,jehovae sc4 est1 and that of ,de ,wette3 ,they shall no more speak of the ,ark of the ,covenant of ,jehovah1 are both feeble and un philological4 ,how were it possible that ,hebrew3 amr with the ,accusative should mean to speak of something8--,hebrew3 elh el-lb is1 in a similar context1 just as it is here1 connected with ,hebrew3 zkr in ,is4 lxv4 #ag3 ,for behold ,i create a new heaven and a new earth1 and the former shall not be remembered nor come into the heart1 comp4 also ,jer4 li4 #ej1 vii4 #ca2 #a ,cor4 ii4 #i4 ,hebrew3 zkr with ,hebrew3 b does not simply stand instead of the usual connection with the ,accusative2 it signifies a remembering connected with affection1 a recollection joined with ardent longings4 ,hebrew3 pqd is1 by many interpreters1 understood in the sense of to visit1 but the signification to miss 7,is4 xxxiv4 #af2 #a ,sam4 xx4 #f-ah1 xxv4 #ae2 #a ,kings ,pg #che xx4 #ci7 is recommended by the connection with the following clause3 ,nor shall it be made again4 ,this supposes that there shall come a time when the ,ark of the ,covenant shall no more exist1 the time of the destruction of the temple1 which was so frequently and emphatically announced by the prophets4#c ,god1 however1 will grant so rich a compensation for that which is lost1 that men will neither long for it1 nor1 urged on by this longing1 make any attempt at again procuring it for themselves by their own efforts4 ,the main question now arises3--,in what respect does the ,ark of the ,covenant here come into consideration8 ,the answer is suggested by ver4 #ag4 ,the ,ark of the ,covenant is no more remembered1 because ,jerusalem has now1 in a perfect sense1 become the throne of ,god4 ,the ,ark of the ,covenant comes into consideration1 therefore1 as the throne of ,god1 in an imperfect sense4 ,it can easily be proved that it was so1 although there have been disputes as to the manner in which it was so4 ,the current view was this1 that ,god1 as the ,covenant ,god1 had constantly manifested himself above the ,cherubim on the ,ark of the ,covenant1 in a visible symbol1 in a cloud4 ,the first important opposition to this view proceeded from ,vitringa who1 in the ,obs4 sac4 t4 i4 p4 #afi1 advances1 among other arguments1 the following3 ,it is not by any means necessary to maintain that1 in the holy of holies1 in the tabernacle or the temple of ,solomon1 there was constantly a cloud over the ,ark2 but it may be sufficient to say1 that the ,ark was the symbol of the divine habitation1 and it was for this reason said that ,god was present in the place between the ,cherubim1 because from thence proceeded the revelation of ,his will1 and ,he thus proved to the ,jews that ,he was present4 ,but this view of ,vitringa1 that it was ,pg #chf merely in an invisible manner that ,god was present over the ,ark of the ,covenant1 met with strong opposition2 and a note to the second edition shows1 that he himself afterwards entertained doubts regarding it4 ,by ,thalemann1 a pupil of ,ernesti1 it was afterwards advanced far more decidedly1 and evidently with the intention of carrying it through1 whether it was true or not1 in the ,dissertatio de nube super arcam foederis 7,leipzig1 #agef74 ,he1 too1 declared1 however1 that he did not deny the matter1 but only disputed the sign4 ,he found a learned opponent in ,john ,eberhard ,rau1 ,professor at ,herborn 7,ravius1 de nube super arcam foederis1 ,utrecht1 #agfj2 it is a whole book1 in which ,thalemann's ,treatise is reprinted74 ,the matter is1 indeed1 very simple2 both parties are right and wrong1 and the truth lies between the two4 ,from the principal passage1 in ,lev4 xvi4 #b1 it is evident that1 at the annual entry of the ,high ,priest into the holy of holies1 the invisible presence of ,god embodied itself in a cloud1 as formerly it also did1 on extraordinary occasions1 during the journey through the wilderness1 and at the dedication of the tabernacle and temple4 ,in that passage1 ,aaron is exhorted not to enter the holy of holies at all times1 for that would prove a want of reverence1 but only once a year1 for in the cloud ,i shall appear over the lid of expiation1 7this is the right explanation of ,hebrew3 kprt compare ,genuineness of the ,pentateuch1 p4 #ebe f47 ,the place where ,god manifests himself in so visible a manner when the ,high ,priest enters into it1 cannot fail to be a most holy place to him4 ,it is true that ,vitringa 7,s4 #aga71 and still more ,thalemann 7,s4 #ci in ,rau71 have endeavoured to remove this objection by their interpretation2 but with so plain a violation of all the laws of interpretation1 that it is scarcely worth while to enter farther upon this exposition1 7compare the refutation in ,rau1 ,s4 #dj ff471 although ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis1 ,vater1 ,rosenmller1 and ,bhr1 7,symbol4 des ,mos4 ,cultus1 i4 ,s4 #cie71 have approved of it4#d ,on the other hand1 ,pg #chg there is nothing to favour the supposition of an ordinary and constant presence of the cloud in the holy of holies4 ,with such a view1 questions at once arise1 such as3 ,whether it came also to the ,philistines8 ,all that ,rau advances in favour of it1 merely proves the invisible presence of ,god1 which surely cannot be considered and called a merely imaginary thing1 as is done by him1 p4 #ce4 ,for what1 in that case1 would be the ,lord's presence in the hearts of believers1 and in the ,lord's supper8 ,it is true that ,ezekiel1 in chap4 xi4 #bb1 beholds the glory of the ,lord over the cherubim as being lifted up1 and forsaking the temple before its destruction2 but how can we draw any reference1 as to the actual state of things1 from visions which1 according to their nature1 surround with a body all that is invisible8 ,still1 as we already remarked1 this whole controversy has reference to the manner only1 and not to the fact of ,god's presence over the ,ark of the ,covenant2 and the ,ark of the ,covenant stands here in a wider sense1 and comprehends the cherubim1 and the glory of the ,lord dwelling over them4 ,from a vast number of passages1 it can be proved that this glory of the ,lord was constantly and really present over the ,ark of the ,covenant1 although it was in extraordinary cases only that it manifested itself in an outward1 visible form2 compare1 besides ,lev4 xvi4 #b1 ,lev4 ix4 #bd1 where1 after ,aaron's consecration to the priesthood1 the glory of the ,lord appeared to the whole people in confirmation of his office4 ,to these passages belong all those in which ,god is designated as dwelling over the cherubim1 such as #a ,chron4 xiii4 #f2 ,ps4 lxxx4 #b2 #a ,sam4 iv4 #d4 ,to it refers the designation of the ark of the covenant1 in a narrower sense1 as the footstool of ,god2 comp4 #a ,chron4 xxviii4 #b1 where ,david says3 ,i had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ,ark of the ,covenant of the ,lord1 and for the footstool of our ,god2 ,ps4 xcix4 #e1 cxxxii4 #g2 ,lam4 ii4 #a4 ,from this circumstance the fact is explained1 that the prayer in distress1 as well as the thanks for deliverance1 were offered up before1 or towards ,pg #chh the ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,after the defeat before ,ai 7,josh4 vii4 #e ff471 ,joshua rent his clothes1 and fell to the earth upon his face1 before the ,ark of the ,covenant of the ,lord1 until the eventide1 he and the elders of ,israel1 and put dust upon their heads1 and ,joshua said3 ,alas1 ,o ,lord ,god1 wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over ,jordan8 ,after the ,lord had appeared to ,solomon at ,gibeah1 and had given him the promise1 he went before the ,ark of the ,covenant of the ,lord1 and offered burnt-offerings1 and thank-offerings1 #a ,kings iii4 #ae4 ,in #b ,sam4 xv4 #cb1 we are told that ,david went up the ,mount of ,olives very sorrowfully1 and when he was come to the place1 where people were accustomed to worship ,god1 ,hushai met him4 ,according to that passage1 it was the custom of the people1 when on the top of the ,mount of ,olives1 they gained1 for the first or last time1 a view of the sanctuary1 to prostrate themselves before the ,god of ,israel who dwelt there4 ,to the ,ark of the ,covenant1 all those passages refer in which it is said that ,god dwelleth in the midst of ,israel2 that ,he dwelleth in the temple2 that ,he dwelleth at ,zion or ,jerusalem1 compare e4g41 the promise in ,exodus xxix4 #de3 ,i dwell in the midst of the children of ,israel1 and farther1 ,ps4 ix4 #ab1 cxxxii4 #ac1 #ad2 #a ,kings vi4 #ab1 #ac1 where ,god promises to ,solomon that if he should only walk in ,his commandments1 and execute ,his judgments1 then would ,he dwell among the children of ,israel2 and afterwards fulfils this promise by solemnly entering into his temple4 ,indissolubly connected with this1 was the deep reverence in which the ,ark of the ,covenant was held in ,israel4 ,it was considered as the most precious jewel of the people1 as the centre of their whole existence4 ,being the place where the glory of ,god dwelt 7,ps4 xxvi4 #h71 where ,he manifested himself in ,his most glorious revelation1 it was called the glory of ,israel1 compare #a ,sam4 iv4 #ba1 #bb2 ,ps4 lxxviii4 #fa4 ,the ,high ,priest ,eli patiently and quietly heard all the other melancholy tidings--the defeat of ,israel1 and the death of his sons4 ,but when he who had escaped added3 ,and the ,ark of ,god is taken1 he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate2 and his neck brake1 and he died4 ,when his daughter-in-law heard the tidings that the ,ark of the ,covenant was taken1 she bowed herself and travailed2 for her pains came upon her4 ,and about the time of ,pg #chi her death1 the women that stood by her said unto her3 ,fear not1 for thou hast borne a son4 ,but she answered not1 neither did she take it to heart1 and she named the child ,ichabod1 and said4 ,the glory is departed from ,israel1 because the ,ark of the ,covenant was taken1 and said again3 ,the glory is departed from ,israel1 for the ,ark of ,god is taken4 ,but in what manner may this dwelling of ,god over the ,ark of the ,covenant be conceived of8 ,should the ,most ,high ,god1 whom all the heavens1 and the heaven of heavens cannot contain 7#a ,kings viii4 #bg71 whose throne is the heaven1 and whose footstool is the earth 7,is4 lxvi4 #a71 dwell in a temple made by the hands of men8 7,acts vii4 #dh1 ff47 ,evidently not in the manner in which men dwell in a place1 who are in it only1 not out of it4 ,nor in such a manner as the carnally minded suppose1 who1 to the warnings of the prophets1 opposed their word3 ,is not the ,lord among us8 none evil can come upon us 7,micah iii4 #aa71 or3 ,here is the temple of the ,lord1 here is the temple of the ,lord1 here is the temple of the ,lord 7,jer4 vii4 #d71 imagining that ,god could not forsake the place which he had chosen1 could not take away the free gift of ,his grace4 ,the matter rather stands thus3 ,that which constitutes the substance and centre of the whole relation of ,israel to ,god1 is1 that the ,god of the heavens and the earth became the ,god of ,israel2 that the ,creator of heaven and earth became the ,covenant-,god1 that ,his general providence in blessing and punishing became a special one4 ,in order to make the relation familiar to the people1 and thus to make it the object of their love and fear1 ,god gave them a praesens numen in ,his sanctuary1 as a prefiguration1 and1 at the same time1 a prelude of the condescension with which ,he whom the whole universe cannot contain1 rested in the womb of ,mary4 ,and in so doing1 ,he gave them not a symbolical representation merely1 but an embodiment of the idea1 so that they who wished to seek ,him as the ,god of ,israel1 could find ,him in the temple1 and over the ,ark of the ,covenant only4 ,the circumstance that it was just there that ,he took ,his seat1 shows the difference between this truly praesens numen1 and that merely imaginery one of the ,gentiles4 ,there was in this no partial favour for ,israel1 nothing from which careless sinners could derive any comfort1 ,god's dwelling among ,israel rested on ,pg #cij ,his holy ,law4 ,according as the ,covenant is kept or not1 and the ,law is observed or not1 it manifests itself by increased blessing1 or by severer punishment4 ,if the ,covenant be entirely broken1 the consequence is that ,god leaves ,his dwelling1 and it is only the curse which remains1 and which is greater than the curse inflicted upon those among whom ,he never dwelt1 and which1 by its greatness1 indicates the greatness of the former grace4--,now1 if this be the case with the ,ark of the ,covenant2 if it be the substance and centre of the whole former dispensation1 what1 and how much would not fall along with it1 if it fell2 and how infinitely great must the compensation be which was to be granted for it1 if1 in consequence of it1 no desire and longing after it was to rise at all1 if it was to be regarded as belonging to the ,greek3 ptcha stoicheia1 and was to be forgotten as a mere image and shadow6 ,the fact that the ,ark of the ,covenant was made before any thing else1 sufficiently shows that every thing sacred under the ,old ,testament dispensation depended upon it4 ,witsius ,misc4 t4 i4 p4 #dci1 very pertinently remarks3 ,the ,ark of the ,covenant being1 as it were1 the heart of the whole ,israelitish religion1 was made first of all4 ,without ,ark of the ,covenant--no temple2 for it became a sanctuary by the ,ark of the ,covenant only2 for holy1 so ,solomon says in #b ,chron4 viii4 #aa1 is the place whereunto the ,ark of the ,covenant hath come4 ,without ,ark of the ,covenant1 no priesthood2 for what is the use of servants when there is no ,lord present8 ,without temple and priesthood1 no sacrifice4 ,we have thus before us the announcement of the entire destruction of the previous form of the ,kingdom of ,god1 but such a destruction of the form as brings about1 at the same time1 the highest completion of the substance1--a perishing like that of the seed-corn1 which dies only1 in order to bring forth much fruit2 like that of the body1 which is sown in corruption1 in order to be raised in incorruption4 ,dahler remarks3 ,because a more sublime religion1 a more glorious state of things will take the place of the ,mosaic dispensation1 there will be no cause for regretting the loss of the symbol of the preceding dispensation1 and people will no more remember it4--,it is quite natural that the prophecy should give great offence1 and prove a stumbling-block to ,jewish interpreters4 ,its subject1 its high dignity1 just ,pg #cia consists in the announcement that1 at some future period1 the shadow should give way to the substance2 but it is just the confounding of the shadow with the substance1 the rigid adherence to the former1 which characterises ,judaism1 which considers even the ,messiah as a minister of the old dispensation only1 and views the great changes to be effected by ,him1 mainly as external ones4 ,the embarrassment arising from this1 is very clearly expressed in the following words of ,abarbanel3 ,this promise is1 then1 bad1 and uproots the whole ,law4 ,how is it then that ,scripture mentions it as good8 ,rabbi ,arama1 in his commentary on the ,pentateuch1 fol4 #aja1 says1 in reference to this prophecy1 ,hebrew3 nbvkv kl hmprwi,m all interpreters have been perplexed by it4 ,the interpretations by means of which they endeavour to rid themselves of this embarrassment 7see the collection of them in ,frischmuth's dissertation on this passage1 ,jena2 reprinted in the ,thes4 ,ant47 are only calculated plainly to manifest it4 ,kimchi gives this explanation3 ,although ye shall increase and be multiplied on the earth1 yet the nations shall not envy you1 nor wage war against you2 and it shall no more be necessary for you to go to war with the ,ark of the ,covenant1 as was usual in former times1 when they took the ,ark of the ,covenant out to war4 ,in that time1 there will be no necessity for so doing1 as they shall not have any war4 ,the weak points of this explanation are at once obvious4 ,that which1 in the verse under consideration1 is1 in a general way1 said of the ,ark of the ,covenant1 is1 by it1 referred to an altogether special use of it1 a regard to which is excluded by the evident antithesis in ver4 #ag4 ,abarbanel rejects this explanation4 ,he says3 ,for there is1 in the text1 no mention at all of war2 and therefore ,i cannot approve of this exposition1 although ,jonathan1 too1 inclines towards it4 ,he himself brings out this sense3 ,the ,ark of the ,covenant would then1 indeed1 still continue to exist1 and be the seat of the ,lord2 but no more the exclusive one1 no longer the sole sanctuary4 ,the whole of ,jerusalem shall1 as regards holiness and glory1 equal the ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,for there shall cease with them every evil thing1 and every evil imagination2 and there shall be such holiness in the land1 that in the same manner as formerly the ,ark was the holiest of all things1 so at that time1 ,jerusalem shall be ,pg #cib the throne of the ,lord4 ,but1 by this explanation1 justice is not done to the text4 ,for it is an entire doing away with the ,ark of the ,covenant which is spoken of in it1 not a mere diminution of its dignity1 produced by the circumstance1 that that which formerly was low shall be exalted4 ,this is particularly evident from the words3 ,they will not miss it1 neither shall it be made again4 ,to this argument we may still add that1 by this exposition1 not even the object is gained for the sake of which it was advanced4 ,the nature and substance of the ,ark of the ,covenant is destroyed1 as soon as it is put on a level with anything else4 ,it is then no more the throne of the ,lord2 and for this reason1 the previous form can no longer continue to exist1 and1 along with it1 the temple and priesthood too must fall4 ,if every place in ,jerusalem1 if every inhabitant of it1 be equally holy1 how then can institutions still continue1 which are based on the difference between holy and unholy8--,here a question still arises4 ,there was no ,ark of the ,covenant in the second temple4 ,in what relation to the prophecy under consideration stands this absence of the ,ark of the ,covenant1 the restoration of which the ,jews expect at the end of the days8 ,there cannot be any doubt that it was really wanting4 ,every proof of its existence is wanting4 ,josephus1 in enumerating the catalogue of the spolia ,judaica1 borne before in the triumph1 does not mention it4 ,he says expressly 7de ,bell4 ,jud4 v4 #e1 #e71 that the holy of holies had been altogether empty4 ,some of the ,jewish writers assert that it had been carried away to ,babylon2 while most of them1 following the account given in #b ,maccabees1 tell us that ,josiah or ,jeremiah had concealed it2 compare the ,treatise by ,calmet1 ,th4 #f1 ,s4 #bbd-beh1 ,mosh4 ,in asking why such was the case1 other analogous phenomena1 the absence of the ,urim and ,thummim1 the cessation of prophetism soon after the return from the captivity1 must not be lost sight of4 ,every thing was intended to impress upon the people the conviction that their condition was provisional only4 ,it was necessary that the ,theocracy should sink beneath its former glory1 in order that the future glory1 which was far to outshine it1 should so much the more be longed for4 ,after having thus determined why it was that the ,ark of the ,covenant was wanting1 at the second temple1 it is easy to ,pg #cic determine the relation of this absence to the prophecy under consideration4 ,it was the beginning of its fulfilment4 ,in the ,kingdom of ,god1 nothing perishes1 without something new arising out of this decay4 ,the extinction of the old was the guarantee1 that something new was approaching4 ,on the other hand1 the absence of the ,ark of the ,covenant was1 it is true1 at the same time1 a matter-of-fact prophecy of a sad character4 ,to those who clung to the form1 without having in a living manner laid hold of the substance1 and who1 therefore1 were not able to partake in the more glorious display of the substance1--to these it announced that the time was approaching when the form1 to which they had attached themselves with their whole existence1 was to be broken4 ,since already one of the great privileges of the covenant-people1 the ,greek3 doxa 7,rom4 ix4 #d71 had disappeared1 surely all that might and would soon share the same fate1 which existed only for the sake of it1 and in it only had its significance4 ,in this respect1 the non-restoration of the ,ark of the ,covenant showed that the ,chaldean destruction and that by the ,romans were connected as commencement and completion2 while1 in the other aspect1 it declared that1 with the return from the captivity1 the realization of ,god's great plan of salvation was being prepared4 ,inasmuch as the most complete fuga vacui is peculiar to the ,covenant-,god1 the emptiness in that place where formerly the glory of ,god dwelt1 proclaimed aloud the future fulness4--,finally1 we have still to determine the special reference of our verse to ,israel1 i4e41 the former kingdom of the ten tribes4 ,this reference is1 by most interpreters1 entirely lost sight of1 and is very superficially and erroneously determined by those who1 like ,calvin1 pay attention to it4 ,in the preceding verse1 it had been promised to ,israel1 that those blessings should again be bestowed upon them1 which they had forfeited by their rebellion against the ,davidic house1 and that they should be restored to them with abundant interest4 ,for ,david's house is to attain to its completion in its righteous ,sprout4 ,this ,shepherd1 who is1 in the fullest sense1 what ,his ancestor had only imperfectly been--a man according to the heart of ,god--shall feed them with knowledge and understanding4 ,here1 a compensation is promised for the second1 infinitely greater loss1 which ,pg #cid had1 at all times1 been acknowledged as such by the faithful in the kingdom of the ten tribes4 ,the revelation of the ,lord over the ,ark of the ,covenant was the magnet which constantly drew them to ,jerusalem4 ,many sacrificed all their earthly possessions1 and took up their abode in ,judea4 ,others went on a pilgrimage from their natural to their spiritual home1 to the throne of the glory exalted from the beginning1 ,jer4 xvii4 #ab4 ,in vain was every thing which the kings of ,israel did in order to stifle their indestructible longing4 ,every new event by which the glory of ,israel manifested itself as such1 kindled their ardour anew4 ,but here also the great blessing and privilege1 which the believers missed with sorrow1 the unbelievers without it1 is to the returning ones given back1 not in its previous form1 but in a glorious completion4 ,the whole people have now received eyes to recognise the value of the matter in its previous form2 and yet this previous form is now looked upon by them as nothing1 because the new1 infinitely more glorious form of the same matter occupied their attention4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,at that time they shall call ,jerusalem the throne of the ,lord2 and all the nations shall be gathered into it1 because the name of the ,lord is at ,jerusalem2 neither shall they walk any more after the wickedness of their evil heart4 ,many interpreters1 proceeding upon the supposition that the emphasis rests upon ,jerusalem1 have been led to give an altogether erroneous explanation4 ,it is no more the ,ark of the ,covenant which will then be the throne of the ,lord1 but all ,jerusalem4 ,thus1 e4g41 after the example of ,jarchi and ,abarbanel1 ,manasseh ben ,israel1 ,conciliator1 p4 #aif3 ,if we keep in mind that1 in the tabernacle or temple1 the ,ark was the place where the ,lord dwelt 7hence ,ex4 xxv4 #bb3 ',i will speak with thee from above the mercy-seat1 from between the two cherubim'71 we shall find that the ,lord here says1 that the ,ark indeed had formerly been the dwelling-place of the ,godhead1 but that1 at the time of ,messiah1 not some one part of the temple only would be filled with the ,godhead1 but that this glory should be given to all ,jerusalem2 so that whosoever would be in her would have the prophetic spirit4 ,if it had been the intention of the ,prophet to convey this meaning1 the word all could not have been omitted4 ,the throne of the ,pg #cie ,lord1 ,jerusalem had been even formerly1 in so far as she possessed in her midst the ,ark of the ,covenant1 and hence was the residence of ,jehovah1 the city of the great ,king1 ,ps4 xlviii4 #c4 ,the words in the parallel member3 ,because the name of the ,lord is at ,jerusalem1 show that ,jerusalem is called the throne of the ,lord1 because there is now in her the true throne of the ,lord1 just as1 formerly1 the ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,the antithesis to what precedes leads us to expect a gradation1 not in point of quantity1 but of quality4 ,the emphasis rests rather on3 ,the throne of the ,lord2 and these words receive from the antithesis the more definite qualification3 the true throne of the ,lord4 ,quite similarly1 those who boasted that over the ,cherubim was the throne of ,god1 and that the ,ark of the ,covenant was ,his footstool1 are told in ,is4 lxvi4 #a3 ,the heaven is my 7true7 throne1 and the earth my 7true7 footstool2 comp4 the passages according to which the ,ark of the ,covenant is designated as the footstool of ,god1 and1 hence1 the place over the ,cherubim of the ,ark of the ,covenant as the throne of the ,lord1 p4 #chg2 and farther1 ,is4 lx4 #ac2 ,ezra i4 #bf4--,the highest prerogative of the covenant-people1 their highest privilege over the world1 is to have ,god in the midst of them2 and this prerogative1 this privilege1 is now to be bestowed upon them in the most perfect manner2 so that idea and reality shall coincide4 ,perfectly parallel in substance are such passages as ,ezek4 xliii41 in which the ,shechinah which1 at the destruction of the temple had withdrawn1 returns to the new temple1 the ,kingdom of ,god in its new and more glorious form4 ,ver4 #b4 ,and behold the glory of the ,god of ,israel came from the way of the ,east2 and its voice was like the voice of great waters1 and the earth shone with its splendour4 ,ver4 #g4 ,and ,he said unto me1 son of man1 behold the place of my throne1 and the place of the soles of my feet1 where ,i will dwell in the midst of the children of ,israel for ever1 and the house of ,israel shall no more defile my holy place4 ,zech4 ii4 #ad 7#aj73 ,sing and rejoice1 ,o daughter of ,zion2 for1 lo1 ,i come and dwell in the midst of thee1 with an allusion to ,exod4 xxix4 #de3 ,and ,i dwell among the children of ,israel1 and will be their ,god4 ,the ,prophet declares that the full realization of this promise is reserved for the future2 but it could not be so1 unless it had already been realised1 throughout all past history1 in ,god's ,pg #cif dwelling over the ,ark of the ,covenant2 compare ,zech4 viii4 #c3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,i return unto ,zion1 and dwell in the midst of ,jerusalem4--,if we enquire after the fulfilment1 we are at once met by the words in ,john i4 #ad3 ,greek3 kai ho logos sarx egeneto kai esknsen en hmin1 kai etheasametha tn doxan autou1 doxan hs monogenous para patros2 and that so much the more that these words contain an evident allusion to the former dwelling of ,god in the temple1 of which the incarnation of the ,logos is looked upon as the highest consummation4 ,it is true that the dwelling of ,god among ,his people by means of the ,greek3 pneuma ,christou must not be separated from the personal manifestation of ,god in ,christ1 in whom dwelt the fulness of the ,godhead bodily1 ,greek3 smatiks4 ,the former stands to the latter in the same relation1 as does the river to the fountain2 it is the river of living water flowing forth from the body of ,christ4 ,both together form the true tabernacle of ,god among men1 the new true ,ark of the ,covenant2 for the old things are the ,greek3 skia tn mellontn1 to de sma ,christou1 ,col4 ii4 #ag2 comp4 ,rev4 xxi4 #bb3 ,greek3 kai naon ouk eidon en aut4 ho gar ,kurios1 ho ,theos ho pantokratr naos auts esti1 kai to arnion4 ,the typical import of the ,ark of the ,covenant is expressly declared in ,heb4 ix4 #d1 #e1 and that which was typified thereby is intimated in chap4 iv4 #af3 ,greek3 proserchmtha de meta parhrsias t thron ts charitos1 where ,christ is designated as the true mercy-seat1 as the true ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,just as1 formerly1 ,god could be found over the ,ark of the ,covenant only1 by those from among his people who sought ,him2 so we have now1 through ,christ1 boldness and access with confidence in ,god 7,eph4 iii4 #ab72 and it is only when offered in ,his name1 in living union with ,him1 that our prayers are acceptable1 ,john xvi4 #bc4 ,a consequence of that highest realization of the idea of the kingdom of ,god1 and1 at the same time1 a sign that it has taken place1 and a measure of the blessings which ,israel has to expect from its re-union with the ,church of ,god1 is the gathering of the ,gentiles into it1 such as1 by way of type and prelude1 took place even at the lower manifestations of the presence of ,god among the people2 compare1 e4g41 ,josh4 ix4 #i3 ,and they 7the ,gibeonites7 said unto him3 ,from a very far country thy servants are come1 because of the name 7,hebrew3 lw,m7 of ,jehovah thy ,god1 for we have heard the fame of ,him1 and all that ,he did in ,egypt1 ,pg #cig and all that ,he did to the two kings of the ,amorites1 c4 ,in a manner quite similar it is1 in ,zech4 ii4 #ae 7#aa7 also1 connected with the ,lord's dwelling in ,jerusalem3 ,and many nations shall be joined to the ,lord in that day2 and they shall be my people2 and ,i dwell in the midst of thee4--,hebrew3 lw,m ihvh lirvwli,m must be literally translated3 ,on account of the name of the ,lord 7belonging7 to ,jerusalem1 for3 because the name of the ,lord belongs to ,jerusalem--is there at home ,the name of the ,lord is the ,lord himself1 in so far as ,he reveals ,his invisible nature1 manifests himself ,in the name1 ,his deeds are comprehended2 and hence it forms a bridge betwixt existing and knowing4 ,a ,god without a name is a ,greek3 theos agnstos1 ,acts xviii4 #bc4 ,there is an allusion to ,deut4 xii4 #e3 ,but unto the place which the ,lord your ,god shall choose out of all your tribes to put ,his name there1 to dwell in it1 unto it ye shall seek1 and thither ye shall come4 ,formerly1 when ,god put ,his name in an imperfect manner only1 ,israel only assembled themselves2 but now1 all the ,gentiles4--,the last words3 ,neither shall they walk any more1 c41 are not by any means to refer to the ,gentiles1 but to the members of the kingdom of ,israel1 or also to the whole of the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 to all the members of the ,kingdom of ,god1 including the subjects of the kingdom of ,israel4 ,this appears from a comparison of the fundamental passage of the ,pentateuch1 as well as of the parallel passages in ,jeremiah4 ,wherever ,hebrew3 wrirvt occurs1 the covenant-people are spoken of2 everywhere the walking after ,hebrew3 wrirvt of the heart is opposed to the walking after the revealed law of ,jehovah1 which ,israel alone possessed4 ,hebrew3 wrirvt1 which properly means firmness1 is then used of hardness in sin1 of wickedness4#e ,footnote #a3 ,vitringa very correctly remarks on this passage3 ,hebrew3 bel1 properly ,greek3 ho echn1 he who has any thing in his possession is1 by an ellipsis1 applied to the husband who1 in ,exod4 xxi4 #c1 is rightly called ,hebrew3 bel awh one who has a wife4 ,footnote #b3 ,against the explanation of ,maurer3 ,for ,i am your ,lord2 and that of ,ewald3 ,i take you under my protection1 it is decisive that ,hebrew3 bel never means to be ,lord1 far less to take under protection4 ,hebrew3 bel1 which properly means to possess1 is very commonly used of marriage2--as early as in the ,decalogue1 the wife appears as the noblest possession of the husband--so that a priori this signification is suggested and demanded4 ,footnote #c3 ,it is from the circumstance that modern ,exegesis is unable to comprehend the prophetic anticipation of the ,future1 that the assertion has proceeded 7,movers1 ,hitzig7 that1 even before the ,chaldean destruction1 the ,ark must have disappeared in a mysterious manner4 ,in the view of the ,chaldean destruction the ,lord is1 in ,ps4 xcix4 #a 7comp4 ,ps4 lxxx4 #b71 designated as ,he who sitteth over the ,cherubim4 ,in #b ,chron4 xxxv4 #c1 we have a distinct historical witness for the existence of the ,ark1 so late as the #ahth year of ,josiah4 ,the fable in #b ,maccab4 ii4 #d1 ff41 supposes that the ,ark was at its ordinary place1 down to the time of the breaking in of the ,chaldean catastrophe4 ,one might as well infer from chap4 iii4 #ah1 that1 at the time when these words were spoken1 ,judah must already1 in a mysterious manner1 have come into the land of the ,north4 ,footnote #d3 ,bhr advances the assertion1 ,in a 7the7 cloud is equivalent to3 in darkness4 ,but the parallel passages1 ,exod4 xl4 #cd ff41 ,numb4 ix4 #ae1 #af1 quoted by ,j4 ,h4 ,michaelis1 are quite sufficient to overthrow this assertion4 ,and these parallel passages are so much the more to the point1 that by the article the cloud is designated as being already known2 compare ,hofmann1 ,schriftbeweis ii4 #a1 ,s4 #cf4 ,the cloud in ver4 #ac is not identical with that in ver4 #b1 but is its necessary parallel4 ,the cloud in ver4 #b symbolises the truth that the ,lord is a consuming fire 7compare my remarks on ,rev4 i4 #g72 that in ver4 #ac is an embodied ,kyrie eleison1 compare remarks on ,rev4 v4 #h4 ,cloud with cloud1--that is a noble advice for the ,church when she is threatened by the judgments of ,god4 ,a thorough refutation of ,bhr has been given by ,w4 ,neumann3 ,beitrge zur ,symbolik des ,mos4 ,cultus1 ,zeitschr4 f4 ,luth4 ,theol41 #ahea1 i4 ,footnote #e3 ,in a certain sense1 one may say that ,hebrew3 wrirvt lb is a ,greek3 hapax legomenon4 ,it occurs independently in one single passage only1 in ,deut4 xxix4 #ah2 in the other passages 7eight times in ,jeremiah1 and besides1 in ,ps4 lxxxi4 #ac71 it was evidently not taken from the living usus loquendi from which it had disappeared1 but from the fundamental passage in the written code of law4 ,this fact will1 a priori1 appear probable1 when we keep in mind that1 among all the books of the ,pentateuch1 ,jeremiah has chiefly ,deuteronomy before his eyes2 and among all the chapters of ,deuteronomy1 none more than the #bith2 and that ,ps4 lxxxi4 is pervaded by literal allusions to the ,pentateuch4 ,but it is put beyond all doubt1 when we enter upon a comparison of the passage in ,deuteronomy with the parallel passages4 ,here we must begin with ,jer4 xxiii4 #ag1 where the verbal agreement comes out most strongly1 and then we shall1 in the other passages also 7vii4 #bd1 ix4 #ac1 xi4 #h1 xvi4 #ab1 xviii4 #ab1 and the passage under consideration71 easily perceive that the word has been borrowed4 ,from a comparison with the fundamental passage1 it appears that it is the intention of the ,prophet to convey here the promise of an eternal duration of the regained blessing1 and to keep off the thought that possibly the people might again1 as formerly1 fall from grace4 ,of him who walks after the ,hebrew3 wrirvt of his heart1 it is said in ,deut4 xxix4 #ai 7#bj73 ,the ,lord will not be willing to forgive him2 for then the anger of the ,lord and ,his jealousy shall smoke against that man1 and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him1 and the ,lord blots out his name from under heaven4 ,pg #cih ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 #a-h4 ,these verses form a portion only of a greater whole1 to which1 besides the whole of chap4 xxii41 chap4 xxiii4 #i-dj also belongs4 ,for these verses contain a prophecy against the false prophets1 and by the way also1 against the degenerated priesthood 7comp4 ver4 #aa72 and this prophecy easily unites itself with the preceding prophecy against the kings1 so as to form one prophecy against the corrupt leaders of the people of ,god4 ,but1 for the exposition of the verses before us1 it is only the connection with chap4 xxii4 which is of importance1 and that so much so that1 without carefully attending to it1 they cannot at all be thoroughly understood4 ,for this reason1 we shall confine ourselves to bring it out more clearly4 ,the ,prophet reproves and warns the kings of ,judah1 first1 in general1 announcing to them the judgments of the ,lord upon them and their people1--the fulfilment of the threatenings1 ,deut4 xxix4 #bb ff4--if they are to continue in their hitherto ungodly course1 chap4 xxii4 #a-i4 ,in order to make a stronger impression1 he then particularizes the general threatening1 showing how ,god's recompensing justice manifests itself in the fate of the individual apostate kings4 ,first1 ,jehoahaz is brought forward1 the son and the immediate successor of ,josiah1 whom ,pharaoh-,necho dethroned and carried with him to ,egypt1 vers4 #aj-ab4 ,the declaration concerning him forms a commentary on the name ,shallum1 i4e41 the recompensed one1 he whom the ,lord recompenses according to his deeds1--which name the ,prophet gives to him instead of the meaningless name ,jehoahaz1 i4e41 ,god holds4 ,his father1 who met his death in the battle against the ,egyptians1 may be called happy when compared with him2 for he never returns to his native ,pg #cii land2 he lives and dies in a foreign land4 ,the next whom he brings forward is ,jehoiakim1 vers4 #ac-ai4 ,he is a despot who does every thing to ruin the people committed to him4 ,there is1 therefore1 the most glaring contrast between his beautiful name and his miserable fate4 ,the ,lord1 instead of raising him up1 will cast him down to the lowest depth2 not even an honourable burial is to be bestowed upon him4 ,no one weeps or laments over him2 like a trodden down carcass1 he lies outside the gates of ,jerusalem1 the city of the great ,king1 which he attempted to wrest from him1 and make his own4 ,then follows a parenthetical digression1 vers4 #bj-bc4 ,apostate ,judah is addressed4 ,the judgment upon her kings is not one with which she has nothing to do1 as little as their guilt belongs to them as individuals only4 ,it is1 at the same time a judgment upon the people which1 by the ,lord's anger which they have called forth by their wickedness1 is thrown down into the depth1 from the height on which the ,lord's mercy had raised them4--,next follows ,jehoiachin1 vers4 #bd-cj4 ,in his name ,the ,lord will establish1 the word will has no foundation2 the ,lord will reject him1 cast him away1 and break him in pieces like a worthless vessel4 ,with his mother1 he shall be carried away from his native land1 and die in exile and captivity4 ,irrevocable is the ,lord's decree1 that none of his sons shall ascend the throne of ,david1 so that he1 having begotten children in vain1 is to be esteemed as one who is childless4 ,at the commencement of the section under consideration 7vers4 #a and #b71 the contents of chap4 xxii4 are comprehended into one sentence4 ,woe to the shepherds that destroy and scatter the flock of the ,lord4 ,woe1 then1 to those shepherds who have done so4 ,with this is then1 in vers4 #c-h1 connected the announcement of salvation for the poor scattered flock4 ,for the same reason1 that the ,lord visits upon those who have hitherto been their shepherds1 the wickedness of their doings--viz41 because of ,his being the chief ,shepherd1 or because of ,his covenant-faithfulness1 ,he will in mercy remember them also1 gather them from their dispersion1 give1 instead of the bad shepherds1 a good one1 viz41 the long promised and longed for great descendant of ,david1 who1 being a righteous ,king1 shall diffuse justice and righteousness in the land1 and thus ,pg #djj acquire for it righteousness and salvation from the ,lord4 ,so great shall the mercy of the ,future be1 that thereby the greatest mercy in the people's past history--their deliverance out of ,egypt--shall be altogether cast into the shade4 ,there cannot be any doubt that the whole prophecy belongs to the reign of ,jehoiakim2 for the end of ,jehoiakim and the fate of ,jehoiachin are announced as future events4 ,eichhorn asserts that this section was composed under ,zedekiah2 but he could do so only by proceeding from his erroneous fundamental view1 that the prophecies are veiled descriptions of historical events4 ,when ,jeremiah--so he says--delivered this discourse1 ,jehoiakim had not only already met his ignominious end 7xxii4 #ai71 but ,jeconiah also was1 with his mother1 already carried away captive to ,babylon4 ,it is matter of astonishment that ,dahler1 without holding the same fundamental view1 could yet adopt its result4 ,he specially refers to the circumstance that1 in ver4 #bd1 ,jehoiachin is addressed as king1--a circumstance by which ,berthold also supports his view1 who1 cutting the knot1 advances the position that vers4 #a-ai belong to the reign of ,jehoiakim1 but vers4 #bj--xxxii4 #h to the time when ,jehoiachin was carried away to ,babylon4 7,maurer and ,hitzig too suppose that vers4 #bj ff4 were added at a later period1 under the reign of ,jehoiachin74 ,but what difficulty is there in supposing that the ,prophet transfers himself into the time1 when he who is now a hereditary prince will be king1--of which the address is then a simple consequence8 ,it is undeniable that a connection with chap4 xxi4 takes place1 in which chapter ,jeremiah announces to ,zedekiah1 threatened by the ,chaldeans1 the fall of the ,davidic house1 and the capture and destruction of the city4 ,and this connection is to be accounted for by the fact that ,jeremiah here connects with this announcement a former prophecy1 in which1 under the reign of ,jehoiakim1 he had foretold the fall of the ,davidic house4 ,the fate of the house of ,david is the subject common to both the discourses4 ,kper 7,jeremias1 libror4 ,sacror4 interpres1 p4 #eh71 supposes that1 in the message to ,zedekiah1 ,jeremiah had1 at that time1 repeated his former announcement2 but this supposition is opposed by the circumstance that1 in chaps4 xxii41 xxiii41 there is no trace of a reference to ,zedekiah and his embassy4 ,ewald asserts that ,jeremiah ,pg #dja here only puts together what perhaps he had formerly spoken regarding the three kings2 but the words in chap4 xxii4 #a3 ,go down into the house of the king of ,judah and speak there this word1 is conclusive against this assertion4 ,for1 according to these words1 we have here not something put together1 but a discourse which was delivered at a distinct1 definite time2 although nothing prevents us from supposing that the going down was done in the ,spirit only4 ,we have here still to make an investigation concerning the names of the three kings occurring in chap4 xxii41 the result of which is of importance for the exposition of ver4 #e4--;,it cannot but appear strange that the same king who1 in the ,book of the ,kings1 is called ,jehoahaz1 is here called ,shallum only2 that the same who is there called ,jehoiachin1 has here the name of ,jeconias1 which is abbreviated into ,conias4 ,the current supposition is1 that the two kings had two names each4 ,but this supposition is unsatisfactory1 because1 by the context in which they stand1 the names employed by ,jeremiah too clearly appear as nomina realia1 as new names given to them by which the contrast between the name and thing was to be removed1 and hence are evidently of the same nature with the nomen reale of the good ,shepherd in chap4 xxiii4 #f1 which1 with quite the same right1 could have been changed into a nomen proprium in the proper sense1 as has1 indeed1 been done by the ,,lxx4 ,the numerous passages in the prophets1 where the name occurs as a designation of the nature and character1 e4g41 ,is4 ix4 #e1 lxii4 #d2 ,jer4 xxxiii4 #af2 ,ezek4 xlviii4 #ce1 plainly show that a name which has merely a prophetical warrant 7and such an one alone takes place here1 although the name ,shallum occurs also in #a ,chron4 iii4 #ae in the historical representation itself1 however1 ,jehoahaz is used in the ,book of ,kings1 and #b ,chron4 xxxvi4 #a1 and the name ,jeconias likewise in #a ,chron4 iii4 #af1 while ,jehoiakim is found not only in the ,book of ,kings1 but also in ,ezek4 i4 #b2 for it is quite possible that those later writers may have drawn from ,jeremiah71 cannot simply be considered as a nomen proprium2 but1 on the contrary1 that there is a strong probability that it is not so4 ,and this probability becomes certainty when that name occurs1 either alone1 as e4g41 ,shallum1 or first1 as ,jeconiah1 7which occurs again in chap4 xxiv4 #a1 xxvii4 #bj2 the abbreviated ,pg #djb ,coniah in xxxvii4 #a1 while1 which is well to be observed1 we have in the historical account1 chap4 lii4 #ca1 ,jehoiachin7 in a context1 such as that under consideration2 especially when this phenomenon occurs in a prophet such as ,jeremiah1 in whom1 elsewhere also1 many traces of holy wit1 and even punning1 can be pointed out4--,with reference to the calamity which more and more threatened ,judah1 pious ,josiah had given to his sons names1 which announced salvation4 ,according to his wish1 these names should be as many actual prophecies1 and would1 indeed1 have proved themselves to be such1 unless they who bore them had made them of no avail by their apostacy from the ,lord1 and had thus brought about the most glaring contrast between idea and reality4 ,that comes out first in the case of ,jehoahaz4 ,he whom the ,lord should hold1 was violently and irresistibly carried away to ,egypt4 ,the ,prophet1 therefore1 calls him ,shallum1 i4e41 the recompensed1--not retribution1 as ,hiller1 ,simonis1 and ,roediger think1 nor retributor according to ,frst 7comp4 ,ewald #aed;d72 the same who1 in #a ,chron4 v4 #ch1 is called ,shallum1 is in #a ,chron4 ix4 #aa1 called ,meshullam--he upon whom the ,lord has visited the wickedness of his deeds4--,as regards the name ,jehoiakim and ,jehoiachin1 we must1 above all things1 keep in view the relation of these names to the promise given to ,david4 ,in #b ,sam4 vii4 #ab it is said3 ,and ,i cause to rise up 7,hebrew3 vhqimti7 thy seed after thee1 which shall proceed out of thy bowels1 and ,i will establish 7,hebrew3 vhkinti7 his kingdom4 ,this passage contains the ground of both names2 and this is the more easily explained1 since both of them have one author1 ,jehoiakim4 ,even his former name ,eliakim had probably been given to him by his father ,josiah with a view to the promise4 ,when ,pharaoh1 however1 desired him to change his name--as the name itself shows1 we cannot but supply1 in #b ,kings xxiii4 #ca1 such a request to a proposal which was afterwards approved of by ,pharaoh--he performed that change in such a manner as to bring it into a still nearer relation to the promise1 in which1 not ,el1 but ,jehovah1 is expressly mentioned as ,he who promised2 and indeed the matter proceeded from ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel4 ,as1 however1 from the whole character of ,jehoiakim1 we cannot suppose that the twofold naming proceeded from true piety1 nothing is more natural ,pg #djc than to account for it from an opposition to the prophets4 ,the centre of their announcements was formed by the impending calamity from the ,north1 and the decline of the ,davidic family4 ,the promise given to ,david shall indeed be fulfilled in the ,messiah2 but not till after a previous deep abasement4 ,jehoiakim mocking at these threatenings1 means to transfer the salvation from the future into the present4 ,in his own name1 and that of his son1 he presented a standing protest to the prophetic announcement2 and this protest could not but call forth a counter-protest1 which we find expressed in the prophecy under consideration4 ,the ,prophet first overthrows the false interpretation3 ,jehoiakim is not ,jehoiakim1 and ,jehoiachin is not ,jehoiachin1 chap4 xxii42 he then restores the right interpretation3 the true ,jehoiakim is1 and remains1 the ,messiah1 chap4 xxiii4 #e4 ,as regards the first point1 he4 in the case of ,jehoiakim1 contents himself with the actual contrast1 and omits to substitute a truly significant name for the usurped one1 which may most easily be accounted for from the circumstance1 that he thought it to be unsuitable to exercise any kind of wit1 even holy wit1 against the then reigning king4 ,but the case is different with regard to ,jehoiachin4 ,the first change of the name into ,jeconiah has its cause not in itself2 the two names have quite the same meaning2 it had respect to the second change into ,coniah only4 ,in ,jeconiah we have the ,future2 and this is put first1 in order that1 by cutting off the ,hebrew3 i1 the sign of the ,future1 he might cut off hope2 a ,jeconiah without the ,hebrew3 i says only ,god establishes1 but not that ,he will establish4 ,in reference to these names1 ,grotius came near the truth2 but he erred in the nearer determination1 because he did not see the true state of the matter2 so that1 according to him1 it amounts to a mere play3 ,the ,jod1 he says1 with which the name begins1 is taken away1 to intimate that his head shall be diminished2 and a ,vav is added at the end as a sign of contempt1 q4d4 that ,coniah6 ,lightfoot comes nearer to the truth2 yet even he was not able to gain assent to it 7compare against him ,hiller and ,simonis who thought his views scarcely worth refuting71 because he took an one-sided view4 ,he remarks 7,harmon4 p4 #bge73 ,by taking away the first syllable1 ,god intimated that ,he would not establish to the progeny of ,solomon the ,pg #djd uninterrupted government and royal dignity1 as ,jehoiakim1 by giving that name to his son1 seems to have expected4 ,besides these two1 compare farther1 ,alting1 de ,cabbala sacra #gc4 ,in conclusion1 we must still direct attention to chap4 xx4 #c4 ,who1 indeed1 could infer from that passage1 that1 by way of change1 ,pashur was called also ,magor-,missabib8 ,chap4 xxiii4 #a4 ,woe to shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture1 saith the ,lord4 ,it must be well observed that ,hebrew3 rei,m is here without the article1 but1 in ver4 #b1 with it4 ,venema remarks on this3 ,a general woe upon bad shepherds is premised1 which is soon applied to the shepherds of ,judah1 q4d41 since ,jehovah has denounced a woe upon all bad shepherds1 therefore ye bad shepherds1 c4 ,by the shepherds1 several interpreters would understand only the false prophets and priests4 ,others would at least have them thought of1 along with the kings4 ,this view has exercised an injurious influence upon the understanding of the subsequent ,messianic announcement1 inasmuch as it occasioned the introduction into it of features which are altogether foreign to it4 ,it is only when it is perceived1 that the bad shepherds refer to the kings exclusively1 that it is seen that1 in the description of the good ,shepherd1 that only is applicable which has reference to ,him as a ,king4 ,but the very circumstance that1 according to a correct interpretation1 nothing else is found in this description1 is a sufficient proof that1 by the bad shepherds1 the kings only can be understood4 ,but all doubt is removed when we consider the close connection of the verses under consideration with chap4 xxii4 ,in commenting upon chap4 iii4 #ae1 we saw that1 ordinarily1 rulers only are designated by the shepherds2 compare1 farther1 chap4 xxv4 #cd-cf1 and the imitation and first interpretation of the passage under review by ,ezekiel1 in chap4 xxxiv4 ,ps4 lxxviii4 #gj1 #ga3 ,he chose ,david his servant1 and took him from the sheep-folds4 ,he took him from behind the ewes to feed ,jacob1 ,his people1 and ,israel1 ,his inheritance1 shows that a typical interpretation of the former circumstances of ,david lies at the foundation of this usus loquendi2 compare ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #bc1 #bd3 ,and ,i raise over them one ,shepherd1 and he feedeth them1 my servant ,david2 he shall feed them1 and he shall be ,pg #dje their shepherd4--,what is to be understood by the destroying and scattering1 must be determined partly from ver4 #c and vers4 #ac ff4 of the preceding chapter2 partly from ver4 #c of the chapter before us4 ,the former passages show that the acts of violence of the kings1 their oppressions and extortions1 come here into consideration 7compare ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #b1 #c3 ,woe be to the shepherds of ,israel that do feed themselves6 ,should not the shepherds feed the flocks8 ,ye eat the fat1 and ye clothe you with the wool1 ye kill them that are fed1 c41 and with force and with cruelty ye rule them71 while the latter passage shows that it is chiefly the heaviest guilt of the kings which comes into consideration1 viz41 all that by which they became the cause of the people's being carried away into captivity4 ,to this belonged1 besides their foolish political counsels1 which were based upon ungodliness 7comp4 chap4 x4 #ba71 the negative 7,venema3 ,it was their duty to take care that the true religion1 the spiritual food of the people1 was rightly and properly exercised71 and positive promotion of ungodliness1 and of immorality proceeding from it1 by which the divine judgments were forcibly drawn down4 ,it is in this contrast of idea and reality 7,calvin3 ,it is a contradiction that the shepherd should be a destroyer71 that the woe has its foundation1 and that the more1 that it is pointed out that the flock1 which they destroy and scatter1 is ,god's flock4 7,calvin3 ,god intimates that1 by the unworthy scattering of the flock1 an atrocious injury had been committed against himself7 ,hebrew3 ca,n mreiti must not be explained by3 the flock of my feeding1 i4e41 which ,i feed4 ,for1 wherever ,hebrew3 mreit occurs by itself1 it always has the signification pasture1 but never the signification pastio1 pastus commonly assigned to it4 ,this signification1 which is quite in agreement with the form of the word1 must therefore be retained in those passages also where it occurs in connection with ,hebrew3 ca,n1 when it always denotes the relation of ,israel to ,god4 ,israel is called the flock of ,god's pasture1 because ,he has given to them the fertile ,canaan as their possession1 compare my remarks on ,ps4 lxxiv4 #a4 ,it is1 at first sight1 strange that a guilt of the rulers only is spoken of1 and not a guilt of the people2 for every more searching consideration shows that both are inseparable from one another2 that bad rulers proceed from the development of the nation1 and are1 at the same time1 a punishment ,pg #djf of its wickedness sent by ,god4 ,but the fact is easily accounted for1 if only we keep in mind that the ,prophet had here to do with the kings only1 and not with the people4 ,to them it could not serve for an excuse that their wickedness was naturally connected with that of the people4 ,this natural connection was not by any means a necessary one1 as appears from the example of a ,josiah1 in whose case it was broken through by divine grace4 ,nor were they justified by the circumstance1 that they were rods of chastisement in the hand of ,god4 ,to this the ,prophet himself alludes1 by substituting1 in ver4 #c3 ,i have driven away1 for you have driven away1 in ver4 #b4 ,all which they had to do1 was to attend to their vocation and duty2 the carrying out of ,god's counsels belonged to ,him alone4 ,from what we have remarked1 it plainly follows that we would altogether misunderstand the expression flock of my pasture1 if we were to infer from it a contrast of the innocent people with the guilty kings4 ,calvin remarks3 ,in short1 when ,god calls the ,jews the flock of ,his pasture1 ,he has no respect to their condition1 or to what they have deserved1 but rather commends ,his grace which ,he has bestowed upon the seed of ,abraham4 ,the kings have nothing to do with the moral condition of the people2 they have to look only to ,god's covenant with them1 which is for them a source of obligations so much the greater and more binding than the obligations of heathen kings1 as ,jehovah is more glorious than ,elohim4 ,the moral condition of the people does1 to a certain degree1 not even concern ,god2 how bad soever it is1 ,he looks to ,his covenant2 and when more deeply viewed1 even the outward scattering of the flock is a gathering4 ,ver4 #b4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord the ,god of ,israel1 against the shepherds that feed my people3 ,ye have scattered my flock and driven them away1 and have not visited them2 behold1 ,i visit upon you the wickedness of your doings1 saith the ,lord4 ,in the designation of ,god as ,jehovah the ,god of ,israel1 there is already implied that which afterwards is expressly said4 ,because ,god is ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel1 the crime of the kings is1 at the same time1 a sacrilegium2 they have desecrated ,god4 ,it was just here that it was necessary prominently to point out the fact1 that the people still continued to ,pg #djg be ,god's people4 ,in another very important aspect1 they were indeed called ,lo-,ammi 7,hos4 i4 #i72 but that aspect did not here come into consideration4 ,calvin3 ,they had estranged themselves from ,god2 and ,he too had1 in ,his decree1 already renounced them4 ,but1 in one respect1 ,god might consider them as aliens1 while1 in respect to ,his covenant1 ,he still acknowledged them as ,his1 and hence ,he calls them ,his people4--,the words that feed my people1 render the idea still more prominent and emphatic than the simple the shepherds would have done1 and hence serve to make more glaring the contrast presented by the reality4 ,the words you have not visited them1 seem1 at first sight1 since graver charges have been mentioned before1 to be feeble4 ,but that which they did1 appears in its whole heinousness only by that which they did not1 but which1 according to their vocation1 they ought to have done4 ,this reference to their destination imparts the greatest severity to the apparently mild reproof ,similar is ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #c3 ,ye eat the fat1 and ye clothe you with the wool1 ye kill them that are fed1 and ye feed not the flock4 ,the visiting forms the general foundation of every single activity of the shepherd1 so that the ,hebrew3 la pqdt,m comprehends within itself all that which ,ezekiel particularly mentions in chap4 xxxiv4 #d3 ,the weak ye strengthen not1 and the sick ye heal not1 and the wounded ye bind not up1 and the scattered ye bring not back1 and the perishing ye seek not4--,the words3 the wickedness of your doings1 look back to ,deut4 xxviii4 #bj3 ,the ,lord shall send upon thee curse1 terror1 and ruin in all thy undertakings1 until thou be destroyed1 and until thou perish quickly1 because of the wickedness of thy doings1 that thou hast forsaken me4 ,the gentle allusion to that fearful threatening in that portion of the ,pentateuch1 which was the best known of all1 was sufficient to make every one supplement from it that1 which was there actually and expressly uttered4 ,such an allusion to that passage of ,deuteronomy can be traced out1 wherever the phrase ,hebrew3 re melli,m occurs1 which1 in later times1 had become obsolete2 compare chap4 iv4 #d and xxi4 #ab 7in both of these passages ,hebrew3 mpni1 too1 is introduced72 ,is4 i4 #af2 ,ps4 xxviii4 #d2 ,hos4 ix4 #ae4 ,ver4 #c4 ,and ,i will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries whither ,i have driven them away1 and ,i ,pg #djh bring them back again to their folds1 and they are fruitful and increase4 ,compare chap4 xxix4 #ad1 xxxi4 #h1 #aj2 ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #ab1 #ac3 ,as a shepherd looketh after his flock in the day that he is in the midst of his flock1 the scattered1 so will ,i look after my flock1 and ,i deliver them out of all the places1 where they have been scattered in the day of clouds and of darkness4 ,and ,i bring them out from the nations1 and gather them from the countries1 and bring them to their land1 and feed them upon the mountains of ,israel1 in the valleys1 and in all the dwelling places of the land4--,a spiritless clinging to the letter has1 here too1 led several interpreters to suppose1 that the ,prophet had here in view merely the return from the ,babylonish captivity1 and perhaps1 also1 the blessings of the times of the ,maccabees1 besides and in addition to it4 ,altogether apart from the consideration that1 in that case1 the fulfilment would very little correspond to the promise1--for1 to the returning ones1 ,canaan was too little the land of ,god to allow of our seeing1 in this return1 the whole fulfilment of ,god's promise--we can1 from the context1 easily demonstrate the opposite4 ,with the gathering and bringing back appears1 in ver4 #d1 closely connected the raising of the good shepherds2 and according to ver4 #e1 that promise is to find1 if not its sole fulfilment1 at all events its substance and centre1 in the raising of ,david's righteous ,branch1 the ,messiah4 ,and from vers4 #g1 #h1 it appears that it is here altogether inadmissible to suppose that these events will take place1 one after the other4 ,the particle ,hebrew3 lk,n with which these verses begin1 and which refers to the whole sum and substance of the preceding promises1 shows that the bringing back from the captivity1 and the raising of the ,messiah1 cannot1 by any means1 be separated from one another2 and to the same result we are led by the contents of the two verses also4 ,how indeed could it be said of the bodily bringing back from the captivity1 that it would far outshine the former deliverance from ,egypt1 and would cause it to be altogether forgotten8 ,the correct view was stated as early as by ,calvin1 who says3 ,there is no doubt that the ,prophet has in view1 in the first instance1 the free return of the people2 but ,christ must not be separated from this blessing of the deliverance1 for1 otherwise1 it would be difficult to ,pg #dji show the fulfilment of this prophecy4 ,the right of thus assuming a concurrent reference to ,christ is afforded to us by the circumstance1 that ,canaan had such a high value for ,israel1 not because it was its fatherland in the lower sense1 but because it was the land of ,god1 the place where ,his glory dwelt4 ,from this it follows that a bodily return was to the covenant-people of value1 in so far only as ,god manifested himself as the ,god of the land4 ,and since1 before ,christ1 this was done in a manner very imperfect1 as compared with what was implied in the idea1 the value of such a return could not be otherwise than very subordinate4 ,and in like manner1 it follows from it1 that the gathering and bringing back by ,christ is included in the promise4 ,for wherever ,god is1 there is ,canaan4 ,whether it be the old fold1 or a new one1 is surely of very little consequence1 if only the good ,shepherd be in the midst of ,his sheep4 ,as a rule1 such externalities lie without the compass of prophecy1 which1 having in view the substance1 refers1 as to the way of its manifestation1 to history4 ,into what ridiculous assertions a false clinging to the letter may lead1 appears from remarks such as those of ,grotius on the second hemistich of the following verse3 ,they shall live in security under the powerful protection of the ,persian kings4 ,protection by the world1 and oppression by the world1 differed very slightly only1 in the case of the covenant-people4 ,the circumstance that ,gentiles ruled over them at all1 was just that which grieved them2 and this grief must therefore continue 7compare ,neh4 ix4 #cf1 #cg71 although1 by the grace of ,god1 a mild rule had taken the place of the former severe one2 for this grace of ,god had its proper value only as a prophecy and pledge of a future greater one4 ,the circumstance that it is to the remnant only that the gathering is promised 7compare ,is4 x4 #bb2 ,rom4 ix4 #bg71 points to the truth1 that the divine mercy will be accompanied with justice4 ,calvin remarks on this point3 ,the ,prophet again confirms what ,i formerly said1 viz41 mercy shall not be exercised until ,he has cleansed ,his ,church of filthiness1 so great and so horrid1 in which she at that time abounded4 ,one must beware of exchanging the ,scriptural hope of a conversion of ,israel on a large scale1 in contrast to the small ,greek3 eklog at the time of ,christ and the ,apostles1 for the hope of a general conversion in the strict sense4 ,pg #daj ,when considering the relation of ,god to the free human nature1 the latter is absolutely impossible4 ,when consistently carried out1 it necessarily leads to the doctrine of universal restoration4 ,it is beyond doubt1 that ,god wills that all men should be saved2 and it would necessarily follow that all men could be saved1 if all the members of one nation could be saved4 ,there is no word of ,scripture in favour of it1 except the ,greek3 pas in ,paul1 which must just be interpreted and qualified by the contrast to the small ,greek3 eklog1 while there are opposed to it a number of declarations of ,scripture1--especially all those passages of the prophets where1 to the remnant1 to the escaped ones of ,israel only1 salvation is promised4 ,and1 besides the ,word of ,god1 there are opposed to it ,his deeds also1--especially the great typical prefiguration of things spiritual by things external at the deliverance of the people from ,egypt1 when the remnant only came to ,canaan1 while the bodies of thousands fell in the wilderness2 and no less at the deliverance from ,babylon1 when by far the greatest number preferred the temporary delight in sin to delight in the ,lord in ,his land4 ,ver4 #d4 ,and ,i raise shepherds over them1 and they feed them2 and they shall fear no more1 nor be terrified1 neither be lost1 saith the ,lord4 ,even here1 the reference to #b ,sam4 vii4 #ab1 and to the name of ,jehoiakim1 is manifest1 although1 in the subsequent verse1 it appears still more distinctly1 compare p4 #dja4 ,this reference also is a proof in favour of this prophecy's having been written under ,jehoiakim4 ,the reference was1 at that time1 easily understood by every one2 even the slightest allusion was sufficient4 ,this reference farther shows that ,venema1 and several others who preceded him in this view1 are wrong in here thinking of the ,maccabees4 ,these are here quite out of the question1 inasmuch as they were not descended from ,david4 ,besides the contrast between the people's apostacy and ,god's covenant-faithfulness1 the ,prophet evidently has still another in view1 viz41 that between the apostacy of the ,davidic house1 and ,god's faithfulness in the fulfilment of the promise given to ,david4 ,the single apostate members of this family are destroyed1 although1 appropriating to themselves the promise1 they1 in their names1 promise deliverance and salvation to ,pg #daa themselves4 ,but from the family itself1 ,god's grace cannot depart2 just because ,jehovah is ,god1 a true ,jehoiakim and ,jehoiachin must rise out of it4 ,it thus appears that the ,maccabees are here as little referred to as ,ezra and ,nehemiah1 of whom ,grotius thinks4 ,much stronger ground is there for thinking of ,zerubbabel1 for his appearance had really some reference to the promise to ,david1 although as a weak type and prelude only of the true fulfilment1 to which he occupies the same relation1 as does the gathering from the ,babylonish captivity to the gathering by ,christ4 ,if1 after all1 we wish to urge the ,plural1 we must not1 by any means1 sever our verse from ver4 #e1 and declare this to be the sense3 first will ,i raise up to you shepherds2 then1 the ,messiah4 ,we must1 in that case1 following ,c4 ,b4 ,michaelis1 rather supplement3 specially one1 the ,messiah4 ,in none of ,jeremiah's prophecies are there different stages and degrees in the salvation2 everywhere he has in his view the whole in its completion4 ,where this is overlooked1 the whole interpretation must necessarily take a wrong direction1 as is most clearly seen in the case of ,venema4 ,but there is no reason at all for laying so much stress on the ,plural4 ,every ,plural may be used for designating the idea of the whole species2 and this kind of designation was here so much the more obvious1 that the bad species1 with which the good is here contrasted1 consisted of a series of individuals4 ,with the bad pastoral office1 the ,prophet here first contrasts the good one2 then he gives1 in ver4 #e1 a more detailed description of the individual who is to represent the species1 in whom the idea of the species is to be completely realised4 ,the correctness of this interpretation is confirmed by the comparison of the parallel passage in chap4 xxxiii4 #ae1 which1 almost verbatim1 agrees with that under consideration1 and in which only one descendant of ,david1 viz41 the ,messiah1 is spoken of ,and that is quite natural2 for1 in that passage1 there is no antithesis to the bad shepherds1 which was the cause that here1 at first1 the species was made prominent4 ,and another confirmation is afforded by ,ezek4 xxxiv4 ,with him1 too1 one good shepherd is mentioned in contrast with the bad shepherds4--,the words3 ,and they feed them stand in contrast to ,who feed my people1 in ver4 #b4 ,the shepherds mentioned in ver4 #b ought to feed the flock2 but1 instead of doing ,pg #dab that1 they feed themselves 7compare ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #b72 the shepherds1 however1 mentioned in our verse1 really feed4 ,the former are shepherds in name only1 but1 in reality1 wolves2 the latter are shepherds1 both in name and reality4 ,hebrew3 pqd must be taken in the signification to be missing1 lacking4 7,compare the ,remarks on chap4 iii4 #af47 ,there is an allusion to ,hebrew3 la pqdt,m in ver4 #b4 ,because the bad shepherd does not visit1 the sheep are not sought1 q4d41 they are lost2 but those who did not visit1 are now1 in a very disagreeable manner1 visited by ,god 7,hebrew3 pqd elik,m72 the good shepherd visits1 and1 therefore1 the sheep need not be sought4 ,the clause3 ,they shall fear no more1 nor be terrified1 receives its explanation from ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #h3 ,because my flock are a prey1 and meat to every beast of the field1 because they have no shepherd1 and because my shepherds do not concern themselves with the flock4 ,ver4 #e4 ,behold the days come1 saith the ,lord1 and ,i raise unto ,david a righteous ,branch1 and ,he ruleth as a ,king1 and acteth wisely1 and worketh justice and righteousness in the land4 ,the expression3 ,behold the days come1 according to the constant usus loquendi of ,jeremiah1 does not designate a progress in time1 in reference to what precedes1 but only directs attention to the greatness of that which is to be announced4 ,it contains1 at the same time1 an allusion to the contrast presented by the visible state of things1 which affords no ground for such a thing4 ,how dark soever the present state of things may be1 the time is still coming2 although the heart may loudly say4 ,no1 the word of ,god must be more certain4 ,concerning ,hebrew3 cm,h1 compare ,isa4 iv4 #b1 and the passages of ,zechariah there quoted1 ,hebrew3 cdiq stands here in the same signification as in ,zech4 ix4 #i1--;different from that which it has in ,isa4 liii4 #aa4 ,in the latter passage1 where the ,servant of ,god is described as the ,high ,priest and sin-offering4 ,his righteousness comes into consideration as the fundamental condition of justification2 here1 where ,he appears as ,king only1--as the cause of the diffusion of justice and righteousness in the land4 ,that there is implied in this a contrast to the former kings1 was pointed out as early as by ,abarbanel3 ,he shall not be an unrighteous seed1 such as ,jehoiakim and his son1 but a righteous ,pg #dac one4 ,calvin also points out the obvious antithesis between ,christ and so many false1 and1 as it were1 adulterous sons4 ,for we know for certain that ,he alone was the righteous seed of ,david2 for although ,hezekiah and ,josiah were legitimate successors1 yet1 when we look to others1 they were1 as it were1 monsters4 ,except three or four1 all the rest were degenerate and covenant-breakers4 ,the words3 ,i raise unto ,david a righteous ,branch are here1 as well as in chap4 xxxiii4 #ae1 not by any means equivalent to3 a righteous ,branch of ,david4 ,on the contrary1 ,david is designated as he to whom the act of raising belongs1 for whose sake it is undertaken4 ,god has promised to him the eternal dominion of his house4 ,how much soever1 therefore1 the members of this family may sin against the ,lord1--how unworthy soever the people may be to be governed by a righteous ,branch of ,david1 ,god1 as surely as ,he is ,god1 must raise ,him for the sake of ,david4 ,the word ,hebrew3 ml,k must not be overlooked4 ,it shows that ,hebrew3 ml,k1 which1 standing by itself1 may designate also another government than by a king1 such as1 e4g41 that of ,zerubbabel1 is to be taken in its full sense4 ,and this qualification was so much the more necessary1 that the deepest abasement of the house of ,david1 announced by the ,prophet in chap4 xxii41 compare especially ver4 #cj1 was approaching1 and that thereby every hope of its rising to complete prosperity seemed to be set aside4 ,since1 therefore1 the faith in this event rested merely on the word1 it was necessary that the word should be as distinct as possible1 in order that no one might pervert1 or explain it away4 ,calvin remarks3 ,he shall rule as a ,king1 i4e41 ,he shall rule gloriously2 so that there do not merely appear some relics of former glory1 but that ,he flourish and be powerful as a ,king1 and attain to a perfection1 such as existed under ,david and ,solomon2 and even much more excellent4--,as regards ,hebrew3 hwkil1 we have already1 in our remarks on chap4 iii4 #ae1 proved that it never and nowhere means to prosper1 to be prosperous1 but always to act wisely4 ,it has been shown by ,calvin that even the context here requires the latter signification4 ,he says3 ,the ,prophet seems here rather to speak of right judgment than of prosperity and success2 for we must read this in connexion with one another3 ,he shall act wisely1 and then work justice and ,pg #dad righteousness4 ,he shall be endowed with the spirit of wisdom1 as well as of justice and righteousness2 so that he shall perform all the offices and duties of a king4 ,yet ,calvin has not exhausted the arguments which may be derived from the context4 ,the whole verse before us treats of the endowments of the ,king2 the whole succeeding one1 of the prosperity which1 by these endowments1 is imparted to the people4 ,to this may still be added the evident contrast to the folly of the former shepherds1 which was the consequence of their wickedness1 and which1 in the preceding chapter1 had been described as the cause of their own1 and the people's destruction2 compare chap4 x4 #ba3 ,for the shepherds are become brutish1 and do not seek the ,lord2 therefore they do not act wisely1 and their whole flock is scattered4 ,but if here the signification to act wisely be established1 then it is also in all those passages where ,hebrew3 hwkil is used of ,david2 compare remarks on chap4 iii4 ,for the fact1 that the ,prophet has in view these passages1 and that1 according to him1 the reign of ,david is1 in a more glorious manner1 to be revived in his righteous ,branch1 appears from the circumstance that every thing else has its foundation in the description of ,david's reign1 in the books of ,samuel4 ,thus the words3 ,and he ruleth as a king1 and worketh justice and righteousness in the land1 refer back to #b ,sam4 viii4 #ae3 ,and ,david reigned over all ,israel1 and ,david wrought justice and righteousness unto all his people4 ,the foundation of the announcement of ver4 #f is formed by #b ,sam4 viii4 #ad 7compare ver4 #f73 ,and the ,lord gave prosperity 7,hebrew3 vivwe7 to ,david in all his ways4 ,but if ,hebrew3 hwkil1 wherever it occurs of ,david1 must be taken in this sense1 then the ,,lxx4 are right also in translating ,is4 lii4 #ac by ,greek3 sunsei3 for1 in that passage1 just as in the verse under consideration1 ,david is referred to as the type of the ,messiah4 ,the phrase ,hebrew3 ewh mwp,t vcdqh is by ,de ,wette commonly translated3 to exercise justice and righteousness4 ,but the circumstance that1 in ,ps4 cxlvi4 #g1 he is obliged to give up this translation1 proves that it is wrong4 ,hebrew3 ewh must rather be explained by to work1 to establish4 ,hebrew3 mwp,t is here1 as everywhere else1 the objective right and justice2 ,hebrew3 cdqh1 the subjective righteousness4 ,the working of justice is the means by which righteousness is wrought4 ,the forced dominion of justice is necessarily followed by the voluntary1 ,pg #dae just as the judgments of ,god1 by means of which ,he is sanctified upon mankind1 are1 at the same time1 the means by which ,he is sanctified in them4 ,the high vocation of the ,king to work justice and righteousness rests upon ,his dignity1 as the bearer of ,god's image2 comp4 ,ps4 cxlvi4 #g2 chap4 ix4 #bc3 ,for ,i the ,lord work love1 justice1 and righteousness in the land4 ,chap4 xxii4 #ae is1 moreover1 to be compared1 where it is said of ,josiah1 the true descendant of ,david1 he wrought justice and righteousness1 and chap4 xxii4 #c1 where his spurious descendants are admonished3 ,work justice and righteousness1 and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor1 and do not oppress the stranger2 the fatherless and the widow do not wrong1 neither shed innocent blood in this place4 ,farther1 still1 is the progress to be observed3 the ,king is righteous1 his righteousness passeth over from him to the subjects2 then follows salvation and righteousness from the ,lord4--,to explanations1 such as that of ,grotius1 who1 by the righteous ,branch1 understands ,zerubbabel1 we here need the less to pay any attention1 that the fact of his being in this without predecessors or followers palpably proves it to be erroneous4 ,if1 indeed1 we could rely on ,theodoret's statement 7,the blinded ,jews endeavour1 with great impudence1 to refer this to ,zerubbabel--then follows the refutation71 the older ,jews must have led the way to this perverted interpretation4 ,but we cannot implicitly rely on ,theodoret's statements of this kind4 ,in the ,jewish writings themselves1 not the slightest trace of such an interpretation is to be found4 ,the ,chaldean ,paraphrast is decidedly in favour of the ,messianic interpretation3 ,hebrew3 at,n amr ii vaqi,m ha ivmia ldvd mwi,h dcdqh ,behold the days shall come1 and ,i will raise up to ,david the righteous ,messiah1 7not ,hebrew3 dcdqia 'the ,messiah of the righteous1' as many absurdly read71 saith the ,lord4 ,eusebius 7compare ,le ,moyne1 de ,jehova justitia nostra1 p4 #bc71 it is true1 refutes the interpretation which refers it to ,joshua1 the son of ,josedech2 but we are not entitled to infer from this circumstance1 that this view found supporters in his time4 ,his intention is merely to guard against the erroneous interpretation of ,greek3 ,isedek of the following verse in the ,alexandrian version 7,greek3 kai touto to onoma autou1 ho kalesei auton kurios1 ,isedek74 ,it can scarcely be imagined that the translators themselves proceeded from this erroneous view4 ,for ,pg #daf ,josedech1 the father of ,joshua the high-priest1 is a person altogether obscure4 ,all which they intended1 by their retaining the ,hebrew form1 was certainly only the wish1 to express that it was a nomen proprium which occurred here2 and they were specially induced to act thus by the circumstance1 that this name was1 in their time1 generally current1 as one of the proper names of the ,messiah4 ,ver4 #f4 ,and in ,his days ,judah is endowed with salvation1 and ,israel dwelleth safely2 and this is the name whereby they shall call him3 ,the ,lord our righteousness4 ,it has already been pointed out that the first words here look back to ,david4 ,that which ,jeremiah here expresses by several words1 ,zechariah expresses more briefly1 by calling the ,sprout of ,david ,hebrew3 cdiq vnvwe righteous1 and protected by ,god4 ,it makes no difference that1 in that passage1 the salvation1 the inseparable concomitant of righteousness1 is ascribed to the ,king1 its possessor2 while1 here1 it is ascribed to the people4 ,for1 in that passage1 too1 it is for his subjects that salvation is attributed to the ,king who comes for ,zion1 just as he is righteous for ,zion also4 ,israel must here be taken either in the restricted sense1 or in the widest1 either as the ten tribes alone1 or as the ten tribes along with ,judah4 ,it is a favourite thought of ,jeremiah1 which recurs in all his ,messianic prophecies1 that the ten tribes are to partake in the future prosperity and salvation4 ,he has a true tenderness for ,israel2 his bowels roar when he remembers them1 who were already1 for so long a time1 forsaken and rejected4 ,his lively hope for ,israel is a great testimony of his lively faith4 ,for1 in the case of ,israel1 the visible state of things afforded still less ground for hope than in the case of ,judah4 ,there is here an allusion to ,deut4 xxxiii4 #bh3 7,and ,he thrusteth out thine enemy from before thee1 and saith3 ,destroy7 ,and ,israel dwelleth in safety 7,hebrew3 viwk,n iwral b,t,h71 alone1 ,jacob looketh upon a land of corn and wine1 and his heavens drop dew4 ,there can be the less doubt of the existence of this allusion1 that this expression occurs1 besides in ,deuteronomy1 and in the verse under consideration1 only once more in chap4 xxxiii4 #af1--that a reference to the majestic close of the blessing of ,moses1 which certainly was in the hearts and mouths of all the pious1 was very natural1 and that the word ,hebrew3 tvwe has there its analogy in ver4 #bi3 ,pg #dag ,happy art thou1 ,o ,israel1 who is like unto thee1 a people saved 7,hebrew3 nvwe7 by the ,lord1 the shield of thy help1 thy proud sword2 and thine enemies flatter thee1 and thou treadest upon their high places4 ,this glorious destination of the covenant-people1 which1 hitherto1 had been so imperfectly only realized 7most perfectly under ,david1 compare #b ,sam4 viii4 #f1 #ad71 shall1 under the reign of the ,messiah1 be carried out in such a manner that idea and reality shall fully coincide4 ,the covenant-people is to appear in its full dignity4--,in the second hemistich of the verse1 the reading requires first to be established4 ,instead of the reading ,hebrew3 iqrav which is found in the text1 and which is the third pers4 ,sing4 with the ,suffix1 several ,,mss4 7compare ,de ,rossi71 have the third pers4 ,plur4 ,hebrew3 iqrav4 ,several controversial writers1 such as ,raim4 ,martini1 ,pug4 ,fid4 p4 #eag1 and ,galatinus1 iii4 #i1 p4 #abf1 7,the ,jews of our time assert that here ,jeremiah did not say they shall call1 ,hebrew3 iqrav1 as we read it1 but he shall call him1 ,hebrew3 iqrav2 and they declare this to be the sense3 ,this is the name of ,him who shall call him1 viz41 the ,messiah3 ,our righteous ,god17 declare the latter to be unconditionally correct1 and assert that the other had originated from an intentional ,jewish corruption1 got up for the purpose of setting aside the divinity of the ,messiah1 which1 to them1 was so offensive4 ,this allegation1 however1 is certainly unfounded4 ,it is true1 that some ,jewish interpreters availed themselves of the reading ,hebrew3 iqrav for the purpose stated4 ,thus ,rabbi ,saadias ,haggaon1 according to ,abenezra and ,manasseh ,ben ,israel1 who explain3 ,and this is the name by which the ,lord will call him3 ,our righteousness4 ,but it by no means follows from this1 that they invented the reading2 it may have existed1 and they only connected their perversion with it4 ,that the latter was indeed the case1 appears from the circumstance that by far the greater number of ,jewish interpreters and controversialists rejected this perversion1 because it was in opposition to the accents 7compare especially ,abenezra and ,norzi on the passage71 and acknowledged ,hebrew3 ihvh cdqnv to be the name of the ,messiah4 ,the reading ,hebrew3 iqrav must be unconditionally rejected1 because it has by far the smallest external authority in its favour4 ,it is true1 that its supporters 7comp4 especially ,schulze1 vollst4 ,critik der gewhnlichen ,pg #dah ,bibelausgaben1 ,s4 #cba7 have endeavoured to make up for its deficiency in manuscript authority1 by appealing to the authority of the ancient translators1 all of whom1 with the sole exception of the ,alexandrian version1 according to them1 express it4 ,but this assertion is entirely without foundation4 ,the vocabunt eum of ,jonathan and the ,vulgate is the correct translation of ,hebrew3 iqrav4 ,and when ,jerome1 in opposition to the ,alex41 remarks that1 according to the ,hebrew1 the translation ought to be3 ,nomen ejus vocabunt1 he does not contend against their use of the ,singular per se1 but only against their arbitrarily supplying ,jehovah as the subject2 against their explaining ,the ,lord shall call1 instead of one shall call4 ,the manner in which the false reading ,hebrew3 iqrav first arose1 is clearly seen from the reasons by which its later defenders endeavour to support it2 compare especially ,schulze l4 c4 ,the chief argument is the erroneous supposition that the third ,plur4 only could be used impersonally4 ,to this was farther added the use of the rarer ,suffix ,hebrew3 v instead of the common ,hebrew3 -hv--,but from internal reasons1 too1 the reading ,hebrew3 iqrav is objectionable2 the designation of the object of calling cannot be omitted4--,there cannot be any doubt that we are not allowed to refer the ,suffix in ,hebrew3 iqrav to ,israel1 7,ewald3 ,and this is their name by which they call them17 but to the ,messiah4 ,for it is only in this case1 that those who call1 viz41 ,judah or ,israel1 the ,members of the ,church1 are indirectly mentioned in the preceding words2 and the ,messiah is1 in both verses1 the chief person to whom all the other clauses refer4 ,at all events1 the then could not1 in that case1 have been omitted1 as in this context every thing depends upon the connection of the salvation with the person of the ,king2 and this connection must be clearly and distinctly expressed4 ,we now come to ,hebrew3 ihvh cdqnv4 ,great difference of opinion prevails as to the explanation of these words4 ,the better portion of the ,jewish interpreters1 indeed1 likewise consider them as names of the ,messiah1 but not in such a manner that ,he is called ,jehovah1 and then1 in apposition to it1 ,our righteousness1 but rather in such a manner that ,hebrew3 ihvh cdqnv is an abbreviation of the whole sentence4 ,thus the ,chaldean1 who thus paraphrases3 ,and this is the name by which they shall call him3 ,righteousness ,pg #dai will be bestowed upon us from the face of the ,lord2 ,kimchi1 ,israel shall call the ,messiah by this name3 ,the ,lord our righteousness1 because at ,his time1 the righteousness of the ,lord will be to us firm1 continuous1 everlasting2 the ,hebrew3 spr eqri,m 7in ,le ,moyne1 p4 #bj73 ,scripture calls the name of the ,messiah3 ,the ,lord our righteousness1 because ,he is the ,mediator of ,god1 and we obtain the righteousness of ,god by ,his ministry4 ,besides to chap4 xxxiii4 #af1 they refer to passages such as ,exod4 xvii4 #ae1 where ,moses calls the altar ,jehovah my banner2 to ,gen4 xxxiii4 #bj1 where ,jacob calls it ,hebrew3 al alhi iwral4 ,grotius follows these expositors1 only that he dilutes the sense still more4 ,the other ,christian expositors1 7the ,vulgate excludes every other interpretation1 even by its translation3 ,dominus justus noster7 on the contrary1 contend with all their might for the opinion1 that the ,messiah is here called ,jehovah1 and hence must be truly ,god4 ,that which ,dassov i4 h4 #a4 remarks3 ,since then the ,messiah is called ,jehovah1 we have firm ground for inferring1 that ,he is truly ,god1 inasmuch as that name is peculiar and essential to the true ,god1 is the argument common to all of them4 ,le ,moyne wrote in defence of this explanation a whole book1 which we have already quoted1 but from which little is to be learned4 ,even ,calvin1 who elsewhere sometimes erred from an exaggerated dread of doctrinal prejudice1 decidedly adopts it4 ,he remarks3 ,those who judge without prejudice and bitterness1 easily see that that name belongs to ,christ1 in so far as ,he is ,god1 just as the name of the ,son of ,david is assigned to ,him in reference to ,his human nature4 ,to all those who are just and unprejudiced1 it will be clear that ,christ is here distinguished by a twofold attribute2 so that the ,prophet commends ,him to us1 both as regards the glory of ,his deity1 and his true human nature4 ,by righteousness he1 too1 understands justification through the merits of ,christ1 for ,christ is not righteous for himself1 but received righteousness in order to communicate it to us 7#a ,cor4 i4 #cj74 ,we have the following observations to make in reference to this exposition4 #a4 ,the principal mistake in it is this1 that it has been overlooked that the ,prophet here expresses the nature of the ,messiah and of ,his time in the form of a nomen proprium4 ,if the words were thus3 ,and this is ,jehovah our righteousness1 we should be fully ,pg #dbj entitled to take ,jehovah as a personal designation of the ,messiah4 ,but in reference to a name1 it is as common1 as it is natural1 to take from a whole sentence the principal words only1 and to leave it to the reader or hearer to supply the rest4 ,in the case of all naming1 brevity is unavoidable1 as is proved by the usual abbreviation of even those proper names which consist of one word only4 ,the two cases mentioned by ,kimchi will serve as instances4 ,jehovah my ,banner is a concise expression for3 ,this altar is consecrated to ,jehovah my ,banner2 ,hebrew3 al alhi iwral for3 ,this altar belongs to the ,almighty1 the ,god of ,israel4 ,a number of other instances might easily be quoted2 one need only compare1 in ,hiller's and ,simonis' ,onomastica1 the names which are compounded with ,jehovah4 ,thus1 e4g41 ,jehoshua1 i4e41 ,jehovah salvation1 is a concise expression for3 ,jehovah will grant me salvation2 ,jehoram1 i4e41 ,jehovah altus1 for3 ,i am consecrated to the exalted ,god of ,israel4 ,most perfectly analogous1 however1 is the name ,zedekiah1 i4e41 the righteousness of the ,lord1 for3 ,he under whose reign the ,lord will grant righteousness to ,his people4 ,this name1 moreover1 seems to refer directly to the prophecy before us4 ,just as ,eliakim1 by changing his name into ,jehoiakim1 intended to represent himself as he in whom the prophecy in #b ,sam4 vii4 would be fulfilled2 so he who was formerly called ,mattaniah changed1 at the instance of ,nebuchadnezzar 7who had1 indeed1 no other object in view than that1 as a sign of his supremacy1 his name should be different from that by which he was formerly called1 and who left the choice of the name to ,mattaniah himself71 his name into ,zedekiah1 imagining that in a manner so easy1 he would become the ,jehovah ,zidkenu announced by ,jeremiah1 and longed for by the people4 #b4 ,the preceding argument only showed that there is nothing opposed to the exposition3 ,he by whom and under whom ,jehovah will be our righteousness4 ,a positive proof1 however1 in favour of it is offered by the parallel passage1 chap4 xxxiii4 #ae1 #af3 ,in those days and at that time will ,i cause a righteous ,branch to grow up unto ,david2 and ,he worketh justice and righteousness in the land4 ,in those days shall ,judah be saved1 and ,jerusalem shall dwell safely1 and this is the name which they shall give to her3 ,jehovah our righteousness4 ,here ,jehovah ,zidkenu by no means ,pg #dba appears as the name of the ,messiah1 but as that of ,jerusalem in the ,messianic time4 ,in vain are all the attempts which have been made to set aside this troublesome argument4 ,they only serve to show1 that it cannot be invalidated4 ,le ,moyne1 in order that no way of escape may be left to the enemies1 brings forward1 p4 #bih ff41 five different expedients among which the reader may choose4 ,but their very difference is a plain sign of arbitrariness2 and that appears still more clearly1 when we begin to examine them individually4 ,several interpreters assume an enallage generis ,hebrew3 lh ,hebrew3 lv1 and thus shall they call him4 ,le ,moyne thinks that we need have no difficulty in assuming such an enallage4 ,others explain3 ,and he who shall call1 i4e41 invite her1 is ,jehovah our righteousness4 ,a simple reference to the passage before us is decisive against it2 the parallelism of the two passages is too close to admit of ,hebrew3 iqra in the second passage being understood in a sense altogether different4 ,by the same argument1 the explanations by ,hottinger 7,thesaur4 ,philolog4 p4 #agl71 and ,dassov3 ,this shall come to pass when the ,lord1 the ,lord our righteousness1 shall call her1 are also refuted1 quite apart from the consideration1 that ,hebrew3 awr cannot by any means signify when4 ,the most recent defender of the old orthodox view1 ,schmieder1 cuts the knot by simply severing our passage from chap4 xxxiii4 #af-c4 ,the ancient explanation1 which refers ,hebrew3 cdqnv1 our righteousness1 to the remission of sins1 does not even correctly understand this word4 ,it is true that the remission of sins is often represented as one of the chief blessings of the ,messianic time2 but here it is out of place4 ,according to the context1 it is actual justification1 i4e41 salvation according to another mode of viewing it1 which is here spoken of 7compare remarks on ,mal4 iii4 #bj74 ,righteousness in this sense implies1 of course1 the forgiveness of sins2 but1 besides1 the righteousness of life is comprehended in it4 ,righteousness stands here in parallelism with salvation1 and the order and progress is this3 righteousness of the king1 righteousness of the subjects1 then salvation and righteousness as a reward from ,god1 ,to this argument may still be added the contrast to the former time4 ,connected with the unrighteousness of the kings was that of the people2 and hence it was that the country was deprived of salvation1 and smitten by the divine judgments4 ,that ,pg #dbb which ,jeremiah comprehends in the name ,jehovah ,zidkenu1 ,ezekiel1 in the parallel passage1 chap4 xxxiv4 #be-ca1 farther carries out and expands4 ,the ,lord enters into a covenant of peace with them2 rich blessing is bestowed upon them2 ,he breaks their yoke and delivers them from servitude2 they do not become a prey to the ,gentiles4--,schmieder has objected1 that the name would be without meaning for the promised ,king1 unless the name ,jehovah belonged to him4 ,but the ,king1 by being called ,jehovah ,zidkenu1 is designated as the channel1 through which the divine blessings flow upon the ,church1 as the ,mediator of ,salvation1 as the ,saviour4 ,we must not1 however1 omit to remark that this ancient explanation was wrong only in endeavouring to draw out from the word that which1 no doubt1 is contained in the matter itself ,no one born of a woman is righteous1 in the full sense of the word2 and if there be anything wanting in the personal righteousness of the ,king1 the working of justice and righteousness1 too1 will at once be deficient2 and salvation and righteousness are not granted in their full extent from above4 ,to no one among all the former kings did the attribute ,hebrew3 cdiq belong in a higher degree than to ,david2 and yet in how imperfect a degree did even he possess it6 ,the calamity which1 by this imperfection1 was inflicted upon the people1 is1 e4g41 seen in the numbering of the people4 ,and it was not only the will to work justice and righteousness which was imperfect1 but the power also was imperfect1 and the knowledge limited4 ,he only who truly rules as a king1 and is truly wise 7compare the words ,hebrew3 vml,k ml,k vhwkil7 can come up to1 and realize the idea1 after which ,david was striving in vain4 ,all the three offices of ,christ1 the royal no less than the prophetic and priestly1 imply ,his divinity2 and the conviction that1 in the way hitherto pursued1 nothing was to be effected2 that it was only by the divine entering into the earthly1 that such splendid promises could be fulfilled1--this conviction surely must have been plain to a ,jeremiah1 whose fundamental sentiment is1 all flesh is grass1 and who lived at a time which1 more than any other1 was fitted to cure that ,pelagianism which always seeks to gather grapes from thorns4 ,if then1 farther1 we keep in mind that ,jeremiah had before him the clear announcements of the former prophets1 as regards the divinity of the ,messiah 7compare ,pg #dbc remarks on ,mic4 v4 #a2 ,is4 ix4 #e71 we can account for the fact1 that he does not expressly speak of it1 only because it was not suitable in this context1 in which only the fact itself comes into consideration1 but not the particular way4 ,ver4 #g4 ,wherefore1 behold days come1 saith the ,lord1 that they shall no more say3 ,as the ,lord liveth who brought up the children of ,israel out of the land of ,egypt2 ver4 #h1 but3 ,as the ,lord liveth1 who brought up1 and who led the seed of the house of ,israel out of the ,north country1 and from all the countries whither ,i have driven them2 and they dwell in their land4 ,the sense is this3 ,the future prosperity and salvation shall by far outshine the greatest deliverance and salvation of the ,past4 ,calvin remarks3 ,if the first deliverance be valued by itself1 it will be worthy of everlasting remembrance2 but if it be compared with the second deliverance1 it will almost vanish2 compare1 besides chap4 xvi4 #ad1 #ae1 where the verses now under consideration already occurred almost verbatim 7,jeremiah is fond of such repetitions1 which are any thing but vain repetitions2 and this fondness forms one of his peculiarities72 chap4 iii4 #af1 where1 in the same sense1 it is said of the ,ark of the ,covenant that it shall be forgotten in future2 ,is4 xliii4 #ah1 #ai1 lxv4 #ag4--;,hebrew3 ,hi-ihvh living 7is7 ,jehovah1 for3 ,as ,jehovah liveth4 ,it is quite natural that1 when ,god is invoked as a witness and judge1 ,he should be designated as the living one2 and it is as natural that1 on such an occasion1 the greatest sign of life which ,he gave should be pointed to4 ,but that1 under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 was the deliverance from ,egypt1 the strongest and most impressive of all those deeds by which the delusion was dissipated1 that ,god was walking upon the vault of heaven1 and did not judge through the clouds4 ,in future1 a still stronger manifestation of life is to take place4 ,hence the formula of the oath is altogether general2 the deliverance from ,egypt comes into consideration as a manifestation of life1 and not as an act of grace4 ,this was overlooked by ,calvin when he remarked3 ,whensoever they saw themselves so oppressed1 that they did not see any other end to their evils than in the grace of ,god1 they said that the same ,god1 who1 in former times1 had been the deliverer of ,his people1 was still living1 and ,his power undiminished4 ,pg #dbd ,,chap4 ,,xxxi4 #ca-dj4 ,the #cjth and #cast chapters may rightly be called the grand hymn of ,israel's deliverance4 ,they are connected into one whole1 not only a material1 but also by a formal unity2 so that we must indeed wonder at views such as those of ,venema and ,rosenmller1 who assume that the section is composed of fragments loosely connected1 and written at different times2 but still more at the views of ,movers and ,hitzig1 who assert that a whole number of strange interpolations had been introduced into the text2 compare ,kper1 ,jerem4 ,s4 #agj ff4 ,with respect to the time of the composition1 we must not allow ourselves to be deceived by the circumstance that1 as a rule1 ,judah appears no less that ,israel1 already far away from the land of the ,lord1 in captivity4 ,the ,prophet1 taking his stand in the time when the catastrophe has already taken place1 speaks from an ideal ,present4 ,the fact that the destruction of ,jerusalem was indeed imminent1 and immediately in view1 but had not yet taken place1 becomes probable even from the inscriptions in chap4 xxxii4 and xxxiii41 according to which these two chapters1 which are so closely related to the two before us1 belong to the tenth year of ,zedekiah1 when ,jerusalem was besieged by the ,chaldeans4 ,this is rendered certain by chap4 xxx4 #e-g1 where the final catastrophe upon the covenant-people1 which belongs to the time of ,jeremiah1 is represented as still impending4 ,hitherto the threatening had prevailed in the predictions of the ,prophet2 but now1 in the view of their fulfilment1 when the thunders of the judgment were already heard from the heavens1 the promise flows in full streams4 ,the false prophets had prophesied prosperity and salvation1 at a time when1 to the human eye1 there was no4 cause for fear2 but ,jeremiah just steps forth to announce salvation1 at a time when all human hope had vanished4 ,the ,prophet begins1 in chap4 xxx41 with the promise of salvation for all ,israel2 and after a detailed description1 he comprehends and sums it up1 in ver4 #bb1 in the words1 brief but infinitely rich and comprehensive3 ,and ye shall be my people ,pg #dbe and ,i will be your ,god4#a ,the majestic close of the promise for the true ,israel is1 in vers4 #bc1 #bd1 formed by the threatening against those who are ,israel in appearance only1--analogous to the words of ,isaiah3 ,there is no peace to the wicked4 ,let them not1 in their foolish delusion1 seize the promise for themselves4 ,the time of the highest blessing for the godly1 and for those who are willing to become godly1 the ,hebrew3 ahrit himi,m4 will be for them1 at the same time1 a time of the highest curse4 ,the climax of the manifestation of grace has the climax of the manifestation of justice as its inseparable companion4 ,behold the storm of the ,lord1 glowing fire1 goeth forth1 a continuing storm1 on the head of the wicked it shall remain4 ,the fierce anger of the ,lord shall not return1 until ,he have done1 and until ,he have performed the intents of ,his heart2 at the end of days ye shall consider it4 ,formerly1 in chap4 xxiii4 #ai1 #bj1 in a threatening prophecy which referred to the exile1 the ,prophet had uttered the same words4 ,by their verbal repetition1 he intimates that the matter was not by any means settled with the exile2 that the latter must not be considered as the absolute and final punishment for the sins of the whole nation1 but that1 as truly as ,god is ,jehovah1 so surely ,his words will revive1 as often as the circumstances again exist1 to which they originally referred4 ,pg #dbf ,the more specific the consolation is1 the more impressive is it1 and the more does it reach the heart4 ,after having announced salvation1 therefore1 to all ,israel1 the ,prophet now proceeds to the consolation for the two divisions of ,israel4 ,he begins with ,israel in the restricted sense--the ten tribes 7chap4 xxxi4 #a-bb71 and with them he continues longest1 because1 when looking to the outward appearance1 they seemed to be lost beyond all hope of recovery1 to be for ever rejected by the ,lord4 ,the thought1 that we have here an original and independent announcement of salvation for ,israel1 is set aside even by the relation of ver4 #a to ver4 #bb of the preceding chapter4 ,for it is to this verse that the ,prophet immediately connects his discourse2 vers4 #bc and #bd are only a parenthetical remark1 an ,odi profanum vulgus et arceo1 addressed to those to whom the promise did not belong4 ,upon the words3 ,you shall be my people1 and ,i will be your ,god1 follow in an inverted order1 the words3 ,at that time1 saith the ,lord1 ,i will 7specially7 be the ,god of all the families of ,israel1 and they shall be my people4 ,rachel1 the mother of ,joseph and ,benjamin1 weeping over her sons1 vers4 #ae-ag1 is so much the more suited to represent ,israel1 that the tribe of ,benjamin also1 as to its principal portion1 belonged to the kingdom of the ten tribes2 compare my commentary on ,ps4 lxxx4 ,upon ,israel there follows1 in vers4 #bc-bf1 ,judah4 ,the announcement closes in ver4 #bf with the words so often misunderstood3 ,upon this ,i awaked1 and ,i beheld1 and my sleep was sweet unto me4 ,the ,prophet has lost sight of the ,present2 like a sleeping man1 he is not susceptible of its impressions1 compare remarks on ,zech4 iv4 #a4 ,then he awakes for a moment from his sweet dream 7an allusion to ,prov4 iii4 #bd71 which1 however1 is not1 like ordinary dreams1 without foundation4 ,he looks around2 every thing is dark1 dreary1 and cold2 nowhere is there consolation for the weary soul4 ,ah1 he exclaims1 ,i have sweetly dreamed1--and immediately the hand of the ,lord again seizes him1 and carries him away from the scenes of the ,present4 ,there is not by any means a different salvation destined for ,israel and ,judah2 it is one salvation to be partaken of by both1 who are in future to be re-united into one covenant-people1 into a nation of brethren4 ,from the parts1 therefore1 ,pg #dbg the description returns1 in vers4 #bg-dj1 to the whole from which it had proceeded1 and is thus completely rounded off1 especially by the circumstance that1 just in this close1 there is contained the crown of the promises1 the substance and centre of the declaration recurring here in ver4 #cc3 ,and ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 ,the whole description in both chapters is ,messianic2 and after what we have already had frequent occasion to remark1 no farther proof is necessary to show how inadmissible is a proceeding like that of ,venema1 who cuts it all up into small pieces1 and here assumes an exclusive reference to the return from the captivity2 there1 to the ,maccabees1 whom he almost raises to ,saviours2 in another place1 to ,christ and ,his ,kingdom4 ,we ought therefore1 indeed1 to give an exposition of the whole section2 but1 for external reasons1 we are obliged to limit ourselves to an exposition of the principal portion1 chap4 xxxi4 #ca-dj4 ,it is chap4 xxxi4 #bb only which we shall briefly explain1 because that passage was1 in former times1 understood by many interpreters to contain a personal ,messianic prophecy4 ,how long wilt thou turn aside1 ,o thou apostate daughter8 for the ,lord createth a new thing in the land1 woman shall compass about man4 ,the last words of the verse are1 by the ancient interpreters1 commonly explained as referring to ,christ's birth by a virgin4 ,thus1 e4g41 ,cocceius3 ,it could not be said more distinctly1 at least not without ceasing to be enigmatical1 unless he had said that a virgin has born ,christ the ,son of ,god4 ,but quite apart from other arguments1 this explanation is opposed by the obvious consideration1 in that case1 just that would here be stated which1 in the birth of ,christ by a virgin1 is not peculiar4 ,for ,hebrew3 gbr and ,hebrew3 nqbh are a designation of the sex2 the fact that the woman brings forth the man 7since ,hebrew3 gbr is asserted to designate proles mascula71 is something altogether common2 but the important feature is wanting1 that the woman is to be a virgin1 and the man1 the ,son of ,god4 ,but certainly not a whit better than this explanation is that which modern interpreters 7,schnurrer1 ,gesenius1 ,rosenmller1 ,maurer71 have advanced in its stead3 ,the woman shall protect the man1 shall perform for him the munus excubitoris circumeuntis4 ,this1 surely1 is a ridiculus ,pg #dbh mus--an argument quite unique4 ,we must fully agree with ,schnurrer1 who remarks3 ,this1 surely1 is something new1 uncommon1 unheard of2 but not every thing new is1 for that reason1 suitable for furnishing an effectual motive for conversion4 ,the sense at which ,ewald arrives3 ,a woman transforming herself into a man1 is surely not worthy of being entertained at the expense of a change in the reading4 ,the correct view is the following3--,the ,prophet founds his exhortation to return to the ,lord upon the most effectual argument possible1 viz41 upon the fact that the ,lord was to return to them1 that the time of wrath was now over1 that they might hasten back into the open arms of ,god's love4 ,without hope of mercy1 there cannot be a conversion4 ,the perverse and desponding heart of man must1 by ,his preventing love1 be allured to come to ,god4 ,how important and valuable the new thing is which the ,lord is to create1 the ,prophet shows by the terms which he has selected4 ,it is just the nomina sexus which here are suitable2 the omission of the article also is intentional4 ,the relation is represented in its general aspect2 and thereby the look is more steadily directed to its fundamental nature and substance4 ,woman shall compass about 7,ps4 xxxii4 #g1 #aj7 man2 the strong will again take the weak and tender into ,his intimate communion1 under ,his protection and loving care4 ,the woman art thou1 ,o ,israel1 who hitherto hast sufficiently experienced1 what a woman is without the man1 how she is a reed exposed to1 and a sport of1 all winds4 ,the man is the ,lord4 ,how foolish would it be on thy part1 if thou wert to persevere any longer in thine independence and dissoluteness1 and if thou didst refuse to return into the sweet relation of dependence and unconditional surrender1 which alone1 being the only natural relation1 can be productive of happiness6 ,in favour of this explanation is also the clear reference of ,hebrew3 tsvbb to ,hebrew3 tt,hmqi,n1 and to ,hebrew3 hwvbbh1 which1 in the case of the latter word1 is even outwardly expressed by the alliteration4 ,how foolish would it be still farther to depart1 as now the time is at hand when the ,lord is approaching4--,it is obvious that1 even according to our interpretation1 the prophecy retains its ,messianic character4 ,pg #dbi ,the contents of the section1 vers4 #ca-dj1 are as follows3--,the ,lord is far from punishing with entire rejection the contempt of ,his former gifts and blessings4 ,on the contrary1 by increased grace1 ,he will renew the bond between ,him and the people1 and render it for ever indissoluble4 ,the foundation of this is formed by the remission of sins1 of which the richer outpouring of the ,spirit is a consequence2 and it is now1 when the ,law no more comes to ,israel as an outward letter1 but is written in their hearts1 that ,israel attain their destination2 they will truly be the people of ,god1 and ,god will be truly their ,god1 vers4 #ca-cd4 ,to the people conscious of their guilt1 and still groaning under the judgments of ,god1 such a manifestation of ,god's continuous grace appears incredible2 but ,god most emphatically assures them1 that this election is still in force1 and must continue for ever1 as truly as ,he is ,god1 vers4 #ca-cg4 ,the city of ,god shall gloriously arise out of its ashes4 ,while formerly the unholy abomination entered into her1 the holy one1 even into her innermost parts1 she now shall extend her boundaries beyond the territory of the unholy2 and the ,lord1 who is sanctified within her1 will sanctify himself upon her also4 ,there shall be no more destruction4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,ver4 #ca4 ,behold1 days come1 saith the ,lord1 and ,i make a new covenant with the house of ,israel1 and with the house of ,judah4 ,ver4 #cb4 ,not as the covenant that ,i made with their fathers1 in the day that ,i took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of ,egypt1 which my covenant they brake2 but ,i marry them to me1 saith the ,lord4 ,the first question which we have here to examine is3 ,what is to be understood by the making of a covenant8 ,we cannot here think of a formal transaction1 of a mutual contract1 such as the covenant made on ,sinai4 ,this appears from ver4 #cb1 according to which the old covenant was concluded on the day when the ,lord took ,israel by the hand1 in order to bring them out of ,egypt2 but at that time a covenant-transaction proper was not yet mentioned4 ,most interpreters erroneously suppose that by the words3 ,in the day1 c41 the abode at ,sinai is ,pg #dcj designated4 ,but since the day of the deliverance from ,egypt is commonly thus spoken of 7comp4 ,exod4 xii4 #ea ff472 since this day was1 as such1 marked out by the annually returning feast of the ,passover1 we must1 here also1 take ,hebrew3 iv,m1 day1 in its proper sense4 ,and there is the less reason for abandoning this most obvious sense that1 in ,exod4 vi4 #d2 ,ezek4 xvi4 #h2 ,hag4 ii4 #e1 a covenant with ,israel is spoken of1 which was not first concluded on ,sinai1 but was already concluded when they went out from ,egypt4 ,farther--,no obligation is spoken of in reference to the new covenant2 blessing and gifts are mentioned1 and nothing but these4 ,but are we to adopt the opinion of ,frischmuth 7de foedere nov4 in the ,thes4 ,ant4 i4 p4 #heg71 and of many other interpreters and lexicographers1 and say that ,hebrew3 brit does not only signify a covenant entered upon by two or several parties1 but also ,greek3 prothesin1 propositum ,dei1 ,greek3 epangelias1 ,his gratuitous and unconditional promises1 as well as ,his constant ordinances8 ,that might after all be objectionable4 ,hebrew3 krt brit cannot signify any thing but to make a covenant4#b ,but the question is1 whether the making of a covenant cannot be spoken of in passages1 where there is no mention of transactions of a mutual agreement between two parties4 ,the substance of the covenant evidently precedes the outward conclusion of the covenant1 and forms the foundation of it4 ,the conclusion of the covenant does not first form the relation1 but is merely a solemn acknowledgment of the relation already existing4 ,thus it is ever in human relations2 the contract1 as a rule1 only fixes and settles outwardly1 a relation already existing4 ,and that is still more the case in the relation between ,god and man4 ,by every benefit from ,god1 an obligation is imposed upon him who receives it1 whether it may1 in express words1 have been stated by ,god1 and have been outwardly acknowledged by the recipient or not4 ,this is clearly seen in the case under consideration4 ,at the giving of the ,law on ,sinai1 the obligatory power of the commandments of ,pg #dca ,god is founded upon the fact1 that ,god brought ,israel out of the land of ,egypt1 the house of bondage4 ,hence1 it appears that the ,sinaitic covenant existed1 in substance1 from the moment that the ,lord led ,israel out of ,egypt4 ,by apostatizing from the ,lord1 the people would have broken the covenant1 even if it had not been solemnly confirmed on ,sinai2 just as their apostacy1 in the time between their going out and the transactions on ,sinai1 was treated as a violation of the covenant4 ,it would have been a breach of the covenant1 if the people had answered1 in the negative1 the solemn questions of ,god1 whether they would enter into a covenant with ,him4 ,this appears so much the more clearly1 when we keep in mind1 that the ,new ,covenant was not at all sanctioned by such an external solemn act4 ,but if1 nevertheless1 it is a covenant in the strictest sense2 if1 here1 the relation is independent upon its acknowledgment1--then1 under the ,old ,testament too1 this acknowledgment must be a secondary element4 ,the same is the case with all the other passages commonly quoted in proof1 that ,hebrew3 krt brit may also be used of mere blessings and promises4 ,thus1 e4g41 ,gen4 ix4 #i3 ,behold1 ,i establish my covenant with you1 and with your seed after you4 ,that which is here designated as a covenant is not the promise per se1 that in future the course of nature should1 on the whole1 remain undisturbed1 but in so far only1 as it imposes upon them who receive it1 the obligation to glorify1 by their walk1 the ,lord of the order of nature4 ,in part1 this obligation is afterwards outwardly fixed in the commandments concerning murder1 eating of blood1 c4 ,gen4 xv4 #ah3 ,in the same day ,god made a covenant with ,abraham1 saying3 ,unto thy seed ,i give this land4 ,in what precedes1 a promise only is contained2 but this promise itself is1 at the same time1 an obligation2 and this obligation existed even then1 although it was at a later period only1 solemnly undertaken by receiving the sign of the covenant1 circumcision4 ,exod4 xxxiv4 #aj3 ,and ,he said3 ,behold ,i make a covenant2 before all thy people ,i will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth1 nor in any nation2 and all the people among whom thou art1 shall see the work of the ,lord2 for it is a terrible thing that ,i will do with thee4 ,the covenant on ,sinai is here already made2 the making of the new covenant here spoken of consists ,pg #dcb in the mercies by which ,god will manifest himself to ,his people as their ,god4 ,every one of these mercies involves a new obligation for the people2 every one is a question in deeds3 ,this ,i do to thee1 what doest thou to me8--,it will now be possible to determine in what sense the ,old ,covenant is here contrasted with the ,new1 ,the point in question cannot be a new and more perfect revelation of the ,law of ,god2 for that is common to both the dispensations4 ,no jot or tittle of it can be lost under the ,new ,testament1 and as little can a jot or tittle be added4 ,god's law is based on ,his nature1 and that is eternal and unchangeable1 compare ,mal4 iii4 #bb 7iv4 #d74 ,the revelation of the ,law does not belong to the going out from ,egypt1 to which the making of the former covenant is here attributed1 but to ,sinai4 ,as little can the discourse be of the introduction of an entirely new relation1 which is not founded at all upon the former one4 ,on this subject1 ,david ,kimchi's remark is quite pertinent3 ,it will not be the newness of the covenant1 but its stability4 ,the covenant with ,israel is an everlasting covenant4 ,jehovah would not be ,jehovah1 if an entirely new commencement could take place2 ,greek3 leg de--so the ,apostle writes in ,rom4 xv4 #h--;,greek3 ,isoun ,christon diakonon gegensthai peritoms huper altheias theou eis to bebaisai tas epangelias tn patern4 ta de ethn huper eleous doxasai ton theon4 ,the sending of ,christ with ,his gifts and blessings1 the making of the ,new ,covenant1 is thus the consequence of the covenant-faithfulness of ,god4 ,if then the ,old and ,new ,covenants are here contrasted1 the former cannot designate the relation of ,god to ,israel per se1 and in its whole extent1 but it must rather designate the former mode only1 in which this relation was manifested1--that whereby the ,lord had1 up to the time of the ,prophet1 manifested himself as the ,god of ,israel4 ,with this former imperfect form1 the future more perfect form is here contrasted1 under the name of the ,new ,covenant4 ,the ,new ,covenant which is to take the place of the ,old1 when looking to the form 7comp4 ,heb4 viii4 #ac3 ,greek3 en t legein4 ,kainn1 pepalaike tn prtn4 to de palaioumenon kai graskon1 engus aphanismou71 is1 in substance1 the realization of the ,old4 ,these remarks are in perfect harmony with that which was formerly said concerning the meaning of ,hebrew3 krt brit4 ,we saw that this expression does not designate an act only once done1 ,pg #dcc by which a covenant is solemnly sanctioned1 but rather that it is used of every action1 by which a covenant-relation is instituted or confirmed4--,if1 then1 the ,old ,covenant is the former form of the covenant with ,israel2 and the ,new ,covenant the future form of it1 another question is3--,which among the manifold differences of those two forms are here specially regarded by the ,prophet8 ,the answer to this question is supplied by that which the ,prophet declares concerning the ,new ,covenant4 ,for since it is not to be like the former covenant1 the excellences of the ,new must be as many defects of the ,old4 ,these excellences1 however1 are all of a spiritual nature1--first1 the forgiveness of sins1 and then the writing of the ,law in the heart4 ,it follows from this1 that the blessings of the ,old ,covenant were pre-eminently 7for we shall afterwards see that an entire absence of these spiritual blessings cannot be spoken of1 and that the difference between the ,old and the ,new ,covenant is1 in this respect1 a relative one only1 not an absolute one7 of an external nature2 and this is also suggested by the circumstance1 that it is represented as being concluded when the people were led out of ,egypt2 in which fact1 all the later similar deliverances and blessings are comprehended4 ,the ,prophet1 if any one1 had learned that1 in the way hitherto pursued1 they could not successfully continue4 ,the sinfulness of the people had1 at his time1 manifested itself in such fearful outbreaks1 that1 even when looking at the matter from a human point of view1 he could not but feel most deeply that1 with outward blessings and gifts1 with an outward deliverance from servitude1 the people were very little benefited4 ,what is the use of a mercy which1 according to divine necessity1 must be immediately followed by a punishment so much the more severe8 ,the necessary condition for the true and lasting bestowal of outward salvation1 is the bestowal of the internal salvation2 without the latter the former is only a mockery4 ,it is this internal salvation1 therefore1 which is the highest aim of the ,prophet's longings2 to it he here points as the highest blessing of the ,future2 compare also chap4 xxxii4 #dj3 ,and ,i make an everlasting covenant with them1 and ,i will no more turn away from them to do them good1 and ,i will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me4--,the closing words of ver4 #cb are frequently misunderstood4 ,pg #dcd ,the erroneous interpretation of ,hebrew3 awr by quia1 which is found with most expositors1 is of less consequence4 ,hebrew3 awr indicates1 in general1 the connection with what precedes4 ,we may explain it either by3 which my covenant they brake1 as is done by ,ewald2 or1 since 7,deut4 iii4 #bd7 they brake my covenant1 in which latter case1 ,hebrew3 awr refers at the same time to ,i marry them unto me4 ,we have here farther carried out and detailed that which previously was said of the making of a new covenant2 and the sense is3 ,although they have broken my former covenant1 yet ,i marry them unto me1 or make a new covenant with them4 ,of greater importance is the difference in the interpretation of ,hebrew3 belti4 ,by far the greater number of interpreters understand this sensu malo2 the ancient interpreters in doing so refer to the words ,greek3 kag melsa autn1 7,heb4 viii4 #i72 but these can scarcely prove anything4 ,for the author of that epistle1 whose sole object it is to show that the new covenant stands higher than the old--the insufficiency of the latter was1 as the ,prophet's expressions show1 sufficiently felt even by those who lived under it--has1 in these words1 which do not stand in any relation to the object which he has in view1 followed the ,,lxx4 ,but it is a rather doubtful and suspicious circumstance that1 in determining the sense1 these interpreters greatly vary4 ,some1 referring to the ,arabic1 explain ,hebrew3 bel by fastidire2 others1 as they allege1 from the ,hebrew usus loquendi1 by to tyrannize4 ,thus1 e4g4 ,buddeus 7de praerogat4 fidelium ,n4 ,t4 in the ,miscell4 p4 #ajf73 ,we may readily understand thereby every severe chastisement by the neighbouring nations1 such as frequently happened3 they did not remain in my covenant1 therefore ,i made them to bear the yoke of others1 ,greek3 melsa autn1 neglexi eos4 ,but we have already seen 7comp4 remarks on chap4 iii4 #ad71 that for neither of these significations is there any foundation2 and this has been felt by those also who1 in order to bring out a bad signification1 such as1 according to their view1 the text requires1 undertook to change the reading1 as e4g4 ,cappellus1 who would read ,hebrew3 gelti1 and ,grotius1 who would read ,hebrew3 bhlti4#c ,the signification to betroth onesself1 to ,pg #dce take in marriage1 which in that passage we vindicated for ,hebrew3 bel with ,hebrew3 b1 is1 here too1 quite applicable2 comp4 ,jer4 ii4 #a4 ,this signification the ,chaldee ,paraphrast too seems to have had in view2 for he translates ,hebrew3 atreiti cupio vos1 delector vobis4 ,and is there anything to indicate1 that here the reason is to be stated1 why the old covenant is abolished8 ,that reason can be brought in only by very forced explanations 7comp4 e4g4 ,maurer and ,hitzig72 and it is1 moreover1 sufficiently expressed1 as the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews has shown4 ,even in the announcement of a new covenant1 the declaration is implied that the old covenant was insufficient3 ,greek3 ei gar h prt ekein n amemptos1 ouk an deuteras ezteito topos 7,heb4 viii4 #g71 as well as the reason why it was so1 viz41 on account of human sinfulness and hardness of heart1 which are not helped and remedied by pre-eminently outward blessings and benefits1 be they never so great4 ,this their former greatness is indicated by the words3 ,when ,i took them by the hand1--words which imply the most tender love4 ,to this subjective cause of the insufficiency of the old covenant there is a reference in the words3 ,greek3 memphomenos gar autois legei1 in ,heb4 viii4 #h1 which by ,de ,wette and ,bleek are erroneously translated3 ,for reprovingly ,he says to them4 ,the ,dative ,greek3 autois belongs to ,greek3 memphomenos 7comp4 ,mathiae1 ,s4 #gje72 if it were otherwise it would be redundant1 and would the less be in its place1 that the discourse is not addressed to the children of ,israel4 ,the reason why a better covenant was required1 such a one ,greek3 htis epi kreittosin epangeliais nenomothettai1 ,heb4 viii4 #f1 appears sufficiently from that which1 in vers4 #cc1 #cd1 is said of this new covenant in contrast to the old4 ,here1 however1 it is rather the infinite love of ,god1 the greatness of ,his covenant-faithfulness which are pointed out2 and this thought is1 from among all others1 best suited to the context4 ,hebrew3 hmh and ,hebrew3 anki form an emphatic contrast4 ,they1 in wicked ingratitude1 have broken the former covenant1 have shaken off the obligations ,pg #dcf which ,god's former mercies imposed upon them4 ,god too--so it might be expected--ought now to annul the old covenant1 and for ever withdraw from them the old mercies4 ,but1 instead of doing so1 ,he grants the new covenant1 the greater mercy4 ,he anew takes in marriage apostate ,israel1 and in such a manner that now the bond of love becomes firm and indestructible4 ,bleek objects to our interpretation3 ,the object is not the city of ,jerusalem1 or even the ,congregation of ,israel1 but the single ,israelites1 who may indeed be designated as the children of ,jehovah1 but not as ,his spouse4 ,but1 in such personifications1 it is quite a common thing that the real plurality should take the place of the ideal unity4 ,in ,exod4 xxxiv4 #ae1 for instance1 it is said3 ,and they go a whoring after their gods1--instead of the congregation1 to which the whoring properly belongs1 7comp4 ,is4 lvii4 #g71 the individual members are mentioned2 comp4 ,hos4 ii4 #a1 #b 7i4 #aj1 ii4 #ai74 ,ver4 #cc4 ,for this is the covenant that ,i will make with the house of ,israel after these days1 saith the ,lord3 ,i give my law in their inward parts1 and will write it in their hearts2 and ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 ,hebrew3 ki is1 by some interpreters1 here supposed to mean but2 so much1 only1 however1 is correct that but might also have been put2 for is here quite in its place4 ,the words3 ,not as the covenant1 c41 in the preceding verse1 are here vindicated1 and expanded by a positive definition of the nature and substance of the ,new ,covenant4 ,it is just because it is of such a nature1 that it is not like the former covenant4 ,hebrew3 hh,m does not1 by any means1 as is erroneously supposed by ,venema and ,hitzig1 refer to the days mentioned in ver4 #ca1 in which the ,new ,covenant was to be made4 ,these days1 on the contrary1 are a designation of the ,present2 after these days1 equivalent to ,hebrew3 bahrit himi,m at the end of days4 ,the ,prophet so repeatedly and emphatically points to the ,future1 because unbelief and weak faith imagined that1 with the ,present1 the history of the covenant-people was finished1 and that no ,future was in store for them4 ,calvin pertinently remarks3 ,it is just as if the ,prophet had said1 that the grace of which he was prophesying could not be apprehended1 unless they1 believers1 kept their minds composed1 and patiently waited until the ,pg #dcg time of the promised salvation had come4 ,as regards the following enumeration of the blessings1 in and by the bestowal of which the new covenant-relation is to be established1 ,venema very correctly remarks3 ,the blessings are distinguished into radical or causal ones1 and subsequent or derived ones4 ,the second ,hebrew3 ki1 in ver4 #cd3 ,for ,i will forgive their sin1 proves the correctness of this division1 which is also pointed out by the ,athnach4--,hebrew3 tvrh is1 by many interpreters1 here understood to signify doctrine4 ,thus ,buddeus3 ,by the word ,hebrew3 tvrh1 the whole ,new ,testament doctrine is to be understood4 ,this interpretation1 however1 is objectionable1 and destructive of the sense1 ,hebrew3 tvrh never means doctrine1 but always law2 and the fact that it is only the law of ,god1 the eternal expression of ,his nature1 and common1 therefore1 to both the ,old and ,new ,covenants1 which can be here spoken of1 and not a new constitution for the latter1 is seen from the reference in which the giving in the inward parts and the writing on the heart 7the tables of the heart1 #b ,cor4 iii4 #c71 stands to the outward communication and the writing on the tables of stone on ,sinai4 ,the law is the same2 the relation only is different in which ,god places it to man1 7lex cum homine conciliatur quasi1 ,michaelis47 ,one might easily infer from the passage before us a confirmation of the error1 that the law under the ,old ,covenant was only an outward dead letter4 ,against this error ,buddeus already contended1 who1 ,s4 #aag1 acknowledges that it is a relative difference and contrast only1 which are here spoken of ,he says3 ,this1 of course1 was the case with the ,old ,testament believers also2 here1 however1 ,god promises a richer fulness and higher degree of this blessing4 ,calvin declares the opinion that1 under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 there did not exist any regeneration1 to be absurd1 and says3 we know that1 under the ,law1 the grace of ,god was rare and dark2 but that1 under the ,gospel1 the gifts of the ,spirit were poured out1 and that ,god dealt much more liberally with ,his ,church4 ,the idea of a purely outward giving of the ,law is indeed one which is quite inconceivable4 ,god would1 in that case1 have done nothing else towards ,israel than ,he did to the traitor ,judas1 in whose conscience ,he proclaimed ,his holy ,law1 without communicating to him strength for repentance4 ,but such a proceeding can be conceived of1 only where there is a subjective impossibility ,pg #dch of ,greek3 anakainizein eis metanoian4 ,every outward manifestation of ,god must1 according to the constitution of human nature1 be accompanied by the inward manifestation1 since it is inconceivable that ,he who knows our nature1 should mock us by the semblance of a blessing4 ,as soon as we know the outward fact of the deliverance from ,egypt1 we know1 at the same time1 that ,god has then powerfully touched the heart of ,israel4 ,as soon as it is established that the ,law on ,sinai was written on tables of stone by the finger of ,god1 it is also established that ,he1 at the same time1 wrote it on the tables of ,israel's heart4 ,but that which is thus implied in the matter itself1 is confirmed by the testimony of history4 ,in the ,law itself1 circumcision is designated as the pledge and seal of the bestowal1 not merely of outward blessings1 but of the circumcision of the heart1 of the removal of sin attaching to every one by birth2 so that man can love ,god with all his heart1 all his sold1 and all his powers1 ,deut4 xxx4 #f4 ,this circumcision of the heart which1 in the outward circumcision1 was at the same time required and promised by ,god 7comp4 ,deut4 l4 c4 with x4 #af71 is not substantially different from the writing of the ,law on the heart4 ,farther--,if the ,law of the ,lord had1 for ,israel1 been a mere outward letter1 how could the animated praise of it in the ,holy ,scriptures1 e4g41 in ,ps4 xix41 be accounted for8 ,surely1 a bridge must already have been formed between the ,law and him who can speak of it as rejoicing the heart1 as enlightening the eyes1 as converting the soul1 as sweeter than honey and the honeycomb4 ,that is no more the ,law in its isolation which worketh wrath1 but it is the ,law in its connection with the ,spirit1 whose commandments are not grievous2 comp4 my commentary on ,ps4 xix4 #h ff4 ,a new heart was created under the ,old ,testament also1 ,ps4 li4 #ab2 and not to know the nature of this creation was1 for a teacher in ,israel1 the highest disgrace1 ,john iii4 #aj4 ,yea1 that which is here promised for the ,future1 a pious member of the ,old ,covenant expresses1 in ,ps4 xl4 #i1 in the same form1 as being already granted to him as his present spiritual condition3 ,i delight to do thy will1 ,o my ,god1 and thy ,law is in the midst of my bowels1--words which imply the same contrast to the ,law as outward letter1 as being written on tables of stone1 comp4 ,prov4 iii4 #a-c3 ,my son1 ,pg #dci forget not my law1 and let thine heart keep my commandments 444 bind them about thy neck1 write them upon the table of thine heart2 compare my commentary on ,psalms1 ,vol4 iii4 p4 lxvii4--,but how is it to be explained that the contrariety which1 in itself1 is relative1 appears here under the form of the absolute contrariety1--the difference in degree1 as a difference in kind8 ,evidently in the same manner as the same phenomenon must be explained elsewhere also1 e4g4 ,john i4 #ag1 where it is said that the ,law was given by ,moses1 but mercy and truth by ,christ4 ,by overlooking this fact1 so many errors have been called forth4 ,the blessings of the ,old ,covenant which1 when considered in themselves1 are so important and rich1 appear1 when compared with the much fuller and more important blessings of the ,new ,covenant1 to be so trifling that they vanish entirely out of sight4 ,it is quite similar when1 in chap4 iii4 #af1 the ,prophet represents the highest sanctuary of the ,old ,covenant1 the ,ark of the ,covenant1 as sinking into entire oblivion in future2 when1 in chap4 xxiii4 #g1 #h1 he describes the deliverance from ,egypt as no longer worthy of being mentioned4 ,parallel to the passage under consideration is the promise of ,joel of the pouring out of the ,spirit1 chap4 iii4 #a1 #b 7ii4 #bh1 #bi72 so that that which we remarked on that passage1 is applicable here also4 ,but1 in that passage1 the relative nature of the promise appears more clearly than it does here1 just because1 in general1 under the ,new ,covenant1 in its relation to the ,old1 there is nowhere an absolutely new beginning1 but always a completion only 7just in the same manner as1 on the other hand1 under the ,new ,covenant itself1 it is in the relation of the regnum gloriae to the regnum gratiae74 ,joel1 in reference to the communication of the ,spirit1 puts the abundance in the place of the scarcity2 the many in the place of the few4 ,compare1 moreover1 chap4 xxiv4 #g3 ,and ,i give them a heart to know me1 that ,i am the ,lord2 and they shall be my people1 and ,i will be their ,god2 xxxii4 #ci3 ,and ,i give them one heart and one way1 that they may fear me for ever1 for the good of them and of their children after them2 but especially ,ezek4 xi4 #ai1 #bj1 xxxvi4 #bf1 #bg4--,the remarks of ,jewish interpreters on the passage under consideration1 in which they cannot avoid seeing that1 in it1 a purely moral revelation is prophesied1 ,pg #ddj in contrast to a mere external one1 clearly show how strongly the ,old ,testament is opposed to that carnal ,jewish delusion of the condition of the ,messianic ,kingdom 7as it is most glaringly expressed in the ,talmudic passage ,massechet ,sanhedrim1 fol4 #aai3 ,there is no other difference between the days of the ,messiah and the present state of things1 excepting only that the kingdoms shall be our slaves71--a delusion which is quite analogous to the expectations which are entertained by revolutionists concerning the ,future1 and which flow from the same source4 ,thus ,rabbi ,bechai 7see ,frischmuth7 remarks3 ,this means that every evil concupiscence shall be taken away1 and every desire to covet any thing2 ,moses ,nachmanides 7ibid4 ,s4 #hfa73 ,and this is nothing else than that every evil concupiscence shall be taken away1 so that the heart1 by an internal impulse1 does what is right4--,in the days of ,messiah there will not exist any evil desire1 but1 from the impulse of his nature1 man will do what is right4 ,and there will1 therefore1 not be innocence and guilt1 inasmuch as these depend upon concupiscence4 ,but if once bent upon it1 pre-conceived opinions will overcome every1 even the strongest1 contradiction offered by the matter itself ,this may be seen from the example of ,grotius1 who here explains3 ,i will cause that all of them keep my ,law in memory1--in the first instance1 by the multitude of synagogues which1 at that time1 were built1 and in which the ,law was taught thrice a-week4 ,thrice a-week6 ,surely that will produce first-rate men1 viz41 such as are described in ,isa4 lviii4 #b4 ,it is not without meaning1 that the words3 ,and ,i will be their ,god1 c41 follow upon3 ,and ,i give my ,law in their inward parts1 c4 ,the ,law is the expression of ,god's nature2 it is only by the ,law being written in the heart that man can become a partaker of ,god's nature2 that ,his name can be sanctified in him4 ,and it is this participation in the nature of ,god1 this sanctification of ,god's name1 which forms the foundation of3 ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 ,without this1 the relation cannot exist at all1 as truly as ,god is not an idol1 but the ,true and ,holy ,one4 ,these words express1 as ,buddeus1 ,s4 #id1 rightly remarks3 ,that ,he will impart himself altogether to them4 ,but how were it possible that ,god1 with ,his blessings and gifts1 should ,pg #dda impart himself entirely and unconditionally to them who are not of ,his nature8 ,of all unnatural things1 this would be the most unnatural4 ,here1 however1 likewise the relative character of the promise most clearly appears4 ,as early as to ,abraham1 ,god had promised that ,he would be a ,god to him1 and to his seed after him2 and this promise he had afterwards repeated to the whole people1 ,lev4 xxvi4 #ab1 comp4 ,exod4 xxix4 #de3 ,and ,i dwell in the midst of the children of ,israel and will be their ,god4 ,in the consciousness that this promise was fulfilled in the time then present1 ,david exclaims in ,ps4 xxxiii4 #ab3 ,blessed is the nation whose ,god is ,jehovah1 the generation whom ,he hath chosen for ,his inheritance4 ,hence1 here too1 there is nothing absolutely new4 ,if such were the subject of discourse1 then the whole ,kingdom of ,god under the ,old ,testament dispensation would be changed into a mere semblance and illusion4 ,but the small measure of the condition--with which even ,god himself cannot dispense1 but of which ,he may vouchsafe a larger measure1 viz41 the writing of the ,law in the heart1 whereby man becomes a copy of ,god1 the personal ,law--was necessarily accompanied by the small measure of the consequence1 ,the perfect fulfilment of ,god's promise to ,abraham and ,israel1 to which the prophet here alludes1 could1 therefore1 be expected from the future only4 ,ver4 #cd4 ,and they shall teach no more a man his neighbour1 and a man his brother1 saying3 ,know the ,lord2 for they all shall know me1 small and great1 saith the ,lord2 for ,i will forgive their iniquity1 and ,i will remember their sin no more4 ,even from ancient times1 the first hemistich of the verse has created great embarrassment to interpreters1 from which very few of them1 not excepting even ,calvin1 manage to extricate themselves skilfully4 ,the declaration that1 because all will be taught by ,god1 human instruction in things divine is to cease1 has1 at first sight1 something fanatical in it1 and1 indeed1 was made use of by ,anabaptists and other enthusiasts in vindication of their delusion4#d ,many interpreters attempt an evasion1 ,pg #ddb by referring the words to the future life2 thus ,theodoret1 ,augustine1 7de ,spirit4 et lit4 c4 #bd7 and ,este1 who1 in a manner almost nave1 remarks3 ,this difficulty1 it seems1 is very simply avoided by those who refer this promise to the future world1 where1 no doubt1 all care about teaching will cease4 ,but the matter is1 indeed1 not at all difficult4 ,all that is necessary is to keep in mind that human instruction is here excluded1 in so far only as it is opposed to divine instruction concerning ,god himself2 that hence1 that which is here spoken of1 is mere human instruction1 by which men are trained and drilled in religion1 just as in every other branch of common knowledge1--a result of which is1 that they may learn for ever without ever coming to the knowledge of the truth4 ,such an instruction may be productive of historical faith1 of belief in human authority2 but it is just by this1 that the nature of religion will be altogether destroyed4 ,even the true ,god becomes an idol when ,he is not known through himself1 when ,he himself does not prepare the heart as a place to dwell in4 ,he is1 and remains a mere idea that can impart no strength in the struggle against sin which is a real power1 and no comfort in affliction4 ,now1 such a condition was very frequent under the ,old ,testament dispensation4 ,the mass of the people possessed only a knowledge of ,god1 which was chiefly1 although not exclusively1 obtained through human instrumentality4 ,by the ,new ,covenant1 richer gifts of the ,spirit were to be bestowed1 and along with them1 the number of those was to be increased who were to partake in them1 just as ,isaiah1 in chap4 vii4 #af1 represents believers under the ,old ,testament as being taught by the ,lord1 while in chap4 liv4 #ac1 in reference to the ,messianic time1 he announces3 ,and all thy children shall be taught of the ,lord4 ,under the ,new ,covenant1 the antithesis of teaching by ,god1 and teaching by man1 is to cease4 ,the teachers do not teach in their own strength1 but as servants and instruments of the ,lord4 ,it is not they who speak1 ,init the ,holy ,spirit in them4 ,those who are taught by them hear the word that comes to them through men1 not as man's word1 but as ,god's word2 and they receive it1 not because it satisfies their limited human reason1 but because the ,spirit testifies that the ,spirit is truth4 ,how this antithesis is done away with1 and reconciled in a higher unity1 is1 among other passages1 ,pg #ddc shown by #b ,cor4 iii4 #c3 ,you are an epistle of ,christ ministered by us1 written not with ink1 but with the ,spirit of the living ,god4 ,they are ,greek3 theodidaktoi1 but through the ministry of the ,apostle who1 in so far as he performs this service1 is not different from ,god1 but only a conductor of ,his power1 a channel through which the oil of the ,holy ,spirit flows to the ,church of ,god2 compare remarks on ,zech4 iv4 ,the same is taught in #a ,john ii4 #bj3 ,greek3 ,kai humeis chrisma echete apo tou hagiou1 kai oidate panta4 ,ouk egrapsa humin1 hoti ouk oidate tn altheian1 all'hoti oidate autn4 ,ver4 #bg3 ,greek3 ,kai humeis to chrisma1 ho elabete ap'autou1 en humin1 menei kai ou chreian echete1 hina tis didask humas1 all'hos to auto chrisma didaskei humas peri pantn k4 t4 l4 ,the ,greek3 didaskein here signifies the human teaching in contrast to that which is divine1 such an one as undertakes by its own power to work knowledge in him who is taught4 ,such a teaching cannot take place under the new covenant4 ,a fundamental knowledge is already imparted to all its members2 the ,greek3 parakltos1 the ,holy ,ghost1 alone teaches them1 ,john xiv4 #bf2 ,he leads them into all truth1 ,john xvi4 #ac4 ,but1 just because this is the case1 the teaching by means of those whom ,god has given1 in ,his ,church1 as apostles1 prophets1 evangelists1 teachers 7,eph4 iv4 #aa71 to whom ,he has communicated ,his ,greek3 charismata1 is quite in its place4 ,the apostle writes just because they know the truth4 ,if it were otherwise1 his efforts would be altogether in vain4 ,of what use is it to give instruction about colours to him who is blind8 ,in things divine1 the truth becomes truth to the single individual1 only because his knowledge of ,god is founded on his being in ,god2 and that can be accomplished only by his being connected to ,god through ,god4 ,being1 life1 and hence1 also1 real living knowledge1 can proceed only from the fountain of all being and life4 ,but in the case of those who are in ,god1 who possess the fundamental knowledge1 this knowledge must be developed1 carried on1 and brought to full consciousness through the instrumentality of those to whom ,god has granted the gifts for it4 ,a glance into the deep meaning of our passage was obtained by the author of the book ,jelammedenu1 which is quoted by ,abarbanel 7in ,frischmuth1 ,s4 #hfc72 he says3 ,under the present dispensation1 ,israel learns the ,law from mortal men1 and therefore forgets it2 for as flesh and blood pass away 7comp4 ,pg #ddd ,matt4 xvi4 #ag1 where the antithesis existing between a knowledge of divine things which rests on human ground1 and that which rests on divine ground1 is brought before us in its strictest form71 so also its instruction passes away4 ,but a time shall come when a man shall not learn from the mouth of a man1 but from the mouth of the blessed ,god1 for it is written3 ',all thy children shall be taught by ,god4',in these words1 it is implied that hitherto the knowledge of the ,law was an artificial one obtained by mortal men4 ,but for that reason1 it cannot stand long1 for the effect stands in proportion to its cause4 ,at the time of the deliverance1 however1 the knowledge of the ,law will be obtained in a miraculous manner4 ,it is1 however1 quite obvious that this promise1 too1 must be understood relatively only4 ,all the pious men of the ,old ,covenant were ,greek3 theodidaktoi2 and under the ,new ,covenant1 the number of those is infinitely great who1 through their own guilt1 stand to truth in a relation which is entirely or preeminently mediate4--,instead of the small1 by way of individualization1 servants and handmaids are mentioned in ,joel iii4 #b 7ii4 #bi72 compare remarks on ,rev4 xi4 #ah4--,we have already seen that in the last words of the verse1 the fundamental blessing is promised4 ,but whether ,hebrew3 ki be referred only to that which immediately precedes1 or to every thing which goes before 7,venema3 vocala ,hebrew3 ki non ad proxime praecedentia referenda1 sed ad totam pericopam1 qua bona foederis recensita sunt1 extenda71 amounts to nearly the same thing2 for that which immediately precedes includes all the rest4 ,we have before us nothing but designations of the same thing from various aspects2 everything depends upon the richer bestowal of the gifts of the ,spirit4 ,this has the forgiveness of sins for its necessary foundation2 for1 before ,god can give1 ,he must first take4 ,the sins which separate the people and their ,god from one another1 must first be taken away2 it is then only that the inward means can be bestowed1 so that the people may become truly ,god's people1 and ,god's name may be sanctified in them4 ,it is obvious that1 here too1 a relative difference only between the ,old and ,new ,covenant can be spoken of ,a covenant-people without forgiveness of sins is no covenant-people2 a ,god with whom there is not forgiveness1 in order that ,he may be feared1 who does not heal the bones ,pg #dde which ,he has broken1 who in this respect gives promises for the ,future only1 is no ,god1 and no blessing4 ,for if ,he does not grant this1 ,he cannot grant any thing else1 inasmuch as every thing else implies this1 and is of no value without it4 ,forgiveness of sins is the essence of the ,passover as the feast of the covenant4 ,on the ,ark of the ,covenant1 it was represented by the ,capporeth 7see ,genuineness of the ,pentateuch1 ,vol4 ii41 p4 #ebe f474 ,without it the sin-offerings appointed by ,god are a lie2 without it1 all that is untrue which ,god says of himself as the covenant-,god1 that ,he is gracious and merciful1 ,exod4 xxxiv4 #f4 ,the holy ,psalmists often acknowledge with praise and thanks that ,god has forgiven sins2 comp4 e4g4 ,ps4 lxxxv4 #c3 ,thou hast taken away the iniquities of thy people1 thou hast covered all their sins4 ,in the same manner they are loud in praising the high blessing bestowed upon the individual by the forgiveness of sins2 comp4 ,ps4 xxxii4 #ea4 ,the consciousness that their sins are forgiven1 forms the foundation of the disposition of heart which we perceive in the ,psalmists2 see ,commentary on the ,psalms1 ,vol4 iii4 p4 lxv4 f4 ,what a ,greek3 plrophoria--so ,buddeus remarks1 p4 #aji--what a confidence1 what a joy of a tranquil and quiet conscience shines forth in the psalms and prayers of ,david6 ,we have thus before us merely a difference in degree4 ,to the believers of that time1 the sin of the covenant-people appeared to be too great to admit of its being forgiven4 ,driven away from the face of the ,lord1 so they imagined1 it would close its miserable existence in the land of ,nod2 never would the ,greek3 kairoi anapsuxes return4 ,but1 in opposition to such fears1 the ,prophet declares1 in the name of the ,lord1 that they would not only return1 but come1 for the first time1 in the true and full sense2 that where they imagined to behold the end to the forgiveness of sins1 there would be its real beginning2 that where sin abounded1 the grace of ,god should there so much the more abound4 ,only1 they should not despair1 and thus place a barrier in the way of ,god's mercy4 ,your ,god is not a mere hard task-master2 ,he himself will sow and then reap1 as surely as ,he is ,god1 the gracious and merciful ,one4 ,ver4 #ce4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 giving the sun for a light by day1 and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for ,pg #ddf a light by night1 agitating the sea1 and the waves thereof roar1 the ,lord of hosts is ,his name4 ,ver4 #cf4 ,if these ordinances will cease before me1 saith the ,lord1 then the seed of ,israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever4 ,interpreters commonly assume that1 already in ver4 #ce1 the discourse is of the firm and immutable divine laws which every thing must obey4 ,but opposed to this view are the words3 ,agitating the sea1 and the waves thereof roar1 in which no definite perceptible rule1 no uninterrupted return takes place4 ,to this argument may be added the comparison of the fundamental passage1 ,isa4 li4 #ae1 in which the omnipotence only of ,god is to be brought out3 ,and ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 who agitates the sea1 and its waves roar1 the ,lord of hosts is ,his name2 comp4 also ,amos4 ix4 #e1 #f4 ,it thus appears that1 in ver4 #ce1 ,god's omnipotence only is spoken of1 which establishes that ,he is ,god and not man2 and this forms the foundation for the declaration set forth in ver4 #cf1 which is so full of comfort for the despairing covenant-people1--the proposition1 namely1 that1 while all men are liars1 ,he does not lie2 that ,he can never repent of ,his covenant and promises4 ,the ordinances 7moon and stars are1 in their regular return1 themselves1 as it were1 embodied ordinances71 are mentioned already in ver4 #ce1 because just the circumstance that1 according to eternal and inviolable laws1 sun and moon must appear every day at a fixed time1 and have done so for thousands and thousands of years1 testifies more strongly for ,his omnipotence and absolute power1 never liable to any foreign influence or interference1 than if they at one time appeared1 and1 at another1 failed to appear4 ,god's omnipotence1 as it is testified by a look to nature 7,calvin3 ,the ,prophet contents himself with pointing out what even boys knew1 viz41 that the sun makes his daily circuit round the whole earth1 that the moon does the same1 and that the stars in their turn succeed1 so that1 as it were1 the moon with the stars exercises dominion by night1 and1 afterwards1 the sun reigns by day71 results from the fact that ,he is the pure1 absolute1 being 7,jehovah ,his name1 comp4 remarks on ,mal4 iii4 #f72 and it is just because ,he is this1 that ,his counsels1 which ,he declared without any condition attached to them1 must be ,pg #ddg unchangeable4 ,to believe that ,he has for ever rejected ,israel1 is to degrade ,him1 to make ,him an idol1 a creature4--,in ver4 #cf1 the immutability of ,god's counsel of grace is put on a level with the immutability of ,god's order of nature2 but this is done with a view to the weakness of the people1 who receive1 for a pledge of their election1 that which is most firm among visible things2 so that every rising of the sun and moon is to them a guarantee of it2 compare ,ps4 lxxxix4 #cg1 #ch4 ,but considered in itself1 the counsels of ,god's grace are much firmer than the order of nature4 ,the heavens wax old as a garment1 and as a vesture ,he changes them and they are changed 7,ps4 cii4 #bg-bi72 heaven and earth shall pass away1 but the word of ,god shall not pass away4--,from chap4 xxxiii4 #bd3 ,they despise my people 7,hebrew3 emi7 that they should be still a nation 7,hebrew3 gvi7 before them it appears why it is that ,hebrew3 gvi is here used1 and not ,hebrew3 e,m4 ,the covenant-people in their despair imagined that their national existence1 which1 in the ,present1 was destroyed1 was gone for ever4 ,if only their national existence was sure1 then also was their existence as a covenant-people4 ,for1 just as their national existence had ceased1 because they had ceased to be the covenant-people1 so they could again obtain a national existence as the covenant-people only4 ,ver4 #cg4 ,thus saith the ,lord3 ,if the heavens above be measured1 and the foundations of the earth beneath be searched out1 ,i will also cast off all the seed of ,israel1 for all that they have done1 saith the ,lord4 ,it is not without meaning that the ,prophet so frequently repeats3 ,thus saith the ,lord4 ,this formed the ,greek3 ,a and ,greek3 2 ,his word was the sole ground of hope for ,israel4 ,apart from it1 despair was as reasonable1 as now it was unreasonable4 ,the measuring of heaven1 and the searching out of the innermost parts of the earth1 come here into consideration as things impossible4 ,the words3 ,all the seed of ,israel1 take from the hypocrites that consolation which they might be disposed to draw from these promises4 ,it is as much in opposition to the nature of ,god that ,he should permit all the seed of ,israel1 the faithful with the unbelievers1 to perish1 as that ,he should save all the seed of ,israel1 unbelievers as well as believers4 ,the promise1 as well as the threatening1 always leaves a remnant4 ,all that the covenant grants is1 that the whole cannot ,pg #ddh perish 7the discourse is here1 of course1 of definite rejection72 but it gives no security to the individual sinner4 ,the words3 ,for all that they have done1 are added intentionally1 because the greatness of the sins of the people was the punctum saliens in the believers'despair of the mercy of ,god4 ,calvin says3 ,the ,prophet here intentionally brings forward the sins of the people1 in order that we may know that the grace of ,god is greater still1 and that the multitude of so many wicked men would not be an obstacle to ,god's granting pardon4 ,ver4 #ch4 ,behold1 days1 saith the ,lord1 and the city is built to the ,lord from the tower of ,hananeel unto the gate of the corner4 ,ver4 #ci4 ,and the measuring line goeth yet farther over against it1 over the hill ,gareb 7the leper71 and turneth towards ,goah 7place of execution74 ,ver4 #dj4 ,and the whole valley of the carcasses and of the ashes1 and all the fields unto the brook of ,kidron1 and from thence unto the horsegate1 towards the ,east1 7all this is7 holiness unto the ,lord4 ,no more shall it be destroyed1 nor shall it be laid waste for ever4 ,this prophecy embraces two features3 first1 the restoration of the ,kingdom of ,god1 represented under the figure of a restoration of ,jerusalem1 which1 under the ,old ,covenant1 was its seat and centre 7it is this aspect only which ,zechariah1 in resuming this prophecy1 has brought forward in chap4 xiv4 #aj72 and1 secondly1 the glorification of the ,kingdom of ,god1 which now is so strengthened and increased1 that it can undertake to attack and assail the dark kingdom of evil1 and subject it to itself1 while formerly it was attacked and assailed by it1 and often could not prevent the enemy from penetrating into the innermost heart of its territory4 ,this thought the ,prophet graphically clothes in a perceptible form1 and in such a manner that he describes how the unholy places1 by which ,jerusalem1 the holy city1 was surrounded on all sides1 are included in its circumference1 and become holiness unto the ,lord4 ,in former times1 the victory of the world over the ,kingdom of ,god had been embodied in the fact1 that the abominations of sin and idolatry had penetrated into the very temple2 compare chap4 vii4 #aa3 ,is then this house1 which is called by the name of the ,lord1 a den of robbers1 saith the ,lord8 ,other passages will be mentioned when we come to comment upon ,dan4 ix4 #bg4 ,this inward victory must1 according to divine necessity1 ,pg #ddi be followed by the outward one4 ,the covenant-people which1 inwardly1 had submitted to the world1 which1 by its own guilt1 had profaned itself1 was1 outwardly also1 given up to the world1 and was profaned in punishment4 ,and this profanation1 inflicted upon it as a punishment1 again manifested itself just at that place1 where the profanation by the guilt had chiefly manifested itself1 viz41 in the holy city1 and in the holy temple4 ,it is with a view to the former manifestation of the victory of the world over the ,kingdom of ,god1 that here the victory of the ,kingdom of ,god over the world is described2 and the imagery is just simple imagery4 ,to the outward holiness of the city and of the temple1 the outward unholiness of the places around ,jerusalem is opposed4 ,while the victory of the world over the ,kingdom of ,god had been manifested by the profanation of these places1 the victory of the ,kingdom of ,god now appears under the image of the sanctification of these formerly unholy places4 ,by what means that great change had been brought about2 by what means the ,kingdom of ,god1 which now lay so powerlessly prostrate1 should again obtain powers which it had never before possessed2 by what means the servant was to be changed into a lord1 it was unnecessary for the ,prophet here to point out2 it had been already mentioned in vers4 #cb-cd4 ,the difference consists in this1 that the ,new ,covenant is not like the ,old1 but that it first furnishes the right weapons by which sin and the world can be overcome1 viz41 an infinitely richer measure of the forgiveness of sins1 of the graces of the ,spirit4--,we must still premise a general remark concerning the determination of the boundaries of the ,new ,jerusalem here given1 because this must guide us in determining the single doubtful places which are here mentioned4 ,the correct view has been already given by ,vitringa in his ,commentary on ,isaiah xxx4 #cc3 ,the ,prophet promises to the returning ones the restoration of the city of ,jerusalem in its whole circumference2 and he describes it in this way1 that he begins from the ,eastern wall1 passes on thence1 through the ,north side1 to the ,west side1 and thence1 by the ,south side1 returns to the ,east4 ,for the ,prophet begins with the tower of ,hananeel which was situated at the ,east side of the town1 near the sheep-gate2 compare remarks on ,zech4 xiv4 #aj4 ,thence he proceeds to ,pg #dej the corner-gate1 which was situated in that corner where the ,north and ,east met 7compare l4 c471 and hence comprehends the whole ,north side4 ,he closes with the horse-gate1 of which he expressly states that it was situated towards the ,east1 and hence points out that he had again arrived at the place from which he set out4 ,we have thus gained a firm foundation for determining those among the places mentioned1 the situation of which is1 in itself1 doubtful4--,let us now proceed to the consideration of particulars4 ,after ,hebrew3 imi,m1 the ,keri inserts ,hebrew3 bai,m4 ,it is true that this fuller expression is commonly used by the ,prophet2 but1 for that very reason1 the more concise one is to be preferred1 which alone has the authority of the ,,mss4 in its favour1 while the ,keri is nothing but a conjecture1 perhaps not even that4 ,the full expression having already occurred so frequently in the passage under consideration1 the ,prophet here1 at the close1 and for a change1 contents himself with the mere intimation4 ,the ,prophet says intentionally3 ,the city is built to the ,lord1 so that to the ,lord must be connected with is built2 not the city of the ,lord4 ,the latter expression had become so much a nomen proprium of ,jerusalem1 that the full depth of its meaning was no more thought of4 ,this new city is no more to be called simply the city of the ,lord2 it is truly to be built to the ,lord1 so that it belongs to ,him4--,in the first two points of the boundary1 the tower of ,hananeel and the ,corner-gate1 the second main idea of the passage does not yet come out so prominently4 ,this is to be accounted for simply by the circumstance1 that on the whole ,north side of the town there was not any unholy places4 ,the ,suffix in ,hebrew3 ngdv refers to the ,corner-gate2 the measuring line1 ,hebrew3 qvh according to the ,kethibh1 ,hebrew3 qv hmdh1 which is the common form1 according to the ,keri1 goes yet farther over against it1 c4 ,by the words over against1 it is intimated that it now goes beyond the former dimensions of the town4 ,hebrew3 el over 7,hitzig erroneously translates it towards1 or by the side of it71 shows that the hill ,gareb is included within the circumference of the new city4 ,from the remarks formerly made1 it appears that the hill ,gareb1 and ,goah1 places which are nowhere else mentioned1 must have been situated on the ,west side2 and1 moreover1 ,gareb on the ,north-west ,pg #dea side#e and ,goah on the ,south-west side1 ,hebrew3 grb has no other signification than the leper2 and the hill of the leper can be the hill only1 where the lepers had their abode4 ,for1 as early as in the second year after the ,exodus from ,egypt1 these lepers were obliged to remain without the camp 7comp4 ,numb4 v4 #c3 ,without the camp shall ye send them1 and not shall they defile their camp in the midst whereof ,i dwell72 and this law was so strictly enforced1 that even ,moses' sister was removed out of the camp4 ,when they had come to ,canaan1 the provisions of the law in reference to the camp were transferred to the towns2 comp4 farther ,lev4 xiii4 #df3 ,all the days that he has the leprosy1 he shall be defiled2 he shall dwell alone1 without the camp shall his habitation be2 ,luke xvii4 #ab4 ,even ,uzziah could not be released from it2 he lived without the city in ,beth ,chofshith1 #b ,kings xv4 #e1 which is commonly translated house of the sick1 instead of house of emancipation1 viz41 place where they lived1 whom the ,lord had manumitted1 who no more belonged to ,his servants2 compare remarks on ,psa4 lxxxviii4 #f4 ,even in the kingdom of ,israel they were so strict in the execution of this ,mosaic ordinance 7one from among the numberless proofs which are opposed to the current views of the religious condition of this kingdom1 and of its relation to the ,law of ,moses71 that1 even during the siege of ,samaria1 the lepers were not allowed to leave the place before the gate assigned to them1 #b ,kings vii4 #c4--;,in order more fully to understand the meaning of our passage1 it is indispensable that we should inquire into the causes of that regulation4 ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis 7,mos4 ,recht4 iv4 #baj7 has his answer at once in readiness1 and is so fully convinced of its being right and to the point1 that he does not think it worth while to mention any other view4 ,because to him the temporal objects and aims are the highest1 he at once supposes them everywhere in the ,law of the ,holy ,god also4 ,the ordinance is to him nothing but a sanitary measure intended to prevent contagion4 ,but that would surely be a degree of severity against the sick which could the less be excused by a regard to the healthy1 that leprosy1 ,pg #deb if contagious at all1 is so1 at all events1 very slightly only1 and is never propagated by a single touch4 7,michaelis himself remarks3 ,except in the case of cohabitation1 one may be quite safe47 ,but this severity against the sick must appear in a still more glaring light1 and the concern for the healthy becomes even ridiculous1 when we take into consideration the other regulations concerning the lepers4 ,they were obliged to go about in torn clothes1 bare-headed1 and with covered chin1 and to cry out to every that came near them1 that they were unclean4 ,even ,michaelis grants that those regulations could not be designed to guard against infection4 ,he remarks3 ,but the leper should not cause disgust to any one by his really shocking appearance1 or terror by an accidental1 unexpected touch4 ,but such a sentimental1 unmerciful regard to the tender nerves is surely elsewhere not to be perceived in the ,law1 which regulates all the relations of man to his neighbour1 by the principle3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,farther--,from mere sanitary or police considerations1 the law in reference to the leprosy of the clothes and houses1 which is closely connected with the law about the leprosy of men1 cannot be accounted for4 ,the reason which ,michaelis advances for the law in reference to the clothes1 is of such a nature1 that not even the most refined politicians have ever yet thought of a similar one4 ,the leprosy of the houses is1 according to him1 the dry-rot1 which1 although not contagious1 was so hateful to ,moses1 that1 out of concern for the health of the possessor1 and for the goods kept in them1 he ordered them to be altogether pulled down4 ,if ,moses had entertained the views on the power of the magistrates which lie at the foundation of this1 he could not have been an ambassador of ,god1--even apart altogether from the absurdity of the measure4 ,but the shallowness and untenableness of ,michaelis' view will appear still more strongly1 when we state the positive argument for our view4 ,it is this3 ,leprosy is the outward image of sin2 that1 therefore1 which is done upon the leper1 is1 in reality1 done upon the sinner4 ,every leper1 therefore1 was a living sermon1 a loud admonition to keep unspotted from the world4 ,the exclusion of the lepers from the camp1 from the holy city1 conveyed figuratively quite the same lesson1 as is done in ,words by ,john1 in ,revel4 xxi4 #bg3 ,greek3 ,kai ou m eiselth eis autn ,pg #dec ,greek3 pan koinon kai poioun bdelugma kai pseudos1 and by ,paul1 in ,ephes4 v4 #e3 ,greek3 touto gar iste ginskontes1 hoti pas pornos1 akathartos1 pleonekts 444 ouk echei klronomian en t basileia tou ,christou kai ,theou2 comp4 ,gal4 v4 #ai1 #ba4 ,now it is clearly seen what is the ,prophet's meaning in including the hill of the lepers in the holy city4 ,that which hitherto was unclean becomes clean2 the ,kingdom of ,god now does violence to the sinners1 while1 hitherto1 the sinners had done violence to the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,it is only when we take this view of leprosy1 that we account for the fact1 that just this disease so frequently occurs as the theocratic punishment of sin4 ,the image of sin is best suited for reflecting it2 he who is a sinner before ,god1 is represented as a sinner in the eyes of man also1 by the circumstance that he must exhibit before men the image of sin4 ,god took care that ordinarily the image and the thing itself were perfectly coincident2 although1 no doubt1 there were exceptions1--cases where ,god1 according to ,his wise and holy purposes1 allowed that one relatively innocent 7in the case of a perfectly innocent man1 if such an one existed1 that would not be possible1 except in the case of ,christ who bore our disease71 had to bear the image of sin1 e4g41 in the case of such as were in danger of self-righteousness4 ,as a theocratic punishment1 leprosy is found especially with such as had secretly sinned1 or had surrounded their sin with a good appearance1 which1 in the eyes of men1 prevents them from appearing as sinners1 e4g41 in the case of ,miriam1 ,uzziah1 ,gehazi1 #b ,kings v4 #bg4 ,in the ,law1 there are many warnings against it1 e4g41 ,deut4 xxiv4 #h2 and ,david wishes1 #b ,sam4 iii4 #bi1 that the threatening of the ,law might be fulfilled upon the house of wicked ,joab4 ,the leprosy of houses1 too1 comes into consideration only as an image of spiritual leprosy1 as is seen from the command in ,lev4 xiv4 #di3 ,and he shall take to cleanse the house two birds1 and cedar wood1 and scarlet1 and hyssop2 ver4 #ec3 and make an atonement for the house1 and it shall be clean4 ,the procedure here is quite the same as that which was applied in the case of sin and sinners2 and since the house cannot sin1 it follows that a symbolical action only can here be spoken of4--,goah1 in this context1 in the midst of unclean places1 can hardly be anything else than some unclean place2 and it is a very obvious supposition that this nature is expressed in the very ,pg #ded name4 ,this signification interpreters usually endeavour to obtain by deriving the word from ,hebrew3 geh to roar1 of which it is properly the ,partic4 ,fem41 hence the roaring one2 but it is more easily obtained by adopting the derivation from ,hebrew3 gve1 just as ,hebrew3 wve is derived from ,hebrew3 wve1 a derivation which was first proposed by ,hiller1 ,s4 #abg4 ,hebrew3 gve is used of a violent death1 no less than of a natural death2 thus ,numb4 xvii4 #bg1 #bh1 of a death like that of the company of ,korah1 ,datham1 and ,abiram2 comp4 ,zech4 xiii4 #h4 ,this derivation being assumed1 ,goah would denote expiring1 hill#f of expiring1 which would be a very suitable name of the place for the execution of criminals4 ,vitringa1 in commenting upon ,is4 xxx4 #cc1 already expressed the conjecture that ,goah1 ,hebrew3 gl gveth might perhaps be identical with ,golgotha1 but retracted it1 because the ,evangelists explain ,golgotha by ,greek3 kraniou topos4 ,but this is no sufficient and conclusive reason4 ,when the ,aramean became the prevailing language1 the name of the place may have received a new etymology1 just as the ,fathers of the ,church derive ,greek3 pascha1 from ,greek3 paschein1 and many similar instances4 ,it has already been observed that the appellation1 place of skulls1 is rather strange1 inasmuch as the skulls did not remain in the place of execution4#g ,the use of skull for the place of skulls1 as well as the omission of the ,l1 have been found strange4 ,but all that is easily accounted for1 if the new signification1 which substantially agreed with the former1 was merely transferred to the word4 ,the identity of ,goah and ,golgotha cannot be disputed1--at least1 not from the situation4 ,from ,heb4 xiii4 #ab1 it is certain that ,golgotha1 as an unclean place1 was situated outside the city2 that it was situated on the ,west side is1 it is ,pg #dee true1 testified by tradition only2 comp4 ,krafft1 ,s4 #afh ff42 ,ritter1 ,erdk4 xvi4 #a1 ,s4 #dbb ff4--,we now come to the valley of carcasses and of ashes4 ,even from the position1 it becomes probable that this is the valley of ,hinnom4 ,the ,north and ,west sides are already done1 and hence the ,south and ,east sides only remain4 ,but the valley of ,hinnom was situated towards the ,south1 or ,south-east of ,jerusalem1 comp4 ,krafft1 ,s #b2 v4 ,raumer1 ,s4 #bfi4 ,the valley of the carcasses is here brought into immediate connection with all the fields 7q4d41 all the other fields71 unto the brook ,kidron1 and is hence designated as a portion of the valley of ,kidron4 ,but the valley of ,hinnom was the ,southern1 or ,south-eastern continuation of the valley of ,kidron1 which extended on the ,east side4 ,to this it may be added that1 in this context1 we must necessarily expect the mention of the valley of ,hinnom1 but that otherwise it would be wanting4 ,among all the unclean places around ,jerusalem1 this was the most unclean4 ,there could be no greater victory of the ,kingdom of ,god over the world1 than if this strictest antithesis to the holy city1 this image of hell1 was included within the ,holy ,city4 ,it is only with respect to the cause of the appellation1 that some doubt may exist1 ,hebrew3 pgr1 ,hebrew3 pgri,m is a common designation of dead bodies1 of carcasses4 ,there is not one among the twenty-two passages in which it occurs1 where it refers to deceased righteous ones4 ,it is used of the dead bodies of animals1 of idols1 ,lev4 xxvi4 #cj2 of the dead bodies of those whom the ,lord has smitten in ,his anger and wrath1 ,jer4 xxxiii4 #e2 #a ,sam4 xvii4 #df2 ,amos viii4 #c2 ,neh4 iii4 #c2 ,is4 lxvi4 #bd2 of such as are1 after death1 treated like beasts1 ,jer4 i4 #di4 ,hence1 opinions such as that of ,venema fall to the ground1 who supposes that the valley had that name1 because it was the public burying-ground4 ,but there is1 nevertheless1 scope for difference of opinion4 ,one may understand by ,hebrew3 pgri,m the carcasses of animals2--the valley of ,hinnom would1 in that case1 be the public flaying-ground4 ,it is in itself probable1 and it is generally held#h that1 after the defilement by ,josiah 7#b ,kings xxiii4 #aj71 it received this designation4 ,but there are not wanting evident traces that1 ,pg #def even in former times1 the valley served this purpose4 ,in ,is4 xxx4 #cc1 it is said in reference to the ,assyrians3 ,for ,tophet 7,gesenius arbitrarily changes the nomen proprium into an appellativum1 and translates3 the place for burning7 is ordained of old2 yea1 for the king it is prepared1 made deep and large2 the pile thereof has fire and wood in abundance4 ,this passage supposes that1 even at that time1 the valley of ,hinnom1 or ,tophet 7which properly is only a part of it1 but is sometimes1 however1 used for the whole71 had that destination2 that piles were constantly burning in it1 on which the carcasses of animals were burned4 ,such a place of execution and burial is already prepared for the carcasses of the ,assyrians rebelling against ,god4 ,even the existence of the name ,tophet1 i4e41 horror1 abomination1 bears witness to the impure destination4 ,the second passage is ,is4 lxvi4 #bd4 ,outside the ,holy ,city1 the place where formerly the carcasses of the beasts were lying1 there now lie the dead bodies of the transgressors4 ,as the former were1 in times past1 food both for the worms and fire1 so they are now4 ,it is true1 that ,vitringa's objection1 that it can scarcely be imagined that the idolators should have chosen a place so unclean1 is very plausible4 ,but how plausible soever such an argument may appear1 it cannot invalidate distinct historical testimonies2 and it might very well be set aside1 although it would lead us too far away from our purpose1 to do so here4 ,but it may also be supposed that the ,prophet looks back to his own declarations1 chap4 vii4 #ca1 and xix4 #d ff42 and that by ,hebrew3 pgri,m here the corpses of transgressors are to be understood1 who are destined to destruction1 and therefore are to be buried in the flaying-ground4 ,but this reference is1 after all1 too far-fetched2 and it is more natural to say1 that the nature of ,tophet1 as the flaying-ground1 forms the foundation1 which is common to those passages and that before us4--,but1 besides the arguments already advanced1 there is still a grammatical reason1 which shows that it is really the valley of ,hinnom which is meant4 ,the article in ,hebrew3 hemq forbids us to view it as being in the ,stat4 construct4 and connected with the following words4 ,we must translate3 ,and the whole valley1 7viz4 the valley of7 the carcasses and ashes4 ,the place is1 hence1 first designated as the valley1 without any further qualification1 and receives this qualification only afterwards4 ,but it is just the valley of ,hinnom which1 in ,jer4 ii4 #bc1 is ,pg #deg designated as the valley ,greek3 kat' exochn1 and the gate leading to it1 as the gate of the valley1 in ,neh4 ii4 #ac1 #ae2 comp4 remarks on ,zech4 xi4 #ac4--;,in reference to ,hebrew3 dw,n1 ,gousset ,lex4 p4 #cfh1 remarks3 ,the words ,hebrew3 dw,n1 and ,hebrew3 dw,n are used only of the ashes of the sacrificial animals1 and their removal4 ,this observation is confirmed by every careful examination of the passages in question4 ,never are ,hebrew3 dw,n and ,hebrew3 dw,n used otherwise than of the ashes of sacrificial animals2 comp4 ,lev4 i4 #af2 vi4 #c1 #d2 #a ,kings xiii4 #e2 ,numb4 iv4 #ac2 ,exod4 xxvii4 #c4 ,the derivation of the signification ashes1 from the fundamental signification fat1 as advanced by ,winer and others 7cinis pinguefactio agrorum71 is therefore wrong4 ,on the contrary1 even the burnt fat was still considered as fat2 the ashes of the fat are the ,hebrew3 warit1 the residuum of the fat4 ,by this determination of the word1 the explanation is very much facilitated4 ,in ,lev4 vi4 #c1 #aa1 it is said3 ,and he 7the priest1 after having offered up the burnt-offering7 shall put off his garments1 and put on other garments1 and carry forth the ashes without the camp into a clean place4 ,according to this regulation1 the ashes of the sacrificial animals were considered as relatively unclean4 ,the priest had to put off his holy garments1 and to put on common garments1 and to carry the ashes without the camp1--afterwards without the ,holy ,city4 ,hence1 in contrast to the sacrifices themselves1 the ashes were considered as the impure residuum which is found in everything which men do in relation to ,god1 as the image of sinful contamination attaching to all1 even the best works1 and to the holiest elevation of the heart4 ,if1 then1 the place where the ashes are deposited is to be included within the boundaries of the ,holy ,city2 is1 in holiness1 to be equal to the place where the sacrifices themselves are offered1--what else can be signified thereby1 than that the unholy is to be overpowered by the holy1 the earthly by the divine1 by means of a more glorious communication of the ,holy ,spirit8 ,it is quite analogous1 when ,zechariah represents the horses as being in future adorned by the ,lord with the symbol of holiness1 which formerly the ,high-priest only wore2 compare remarks on ,zech4 xiv4 #bj4 ,this one argument might be brought forward against the explanation which we have given1 viz41 that we cannot well imagine that this was the destination of ,pg #deh the valley of ,hinnom1 because1 according to the ,law1 the ashes of the sacrifices were to be carried to a clean place2 because that which once stood in connection with that which is most holy and pure1 although1 in itself1 it may be unclean1 must not be mingled with that which is absolutely and constantly unclean4 ,but in opposition to this we remark1 that it was not this whole valley that was unclean1 but only the place ,tophet in it2 and that if sometimes the whole is designated as unclean1 it is only because it included this most unclean among all unclean places2 comp4 chap4 vii4 #ca1 xxxii4 #ce2 #b ,kings xxiii4 #aj4--,there cannot be any doubt that the ,hebrew3 wrmvt unto the brook ,kidron are identical with the fields of ,kidron1 ,hebrew3 wdmvt qdrv,n1 mentioned in #b ,kings xxiii42 but much to be doubted is the correctness of the common supposition 7after the example of ,kuypers1 ad varia ,v4 ,t4 loca1 in the ,syll4 ,dissert4 sub praes4 ,schultens1 et ,schroederi1 t4 #a4 p4 #ecg71 that ,hebrew3 wrmvt is identical with ,hebrew3 wdmvt4 ,if that were the case1 we could not see why ,jeremiah should have exchanged the common word for an uncommon one1 which elsewhere does not occur4 ,jeremiah is fond of exchanging words of similar sounds1 and especially words differing from one another merely by one letter1 and especially by ,hebrew3 d and ,hebrew3 r2 but these exchanges are always significant4 7,compare ,kper4 ,jerem4 p4 xiv4 and #dc1 and ,history of ,balaam1 p4 #ddg f47 ,although we cannot1 with certainty1 fix the meaning of ,hebrew3 wrmvt1 yet so much seems to be sure1 that this word was one which more accurately designated the nature of those places than the current nomen proprium1 inasmuch as it would be absurd to substitute for it another name1 if there had not been deeper reasons4 ,one need only compare the ,hebrew3 hr hmw,hit itself which1 in the simple historical prose1 is used of the ,mount of ,olives1 #b ,kings xxiii4 #ac4 ,the most simple and natural supposition is the following4 ,all the significations of the verbs ,arabic3 99991 ,arabic3 99991 ,arabic3 9999 in ,arabic run together in that of cutting off4 ,hebrew3 wdmvt the ,plural of the ,feminine of the ,adjective ,hebrew3 wrm are1 accordingly1 loca abscissa1 places which are cut off and excluded from the ,holy ,city outwardly 7,aq43 ,greek3 proasteia71 and1 at the same time1 inwardly4 ,thus we obtain a striking contrast between their present nature and future destination4 ,what is now distinctly separated from the holy1 ,pg #dei then become holiness1 ,hebrew3 qdw4 ,from #b ,kings xxiii4 it appears1 moreover1 that the fields of ,kidron were unclean4 ,it was thither as to an unclean place1 that ,josiah caused all the abominations of idolatry to be carried1 and to be burnt2 comp4 ver4 #d 7,josiah commanded all the vessels which had been made to ,baal and ,ashera to be brought forth out of the temple73 ,and he burned them without ,jerusalem in the fields of ,kidron4 ,ver4 #f3 ,and he brought out the ,ashera out of the house of the ,lord1 without ,jerusalem1 unto the brook ,kidron1 and he burned them in the valley of ,kidron4444 ,and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people4 ,these last words 7the children of the people the mob1 high and low1 who had polluted themselves by idolatry1 comp4 #b ,chron4 xxxiv4 #d3 ,and he strewed the dust upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them7 enable us perhaps to conjecture the cause of the uncleanness of these fields4 ,they served as a burying ground to the adherents of the worship of ,moloch1 who were anxious to rest in the neighbourhood of their idol1 which dwelt in the neighbouring ,tophet2 and this is the more easily accounted for1 that it is very probable that the sacrifices offered up to the idol were1 in a great measure1 sacrifices offered for the dead4--,hebrew3 qdw lihvh refers to every thing mentioned in the verse before us4 ,as regards the last words1 comp4 ,remarks on ,zech4 xiv4 #aa4 ,footnote #a3 ,the person of the ,messiah meets us as the living centre of the salvation in ver4 #i3 ,and they serve the ,lord their ,god1 and ,david their ,king1 whom ,i will raise up unto them2 on which words ,jonathan remarks3 ,and the ,messiah the ,son of ,david2 and ,abarbanel3 ,this is ,king ,messiah1 who is of the house of ,david1 and is therefore called by his name4 ,from the parallel passages1 ,hos4 iii4 #e2 ,is4 lv4 #c1 our passage differs in this1 that ,david here does not1 as in those passages1 designate the family of ,david which centres in ,christ1 but the person of the ,messiah4 ,the commentary is furnished by chap4 xxiii4 #e3 ,i raise unto ,david a righteous ,sprout4 ,the circumstance1 that it is not the ,sprout of ,david1 but ,david1 that is spoken of here1 is explained from a reference to the words which the ten tribes spoke at their rebellion1 #a ,kings xii4 #af3 ,we have no portion in ,david1 neither have we inheritance in the ,son of ,jesse4 ,to your tents1 ,o ,israel4 ,to the person of the ,messiah the ,prophet reverts once more towards the close also3 ,and their glorious one shall be out of themselves1 and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them 7compare ,mic4 v4 #a1 #b1 #b1 #c71 and ,i cause him to draw near1 and he approacheth unto me2 for who is surety for his heart to approach unto me1 saith the ,lord8 ,god himself receives the ,king of the ,future into the closest communion with ,him1--,i and the ,father are one--a communion which no one can usurp by his own power1 and which1 in the case of the former kings1 even in that of ,david1 was frequently disturbed by their sinful weakness4 ,footnote #b3 ,hofmann 7,weiss4 u4 ,erf4 #a ,s4 #ach7 assigns to the phrase the meaning3 to make an arrangement4 ,but decisive against this is not only the derivation1 7comp4 ,gesenius ,thesaurus71 but the circumstance also1 that it is almost exclusively and quite manifestly used of a relation resting on reciprocity1 of the making of a covenant in the ordinary sense2 and that the few instances where there is apparently a reference to one party1 form an exception only to the rule4 ,footnote #c3 ,even the most recent interpreters1 who take ,hebrew3 bel sensu malo1 still greatly differ1--a proof that this interpretation has a very insufficient foundation on which to rest4 ,gesenius1 ,de ,wette1 ,bleek 7on ,heb4 viii4 #i71 retain the explanation by fastidire1 rejicere2 ,maurer translates3 dominarer1 domini partes sustinerem1 contrasting tyrannical dominion with a relation of love2 ,ewald3 ,seeing that ,i am her master and protector2 ,hitzig3 ,and ,i got possession of her4 ,all these interpretations are opposed by the usus loquendi1 according to which ,hebrew3 bel has only the two significations3 to possess1 and to take for a wife1 the latter being the ordinary and prevailing one4 ,footnote #d3 ,not less than these1 ,hitzig too has allowed himself to be carried away by the appearance4 ,he says3 ,then1 indeed1 the office of religious instructors must cease4 ,footnote #e3 ,according to ,krafft 7sur ,topographie ,jerus4 ,s4 #aeh71 it is only the hill ,bezetha which1 by the third wall of ,agrippa1 was added to the town1 that can correspond to the situation of ,gareb4 ,footnote #f3 ,thenius1 in the appendix to the ,commentary on the ,books of ,kings1 ,s4 #bd1 remarks3 ,hebrew3 gl does not1 in any of the dialects1 denote the natural hill of rocks1 but merely stones heaped up4 ,hence1 the hill would be an artificial hill for the execution of criminals4 7,compare the ,german word ,rabenstein1 lit4 raven-stone1 for3 place of execution47 ,footnote #g3 ,this objection would be removed if1 following ,thenius and ,krafft1 ,s4 #aeh1 we were to explain the name from the form of the hill1 which is that of a skull4 ,but none of the ,evangelists at least have advanced this explanation4 ,the fact that three of them add the ,greek explanation to the name 7,matt4 xxvii4 #cc2 ,mark xv4 #bb2 ,john xix4 #ag71 and one translated it into ,greek 7,luke xxiii4 #cc7 shows that it stood in connection with the event in question4 ,but this circumstance is quite decisive1 that three ,evangelists explain it by ,greek3 kraniou topos1 place of a skull4 ,footnote #h3 ,compare the ,book ,kosri1 p4 #gb4 ,buxtorff says3 ,gehenna was a well-known place near ,jerusalem1 viz41 a valley in which the fire was never extinguished1 and where unclean bones1 carcasses1 and other unclean things1 were burned4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 #ad-bf4 ,still before the destruction1 but in the view of it1 the ,prophet1 while in the outer court of the prison1 was favoured with the revelation contained in chap4 xxxii41 and with that revelation of which our section forms a portion4 ,it may appear strange that1 in the introduction1 the revelation of great things hitherto unknown to him is promised to the ,prophet1 and which he is told to seek by calling unto the ,lord2 while1 after all1 the subsequent prophecy contains scarcely any prominent1 peculiar feature4 ,but this is easily explained1 when we take into consideration that1 throughout ,scripture1 dead ,pg #dfj knowledge is not regarded as knowledge2 that the hope of restoration had1 in the natural man1 in the ,prophet as well as in all believers1 an enemy that strove to darken and extinguish it2 that1 therefore1 the promise of restoration was ever new1 and the word of ,god always great and exalted4 ,in the first part of the revelation1 after the destruction had been represented as unavoidable1 and all human hope had been cut oft1 the restoration is described more in general terms4 ,in the second part1 the ,lord meets a two-fold special grief of the believers4 ,the time was approaching when the house of ,david was to be most deeply humbled1 when every trace of its former glory was to be done away with4 ,with it1 the hopes of the people seem to be buried4 ,god himself had declared this house to be the medium1 through which all the mercies were to come1 which ,he1 as the ,king1 had promised to bestow upon ,his people4 ,but what was to become of the mercies1 if the channel was destroyed1 through which they were to be bestowed upon the people8 ,the temple which1 through the guilt of the people1 had been changed into a den of robbers1 was to be destroyed4 ,but1 with the existence of the temple1 the existence of the ,levitical priesthood was bound up1 and if the latter was done away with1 how was to be obtained forgiveness of sins1 which1 in the ,law1 had been connected with the mediation of the ,levitical priesthood8 ,these fears and cares the ,lord now meets by declaring that1 in both respects1 the perishing would be an arising1 that life should arise from death4 ,the genuineness of this section has been assailed by ,jahn 7,vaticinia ,mess4 iii4 p4 #aab1 ff4#a71 after the example of ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis1 who1 in the ,german translation of the ,bible1 inclosed it within brackets4 ,for the present1 we mention only the internal reason--deferring the refutation till we come to the exposition of particulars--because we require it in order to set aside the external reason4 ,jahn1 p4 #aba1 sums it up in these words3 ,the matter stands in opposition to all the prophecies of ,jeremiah and all the other ,prophets4 ,for all of them limit themselves to the one ,david who was to come ,pg #dfa after the captivity1 and do not mention any successor to him1 far less such a multitude of descendants of ,david and of ,levites1 which is promised to the people under the name of a blessing1 but which would1 in reality1 have been a very heavy burden to the people1 at whose expense they were to be splendidly maintained4 ,the external reason is the omission of the section in the ,alexandrian version4 ,proceeding upon the altogether gratuitous assumption of a double recension of the prophecies of ,jeremiah1 people imagine that1 by the omission in the ,alexandrian version1 they are entitled to suppose that1 in that recension which the ,,lxx4 followed1 this section was not contained4 ,but the arguments are most unsatisfactory1 by which the attempt is made to establish that many portions1 not translated by the ,,lxx41 were not found by them in their manuscripts4 ,where there notoriously prevail negligence1 ignorance1 arbitrariness1 entire want of a clear conception of the task of a translator1 those inferences are out of place which suppose just the opposite of all these 7comp4 e4g41 the inferences in ,jahn1 ,s4 #aaf ff47 ,although we cannot sometimes discover and state the reason which induced the ,,lxx4 to make any omission1 in case that that which was omitted was really in the text1 what is it that is thereby proved8 ,could we1 a priori1 expect anything else1 since we are on the territory of accident and whim8 ,it is quite sufficient that in a multitude of passages we can point out the most insufficient reasons which induced them to make omissions1 alterations1 transpositions2 for it is just these which show that we are in the territory of accident and whim1 where it is unreasonable every where to expect reasons4 ,now1 to these passages1 that before us likewise belongs2 so that1 even supposing that the ground of the deviation sometimes lies in a different recension1 our passage cannot be regarded as belonging to this class2 and1 hence1 from its omission1 nothing can be inferred against its genuineness4 ,a twofold reason here presents itself1 which may have induced them to the omission3 #a4 ,important elements of the prophecy under consideration have already occurred1 vers4 #ae1 #af1 almost verbatim1 in chap4 xxiii4 #c1 #f2 vers4 #bj-be1 as regards the thought1 altogether1 and as regards the words1 partly agree with chap4 xxxi4 #ce-cg2 and it is certain that the ,,lxx4 often omitted ,pg #dfb that which had occurred previously1 because they were unable to perceive the deeper meaning of the repetition1 and transferred their own ignorance to the ,prophet4 #b4 ,in that which was peculiar to the passage before us1 it was just the principal thought--the same which ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis and ,jahn advance against the genuineness--which must have been most objectionable to the ,,lxx41 who were incapable of perceiving the deeper meaning4 ,an increase of the ,levites and of the family of ,david as the stare of the heavens and the sand of the sea1 is a thought of which the ,prophet must be freed1 whether he entertained it or not4 ,the omission in the ,alexandrian version1 therefore1 does not prove any thing1 except that even #bjjj years before ,j4 ,d4 ,michaelis1 ,jahn1 ,hitzig1 and ,movers1 there were men who were as little able to understand the text as these expositors4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,behold days come1 saith the ,lord1 and ,i perform the good word which ,i leave spoken unto the house of ,israel1 and concerning the house of ,judah4 ,the good word may1 in a more general way1 be understood of all the gracious promises of ,god to ,israel1 in contrast to the evil word1 the threatenings which hitherto had been fulfilled upon ,israel2 comp4 #a ,kings viii4 #ef1 where ,solomon1 in the prayer at the consecration of the temple1 says3 ,blessed be the ,lord1 that has given rest unto ,his people ,israel1 according to all which ,he spoke2 there has not failed 7the opposite of ,hebrew3 qv,m7 one word of all ,his good word which ,he spoke through ,moses ,his servant4 ,in ,deut4 xxviii4 the good word and the evil word are placed beside one another2 and the former is blessed1 from vers4 #a-ad2 afterwards1 the curse is declared4 ,the centre and substance of this good word was the promise to ,david1 through whose righteous ,sprout all the promises to ,israel should find their final fulfilment4 ,but we may also suppose that1 by the good word1 the ,prophet specially denotes this promise to ,david1 which he had repeated in chap4 xxiii4 #e1 #f4 ,this latter supposition is preferable1 since1 in vers4 #ae1 #af1 that repetition of it is quoted1 and ver4 #ag contains an allusion to the fundamental promise4 ,the change of ,hebrew3 al and ,hebrew3 el is significant2 ,judah is considered as the object of the proclamation of salvation1 because salvation cometh from the ,jews4 ,the correctness of this view is proved by ,pg #dfc vers4 #ae1 #af1 where that only is spoken of1 which1 in the first instance1 belongs to ,judah2 so that ,israel is only received into the communion of the salvation1 in the first instance1 destined for ,judah4 ,ver4 #ae1 #af4 ,in those days and at that time will ,i cause a righteous ,sprout to grow up unto ,david1 and he worketh justice and righteousness in the land4 ,in those days ,judah is endowed with salvation1 and ,jerusalem dwelleth safely2 and this is the name by which she shall be called3 ,the ,lord our righteousness4 ,it is intentionally that the promise is here repeated in the former shape1 in order to show that it still existed2 that the glaring contrast presented by the present state of things was not able to annul it2 that even in the view of the destruction1 of the deepest abasement of the house of ,david1 it still retained its right and power4 ,instead of ,hebrew3 hqimvti1 the more suitable ,hebrew3 acmi,h is here used1 because the reference to ,jehoiakim does not take place in this passage1 as it did in the previous one4 ,instead of ,israel1 which is found there1 we have here ,jerusalem1 because it was just the restoration of ,jerusalem1 which it was so difficult for the faithful to believe1 after its destruction had been described in ver4 #d ff4 ,for the same reason1 the ,prophet here assigns the same name to ,jerusalem which he did there to the ,sprout of ,david4 ,the same city1 which as yet is groaning under the wrath of ,god1 shall1 in future1 be endowed with righteousness by the ,lord4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,for thus saith the ,lord3 ,there shall not be cut of from ,david a man sitting upon the throne of the house of ,israel4 ,the connection with what precedes is pertinently brought out by ,calvin3 ,the ,prophet had spoken of the restoration of the ,church2 that doctrine he now confirms by promising1 that both the kingly and priestly office should be perpetual2 and it was just these two things which constituted the salvation of the people4 ,for1 without a king1 they were just like a cut-off tree1 or a mutilated body2 without a priest they were in a state of dispersion4 ,for the priest was the mediator between ,god and the people1 but the king represented the person of ,god4 ,the expression ,hebrew3 la ikrt1 there shall not be cut off1 c41 is a simple repetition of the promise to ,david1 in ,pg #dfd that form in which it had been quoted by ,david himself1 shortly before his death1 in his address to ,solomon1 #a ,kings ii4 #d1 and afterwards twice by ,solomon1 #a ,kings viii4 #be1 ix4 #e4 ,it does not designate an uninterrupted succession1 but forms the contrast only to a breaking off for ever4 ,this appears even from the circumstance that1 in the fundamental promise1 ,god reserves to himself the punishment of the apostate members of the ,davidic house1 and that in ,jeremiah the announcement of its utter abasement is so frequently repeated4 ,ver4 #ah1 ,and to the ,levitical priests there shall not be cut off before me a man1 offering burnt-offerings1 and kindling meat-offerings1 and doing sacrifice all days4 ,in order rightly to understand these words1 it is necessary to go back to their cause2 for it is from the grief only that the comfort receives its explanation4 ,the ,prophet has here not by any means to do with members of the tribe of ,levi mourning over the loss of the prerogatives of their tribe4 ,if such were the case1 it would be necessary to hold fast by the letter1 inasmuch as it is only when the letter is adhered to1 that the promise can afford consolation for such grief4 ,the ,prophet's consolations1 on the contrary1 are destined for all the believers1 who were mourning over the destruction of the relation to ,god1 which hitherto had existed through the mediation of the tribe of ,levi4 ,if only the relation remained1 it was of little importance whether it was realised by the tribe of ,levi1 as heretofore1 or in some other way4 ,just as the grief has respect to the substance only1 so has the consolation also4 ,israel1 in future too1 shall retain free access to his reconciled ,god1--that is the fundamental thought2 and every thing by which this thought was manifested and realised in history1 in what form soever it might be1 must be viewed as comprehended in it4 ,we thus obtain a threefold fulfilment3 #a4 ,in the time after the return from the captivity1 the consolation was realised in the form in which it is here expressed4 ,the fact1 that ,god admitted and promoted the rebuilding of the temple1 was an actual declaration that the ,levitical priesthood was reinstated in its mediatorial office4 #b4 ,in the highest degree the idea of the ,levitical priesthood was realised through ,christ1 who1 as a ,high-,priest and ,mediator1 bore the sins of ,his people1 and made intercession for the transgressors1 and ,pg #dfe in whom the ,levitical priesthood ceased1 just as the seed-corn disappears in the stalk4 #c4 ,through ,christ1 the believers themselves became priests1 and obtained free access to the ,father4--,the following reasons show that we have a right to maintain this independence of the thought upon the form3 #a4 ,the ,prophet is so penetrated with the thought of the glory of the ,new ,dispensation far outshining that of the ,old1 that1 even a priori1 we could not suppose that1 as regards the priesthood1 he expected an eternal duration of its form1 hitherto so poor4 ,it is the substance only which1 in his view1 is permanent4 ,one need only compare the section1 chap4 xxxi4 #ca ff4 ,how intentionally does he here bring forward the idea that the ,new ,covenant would not be like the ,old2 how does he point from the shadow to the substance6 ,but it is especially chap4 iii4 #af which1 in this respect1 is to be regarded4 ,in that passage1 the ceasing of the former dignity of the ,ark of the ,covenant is announced repeatedly1 and in the strongest terms2 and we have already seen that1 along with the ,ark of the ,covenant1 the temple1 the ,levitical priesthood1 the whole sacrificial service stands in the closest and most indissoluble connection2 so that all this must fall along with it4 #b4 ,a very important proof is furnished by ver4 #bb1 which must be regarded as a declaration1 by the ,prophet himself1 as to the manner in which he wishes to be understood4 ,now1 in that verse1 it is promised that all the descendants of ,abraham shall be changed into ,levites2 and this is declared to form a part of the eternal acceptance of the tribe of ,levi1 promised in the verse under consideration4 ,this shows then1 that1 in the verse under review1 the ,levites cannot come into consideration as descendants of ,levi after the flesh1 but only as regards their destination and vocation4 #c4 ,as the most ancient and authentic interpreter of ,jeremiah1 ,zechariah must be considered4 ,he was most anxious to obviate the same fears which ,jeremiah here meets2 and1 in him1 the first two of the three features which ,jeremiah comprehends in the unity of the idea1 appear separated1 but in such a manner that the connecting unity of the idea is not lost sight of ,in ,zech4 iii41 ,god assures the people that1 notwithstanding the greatness of their sins1 ,he would not only allow the office of ,high-priest to continue as heretofore1 and accept his mediation1 but that1 at some future period1 ,pg #dff ,he would also send the true ,high-priest1 who should make a complete and everlasting atonement4 ,in ver4 #h1 the ,high-priest and his colleagues in the priestly office are designated as types of ,christ who1 putting most completely to shame the people's despair in ,god's mercy1 should fully accomplish the expiation and atonement which the former had effected only imperfectly4 ,in chap4 iv4 the priestly is1 along with the royal order1 designated as one of the two sons of the oil1 the two anointed ones of the ,lord1 whose anointing remaineth for ever2 and from chap4 vi4 #ac1 where the ,messiah appears as the true ,high-priest and ,king at the same time1 it appears that1 here too1 the shadow only belongs to the ,levitical priesthood1 but the substance to ,christ4 #d4 ,elsewhere1 too1 plain examples are not wanting1 in which the idea of the priesthood only is regarded1 while the peculiar form of its manifestation under the ,old ,testament is lost sight of4 ,among those is ,is4 lxi4 #f1 where1 in reference to all ,israel1 it is said3 ,and ye shall be named priests of ,jehovah1 ministers of our ,god shall they call you4 ,here the change of all ,israel into the tribe of ,levi is announced2 and the objection which1 perhaps1 might be brought forward1 that here only priests in general are spoken of1 while ,jeremiah speaks of ,levitical priests1 is met by the second passage1 chap4 lxvi4 #ba3 ,and from them also will ,i take for ,levitical priests saith the ,lord4 ,it makes no difference for our purpose whether from them be referred to the ,gentiles 7which is the correct view1 compare p4 #cfj71 as is done by ,vitringa and ,gesenius1 or to the ,israelites living in exile4 ,for1 although the latter interpretation be received1 yet so much is certain1 that such shall be taken for ,levitical priests as were not descendants of ,levi3 for1 otherwise1 no taking1 no special divine mercy would have taken place4 ,even the ,law already knows an ideal priesthood by the side of the ordinary one2 and such an one meets us also in ,ps4 xcix4 #f2 compare my ,commentary on that passage4--,after having thus fixed the sense of the promise referring to the ,levitical priesthood1 it will not be difficult to discover the right view in reference to the family of ,david4 ,here1 too1 a threefold fulfilment takes place4 #a4 ,it was realized in the times immediately after the captivity1 when ,zerubbabel1 a scion of the ,davidic house1 became the mediator of the mercies which ,god ,pg #dfg as ,king1 vouchsafed to ,his people4 ,to a certain degree1 that mercy too comes in here which1 at a later period1 ,god1 in ,his capacity as ,king1 bestowed upon the people by means of civil rulers1 who were not from the house of ,david4 ,for1 since the dominion had been for ever transferred to the house of ,david1 these rulers can be considered only as being engrafted into it1 as representatives and vice-regents1--much in the same way as the blessing1 which was bestowed upon the people by the priestly office of the non-priest ,samuel1 must be considered as being included in the promise in reference to the ,aaronic priesthood4 ,for all that ,god vouchsafed through those rulers1 was for the sake of the ,davidic house only1 which for ever had been destined to be the channel of ,his regal blessings4 ,if the kingdom of ,david had really been at an end1 ,he would not have given to the people even those rulers1 and the deliverance and prosperity granted to them1--as is clearly seen from a comparison of the times1 after the great ,hero of ,david's race ascended the throne1 when every trace of the regal grace of ,god in raising other rulers ceased2 for now1 that the race of ,david itself rules again1 and for ever1 no representation of it can any more take place4 ,but1 in the passage under consideration1 it would the less be suitable to separate everything which does not1 in the strictest sense1 belong to it1 that here the promise to ,david is not viewed with reference to him and his house1 but solely with reference to the people4 ,hence1 the manifestation of the regal grace of ,god forms the centre2 and the house of ,david comes into consideration1 only in so far as it was destined to be the mediator of this grace4 #b4 ,it was fulfilled in ,christ2 and from vers4 #ae1 #af1 it appears that the ,prophet had this fulfilment chiefly in view4 ,these two fulfilments are connected with one another by ,zechariah also1 in chap4 iv4--#c4 ,it was realized by the raising of the whole true posterity of ,abraham to the royal dignity1 through ,christ4 ,this most striking antithesis to the despair--the despair saying3 there is no king in ,israel2 the consolation3 all ,israel are kings--is expressly brought forward in ver4 #bb4--,we still remark that we must not1 by any means1 as is commonly done1 translate3 ,to the priests and ,levites1 but1 as also in ,is4 lxvi4 #ba3 ,to the ,levitical priests2 compare the arguments in proof in ,genuineness of the ,pentateuch1 p4 #cbi ff4 ,the epithet1 ,pg #dfh ,levitical1 is added in order to prevent the thought that1 perhaps1 priests in another than the literal sense are spoken of1 compare p4 #cfj4 ,it serves therefore the same purpose as the expression3 ,he ruleth as a king1 in chap4 xxxiii4 #e4--;,as regards the sacrifices1 we must not by any means suppose1 as is done by the ancient interpreters1 that spiritual sacrifices are here simply spoken of4 ,the correct view rather is1 that the ,prophet represents the substance under its present form1 in and with which it would now soon be lost for a season2 and as he has to do with the substance only1 he does not say anything as to whether this substance would1 in future1 rise again in the same form1 and whether it was to continue for ever in that form4 ,history has answered the first in the affirmative1 and the second in the negative2 and from chap4 iii4 #af1 it appears that the ,prophet1 too1 would1 upon inquiry1 have answered in the negative as regards the last point4 ,moreover1 how well they knew1 even under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 to distinguish1 in reference to the sacrifices1 between the substance and the form1 considering the latter as a thing merely accidental1 is seen from passages such as ,hosea xiv4 #c 7#b73 ,take with you words1 and turn to the ,lord and say unto ,him3 ,take all iniquity1 and give good1 and we will recompense to thee bulls1 our lips4 ,here the thanks are represented as the substance of the thank-offering1 and1 indeed1 so perfectly1 that the thank-offering1 the bullocks1 is entirely where only thanks1 the lips1 are4 ,the outward sacrifice is the vessel only in which the gift is presented to ,god4 ,farther--,ps4 iv4 #ad1 where1 in contrast to the merely external sacrifices1 it is said3 ,offer unto ,god thanksgivings2 ,mal4 i4 #aa1 and many other passages4 ,vers4 #ai1 #bj4 ,and the word of the ,lord came to ,jeremiah1 saying3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,if ye will make void my covenant1 the day1 and my covenant1 the night1 so that there shall be no more day and night in their season2 ,ver4 #ba4 ,then also shall be void my covenant with ,david1 my servant1 that he shall not have one who reigns on his throne1 and with the ,levitical priests1 my servants4 ,the word ,hebrew3 tprv is very significant4 ,calvin says3 ,the ,prophet indirectly reproves the wickedness of the people1 because1 as much as lay with them1 they destroyed the covenant ,pg #dfi of ,god by their obstreperous cries4444 ,this incredulity1 therefore1 the ,prophet blames1 and it is as if he were saying3 ,to what are these complaints to lead8 ,it is just as if you were trying to draw down sun and moon from heaven1 and to do away with the difference between day and night1 and overturn all the laws of nature1 because it is ,i1 the same ,god1 whose will it was that the night should follow the day1 who have also promised1 c4--,hebrew3 hiv,m and ,hebrew3 hlilh are appositions to3 ,my covenant4 ,the day and night in their regular succession are the covenant which is here spoken of ,the phrase ,hebrew3 ivm,m vlilh1 which signifies by day and night1 daily and nightly1 stands here for3 tempus diurnum et nocturnum4 ,the covenant1 ,hebrew3 brit1 does not by any means stand here in the signification stabilis ordinatio2 nor is it be considered as being entered into with the day and night2 these1 on the contrary1 are the covenant-blessings4 ,god1 who vouchsafed them1 and all that is connected with them1 that the sun shines by day1 and the moon by night1 enters thereby1 according to the explanation given on chap4 xxxi4 #cb1 into a covenant with man4 ,by the inviolable maintenance of the course of nature1 ,he binds himself to the inviolable maintenance of the moral order4 ,this clearly appears when we consider that1 after the great flood1 the covenant with nature is anew entered into1 and its inviolability anew established2 comp4 ,gen4 ix4 #i3 ,behold1 ,i establish my covenant with you1 and with your seed after you2 viii4 #bb3 ,all the days of the earth1 seed time and harvest1 and heat and cold1 and summer and autumn1 and day and night shall not cease any more4 ,with these covenant-promises1 covenant-laws and obligations are connected1 which the covenant imposes4 ,with this covenant of nature1 which is common to all men1 and which1 at ,noah's time1 was not made for the first time1 but only renewed1 the covenant of grace1 which is peculiar to ,israel only1 stands on a level4 ,to assert that the latter has become void1 is nothing else than to attempt to pull sun and moon down from heaven4 ,for it is one and the same ,god who has made both covenants4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,as the host of heaven is not numbered1 and as the sand of the sea is not measured1 so will ,i increase the seed of ,david1 my servant1 and the ,levites that minister unto me4 ,even considered in itself1 the literal fulfilment of this verse ,pg #dgj involves an absurdity4 ,such an increase of the bodily descendants of ,david lies beyond the bounds of possibility2 and even if this were not the case1 yet this increase1 just as the similar increase of the ,levites1 would not have the nature of a promise1 but that of a threatening4 ,at all events1 the consolation would have no relation to1 or connection with1 the grief ,for the latter did not refer to the number of the descendants of ,david1 and that of the ,levites1 but to their acceptance with ,god1 and1 in them1 to the acceptance of the people2 but that acceptance has nothing to do with number4 ,to this1 another reason is still to be added4 ,it cannot be denied that there is a verbal reference to the promise to ,abraham in ,gen4 xv4 #e1 xxii4 #ag4 ,since1 then1 these words1 which originally referred to all ,israel1 are here transferred to the family of ,david1 and to the ,levites1 it is thereby sufficiently intimated that all ,israel shall be changed into the family of ,david1 and into the tribe of ,levi4 ,this idea need not at all surprise us4 ,it has its foundation in the ,law itself ,all that is announced here is1 that the vocation and destination of the covenant-people1 which is already expressed in the ,law1 but which hitherto was realised only very imperfectly1 is1 at some future period1 to be perfectly realised4 ,in ,exod4 xix4 #f1 ,god says of ,israel3 ,ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests1 ,hebrew3 mmlkt khni,m4#b ,hence1 first a kingdom4 ,the nature of a kingdom is1 not to have any power over it other than the ,divine power1 and to have everything else under its authority4 ,by this declaration1 the dominion of the world was secured to the people of ,god4 ,this high prerogative always remained with the covenant-people so long as they had not1 by their guilt1 spontaneously got under a moral servitude to the world4 ,the outward servitude was always a reflection of the inward only4 ,it never was inflicted upon the covenant-people as such1 but always upon that covenant-people which had become like the world4 ,and even when this unnatural condition took place1 this high dignity was not forfeited by the single individuals who1 knowing that they were purchased at a high price1 had kept themselves inwardly free from the bondage of the world4 ,although in fetters and bonds1 they yet remained inwardly free4 ,world1 ,pg #dga sin1 death1 and hell1 could do them no harm4 ,yea1 notwithstanding all outward appearance of victory1 those enemies were1 in reality1 ruled by them2 and even their outward servitude was1 when more deeply considered1 a sign of their dominion4 ,for the ,law of the ,lord of ,hosts was in their inward parts2 it was the living principle of their existence4 ,it was according to this ,law that the whole world was governed2 and it was according to it that the servitude of their people also took place4 ,they were thus co-regents with ,god1 and1 as such1 ruled over their rulers4--,all the single members of this kingdom1 which consists entirely of kings1 were1 at the same time1 to be priests4 ,in these words it was already implied and declared1 that the ,levitical priesthood1 which was instituted at a later period1 could not have that importance which the priesthood had with other nations of antiquity1 where priests and people stood in an absolute antithesis1 which admitted of no mediation1 and where it was the priests only who stood in an immediate relation to ,god4 ,it was thereby implied and declared1 that the priests1 in one aspect1 7in other respects1 they were types and foreshadowings of ,christ7 possessed rights that were only transferred to them2 that they were representatives of ,christ1 and that1 hence1 their mediation would1 at some future period1 disappear altogether4 ,and in order that the people might always remain fully conscious of this2 in order that they might know that they themselves were the real bearers of the priestly dignity1 they retained1 even after the institution of the ,levitical priesthood1 that priestly function which formed the root and foundation of all others1 viz41 the slaying of the covenant-sacrifice1 of the paschal lamb1 which formed the centre of all other sacrifices1 inasmuch as the latter served only as a supplement to it4 ,that1 even under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 this importance of the paschal rite was duly recognized1 is seen from ,philo1 de vita ,mos4 7p4 #fhf1 ,francf473 ,in offering up the paschal lamb1 the office of the laymen is by no means simply to bring the sacrificial animals to the altar1 that they may be slain and offered up by the priests2 but1 according to the regulations of the ,law1 the whole people exercise priestly functions1 inasmuch as every one in his own behalf offers up the prescribed sacrifice4--,we have thus here before ,pg #dgb us the highest completion of the comfort for the mourning covenant-people4 ,they are not merely to receive back their king1 their priests2 nay1 they are altogether to be changed into a kingly and priestly generation4 ,it must not be overlooked that1 in substance1 this was already contained in the promise to ,abraham4 ,we have already proved in ,vol4 i4 p4 #baa1 ff41 that this promise to ,abraham does not refer to a great number of bodily descendants1 tales quales1 but that1 on the contrary1 it refers only to such sons of ,abraham as are1 at the same time1 sons of ,god2 hence1 to a royal and priestly generation4--,if now we look to the fulfilment1 the passage which1 above all1 presents itself1 is #a ,pet4 ii4 #i3 ,greek3 humeis de genos eklekton1 basileion hierateuma k4t4l4 ,here that passage of ,exodus is represented as a prophecy which1 in the present only1 was fulfilled4 ,israel has now become that which1 according to its destiny1 it ought always to have been1 a host of royal priests1--priests who at the same time have a royal nature and character4 ,that which now already exists perfectly in the germ1 shall1 at some future period1 come forth in full development1 according to ,rev4 v4 #aj3 ,greek3 kai epoisas autous t the hmn basileis kai hiereis1 kai basileusousin epi ts gs4 ,believers1 when sin has been extirpated in them1 shall have the freest access to ,god4 ,when ,his will shall have become theirs1 and when1 at the same time1 ,his dominion over the whole world appears more visibly1 they shall unconditionally rule with ,him4 ,how this dignity of theirs has its foundation in ,christ1 is seen from ,rev4 i4 #e1 #f1 where the words3 ,greek3 kai epoisen hmas basileian1 hiereis t the kai patri hautou1 stand in close connection to ,greek3 ho archn tn basilen ts gs1 and to ,greek3 kai lusanti hmas apo tn hamartin hmn en t haimati hautou4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,and the word of the ,lord came to ,jeremiah1 saying3 ,ver4 #bd4 ,dost thou not see what this people are speaking1 and say3 ,the two families which the ,lord hath chosen1 ,he hath now rejected them1 and my people they despise1 that they should still be a people before them4 ,it is scarcely conceivable how modern interpreters can assert that by this people1 not the ,israelites1 but ,gentiles1 the ,egyptians or ,chaldeans1 or the neighbours of the ,jews on the ,chaboras1 7,hitzig71 or the ,samaritans 7,movers71 are to be understood4 ,in advancing such assertions1 it is overlooked ,pg #dgc that the ,prophet has here quite the same persons in view as in the whole remaining section1 and as in these chapter's throughout1 viz41 those among ,israel--and to them more or less all belonged1 even those most faithful--who1 because they saw ,israel prostrate1 for ever despaired of its deliverance and salvation2 and1 indeed1 for the most part1 in such a manner as to give to this despair a good aspect1 viz41 that of humility4 ,they imagined1 and said that the people had sinned in such a manner against ,god1 that ,he was free from all his obligations1 and could not at all receive them again4 ,to those the ,prophet shows that such a thought is1 notwithstanding the fair appearance1 blasphemy4 ,all despair abases ,god into an idol1 into a creature4 ,faith holds fast by the word1 by the promise4 ,it says3 ,although sin abounds with us1 the grace of ,god does much more abound4 ,as truly as ,god always remains ,god1 so surely ,his people will always remain ,his people4 ,he indeed chastises them1 but ,he does not give them over to death4 ,one need only consider the ,hebrew3 tprv in ver4 #bj4--,the expression this people1 is contemptuous1 comp4 ,is4 viii4 #aa4 ,the ,prophet thereby intimates that those who use such language1 cease thereby to be members of the people of ,god4 ,the two families are ,judah and ,israel4 ,these had1 in the preceding verses1 likewise been1 in substance1 the subject of discourse2 for the election and rejection of the tribe of ,levi1 and of the house of ,david1 had been treated of in so far only1 as they stood in relation to the election or rejection of the people2 so that here only the same thing is repeated in a different form1 in consideration of the fact1 that weak faith and despair are so slow to hear4 ,the words3 ,he hath now rejected them1 were1 in a certain sense1 true2 but not in the sense of the speakers4 ,they1 on the contrary1 maintained1 in opposition to the election1 a rejection for ever1 which was tantamount to3 ,jehovah1 the eternal and unchangeable ,one1 is no more ,jehovah2 ,he is a man that ,he lieth1 and a son of man that ,he repenteth4 ,as surely as ,god is ,jehovah1 so surely also ,greek3 ametamelta ta charismata kai h klsis tou theou1 ,rom4 xi4 #bi4 ,the expression my people1 directs attention to how ,god is now despised in ,israel4 ,on the contrast between my people and a people1 compare remarks on chap4 xxxi4 #cf4 ,ver4 #be4 ,thus saith the ,lord3 ,if not my covenant daily ,pg #dgd and nightly1 if ,i have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth2-- ,compare ver4 #bj4 ,the covenant daily and nightly1 i4e41 the covenant which refers to the constant and regular alternation of day and night4 ,the ordinances of heaven and earth denote the whole course of nature1--especially the relations of sun1 moon1 and stars1 to the earth1 comp4 chap4 xxxi4 #ce--;in so far as it is regulated by ,god's ordinance1 and is1 therefore1 a lasting one4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,so will ,i also cast away the seed of ,jacob1 and of ,david1 my servant1 that ,i do not take farther from his seed rulers over the seed of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,for ,i will turn to their captivity1 and have mercy upon them4 ,the casting away of the seed of ,jacob1 and that of the seed of ,david1 are inseparably connected4 ,for since1 by the promise to ,david1 the kingdom had been for ever bound together with his race1 ,israel was no more the people of ,god1 and no more a people at all1 if ,david was no more the servant of ,god4 ,the ,plural ,hebrew3 mwli,m is easily accounted for1 from the circumstance that it was not the number1 but only the fact that was here concerned 7comp4 remarks on chap4 xxiii4 #d1 and1 at the same time1 those on ver4 #ah72 but it is beyond any doubt1 that the ,prophet has here in view the revival of the dominion of ,david in the ,messiah1--has it1 at least1 chiefly in view4 ,the enumeration of the three ,patriarchs recalls to mind the whole series of the promises granted to them4 ,the words3 ,i will turn to their captivity 7not3 ,i will turn their captivity1 compare remarks on ,ps4 xiv4 #g2 captivity is an image of misery71 rest on ,deut4 xxx4 #c4 ,footnote #a3 ,they have been joined by ,movers 7de utriusque recens4 ,jerem4 indole71 who declares ver4 #ah and #ba-bd to be a later interpolation 7comp4 against this view ,kper1 ,s4 #agc1 and ,wichelhaus1 de ,jerem4 ,vers4 ,alex41 p4 #agj71 and ,hitzig1 according to whom the whole portion1 vers4 #ad-bf1 consists of a series of single additions from a later period4 ,footnote #b3 ,compare the discussions on this passage in my ,commentary on ,rev4 i4 #f4 ,,end ,,of ,,volume ,,second4