Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4

CHAP. XV.

THe burden of Moab, because Ar of Moab is wasted in the night. This is the third Country threatened: And the title of the Prophecy being [A burden] saith Jerome, always intimateth sad things to follow, as the word [Vision] doth joyful at last. Moab came of Lot, and was situated in Arabia, of which Country was Balac, who hired Balaam to come out of Mesopotamia to curse Israel; so was the chief City called since Areopolis, that is, the City of Mars, whereof Jeremiah speaks much, as a mighty and rich City. And it is threatened with wasting in the night, either in alluding to the incestuous begetting of Moab in the night, or intimating the overthrow thereof by mines made under the walls: And I have heard a certain Aroepolitan say, that the same night that the sea passed over the shore of the City, these walls fell down by an Earthquake, saith Jerome, in the time of my infancy. Moab, saith P. Martyr, stood in Arabia Petraea, and was a most flourishing Country, which made the inhabitants most proud, Jer. 48. They were near of kin to the Israelites, by their father Lots relation to Abraham, who was his fathers brother. But they carried not themselves like kinsmen towards them, but like enemies, for which they are here threatened with destruction: and yet not so much that they might make any good use of this Prophecy, saith Calvin, for it came not unto them, but to the people of God only for their instruction and comfort; 1. That they might know, that the great changes in states and Kingdoms were not casual, but by God's providence. 2. That God in all his great judgments executing upon the wicked world, had a care of his Church. The places here threatened are Ar signifying a City, according to the signification of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and Kir, a wall, whereby therefore taking them appellatively, all the Cities and strong places of Moab may be understood: But forsomuch as properly two chief Cities of Moab were thus called, we are to understand them only. For their destruction in the night, the time precisely is not so much meant hereby, as their security, and the sudden and unexpected coming thereof, so the destruction of the world is threatened to come in the night, that is, when men shall look for nothing less. And yet in Babylon it was fulfilled according to the letter, Dan. 5. and likewise we may expect for the day of judgment. However, it comes as a thief in the night, when to the world sleeping and secure in sin, as men are in the night, that we may never be secure in respect of that day, but think upon it night and day, and be always prepared for the coming of the Lord, by always doing so, as may be well pleasing unto him, for this is the watching to which he so earnestly exhorteth us all. The destruction of Moab here threatened, was by Sennacherib, that Jer. 48. 4. by Nebuchadnezzar long after. For the word used touching either of these Cities, brought to silence, it is a Periphrasis of death, Ps. 30.

He shall go up into the house, Dibon to the high places, to weep over Nebo. That is, the Moabite seeing himself perishing by the hand of the enemy, shall, as despairing of any human help, flee to the house or temple of their god Chamoz, to cry to him for help, and there weep and howl, but in vain: of Chamos see 2 King. 23. 13. Jerome, for He shall go up, hath, The house and Dibon shall go up to the high places to weep. That is, the Kings house and the City Dibon or inhabitants thereof shall go up to the high places, because there stood the idol Chamoz, otherwise called Belphegor; and Medeba and Nebo are named, because two principal Cities of Moab, and in Nebo was that idol placed. Junius hath the Hebr. word Bajith for house, and renders it, He shall ascend to Bajith, a town notorious for idolatry, otherwise called Beth Baal-Mehon, Numb. 32. 38. Josh. 23. 17. 1 Chron. 5. 8. it was upon the borders of the Reubenites, Dibon was in that tribe, Josh. 13. 17. and likewise Bamoth of Nebo, see Numb. 32. 38. of Medeba, c. 21. 30. But although these were Cities in Reuben, there might be others in Moab of the same name, which are here threatened. Yet I think with Junius, that Bajith is a proper name, because otherwise it would have been Beth, which is commonly put for an house, and so it is meant, that the inhabitant of Kir and Ar spoken of v. 1. shall in their distress flee to these places, as wherein they principally worshipped their idol, thinking thus to attain help, their God being moved by their tears to relieve them, if not in Bajith, yet in Dibon or Bamoth, Nebo or Medeba; or some should flee for rescue to one of these places, and some to another. Upon every head baldness, and beard shaven. See the same, Ier. 8. 37. For in time of mourning they used to pluck off the hair of their heads, and to shave their beards in all the Eastern parts, and this they did, as counting them their Ornaments, but now in time of sorrow they put them away: Contrariwise in the West, the suffering of the hair to grow is a sign of sorrow, so Calvin. And it seemeth to have been the custom of the Heathen in the East indeed, because the children of Israel are forbidden to pluck their hair in mourning, or to cut the corners of their beards: Yet Mephibosheth in time of mourning for David's absence, suffered his hair to grow, so that it seems in the Eastern parts all did not alike.

In the streets thereof they shall be girt with sackcloth, &c. A description of public calamity and lamentation, they that would not go out before but in gorgeous apparel, now go out in sackcloth, upon the roofs: Some going up thither, where they might be most out of the enemies way, for their roofs were flat; should come down weeping, their fleeing up thither nothing availing them. Some expound this of descending, as if it were from the high places before spoken of, their hopes of help from their gods being frustrate.

Heshbon and Eleale shall howl, their voice shall be heard to Jahaz, &c. These, saith Jerome, were Cities of Moab, the last whereof was near the dead, upon the uttermost border of Moab; whereby he showeth, that howling for misery should be from one end of the Land to the other. Heshbon, saith Musculus, was the City of Sihon, Josh. 13. 10. Jahaz was the dwelling of the Merarites, Josh. 22. 36. there Sihon fell, Numb. 21. 23. The girt with arms shall howl. So Vatablus renders it, that is, the very soldiers, who were ready armed to defend their Country, seeing a power irresistible against them, shall, instead of fighting, lament as the rest, as having now none other weapons left. Their soul shall cry within him. Some, to itself; that is, mourning inwardly as well as outwardly. And v. 5. showeth what each one should cry: My heart shall howl for Moab, her fugitives to Zoar, &c. Or cries aloud to Moab her fugitives, but in vain, so Junius; because I call them back, and would stay them from fleeing, but to no purpose. Jerome and all others take it as spoken in the Prophets own person; as who would hereby show the misery of Moab to be so great, that it could not but move pity in very enemies; and this is to be preferred, for so also, Ier. 48. 36. laments the sufferings of Moab. Touching Zoar, to which the Moabites fled; it was, saith Jerome, one of the five Cities of Sodom, which the Lord spared • t Lots request, when he destroyed Sodom, and it was the uttermost border of Moab next the Philistines Country: Hereby then he means, that they should flee far off; and in further setting forth Zoar he calls it an heifer of three years old; that is, in the full strength, and not yet subdued by the enemy. By the ascent of Luith. This he takes to be a cliff in the way to Assyria, and therefore implying their being carried away Captive thither, and not far from that in a valley, the place called Horonaim. Junius pursuing his Exposition begun, understands all, as if the cry of the Moabites were set forth by the lowing of an Heifer, which loweth most strongly, and the voice of their cry coming to Luith and Horonaim, he will have to mean nothing else, but the piercing thereof through hills and dales.

There shall be desolations to the waters of Nimrim. These, saith Jerome, were salt waters near the dead sea, and therefore the grounds about them were unfruitful, and to this he either alludeth, or Moab being destroyed, these waters were changed by a judgment into such. Junius saith, that Nimram is that Bethnimram, Numb. 32. 3, 36. in the Tribe of Gad, running with the waters thereof into the Country of Moab, making it fruitful; but now he saith, that even the valleys where these waters ran, should be barren and without any grass. Calvin doth not think that a change is meant so, that according to the letter the waters should indeed fail, but that the Country should be desolate, and so as if there were no water or grass growing there, because no inhabitants to make use thereof: and this is to be preferred.

Therefore what is left and their riches they shall carry to the possession of the Arabians. Jerome, ad torrentem salicum; saying, this was into the Country of Babylon, of which David speaking, saith, that many willows were there planted, or in the way thither, viz. the valley of Arabia, as the words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 also fignifie. Junius is for this last; the Chaldees spoiling Moab should lay up the goods there taken in Arabia being near, they being their confederates also, and for such good offices spared, as Herod. saith lib. 3. And it is called by the name of a valley, because in the descent of Horonaim, which was montainous. Vatablus saith, that the enemies carried the Moabites riches thither, to part them amongst them. But Calvin will have the Moabites carrying of their own goods into secret places amongst the willows to hide them meant. Musculus, their carrying of them away, thinking to save them, but it should be for Arabian thieves to make a prey of them. Vulgar Latin, According to the greatness of their work is their visitation, and they shall lead them to the brook of willows. That is, as Sasbont hath it, According to the greatness of their sin shall their punishment be, and their enemies shall carry them captive into Babylon, or the Arabians fighting under the Assyrians shall carry them into their Country. But neither doth the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signify [According] but, therefore, neither doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signify greatness, but the remainder, or excellency or riches coming in by their work, for which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 followeth. The most genuine reading then is, Therefore their riches or most precious things coming of their work, they shall put in the brook of willows, nothing else being meant, but that finding the enemy to prevail in every place, as desperate, to save their gold or silver, they should put it into the water, conceiving that haply these troubles being over, if they survived, they might there one day find this treasure again.

A cry hath compassed the borders of Moab. Here the Prophet returns again to aggravate their misery, by speaking of their loud and uncessant crying, mentioning their ut most borders in general, to which it should be heard, and then particularly Eglaim and Beer-Elim. For Eglaim, Junius hath confluentes, and expounds it of the flowing waters of Arnon one of the borders Numb. 21. 15. and Beer Elim, the well of the mighty, or digd by them, for Elim signifies the mighty, Exod. 15. 15. of a like well in the land of Israel so digd, see Numb. 21. 16. Jerome for Eglaim hath Gallim, and saith that Jeremiah hath almost all the same: But Hebr. it is Eglaim, coming of a word that signifieth drops of water, or stillings. Pagninus takes it for a proper name, but where any place was in Moab thus called, we know not.

Because the waters of Dimon shall be filled with blood, for I will put additions upon Dimon to them that shall escape lions. This was a river in Moab: yet Calvin saith, that some think it to be a City, but against the current of Interpreters and reason, for what are waters but some river or pond, not a City. He doth here then threaten great slaughters to the making of rivers to run with blood. The additions put upon the river Dimon, are, according to Vatablus, the streams of blood shed running into it: according to Calvin, Lions and other wild beasts; as if he had said, This shall not be the only suffering of the Moabites to have their blood shed in abundance, to the filling of rivers by the hands of their enemies, but if any escape them, they shall be destroyed by Lions, yea even all that shall remain in the land, when the war is done, shall thus perish: See a like place, chap. 24. 18. Ier. 48. 44. Amos 5. 19. where such as escape judgment by one evil are threatened with another. Thus also Jerome, who renders it Dibon, affirming that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are sometimes put one for another, but then he will have Dibon the City before spoken of, signifying flowings, so called for the waters running there: whereas Dimon signifieth silence. Junius expounding Dimon bloody, saith, that most probably the waters appearing like blood, 2 King. 3. are here alluded to. Jehoshaphat the King of Israel, and King of Edom had water sent them miraculously in their necessity, by the way of Edom, but the Moabites their enemies saw that water as blood, whereby they were moved to hasten to the shedding of their own blood. As water was then bloody in appearance, so now he saith, it should be so indeed by the blood of the slain; in other things he subscribes to Calvin. But Jerome understands either Lions properly, or the Chaldees terrible like Lions, because a Lion amongst the Egyptians was an Hieroglyphic of one most terrible: And of David's Worthies, some are said to have had faces like Lions. But because the Chaldees or Assyrians should shed their blood before spoken of, and this is another judgment added, the former exposition is to be preferred.

CHAP. XVI.

SEnd ye a lamb of the ruler of the land. So Junius, expounding it of Lambs due by way of tribute ever since Moab subdued by David, 2 Sam. 8. 2. and continuing tributary to part of his Kingdom, viz. the Kingdom of Israel, until the time of Ahaziah and Jehoram, in whose days they refused to pay anymore this tribute, being a hundred thousand Lambs, 2 King. 3. 3. but called here a Lamb by a Syllepsis. Now he bids the Moabites to cease from this their sin of withholding this tribute due to the King of Israel, Lord of their land, threatening them otherwise, v. 2. that they shall be as a wandering bird fleeing to the waters of Arnom, from the rock even to the desert; that is, from Jockteel, the metropolitan City of Moab, 2 King. 14. 7. to the desert of Jordan, which was the furthest extent of that Kingdom, he means therefore, that all the Moabites from all parts should agree together to pay it to the King reigning in Jerusalem then, which he expresseth by these words, To the mount of the daughter of Zion. Calvin contrariwise reading it, Send ye a lamb to the Lord of the earth] saith, that the Lord, who is ruler over all the world, is hereby meant, and that the speech is ironical, as if he had said, When ye shall see yourselves beset with judgments, and your case desperate, and that no help is elsewhere to be had, then haply ye will think by sending lambs for sacrifice at Jerusalem to be delivered, but your hopes shall be frustrated, and so shall the hopes of all the wicked, although they [Note.] seek to God, when judgments irrevocable ceaze upon them. As for the former, he saith, it cannot stand, because there is no mention made of a tribute of Lambs to be paid to David, and if there were, what had the King of Israel to do withal? or if to him this tribute were now, why should it be sent to Jerusalem, and not rather to Samaria, the seat of the Kings of Israel? Jerome differing from both these, renders it, buy a lamb, the ruler of the earth, out of the rock of the desert, &c. that is, By the spirit of Prophecy I do here foretell you, that by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who is Lord over all, coming of David, who came of Ruth, married to Boaz; leaving her Country Moab to follow Naomi to Jerusalem, ye shall have deliverance from all your sins and miseries. Why Jerome should for send, as it is in the Hebrew, read it buy, I know not; but I incline most to his Exposition, because it is not Send a lamb to the Ruler, but the Lamb, Ruler of the earth. Ruler by apposition being put to Lamb as one and the same, and then it must needs be meant of Christ, in whose Name it is here prophesied, that even the Moabites should one day pray, being converted to his faith; for he that prayeth in Christ's Name, sends up, as it were, this Lamb, making propitiation for his sins; and the Ruler of the earth he is, for so it is promised, I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And whereas Junius to approve his, renders the 2 ^d ver. Otherwise as a wandering bird &c. Hebr. it is, And is as a wandering bird: Where he returns again by another similitude further to set forth Moab's misery, of which he was before speaking. Wherefore v. 1. comes in as a Prophecy touching Christ, a comfort against all miseries, to whom even the Heathens are exhorted to come, and to this he was carried by a Prophetical rapture, immediately leaving it again, as he did the like before, chap. 5. 14. Or according to some, these words may go thus, Send a lamb O Ruler of the earth or world] The verb send being plural for the three persons in the Godhead, yet all one: And to this subscribe Hugo, Lyra, Adam Sasbont and Vatablus, who all take it as spoken of Christ; yet as was before said, Ruler being by opposition put to the word Lamb. But for so much as the Hebrews have no cases, we shall not err whether we render it by the Accusative or Vocative. Junius was then misled herein by the Hebrews, who to elude this Prophecy touching Christ, refer it to Hezekiah, as an exhortation to the Moabites to submit and pay tribute to him as they ought, that he might defend them, for they were never his subjects. And the rendering of the words, To the Ruler of the land, gave occasion to Calvin, leaving the old received Exposition, to excogitate another, and this seems to be favored by our new Translation, rendering it likewise, yet herein it differs, that for the rock of the desert, it hath Sela of the desert; as if 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying a rock, were a proper name. But for the rocks wherewith it is compassed, the City meant hereby is called Petra the rock, from whence the Country about hath the denomination, Arabia Petraea, according to Strabo. For the Translation of the Septuagint, followed by Cyril, I will send as it were creeping things upon the land, I think it such a corruption of the Text, that it is scarce worth the mentioning.

And it shall be as a wandering bird, going from the nest, &c. Here, saith Jerome, the Prophecy touching Christ being interposed v. 1. Isaiah returns again to prosecute what he had said, of Lions being sent against Moab, chap. 15. 9. for by reason of them it should be as a bird sleeing from her nest, that is, the people sleeing from their habitations for fear, and her daughters, that is, they who dwell in all the Cities thereof, at the rivers of Arnon, passing thereby into Captivity. For by Arnon, the uttermost bounds of Moab, they went, when into Assyria Captives. Junius prosecuting his Exposition hath it, otherwise, that is, unless Moab oby the house of David, they shall flee, &c. But how different this reading is from the Original, I have already shown. Calvin, But it shall be like a bird. That is, Let the Moabites send sacrifices to Jerusalem, and do what they can to prevent ruin and Captivity, they shall not escape. And as Marlorat hath it, they shall as easily by God's power be driven out of their Country, as a [Note.] bird from her nest, and so shall the most potent Nation that is wicked, when God will. But thus they make it to cohere with v. 1. as it doth not, but is joined by a conjunction copulative with v. 9. of chap. 15. And it shall be.

Gather counsel, or enter into counsel, make verdit what is to be done, and this must be your way, make thy shadow as the night in the midst of noon day, hide, &c. As if he had said, this is the best course that ye can take to obtain mercy of God to be preserved in danger to be an hiding place to his people, when they for fear of the enemy should flee from their own Country, then to keep them as it were, in the dark of the night from their pursuers; thus imitating Lot your father towards the men that came to Sodom, sheltering and rescuing them; and as their father Abraham, by his kindness sometime to Lot hath deserved that ye should do, when he recovered him with all that he had, out of his Captivity, Gen. 14. For Moab had rather hitherto holpen the enemy against Israel, as in many Histories appears. Therefore Calvin understands all this as ironicall, as if the Prophet did nothing but upbraid them by their inhumanity to Israel in distress, showing, that they should find no more favor now in theirs, then they had formerly shown to them. Junius rather astents to Jerome here, and so do some others, holding that the Prophet gives the Moabites counsel, when Sennacherib by his coming against Judah, should cause many of the Jews to flee amongst them, to use them courteously, and to protect them; that when Nebuchadnezzar should afterwards endanger their Country, as here is prophesied, God might protect them. Only whereas Jerome understands the Metaphor of the noon-day and night, of light and darkness; Sasbont understands it of hot pursuit by the enemy to their great pain, as the sun in hot Countries is tedious to the traveler at noon-day; and their being as dark night to them, of humanity, whereby they might be comforted there-against. But herein the difference betwixt Jerome and Adam Sasbont is but small; I hold with Jerome, that the Prophet is serious in advising Moab, as who doth also show a reason, v. 4. He shall cease that oppresseth, the waster shall fail. That is, the proud King of Assyria, of whom ye may haply be afraid, if ye should do for the Jews as I have said: For in one night his huge army was destroyed, and he put to flight: Although they that take the former words to be spoken ironically, hold this to be spoken not for the comfort of Moabites succouring God's people, but of Israelites against their fear of that tyrant.

And the throne shall be prepared in mercy, and one shall sit upon it in truth seeking judgment, &c. This, saith Jerome, is by the Hebrews understood of Hezekiah, a most righteous King; but by others of Christ. And it is not to be doubted, but that Christ is prophesied of in this Chapter, and the event is answerable: For even in the Primitive times many trophies built in Moab to the honor of Christ, shown his Empire there. Of Christ also Calvin understands it, and Vatablus, because there is no durable comfort but in him: The word rendered truth therefore is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in truth or firmness, intimating the everlasting continuance; and the tabernacle of David] is added to denote that this Kingdom should not be outwardly glorious, as other Kingdoms of this world, but mean in appearance, as a tent of an ordinary man is in comparison of a Kings Palace: And in saying, the tent of David, respect is had to his private condition divers years after his anointing to be King. To hasten justice] This is spoken to satisfy those that think long to have justice done them against their enemies; if any such shall think that too much delay is made, let them rest in this that he hasteneth justice, and it shall soon be done.

We have heard of the pride of Moab, &c. Here the Prophet returns again to Prophecy against Moab, showing the cause of their misery, their pride by reason of their high and strong walls, trusting to which they contemned their more mighty enemies: for that their pride was founded upon their strong walls, see v. 7. His lies shall not so succeed: Thus Junius. His indignation is more then his strength: So Jerome, and indeed one signification of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used is fury, and one of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fortitudines, to render it then word for word, read it thus, And his fury, not so his strengths or fortitudes. That is, he is proud of his strength beyond that it is. But Junius following another signification of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his lies, gives almost the same sense in other words. Vatablus hath divers translations, There shall be no truth of his lies; or His indignation is nothing but lies, &c. And this of rendering it by lies, Calvin follows. In the sense all agree, Moab's pride and fury was greater then agreed with his strength.

Therefore Moab shall howl to Moab. That is, either one City to another, according to some; or the living lamenting the slain, according to others; or within himself each one, according to others. For the foundations of Kirhareseth, ye smitten only shall roar. Vulgar Latin, To them that rejoice over the walls of burnt brick, speak ye their plagues. But why the word is rendered by rejoicing I know not, because it signifies only foundations. Junius respecting more the sense then the words. Of the foundations of Kirhareseth ye shall speak, but they are broken The sense is, that their greatest grief should be for this City, being interpreted, A wall of burnt brick, because it was so strong, that being once assaulted by three Kings, yet it could not be taken, but now the foundations of it should be razed, and the people smitten, therefore he useth the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rugietis, not loquemini, as Junius hath it.

Because the vines of Heshbon are cut up, &c. Of Heshbon see chap. 15. 4. Ier. 48. 31. almost as it is here spoken of. This and Sibmah, being as Jerome saith, but five hundred paces distant, it seems were fruitful places as far as Iazer on the borders of Moab, for Vines grow in the fruitfullest soils. But now they should be all cut down, and so the Land deprived of the chief commodity thereof, as Musculus saith the Turks use to do when they come into a Country of vines, they cut them all down; and forsomuch as they are an occasion of so much sinning, and there is none other way to beat it down, it were good, saith he, that other Potentates would do likewise in all places, sed inconsulto, unless there were no strong drink neither, because that also causeth drunkenness. The Lord's of the Nations have trodden down the noblest branches, that is, The Assyrian Lord's, the most excellent Vines, wherewith the Country abounded even to lazer, the border of the Land. And by the destruction of the Vines he intimateth the Countries lying waste. Jerome by their coming to Iazer, and wandering in the desert, and passing over the sea, understands the people of Moab sleeing every way. Some others, by these words, They came to Iazer, the Vines planted and growing so far; but then under the similitude of Vine-branches of the best sort, the greatest of Moab sleeing and wandering in the Wilderness, &c. Let the Reader take it which way he pleaseth. Junius notes, that Iazer was a Town of the Merarites in Gad, Josh 21. 29. and applies going over the sea to choice plants carried over.

Therefore weep thou vine of Sibmah with the weeping of Jazer, &c. Vulgar Latin, I will weep with the weeping of Jazer, the vine Sibmah. And thus Hebrew and Junius; it is like that Chap. 15. 5. it moves compassion even in the Prophet to think of the greatness of their misery. Of Sibmah in Reuben see Numb. 32. 38. Jazer, Sibmah, Elealeh and Heshbon, saith Jerome, were strong Towns, the overthrow whereof he thus prophesieth of.

Upon thy vintage and harvest shall rush a song. New Translation, The shouting for thy harvest is fallen, Junius being followed herein. Vulgar Latin, Vox calcantium irruit, it being meant, as Jerome hath it and Calvin, That the enemies coming upon them in the time of harvest, should fill all things with an hideous noise instead of the joyful singing that was wont to be at that time, and the songs and joy of the wine-makers should cease, as followeth verse. 10. So that unless the same thing be twice repeated, Junius his exposition cannot stand, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is rather to be rendered a clamour, then a song in this place, although v. 11. by the same word a song or joyful noise be set forth, for it signifieth both.

Therefore my bowels shall sound as an harp for Moab, &c. See the like Jer. 48. 36. This and verse. 10. are nothing else but a further amplification of that which he said ver. 9.

Then he shall come to his sanctuary to pray, but not profit. That is, saith Jerome, in his distress he shall seek to the Idols, whom he hath served, but shall find no help, for they shall go to destruction together with him. But here is not only one seeking spoken of, but another in the beginning of the verse, When it shall appear that Moab is wearied upon the high places, he shall come, &c. That is, having sought in his misery to his gods in ordinary places, such as every Town and City had, he shall at length slee to some place reputed more holy, and the common Sanctuary of all distressed ones, thinking surely to have relief there; and this was Chamoz, as Ier. 48. 13. is shown. For so, saith Calvin, the superstitious Papists believe, that by seeking to some place more eminent for sanctity, they shall rather prevail, as to our Lady of Loretto. But the first original of this confidence was doubtless their observing, that amongst the people of God there was one place famous above all others for this, being called singularly the Sanctuary, even Solomon's Temple. And it is to be noted, saith Calvin, because it is said, When it shall appear that Moab is wearied, &c. [Note.] that the wicked are not lead by any reason to see into the vanity of their seeking to Idols, but only by sense and experience, when hereby it appears, even as brute beasts are lead, but then it is too late; wherefore let us hearken to right reason, and not stay to be thus lead, till destruction comes, and there will be no remedy.

This is the word which the Lord brought forth upon Moab from that time. That is, saith Jerome, That Moab began to be a people: for he decreed of old, that a Moabite or Ammonite should not enter into the Congregation to the tenth generation. But because Moab was a people before that, it is better with Calvin to understand it from the time that Moab was so unkind to Israel, because although he was not threatened till now, yet it was thus decreed then. Or from the time that Amos 2. it was threatened in Uzziah his time.

But now the Lord hath said, within three years, as the years of an hireling, &c. That is, Whereas the threatening against Moab was before at large, now the certain coming is set for the coming of this judgment upon Moab, as the three years are compared to those of an hireling, because he will serve no longer, but to the day agreed upon, and then will have his pay, to show the certainty of the time when Moab should be paid with judgment. And this was in Hezekiah's time spoken, and in his time performed, or the three years being not counted from the Prophecy, but after that Moab should begin to fall, it should be totally ruined in three years by Nebuchadnezzar, who five years after Jerusalem destroyed Moab, Jol. antiq. l. 10, 11.

CHAP. XVII.

THe burden of Damascus. This was the chief City of Syria, and therefore in threatening it the Kingdom of Syria is threatened for their helping Israel against Judah, Isa 7. 1. and at sundry other times. 2. Israel is threatened for this confederacy with Syria, verse. 4. 3. The Assyrians who should destroy and ruin them both, verse. 12. Thus Lyra; who also addeth, That Syria occasioned sin in Judah, when Ahaz being there, sent a pattern of the Altar to Uriah the High Priest, that he might make one at Jerusalem like unto it, 2 Kin. 16. 10. Damascus, Hebr. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying, as Jerome saith, either the kiss of blood, or one drinking blood, and going hereupon he makes it a figure of the Gentiles before their conversion. But letting pass such Allegories, Bernard expounds Damascus, shedding blood, and saith, he truly is of Damascus, shedding his own blood, and slaying himself, that willingly sinneth: but he that striving against sin is sometime carried away, is only under the burden of Damascus through grief that sin causeth in him, but dieth not. This Prophecy against Damascus was fulfilled in part, 2 King. 16. 9. when Tiglath Pilesar King of Ashur subdued it, and in part when Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. 49. 33. but afterwards it was restored again by the Macedonians and Ptolomies, as Jerome saith, and is now a noble City of the East But after the destruction thereof by Nebuchadnezzar, it ceased for a time to be a City, as is here prophesied, and lay as a ruinous heap. The ordinary gloss saith, That here Cain shed the blood of Abel, which gave occasion to the name, and that it was first built by Eliezer Abraham's steward, of whom see Gen. 15. 2. And it hath also another signification of the name, viz. Sanguis cilicii, because who so sheds innocent blood had need to put on sackcloth in mourning therefore.

The Cities of Aroer are forsaken, &c. This, saith Lyra, was a Country in Syria, which was full of inhabitants; but now he foretelleth, that it should be desolate, and under the power of the enemy, and used to feed their flocks in, no Syrians being left, that should dare to come and drive them away. But he saith, That the City Aroer was in Judea; of this he speaks not here, but of the Country Aroer, saith Junius, lying by the River Arnon.

The munition also shall cease from Ephraim, and the Kingdom from Damascus. Here the Kingdom of the ten Tribes is brought in also, and threatened together with Syria, because they joined together against Judah, and it is called by the name of Ephraim▪ as the chief of those Tribes, and because Jeroboam their first King was of that Tribe. For the Syrians might haply bear themselves upon their union with Israel, and so set light by this threatening, that being a potent Kingdom, being thefore called here, The munition of Ephraim. But in saying, that it should cease, he takes away all such hope, and this was fulfilled 2 King. 17. by Shalmaneser the King of Assyria, as that against Damascus by Tiglath Pilesar. And the remnant of Aram shall be as the glory of Israel, that is, their great multitudes being by that destruction brought to a very few, as Israel's were: for he calls their multitudes of men their glory, because they much gloried therein, and were proud thereof, and The glory of a King is in the multitude of his subjects.

And in that day the glory of Jacob shall be impoverished. Which was, when so many of his children perished: And the fatness of his flesh made lean; that is, his riches, which are as fat (for which it is commonly said of a rich man, that he is fat) shall be all taken away. Junius by their glory understands nobility, prosperity and strength also.

And it shall be as when the harvest-man gathereth the corn. That is, saith Junius, cut down by the enemy, though they were never so many, as the multitude of the ears of corn hinder not the reaper from cutting them down, and to show that this is his meaning, he mentions the ears of corn in the valley of Rephaim, which was a most fruitful place, The vulgar Latin, And it shall be as one gathering that which remains in harvest, and as one seeking ears in the valley, &c. As if the meaning were, when the great multitudes of Syrians and Israelites shall be destroyed, as hath been said, Syria shall be as a corn-field reaped, a very few remaining, as a little gleaning only; and then the Vulgar proceeds, And there shall be left therein a cluster of grapes, as it were, and as the shaking of an Olive-tree, two or three Olives, &c. ver. 6. and it is understood by Lyra and the ordinary Gloss; and Jerome and Haimo, and others likewise. For they say, the same thing is set forth by three comparisons here, 1. Of ears of corn left a field reaped. 2. Of clusters of Grapes left after Grape-gathering, and two or three Olives after Olive-gathering. And this is allegorically applied by the ordinary Gloss, as setting forth, how few shall be saved in comparison of them that shall perish. Yea Simeon, saith Nile, an holy man, who lived about an. 1000, being asked, How many should be saved? and that by the Princes of Constantine answered, not above one of ten thousand; so likewise Basil, Chrysostom and Ephrem. But Calvin, as Junius, by the former words verse. 5. understands the cutting of them down by the Assyrians, as reapers do corn, and by the last the taking away of the very gleanings also. And the comparison ver. 6. he saith, serve to set forth another thing for the comfort of the faithful, who hearing this, might fear that none should be left at all. Against this he saith, That there should a few be left as a cluster or two of Grapes, or two or three Olives, &c. And this is most agreeable to the original, wherein the word rendered in vulgar Latin, Residuum, signifieth The Harvest; and Junius to show that one thing is spoken of verse. 5. and another, ver. 6. renders it, Yet there shall be a gathering of grapes left.

At that day shall a man look to his Maker, &c.

And he shall not look to the Altars, &c. Here is the fruit and effect of God's judgments in the converted; and this, saith Lyra, was fulfilled in the days of Hezekiah King of Judah, 2 Chron. 30. 11, 14. Chap. 31. 1. For at the motion of that good King many of Ashur, Naphtali and Zebulon came to keep a Passover to the Lord at Jerusalem, who remained after the Assyrian Captivity; and then they holp to destroy Altars, and to cut down Groves and Images in Ephraim and Manasseh, till none were left. Jerome referring this to the time of the Gospel, saith, That the Jews being so void of grace, that a little remnant of them only shall believe, the Gentiles shall turn to the Lord, and break down Altars, built formerly for Idolatry, and Idols also. The first is best and therefore generally followed; and Calvin hereupon noteth, That there is cause, why the people of God should patiently bear his corrections, since they [Note.] work this blessed work of turning from the wickednesses, to which we before apostatized unto him, and from danger of destruction to the way of life. Look to his Maker] Hereby is implied, That before he looked not to him, but forgot him, which caused this wickedness in him, and his Maker, he is called not as all other people's, but in a special manner in regard of holiness, according to the title of God here mentioned, The holy One of Israel.

In that day thy Cities shall be left, as the Ploughs and standing corn from before the face of Israel. Septuagint, As the Amorites and Hivites lest, &c. Here the Prophet returns again to show the miseries of Israel and Syria by the Assyrians, even as the old inhabitants fled from them, when they came to possess the Land of Canaan, although they dwelt in Cities fenced with strong and high walls through the fear which surprised them: so now should Israel do from the Assyrians, their walls being counted no better defense, then if they were amongst shrubs in the open fields, or being abroad in ploughing or reaping, they should for haste in fleeing away leave their ploughs and standing corn to the enemy; the first of these is Calvin's, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 understanding dumeta & virgulta, the second Jerome's, understanding ploughs and standing corn. The New Translation, As a forsaken bough and an uppermost branch which they left, Geneva Translation, Shall be forsaken as boughs and branches, which they did forsake; That is, saith the Note, which the Canaanites forsook in fleeing before Israel Lyra, Their strong Cities forsaken, as the Ploughs and corn, that is, they being no more able to defend and keep them, then their corn in the open fields. In the sense all agree; The scope of the place is to show, That as the Canaanites fled in times past before them, so they should before their enemies, their strong Cities being no more to defend them, then boughs or bushes set about.

Therefore thou shalt set pleasant plants and grass strange vine-branches. Having shown the cause of the judgment before-spoken of in the former part of this verse, Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, &c. Here he further explains the meaning thereof. For he threatened fleeing and leaving their corn-fields to the enemy; and here he adds further, that they might plant and graff, or sow indeed, but when it was grown up, and they should think to reap the fruit, it should be gone, the enemy possessing all, as follows,

In the morning thou shalt make thy plant to grow, &c. but the harvest shall be gone in the day of possession. Lyra saith, That our Expositors take this as spoken ironically, it being meant, that they were plants degenerating from the true faith and manners. And verse. 11. he renders it, In die plantationis tuae labruscae, and in the morning thy seed shall flourish; That is, Thou Israel through confidence in the Syrians help, but shalt be gone by the Assyrians power in the day of inheritance, or infirmity; for one word signifies both; the last of infirmity being followed by the Hebrews, that is, Israel's strength being infirmated; the other by Lyra, it being meant, in the time of harvest, which is a time of getting corn in to be possessed by the owner, as part of his inheritance. But R. Solomon saith, he takes the future tense here for the preter; as if he had said, Thou wert planted at the first a faithful plant in thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but hast been changed into strange branches, when immediately after the Law given Israel committed Idolatry with the golden Calf. But both this, and Lyra his own are further fetched; but the first exposition here given is most genuine, for so it is threatened, Levite. 26. 16. And of this exposition the Geneva note gives an hint in part, where the strange vine-branches graffed are expounded excellent, and brought out of other Countries for their extraordinary goodness.

Woe to the multitude of many people's, they shall sound as the sounding of the sea, &c.

He will reprove him, and he shall flee far, &c.

In the evening behold trouble, but before it be morning he shall be nowhere, &c. Because another Prophecy beginneth here, and nothing pertaining to the former against the Syrians; Junius cutting off these three verses from this Chapter joins them to Chap. 18. where the Prophecy begun here against many Nations, the Assyrians in particular with the people's under that Monarchy, being first pointed at, he proceedeth against the Ethiopians. This is so plainly against the Assyrian King Sennacherib, that Expositors generally understand it of him and his Army, which came against Judah as a flood of waters; for so he was also compared before Ch. 8. 7. and great trouble by reason thereof, was in the evening, but the same night they being destroyed, in the morning no such terrible flood appeared anymore, all that multitude although being as a sea, the overflowing whereof is unresistible by men, yet before God they were but as chaff upon the top of a mountain before the wind, and a light globule apt of itself to roll down before a whirlwind. Vers. 13. For even so easily did he drive them away, making them with all haste to slee. A sweet comfort to the people of God against the strongest attempts of their mightiest enemies; See Ps. 46. 2, 10. Psal. 83. 14. Some, saith Jerome, understand all this mystically of them that raged against the Gospel according to Psal. 2. making him that fled [Note.] the devil, their Prince, leaving his Temples, where he was wont to give answers. Calvin understands the Assyrians, so as withal he takes other enemies to the remnant of Israel to be meant also, because the Prophet was here in this Chapter speaking of the sufferings of Israel, who had therefore need now to be comforted, that they might not despair. But I prefer the first, and as for Israel and Syria he had done speaking of them, and here enters upon a new Prophecy.

CHAP. XVIII.

WOe to the Land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Vulgar Latin, Vae terrae, Cymbalo alarm. Which Jerome rendereth so, because though 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth a shadow, yet being doubled it rather signifieth a Cymbal, as it is here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Junius, To the Land shadowing the heavens, affirming that all the stars in Ethiopia had high mountains overshadowing them, and compassing them about, which he gathers from Strabo lib. ult. saying, That all the Havens upon the red sea were such. Which is by the rivers of Ethiopia, Secundum flumina, Heb. Magnaber Lenachri, Beyond by the rivers, or at them. For Ethiopia was washed with two rivers, according to Strabo, lib. 17. and Pliny, which ran into Nile of Egypt. It was that part of Ethiopia and Egypt, which lay between the main Country of Ethiopia and Egypt, which is here meant, called Meroe. And this the Prophet cometh now to threaten, because Tyrhacha King of Ethiopia coming out against Sennacherib King of Assyria, when he was invading Judah in Hezekiah his time, brought him upon himself, which thing, and his denouncing war against him by his Legates sent Vers. 2. by sea, is here prophesied of: to this effect Junius. But Jerome takes this to be a description of Egypt, and that Land to be here threatened, because, as Syria before threatened had by helping Israel made them to trust in them, and not in God; so Egypt being made a stay by Judah, incurred God's wrath likewise. And this is followed generally by other Expositors, Haimo, Thomas Aquinas, Lyra, Cyril, Procopius, Sasbont &c. because it is not said, The Land of Ethiopia, but beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, implying it to be another Country, and Egypt abounded so with shipping covered with sails as with wings, that it may most aptly be applied thereunto; or it might be so called for covering the Jews under the shadow of her wings, because they trusted to Pharaoh King of Egypt, and rebelled against the Assyrians, and would flee thither for shelter after that their Land was subdued by Nebuchadnezzar. These indeed are great probabilities, but because the burden of Egypt followeth not till Chap. 19. this cannot stand; and because Egypt is not beyond Ethiopia, but nearer to Jerusalem, but this beyond: And lastly in coming to speak against Egypt, he saith the same against it that he doth here; so that if this be against Egypt also, there must needs be a vain repetition; so Cornel a Lapide hath it, but untruly, as will appear to him that shall compare the Chapters together; therefore lastly rather Ethiopia is here meant, and Egypt not touched till Chap. 19. because Chap. 20. 4. concluding both these Prophecies, he makes express mention of Ethiopia, as well as of Egypt; and how they should be alike judged by the Assyrians domineering over them. So that if Ethiopia be not here threatened as well as Egypt, Chap. 19. more should be in the conclusion then in the premises. I resolve therefore with Junius, whom the Jesuit also followeth, that Ethiopia is here meant; and to make this yet plainer, we may thus render the wordss, Woe to the Land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers, even Ethiopia; for the Hebrews having no cases, it may as well be rendered by the Dative as Genitive, and so agree with Terrae, To the Land, by apposition. And this description is made, because by seven streams flowing out of Ethiopia, Egypt was watered, and those streams or heads were on this side Ethiopia, and so it was a Land beyond the rivers. For the word rendered shadowing, but by Jerome, With a Cymbal, though 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of which it cometh, signifieth a tinkling as a shadow, so that the derivative may sometime signify a Cymbal, yet this being a compound of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 put together, as Vatablus noteth rather, signifieth a thick shadow, and hereby Ethiopia is described, either for the abundance of Flies and Bees there darkening the air, and so it is shadowed with winged things being black like the inhabitants of that Country, or for their abundance of shipping with fails, which are to ships, as wings to flee swiftly withal, or haply their offering to be a shelter to the Jews in Hezekiah's time is pointed at, when Tirhaka their King came out against Sennacherib to divert him from Jerusalem, which he was hastening to besiege; for it is not improbable but that he sent word hereof by some Ambassadors spoken of verse. 2. to Hezekiah, though he placed not his confidence in this, but in God. Now that it may yet appear to be more probable, that Ethiopia is here threatened, we may take notice from 2 Chron. 12. 3. where the Ethiopians are said to have come against the Jews with Necho King of Egypt; and 2 Chron. 14. 9. Zarah King of Ethiopia came out against Asa with ten hundred thousand, that they were great enemies to God's people; and therefore the Propositum of the Prophet being to threaten judgments against all the several Nations, which were their enemies from Chap. 13. to Chap. 23. no reason that the Ethiopians should be left out. Calvin also conceives it to be some part of Ethiopia near the sea. Vatablus paraphraseth the words thus, O maritin country, which aboundest with ships, being covered with sails of many ships, as with a thick shadow. The Chaldee Paraphrast, Woe to the Land to which they come with ships from a far country, and extend their sails as an Eagle fleeing with her wings. Musculus mentioneth some other interpretations, as of Eusebius Caesar. expounding it of the Jews, who wrote letters into all parts to stir up persecution against Christians, because verse. 2. it is said, sending in paper vessels upon the waters; but this is far fetched, since by paper vessels not letters, but ships made of a wood called Papyrus, are set forth: and of others expounding it by the Romans, who in the time of Titus and Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem. But because the Jews were then to be destroyed for their bloody sin in crucifying Christ, and other great abominations, and they pulled that destruction upon themselves and City; this is altogether improbable, although Just. cont. Tryphon. follows the former, & some others this. Corn. a Lap. tells of some that refer this Prophecy to the Indies so far remote, as being of their conversion by the Spaniards, it a quis{que} suo sensu abundat.

Sending Ambassadors by sea upon rushen vessels, Go ye swift messengers to a distracted Nation, &c. Junius saith, That those sent by Tirhacha to the Aslyrisels to denounce war against them, are here meant, and that the rushy vessels may also be read Papyry vessels, that is, Boats made of rushes, or of the light wood of a tree called Papyrus, of which paper to write upon was also anciently made. For such did both Ethiopians and Egyptians use, and not vessels of more solid matter, which would have been in more danger of breaking by reason of many hard and ragged bosoms of rocky matter, as they sailed down the river Nile; and he calls the Assyrians a distracted and peeled Nation, because the forces come out against Judea had not their King amongst them at the first, and so were as an Army distracted, which being set suddenly upon could not make any such great resistance, as needed to be feared by them, To a people terrible in that place and further; For so were the Assyrians both to Judea and other Nations for their great prevailings, Which delineates and conculcates all things; That is, arrogates power over all, and treads them underfoot, Whose Land the floods spoil; according to Ammanus lib. 23. the Assyrians Country was much annoyed with waters overflowing and doing great hurt. Cornelius à Lapide distinguisheth sending Legates in rushy vessels from the next words, Go ye Angels or Messengers to a distracted Nation; as if the first only belonged to the Ethiopian, the next to the Assyrian; as if the Prophet had said, The Ethiopian goes out but as a paper or rushy vessel, weakly against the Assyrians, but Sennacherib their King vaunting over them, should count his Princes as Angels for strength in comparison, and they should indeed make the Ethiopic Nation poor and distracted, as lined out to destruction, the Assyrians coming upon them, as a flood irresistibly. Jerome by the Nation distracted understands that of Judah, because the Assyrians should spoil it, yet it was formerly terrible for help miraculously received many times from God, making their enemies to tremble; and the Jews also in David's time trod upon divers Nations, but now that Kingdom was to be destroyed by a flood of enemies. Calvin is somewhat doubtful how to understand it, because no History gives any light into it; but whereas Jerome expounds the Jews a terrible Nation, because they were in times past formidable to their enemies, he contrariwise, because they should be overwhelmed with such miseries, that the beholders should be astonished at it, and it should be terrible to them to see it, as was threatened Deut. 28. 28. and though they expected help from God, yet as unworthy for their sins, they were underfoot trodden by other Nations. Thus we see much diversity of expositions, amongst which to put in my poor judgment, I do not think with a Lapide, that here are two spoken of, one sending and the other vaunting, neither with Junius, that the Ethiopian spake these words in detracting from the Assyrians then so mighty, but holding as before, that the Ethiopian was he that sent Ambassadors to Judea with all speed to certify them of his coming for their help, I conceive that the next, Go ye swift messengers, are the Prophets ironically taunting the Ethiopians for their vain confidence, that they should prevail, and so help Judea in her straits, and declaring what the condition of the Jews should shortly be, instead of being succoured by them, even a distracted and peeled Nation, great spoils being taken from them by their enemies, although formerly God standing for them, they had been terrible to them; From that time and beyond, that is, David's time, and the Judges and Jofhua before that, when the Amorites trembled at their approach, yet a Nation full of expectation, for which the word is doubled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Expecting, expecting help from God; but notwithstanding trodden underfoot, and finally swept away with a flood, which was fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar with his prevailing Army.

O all ye inhabitants of the world, &c. Here the Prophet to show the greatness of the judgment before threatened, saith, That it shall be seen as by an Ensign lifted up upon a Mountain, and heard as by a Trumpet extending in the sound thereof to all the world.

Moreover the Lord said thus unto me, I will rest me in my tabernacle, &c. That is, saith Jerome, Whilst these things are in doing I will sit in Heaven, and behold it, my willing of it to be so being sufficient without my labor to cause it to be so. As the noon-day light is clear, and the dewy cloud in harvest; That is, as nothing is more clear then that light, and nothing more refreshing to the scorched harvest-man then a dewy Cloud; so my word being fulfilled shall be grateful to all that trust in me. Junius, I will look upon my place as the serene heat upon herb or grass, and a thick dew in the heat of harvest; That is, I will look upon it becoming such by means of the Assyrian, that is, in an ill case, as grass smitten with burning heat, and rain coming in harvest. The Geneva translation, As heat drying the rain, and a dewie cloud in the heat of harvest. Vatablus, As fair weather through the sin &c. N. T. Like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud or dew in the heat of harvest. Hebrew word for word, As heat or the sun lifted up above the morning, as a dewie cloud in the heat of harvest. And the meaning most probably is, that the Lord's looking from his place should be most comfortable to the faithful, as the sun sweetly shining to warm the air and enlighten the world, and refresh all vegetable things, and a dewie cloud, not rainy to do hurt, but a little to cool in extremity of the harvests heat, and to make corn the more floury. Calvin, that some understand this as spoken by the Prophet in his own person, but leaving this, as contrary to the words of the text, he saith the meaning is, the Lord will be for a time as one that sits and beholds and doth nothing, but at length it shall appear that he orders all things for the best good of his, and so that when he seems to do least for them, he is yet working out by his providence good unto them. For resting upon a seat and beholding implies a cessation from action; but having gone thus far in the former part of the verse so, as I cannot but applaud, he proceeds as indifferent betwixt that before going, and the Exposition of Junius, as if the wicked Jews were here threatened in speaking words of comfort, it being meant that they should be by favors fatted up as an Ox against the day of slaughter, prepared as the corn by the heat of the sun sometimes, and sometimes by dews falling upon it, is ripened to be cut down, so they to sudden excision: Which cannot agree to this comparison, since the harvest ripe doth always set forth the godly not the wicked, and the Vintage causing juice or blood to run, the destruction of the wicked.

Because whilst the harvest shall be present the bud shall be perfect, and out of flower fruit waxing ripe, then he shall cut off, &c. N. Tr. For afore the harvest, when though bud is perfect, and the sour grape ripening in the flower. Hebrew word for word, In the face of harvest, as the bud is perfecting, and sour fruit waxing ripe shall be flourishing. Here the Prophet, having in the words immediately before going interposed somewhat for the comfort of the faithful more obscurely, showeth more plainly the destruction of the Ethiopians their enemies, as he had done before, and doth chap. 19, and 20. of other heathens round about, and then their returning home again out of Captivity, as an offering sent by Cyrus, v. 7. as shall more appear, when we come to it. He shows the speedy coming of destruction upon the Ethiopians by a comparison from cutting off the branches of a Vine, before the grapes be ripe, yea but now beginning to appear; for as he that doth thus makes great haste to the marring of the Vine, so the Lord threatens to do to the Ethiopians. And thus almost Jerome expounds it, but that he persists in applying it to the Egyptians, which hath been before confuted: And that under the Metaphor taken from a Vine, whose branches he saith, shall be thus ere long cut, he meaneth people, he changeth it v. 6. saying, They shall be left alike to the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth. That is, being in great multitudes slain to be devoured by them, when they shall lie without burial. And his showing that the wicked enemies of his Church should first come almost to perfection, and then be cut off, saith Calvin, tends yet more to illustrate the power of God, in that suffering them first to grow to this, and not taking them off when they began to bud, which had been more easy, he now all at once destroys them. But he applies it as a continuation of that said, v. 4. as serving further to illustrate and confirm that. Junius differing from all others, understands it as a cutting off the superfluous branches of a Vine, that it might flourish the better and fructify more; but how then are these branches thus cut off left to the fowls and beasts? He saith the Assyrians destroyed, 2 King. 19. are meant by those that are so left, but they are plainly the cut off branches. Lyra follows Jerome.

At that time shall be brought to the Lord a gift, a people distracted and peeled, &c. Innius, and after him the N. Tr. Of a people. Where the word of is redundant, as not being in the Hebrew; for the people of Israel, who had been carried Captive into Babylon, are the gift here meant by the first Persian King Cyrus sent home through God's singular providence, as he had by his Prophet foretold: And whereas in the words following, Of a people terrible, denoting the same, forsomuch as this is a repetition of that which was said, v. 2. It is so spoken, because many of them being wasted and dead, and some willingly staying behind in Babylon still, they that returned were but some of this people. So also Calvin understands it, nothing for the comfort of the faithful, that howsoever the Church [Note.] of God be distracted, he is both able and will gather them together again in his good time. And that we are God's sacrifices, when we mortify our vile and sinful lusts, Rom. 12. 1. Col. 3. 5. Jerome rendering it of a people, expounds it of the Jews, when they should trust no more in Egypt, but in the Lord only, and therefore bring their presents to him, to his Temple in Zion. But because nothing touching Egypt is here handled, I pass this over. Junius expounds it of the spoils of the Assyrians, whereof of a gift was offered to God at Ezra his return out of Babylon: But the description of a distracted people and trodden underfoot agreeth not to them, as was before shown upon v. 2. Lyra more fully then any other, at that time; that is, the time after judgments thus executed against Ethiopians and other enemies of the Jews, the Kingdom coming into the Persians hands, Cyrus shall send the Jews home, and together with them great gifts, yea and the Jews remaining in Babylon shall send their gifts also, as is recorded Ezra 1. that they did. The Prophecy in every part being thus fulfilled, in the people's being sent home, as a gift to the Lord, and the gold and silver to his Temple in mount Zion. But he saith further, that all this Chapter seems to be a Prophecy of Israel carried Captive by Shalmaneser into Media, and after that by Alexander, as Josephus hath it, enclosed by the Caspian mountains in a more remote place, from whence they could never get out; but towards the end of the world, a way being miraculously opened, they shall come forth again and return to their own land; because Zephan. 3. 10. they are described by their being beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, as here v. 7. And he saith, that they are called a land with the Cymbal of wings, according to the Vulgar Latin, because we hear only a sound of their being there, and because they cannot send out by land to their own Country, they send by subterranean places in vessels made of rushes. Then all Nations are called upon to behold the wonder of their bringing home again, when the Ensign Christ is lifted up, and the Preachers of the Gospel sound unto them as with a trumpet. Then Christ rests, after the work of our redemption wrought in heaven, being yet by his Spirit sent down as heat and dew to the faithful. Yet their return must not be so understood, as if it were universal, for when they shall flourish thus most; some branches not believing shall be cut off and remain as food for fowls and beasts. But the other shall be God's providence brought home as a gift. All which, I confess, were worth the considering, but that I know not how they being so enclosed, should send messengers by water under the earth; neither doth any History make mention of any that ever appeared, since their pretended inclosure here. Therefore we must leave it as uncertain, till God shall in time reveal the truth herein.

CHAP. XIX.

THe burden of Egypt, behold the Lord rides upon a swift cloud and will come into Egypt. Jerome, who will have Egypt meant in the former Chapter, saith, that the Prophet having there obscurely threatened Egypt, now he doth it plainly, as is sometimes the manner of the Prophets. But to disprove this, enough hath been said before, he cometh not till now to Egypt. And he saith, some understand this of our Lord Christ coming into Egypt with his mother and Joseph, when they fled thither with him for fear of Herod, she being compared to a light or swift cloud that bare him. The ordinary Gloss understands this of the Lord's coming against Egypt in the Assyrian Army first, that being to him as a light or swift cloud so suddenly and violently coming against the Egyptians, that their idols could not help them. Then of Christ taking flesh of the Virgin Mary, being without all heaviness of sin, and therefore called light and a cloud, because as clouds ingender above, so this flesh was engendered by the coming of the holy Ghost from above upon the Virgin, according to Lyra; and as was said before, was carried into Egypt; at what time, as the Scholast. History hath it, the Idols of Egypt fell. And the heart of Egypt shall fail.] That is, at the coming of the Assyrians, as the Gloss; but as Lyra, at the coming of the Romans, in whom the Lord came most terribly, when Augustus the Emperor warred against Antony rejecting his sister Augusta (for the love of Cleopatra) which was his wife, and overcame him, and he, that he might not fall into his hands, slew himself. It is childish, saith Calvin, by the Lord coming into Egypt in a light cloud, to understand Christ, and by the Idols being moved, their miraculous falling, when he being an Infant was brought into Egypt; because he began not to work any miracles, till he came into Cana of Galilee, as is expressly said, Joh. 2. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana. But this reason is insufficient, for then indeed did he begin to work miracles, hereby showing himself to be the Messiah; but it cannot hence be proved, that God the Father did by no miraculous sign manifest him before. For the Angels coming to Zechariah, and to the Virgin Mary, was a miracle; and John the Baptists springing in his mothers belly, at Mary's saluting Elizabeth, and the heavens bearing of a new Star to show the place where he was born, and the heavens opening at his Baptism, were all miracles: Yet I do not think that to be the proper meaning of this place, but the Allegorical, and so Cyril, Procopius, Theodor. August. Euseb. Bernard, &c. take it. The literal meaning being, that God by the Assyrians should execute his judgments against Egypt for their gross Idolatries, and that their doing of it, was his coming against them; and because they should come irresistibly against them, all their fortifications profiting them nothing to withstand them, he useth this Metaphor of coming in a cloud on high, against which no forts would profit them, according to Calvin: or he saith thus, because clouds were seldom seen in Egypt, and were counted ominous when they were, according to Junius; who also denotes the time when this was fulfilled, viz. when Sethon, a priest of Vulcan, who reigned Egypt, was dead, ex Herodoti Euterpe. So that they are wide, who expound it of the Romans. The Egyptians Idols, which were some of silver and gold, and some of wood and stone, were diversely moved by the Assyrians, and afterwards by the Babylonians, when those of wood were burnt, of stone broken, and those of more precious metal carried away. And he speaks of their Idols, because they of all Nations were most given to Idolatry, as when they embraced the Gospel, they were most devoted to duties of Piety, as both Jerome commends them, and August. ex Tresmegisto, more rightly applying that saying of his, Egypt is the Image of heaven, yea the Temple of the whole world. And Chrysost. Heaven doth not so shine with divers companies of stars, as Egypt is illustrated with innumerable habitacles of Monks and Virgins, and that Egypt was by Christ turned into Paradise.

And I will make the Egyptians to sight against the Egyptians, &c. This, saith Jerome, was fulfilled when some of them at the coming of the Assyrians would have yielded, but others would not, and so fell to civil wars amongst themselves. Kingdom against Kingdom.] The Septuagint 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, one prefectureship against another, whereof Ortelius numbereth sixty six. And this saith Jerome, was mystically fulfilled at Christ's coming, because he came not to send peace, but a sword, and to set variance betwixt those of the same house. This of the civil wars of the Egyptians, saith Junius, was fulfilled, when Sethon being dead, twelve Tyrants divided the Kingdom amongst them, expelling Psamm • ti • us from amongst them, who again obtained all and expelled them, and then reigned most tyrannically, so Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus. And this is threatened as a great judgment, because nothing more weakens a Kingdom then civil wars: And in saying, I will make the Egyptians fight against the Egyptians, he intimates, that this always in all Kingdoms comes of [Note.] the Lord for sin. And the more fully to set forth these dissensions, he proceeds by four degrees; 1. Brother against brother. 2. Friend against friend. 3. City against City. 4. Kingdom against Kingdom. What is meant by Kingdom here, and how many such were in Egypt, see before: of Cities or Towns are numbered by some twenty thousand.

And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of it, &c. That is, saith Jerome, of those that refuse to submit to the Assyrians or Chaldeans, for though they ask counsel of their idols or wizards, it shall be vain. For they shall come into the hands of cruel masters, as v. 4. that is, of the Assyrians, who are everywhere set forth as most cruel. Calvin and Musculus observe that the Egyptians were in those days counted the learnedest and wisest people in the world, and that they came from Countries most remote thither to hear their wisdom, and to learn the Arts, wherein they were most expert: It might therefore seem ridiculous, that they should want wisdom to order the affairs of their own Kingdom, being so potent; so as that it should evidently appear, that they had done foolishly to help one another into a servile estate. And in speaking of those with whom they should consult, he mentioneth, 1. Idols. 2. Magicians. 3. Wizards and Diviners; denoting, as Calvin hath it, certain degrees: By the Idols being meant their Oracles, which were most highly esteemed, by the Magi such as were of an inferior rank, and by the other, such as were consulted with in lighter matters. Being uncertain and unsatisfied by one means, he showeth that they should seek to another, but all in vain. And in saying thus he condemneth all other ways and means of seeking help and counsel in straits, besides of the Lord in his holy Word.

Then the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be dried up. Jerome understands this 1. Literally, of the failing of all benefits for the use of man's life, which come from the waters, as Fishes and things imported thereby. 2. Metaphorically, of the King and Princes of Egypt, in whom should be no help; and the reeds and canes following, v. 6. of all the abundance of Egypt. For in Ezekiel, Pharaoh is compared to a Dragon in the river, which he calleth his; and his Nobles to Fishes adhering to his sins, all being threatened to be plucked out. 3. Tropologically, as before, chap. 11. 15. The Lord shall destroy the bosom of the Egyptian sea, &c. That is, under the Gospel the evil arts of Egypt shall all cease. 4. Historically, by the sea dried, the lake of Meroe, because the Hebrews call every collection of waters, a sea; and the waters of this lake falling, Nile which was fed hereby, must needs fail also. Calvin understands the defences of Egypt failing, because that Country was unaccessible but by water, and at every landing place such strong Bulworks were built, that they easily repel the enemy. But now their well defensed places should nothing avail to save them. Sasbont follows the Metaphoricall Exposition, understanding the decay of the strength of Egypt, both in King and Nobles and common people, set forth by reeds and bulrushes, for out of these the Egyptians had many things useful both for ship and the sustentation of their lives. Iconceive, because the not overflowing of Nile so much as was desired, to make the Country of Egypt fruitful, caused barrenness there; that in all this the Prophet sets forth a great famine, wherewith they should be punished, the earth not yielding her increase as formerly, by means of the failing of these waters; so that men of all trades, both in land and waters should be confounded for the failing that should be of all necessaries, whereby they were wont to set themselves awork to get a living. And so here is another judgment threatened of famine and drought, besides that of the sword of the enemy bringing them under, spoken of in the former verses: and this is continued, v. 7, 8, 9, 10. also.

Certainly the Princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise Counselors of Pharaoh is unfatuated, &c. Here because Pharaohs counsel was thought to be most wise to order all things in that Kingdom so, as to prevent the ruin thereof; the Prophet, who foresaw that it should come to ruin, against the high opinion conceived of them, insults over them as fools; because when the time should come for them to do good in saving their Country by their wisdom, it should be like Ahitophels turned into foolishness; neither they nor their King, whom they flattered, calling him the son of the wise and of ancient Kings, being able to do any good for the preservation of Egypt, when the judgments before threatened should come. Which shows that there is no counsel or wisdom [Note.] against the Lord. And the vanity of Kings and other great persons, who glory in the antiquity of their houses, and the wisdom of their progenitors, being destitute thereof themselves; since it is commonly seen, that inheritors of their fathers estates, do not inherit their virtues, but a wise father hath a foolish son, as Solomon, Rehoboam. The Vulgar Latin, for Principes Zoar, read Principes Thaneos, following the Septuagint. It was the chief City of Egypt, wherein Moses did all his wonders, Psal. 78. 12. Exod. 7. 8, 9. And this City is spoken of, because there Pharaoh was with his Privy Counsel, selected out of the wisest of all his Princes. Lyra saith, the Kings name that now reigned when this was done, was Anthonius, but called Pharaoh, according to the common appellation of the Kings of Egypt; and yet he refers this Prophecy to the time of Augustus Caesar going against Anthony and Cleopatra there, when the name of the King was no more Pharaoh, but Ptolemy; and this Prophecy pointed at the destruction of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar. Yet Jerome refers it to the Romans times, when Idolatry began to fall at Christ's coming into Egypt; for then the wisdom of the Egyptians, who were counted the wisest, appeared to be foolishness in matters of greatest concernment, viz. of Religion, which now appeared in them to be vain, wicked and devilish, for their excessive superstition. And thus he also spake before, upon v. 5. but by a tropol. Exposition. How say ye to Pharaoh, I am the son of ancient Kings? That is, speak so in way of slattery to him, that he speaks thus of himself? For the Egyptians derived the pedigree of their Kings from gods, Oros, Isis, Osirides and Typhon, and boasted of their antiquity so, as if they were before all other people's, yea before the Moon; for they reckoned their time to be many thousands of years before the Creation, and hereby doth Lucian deride the Arcadians, calling them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Lucian de Astrologia.

Where be thy wise men to tell thee, &c. Here he goeth on with his irony, deriding the Wizards of Egypt, as not being able to foretell the destruction of their Land, coming from the true God, that they might forsake their false gods, in whom there was no help in time of need. And Musculus saith, that hereby he condemneth the art Magic, that none may seek to such as have skill therein, or to Astrologians, who haply by the stars may foretell some things of the weather, and of plenty or scarcity, &c. yet not certainly, but only conjecturally, yet so audacious are they, that they also take upon them to foretell of the lives and actions of men, as if all things were known unto them, but most vainly, being here condemned together with Wizards, so Musculus.

They have deceived Egypt, the corner of his people. Lyra referring this to the time of the Romans, as also that of the Counselors before spoken of, giving counsel to fight against the Romans taking part with Augustus against Anthony, from whence came their ruin, saith, that by the corner, wherein two walls meet, being the chief strength of an house, Anthony and Cleopatra were meant, who being deceived by the Wizards, all Egypt was deceived. But how wide he is in this his reference, I have shown before. Others therefore better understand the City Noph here spoken of, since called Alexandria, a principal City in Egypt, and Zoan making a corner of a well, as it were, because in them the chief strength of Egypt stood; but being deceived by the Counselors and Wizards, therein making them secure by predictions of good, all the land was deceived, and lay open to this judgment, as Musculus. But Calvin will have the Counselors and Wizards hereby meant, as upon whom the people relied, as a building upon the corner; and therefore he reads it as a Nominative, as if it had been said, the corner of his tribes or people's hath deceived Egypt: Others as an Accusative, as if by the corner they were set forth, that had been deceived, in whom Egypt's strength chiefly lay. I'prefer that of Calvin, as best agreeing to the deceivers hitherto cried out upon, viz. not Cities, but Counselors and Wizards, which abounded especially in these two; the later otherwise called by Jerome Memphis, a City most infamous for superstitions and idolatries. Some, because the chief firmament of a Kingdom is in the King, will have Pharaoh hereby understood, whom his flattering Counselors thus extolling, put him on against the Assyrians to defend his neighbor Nations, but to his own ruin.

The Lord hath mingled in the midst thereof the spirit of perverseness, &c. That is, saith Jerome, that they do all things erroneously, nothing rightly, for so also he saith it may be rendered the spirit of error. Even as they that having something mingled in their wine to make them giddy-headed, so should it be by a just judgment from God upon the Egyptians, that their wisest men should be idle in their brains, and far from being able to give good counsel.

Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which head or tail branch or rush may do. Jerome hath it, Caput & caudam, incurvantem & refraenantem: And he expounds it, In Egypt there should be no work, that should have either head or tail, but agreeing to the dotage of crooked age or the wantonness of unruly youth, which needs for his wildeness to be bridled. But Calvin, that both the Honorable set forth by the head and branch, and the Plebeians by the tail and rush, should all be at their wits end, and none able to do anything to profit Egypt, and this is further confirmed by the same words used in this sense, Chap. 9. 13, 14.

In that day Egypt shall be like unto women, &c. Some think that their effeminatness is here touched upon, for which they were noted, the women going abroad to do business, and the men keeping at home to do domestical works. But because this was usual, and it must be a new thing here threatened, Calvin doth well reject this, averring that the Egyptians yet were not so effeminate to have hearts like women commonly, for they did many military exploits, and sometime subdued, and sometime holp the Jews, but now this courage should fail in them, and be turned into the greatest timerousness; as God is wont to strike them whom he means to destroy, whereof the Canaanites may be an example. For the shaking of the hand of the Lord.] Whereby it is given to understand, that when the Assyrians came against them, they were brought by God, and therefore this timerousness surprised them, and having an Almighty power against them, which they could by no means resist.

And the land of Judah shall be for a terror to the Egyptians, &c. That is, saith Jerome, when they shall recount their former helping of the Jews against the Assyrians, at whose hands they shall therefore now suffer such grievous things. And Calvin more fully, because they by helping Judah had drawn the Jews away from trusting in God, and to rely upon them; against which they had often warnings, and when they did so, were much complained of by the Prophets. So that not only the people of God, who are drawn away from trusting [Note.] and serving him only, but they who are the instruments shall be sure one day to have it turned into a terror unto them; thus Calvin. But I marvel how Expositors generally were moved thus to render and expound it, because the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying not terror, but a festival, or exultation, and therefore Jerome hath it, For a terror or festivity, and saith that Haggai hath it so, and so it must be read, if we will take it in the better part, although he for his part subscribes rather to the other reading. I rather think that the Prophet begins here, passing from threatenings against Egypt to Prophecy of comfort which should be unto them, and that in the best kind; for that being delivered from superstition and idolatry, they should come to the knowledge of the true God, and the feasts of his people should be their feasts: for so it is expressly prophesied of, Zech. 14. 16, 18. and he saith, Everyone that should make mention thereof to it shall fear, that is, be moved with reverence towards the God of Israel, who hath wrought this marvelous work; therefore it is added, For the counsel that he hath counseled over it; not against it, for it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And for this makes v. 18. And in that day there shall be five Cities in Egypt speaking the language of Canaan, for this is evidently of their conversion to the true faith. Those Expositions then, which will have Judah a terror to Egypt, because they should be astonished at the judgments coming upon them, mentioned by Calvin with dislike; or Egypt astonished on the contrary side at the preservation of Judah by the miraculous confounding of Sennacherib, when he came against it, which Adam Sasbont hath, are not worth the naming.

And in that day five Cities in Egypt shall speak the language of Canaan, and one shall be called the City of the sun. So Jerome, expounding it of Heliopolis, or at the least saying that Onias thinking it to be meant, built a Temple there unto the Lord; and he saith that Symmachus well rendered it Civitas solis. Our Translatours render it commonly, The City of destruction, for so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heres the word here used signifieth: But others reading 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , render it the sun, for so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth: Thus also the Septuagint, Chaldee, Vatablus, &c. Because there were five chief Cities in Egypt, mentioned Ezek. 30. 17. whereof Aven or Heliopolis was one, it seemeth that the Prophet alludeth hereunto, by five meaning all Egypt; and by one particularly named, showing that this above the rest should be remarkable for piety, viz. Heliopolis, as it had been most notorious for idolatry, insomuch as that it was a City of Idolatrous Priests, so Herodotus; but being converted, it might for Christian piety therein flourishing be called the City of the Son of righteousness arising with healing in his wings, according to Malac. 4. 2. Calvin is the first that I have seen, who renders it, The City of destruction; and his Exposition hereupon is, that by the five Cities, speaking with the lip of Canaan, for so the Hebrew word signifieth, are set forth five parts which shall be converted; but one over and above these, that is, the sixth part not being converted shall go into destruction; thus all who harden their hearts and will not turn at the preaching of the Gospel being threatened with destruction. But because this Prophecy is altogether of good and comfort, for many verses together, to the end of the Chapter, I cannot subscribe to him or his Exposition, but must needs rather prefer the former, against which nothing makes, but a letter varying, ye, this variance is so little that it can hardly be discerned, the one followed by the Ancients, being thus written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; the other by our new Writers thus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; and in this case I think we ought to be swayed rather by the sense agreeing best to the place, then by a letter not acknowledged neither by the Learned of more ancient times. Lyra saith, that some understand Alexandria by the City of the sun, where S ^t Mark preached the Gospel, and Simon the Apostle; after which the converted built Altars there to the honor of Christ; but he is rather for Heliopolis, as was said before. And he saith that Onias an high-Priest of the Jews said that he would go to Egypt and fulfill this Prophecy, and being entertained honourably by the King, and a City given him for this purpose, he built an Altar and offered sacrifices to God there: and thus the Hebrews and some of ours conceive it to be meant, and that it was fulfilled. But R. Solomon saith, that Sannecherib coming from battle against the Ethiopians, brought some Egyptian Nobles, whom he had taken, bound before Jerusalem, thinking to show them to the Jews for their greater terror to make them yield; but being prevented by the slaughter made amongst his men, he fled and left them, and they being by Hezekiah released, returned to Egypt and there built Altars and offered thereon to the true God. And that they might the more acceptably do so, they procured Priests to go with them, who offered and celebrated the praises of God in the language of Canaan, that is, their own tongue. But for the former of these, if Onias fondly grounding upon this Prophecy did so, that was no fulfilling of it, because that which he did, was not pleasing to God, as being done against his injunction, that Sacrifices should not be offered to him anywhere, but in the place by him chosen. For the next, it doth so strongly favor of the Rabinnical forge, that we may well reject it, as a thing feigned. The fulfilling of this Prophecy then was, when the Egyptians received the Gospel, for then they spake and studied the Hebrew tongue, as wherein the true Religion was set forth; and it is probable, as Lyra hath it, that many of them by the extraordinary gift of tongues then given to the converted after baptizing by the imposition of hands, spake this tongue singularly, as most necessary for Christian people. And further to show, That the conversion of the Egyptians is here prophesied of, he addeth, They should swear by the Lord of hosts; that is, serve and worship him, one part of his worship, swearing by his name, being put for all.

In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the Land of Egypt, &c. In this and the three verses following, the Prophet goes on further to declare the conversion of the Egyptians. The Altar, saith Jerome, is one Church, one Faith, one Baptism acknowledged in Egypt. And a pillar in the border thereof to the Lord; That is, The Gospels and writings of the Apostles. Vers. 20. And it shall be for a sign, &c. That is, of Christ's pasion, and when upon the receiving of the Gospel persecution shall arise, they shall cry to the Lord for help, and he shall send them a Savior, that is Jesus. Vers. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt; That is, both to the persecuted to their comfort, and to the persecutors to their terror, And they shall do sacrifice, &c. Here the Prophet plainly foretells an end put to the Levitical Priesthood under the Gospel, according to that of the Apostle, The Priesthood being removed, the Law must needs be done away also; That is, the Law of sacrificing by Priests of the Tribe of Levi, and in no place but at Jerusalem: For here it is fore-told that Sacrifice should be done in Egypt, and that by men of that Land. Let the Jews answer this if they can.

The Pillar rendered in Vulgar Latin Titulus, may, saith Lyra, be referred to Christ, for his Title was written, Jesus Nazaraeus Rex Judaeorum. It may also be taken for the faith of Christ preached in all the borders of Egypt; but whereas he saith, Crosses are therefore set up upon Altars amongst Christians, as if this in part might be the title here meant, we reject as superstitious, for the holiness put therein, and the worship done to it, as sometime by the Jews to the brazen serpent, which was therefore broken down. For although crosses might have continued, if they had not been thus abused, yet now they are to be broken down, as monuments of the Antichristian sect, degenerating from true Christian Piety, and not of the Christian. Wherefore I doubt not, but as to the praise of Hezekiah it was recorded, That he brake down the brazen Serpent in this case, and called it Nehushtan; so it shall be in future ages to the praise of our present religious Parliament. Moreover Lyra by their crying to the Lord because of the oppressor, understands their crying against the devil; and by their Sacrifice the Eucharist, and thanksgivings made in the Church to the praise of God, saying, that it is called Sacrifices, because that alone is now instead of the many Sacrifices formerly offered. Wherein he saith well in part, viz. in saying, that by Sacrifices are meant those of thanksgiving; but in making the Eucharist, that is, the Lord's Supper a Sacrifice, he goeth without ground of Scripture, because it is nowhere called a Sacrifice, but a remembrance of the Sacrifice of Christ's death, neither is the place where it standeth called an Altar, but the Table of the Lord: and against reason, which tells us, that there is no Sacrifice but which is offered to God, whereas this is offered to men and women receiving. And lastly, whereas he hath it [Sacrifices] it is Sacrifice in the original in the singular number, intimating Christ the only Sacrifice making all our praises and prayers acceptable to Almighty God.

Calvin and Musculus, by the Altar, understand Christ believed in in Egypt, of which the Apostle saith, We have an altar, Heb. 13. 10. and by the Pillar or Title, that whereby it is known to what Kingdom such or such parts belong; so that whereby it is known that the Egyptians now belonged unto Christ, viz. the public profession of the Gospel, is hereby meant.

And this shall be for a sign and witness to the Lord, &c. For they shall cry unto him, &c. That is, hereby it shall appear, That the Lord approves them for true converts, that they call no more in the time of their oppressions upon any other but the Lord only, and upon him they call so earnestly, that they are said to cry unto him, as the Spirit makes the faithful to do, Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. Touching which oppressions, Calvin saith, That Egypt was subject to divers, for four hundred years, till the Gospel was there embraced, and then they were delivered, according to that which is here prophesied, He will send them a Savior, &c. That is, the same Jesus, to whom they shall turn shall save and deliver them out of all their troubles at length. One saith, It shall be a sign to the Egyptians that the Lord is propitious to them, when crying unto him they shall be delivered: but then the former words must be read, It shall be a witness of the Lord to them. Which the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 will not well bear. The Note of Calvin hereupon is very good: Then only doth it appear, [Note.] and is testified to God, so that he approives it that we are turned unto him, when in our distresses we cry unto him, and are delivered; if not, we turn not yet so that he approves of it. And also, that deliverance from oppressors is not given, but to the converted, that Christians, who are now so full of trouble may be moved to turn, and not persist in their sins still.

And the Egyptians shall know the Lord, and the Lord shall be known unto them and they shall not sacrifice, &c. It is here to be noted, saith Calvin, that they must be endued with the knowledge of God, who will worship God acceptably, [Note.] because he saith, first, They shall know God, and then they shall offer, &c. And we may add, who so doth not, wants this knowledge, although otherwise he may seem to have it. And to know God, and to be known of God, he saith, are all one, but twice spoken, because it should be a thing so remarkable, that the superstitious Egyptians should turn from all their false God's, and therefore seriously to be considered. But I think there is more implied in it, viz. which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 10. 20. I was found of them that sought me not, and made manifest to them that asked not after me. God prevented the Egyptians by making the light of his knowledge to shine amongst them, and then they came to know the Lord: Of their doing Sacrifice he saith, That hereby is meant nothing else, but their embracing of the faith, and confessing it together with other acts of the divine Worship; and hereby he sets forth the service of the New Testament, because in the time when he spake thus, God was served by Sacrifices of beasts, and Oblations of flower and oil, and wine, &c. And he meaneth not, that should be any carnal sacrificing now, but as our spiritual worshipping of God hereby allegorically set forth. Whereas it is added, They shall vow to the Lord and perform it; he saith, it is not to be understood at large, that men should vow what they pleased, and perform it, but what should be agreeable to the Word of God. For anything unlawful, as David vowed to destroy all that Nabal had (but being better advised he did it not, and blessed God therefore) is not to be vowed and performed, neither anything out of a man's power, but with a condition, wherefore monastical vows are not here meant, since the gift of continency is not given but to some, neither can any vow to use it saving such as to whom it is given. And to vow to go in Pilgrimage to such a piace also, or to give this or that to a superstitious use, is likewise unlawful. It seems rather by his saying They shall vow a vow; he means only that vow which all Christians are bound to make and keep, viz. to serve God only, and to cleave his Laws, as his people did anciently often vow in the times of godly Kings.

Therefore the Lord shall Egypt, smiting and healing, &c. Here is the conclusion of all that was said verse. 20, 21. because they shall cry in their distress and be saved, and then come to know the Lord and do Sacrifice, &c. it shall plainly appear, that God's smiting of them was profitable for them, as tending to their conversion, and healing them by a greater healing, then that of the outward state, viz. of the inward man, being before deadly sick of sin, but by the effectual coming of the light amongst them now perfectly cured. Wherefore it is good to be afflicted, since it is not to ruin, but after a while ceasing again, and a far greater good redounding to their souls that are thus exercised.

In that day there shall be an high way out of Egypt to Assyria, &c. Some, saith Jerome, understand this of Antichrist, that he shall come out of Egypt into Assyria, and reign all over Ethiopia, but absurdly, for it is meant, that whereas now there was one King of Egypt, and another of Assyria, both Nations should be under one, even the Roman, and be in hostility one against another no longer, but there should be trafficking amongst them, as being all subjects now of one Empire, and freely come and go from one country to another, as if they were all one Nations. And the Egyptians shall serve Ashur, or it may be rendered more according to sense, Shall serve with Ashur; forsomuch as now Ashur is not dominatour anymore over Egypt, but the Roman over them both. Calvin understnad this as fulfilled in the receiving of the Gospel, which shall spread not to one Country of Egypt, but all over the world, set forth by Assyria, because that Monarchy reached far and wide, from Euphrates to Tygrus. Before they came to know God, there were always infest wars betwixt these Kingdoms, and Israel imploring the help sometime of the one, and sometime of the other was an occasion of setting them together by the ears; therefore he addeth Vers. 24. Israel shall be a third, of those amongst [Note.] whom this mutual concord shall be. And indeed they that receive the Christian Religion cordially, cannot but live in love and unity together, of how divers Countries soever they be, because they have all one Spirit. And he saith, Away shall be, because formerly when they were in hostility, men durst not travel that way, but now they might safely. But Calvin and Vatablus have the last clause, The Egyptians shall serve Ashur; Giving this sense, as friends in love do service one to another. Now although 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 denotes oft times the accusative case, and hath none other signification, yet because it also signifieth [with] it is most commonly so taken, and so agreeth best here. But for the way from Egypt to Assyria, &c. Lyra refers this also to the Gospel causing concord amongst divers Nations, and to it I do subscribe.

In that day Israel shall be a third, &c. That is, Be no more under Antiochus, or Demetrius, Syrian Kings, as in times past, or Ptolomies of Egypt, being thus distracted and torn, but now in quiet also together with other Kingdoms embracing the truth, so that each Nation in this respect shall be counted blessed, and Israel especially, as the Lord's inheritance, and from whence this blessedness came to others, for the Law went out of Zion. But Calvin notes that the word [third] is a feminine, and therefore must have reference to blessing following in the same gender; and so verse. 25. doth declare, where each Nation is said to be blessed, Egypt, Assyria, Israel; and not only Egypt and Assyria, but all other Nations embracing the faith, these being singularly named, as always before most infense to the Israelites, and therefore if the Lord would be so reconciled to them, much more we may gather to any other. And they are said to be in the midst of the earth, because their situation is by Geographers counted to be in the midst. And he giveth each one a several title, Egypt my people, Assyria the work of my hands, so called, because the regenerate are by him made such, and so fitted to be vessels of honor, for which cause it is said Ephes. 2. 10. We are God's workmanship. So are the Heavens and Earth also called, but the new creature more singularly, as having yet more excellency for the Spirit of God in them. And that which is here said, is no common thing, but rare and admirable, that other Nations should come now to be blessed, as well as Israel formerly chosen to be God's peculiar people, all other Nations being excluded: but in Christ the partition-wall i 〈…〉 en down, and both Jews and Gentiles are made one. And Israel mine inheritance] so called, because God's peculiar people so long before others. And this implieth a coming in of the Jews, although they be yet broken off, and have been so many hundred of years agone. For if branches of the wild Olive be graffed in, much more in God's good time the natural branches, and then shall be such a flourishing state of the Church, as at the Resurrection from the dead.

CHAP. XX.

IN the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon King of Assyria sent him, &c. The Prophet having threatened Ethiopia and Egypt, Chap. 18. and 19. and concluded with comfort to Egypt, now resumes his former argument against them both, showing by a sign what miseries should befall them. And first he describes the time. Tartan was a Captain of Sennacherib's, of whom see 2 Kin. 18. whereby Expositors gather, that Sargon here spoken of, as sending him, was that Sennacherib, for he had, as Jerome saith, several names, yet some think him to have been Shalmaneser. Ashdod was one of the five great Cities of Palestine, and as Josephus saith, was taken by the Assyrian in the twelfth year of the reign of Hezekiah, and that he infested the Egyptians and Ethiopians at the same time. The of his sending against Ashdod, saith Junius, was because he had taken the Cities of Judah, and of them Ashdod was one, both of right pertaining to Judah, Josh. 15. 47. and now under Hezekiah, as being by him taken 2 Kin. 18. 8. And now the Lord by his Prophet showeth the Egyptians miseries to come, that Hezekiah and the Jews might not trust to Egypt against the invasion of the Assyrians, but to the Lord only.

A • that time the Lord spake to Isaiah, saying, lose the sackcloth off thy loins, &c. It is said, That he spake by the hand of Isaiah by an Hebrew phrase, because the Lord used him, as a master his steward, by his ministry doing this or that. Whereas some gather from hence, that Isaiah went commonly in sackcloth upon his bare body, it is to be thought rather, that he did so only in times of calamity by his outward habit to express his inward sorrow. Yet Zech. 13. 4. a garment of hair is spoken of, as common to Prophets. And whereas the Lord biddeth him go naked, some think, that this was not all the three years spoken of verse. 3. for how should he then have endured the cold of winter? but the same God that commanded this, could preserve him, as well naked as clothed. Yet haply he did it but at times when he shown himself abroad to the people for a sign of that which was to come to the Egyptians and Ethiopians, Vers. 4. If it shall be thought undecent for him thus to do, it is to be considered, that it was God's command, and hereby the most shameful things are made decent, there being nothing truly shameful, but disobedience to his commands, otherwise to uncover the privities to be circumcised had been a shameful thing, but by reason of God's Ordinance, honorable. If it be demanded, Whether it be a point of piety now to go in sackcloth, and sometime bare-footed for greater humiliation, as many votaries and penitentiaries amongst the Papists do? I answer, it was a rite peculiar to the rigid times of the Law, when God's people were required to do outward and bodily acts of extraordinary humiliation as well as inward, by going in sackcloth and ashes: but in the time of the Gospel, all the humiliation required being spiritual by inward sighing, and groaning, and sorrowing for sin and miseries, either of ourselves, or neighbors, or country, fasting and praying only being overadded, and kneeling at prayer, and being uncovered both in prayer and prophesying, whatsoever is done more is but superstition, taxed by the name of voluntary humility, and plainly declared to be such as profiteth not, and so is going to Jerusalem, or to any other supposed holy place for devotions sake, and the austerity of men's whipping themselves, or shutting up themselves in cels, as Anchorites all their days.

By Isaiah his going naked the Lord gives a sign, to show, how the Assyrians should make the Egyptians and Ethiopians both young and old to go shamefully naked into Captivity, as they had shamefully sinned. They should exercise such cruelty against them, as is not often heard of in these days, but then much used by tyrannical conquerors, viz. To strip their Captives of all their apparel from top to toe, and so to lead them away, not leaving them so much as a rag to cover their shameful parts. Some by their young men and old, understand children, and all the weaker sort, not able to bear arms, and by the rest past over in silence, that they were slain. But I think, that all ages are meant by these two, as is usual, and so that men of might as well as the weak multitude were thus carried away to be slaves, so many as escaped the sword. Young men and old are named, because the one counseled, and the other fought for their Country, according to Pindar, Consilia senum, hastae juvenum sunt. Of God's threatening to make bare their shameful parts, see also Ier. 47. Nah. 3.

And they shall fear by reason of Ethiopia their hope, &c.

And the inhabiter of this Island shall say in that day, &c. Here the Prophet conculdes with the Jews, as all agree. When they should see God's judgments thus executed upon Egypt and Ehtiopia, which were formerly an help unto them against Ashur, they should thus fear and say, a reason being herein implied, why the Egyptians and Ethiopians were thus punished, viz. Because by their aiding of the Jews they gave them occasion, withdrawing their confidence from God to place it in them. But why is Judea set forth by the name of an Island. 1. Some think because it was hemmed in with two seas, the dead sea and the mediterranean. 2. Some because it was little like an Island in comparison of Babylon, set forth by the name of a sea, Chap. 21. 1. 3. Because it was beaten upon by the waves of the Assyrian and Egyptian wars, for so the Assyrian is said to overflow the Land of Judea up to the neck of Jerusalem, Chap. 8. 8. which lifted up the head, and appeared still, when all other parts being drowned by this overflowing, seemed like a sea. 4. Calvin, because Judea was the Lord's peculiar inheritance separated from the rest of the world, as an Island from the main Land containing all other Countries and Nations. Of the three last I know not whether to prefer, and therefore conclude upon them all, forsomuch as there may be divers reasons of the same phrase.

CHAP. XXI.

THe burden of the desert sea, as the whirlwindes come from the South, it comes from the desert, &c. Hebr. In the South, in passing from the desert, comes. Of what Nation this burden is verse. 2. 9. do plainly show, viz. of Babylon, which should be subdued by the Medes and Persians. See more Ier. 51. 36, 37, &c. where Babylon is also set forth by the name of a sea. For the great multitudes of people therein, according to Jerome, and as others, because Euphrates like a sea compassed it, and as the sea it was never quiet, but waves arose after waves and tempests of war there. Lastly, for the inexpleble desire to devour the wealth of other Nations. And it is called a desert, because God would make it like a desert, and utterly void of inhabitants, as Chap. 13. 14. was also threatened. He compares this destruction to that which comes from the desert in the South, because the desert of Africa, betwixt Babylon and Media, was full of sands and strong winds blowing, the places to which were filled with mountains of sands, whole Armies being sometime covered and destroyed hereby. Wherefore to make this more plain, it is said, That Babylon shall become heaps, Ier. 51. 37. The destruction of Babylon then coming from the desert is from the Persians and Medes marching thorough a great desert to come unto it, and because deserts are horrible, it is further set forth by this name of an horrible Land. Calvin saith, that Babylon is set forth by the name of a desert, because there was a great desert betwixt it and Judea, for it was fruitful and populous, and that the Prophets threaten Babylon so often, more then any other people, because they were the Jews greatest and most pernicious enemies. And he expoundeth the desert horrible Land from which their destruction should come, of Judea, according to the name, which he saith, was given it before Chap. 18. as if it were meant, that Babylon thus came to utter ruin in way of revenge from the God of Israel for their cruelties formerly exercised against his people, and their Land bringing it to that state, that it was as a desert full of horror to all spectators. Lyra will have Babylon called a desert sea, because when it was taken, Euphrates that ran thorough it before as a sea, being by the Medes and Persians drained another way, was dried, and so like a desert without water; and for calling it a sea, it was common amongst the Hebrews thus to call any great gathering together of waters, as at the first the Lord called the gathering together of waters, Sea, which in Hebrew is no more but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 waters. And for the wind coming from the South, rendered by the Vulgar Latin Affricon, whereas other Expositors say, That the place is hereby denoted, from whence they should come, by whom Babylon should suffer such things, and Africa was between the South and the West, he saith, That the situation of the Medes Country was opposite to it, and therefore the place is not spoken of, but because strong tempests used to come from those parts, he compares the tempest coming by the Medes to these winds, only to show their impetuousness, against which nothing could stand; but for the desert he saith the same which was said before, viz. because a great desert lay betwixt Media and Babylon, and Media is called an horrible Land, because it was so to the Babylonians, as from whence that their horrible destruction came. Whereas Chap. 13. 14. contain Prophecies against Babylon, so that it may seem strange, that he should here again prophesy against it, he saith, that the Prophets had not all things revealed to them at once, but at sundry times, as it pleased God; and therefore God giving another Vision here to Isaiah, he sets it down also otherways, as a thing which for the stupendiousness of it could never be enough spoken of. Adam Sasbont thinks, That Babylon was set forth by the name of a Sea, chiefly because it was so to Judea, being but as an Island to it-ward for the greatness and the troublesomness thereof, because it was always raging as the Sea against it and other Nations, and a desert-sea, because now destitute of God's help, through which it formerly prevailed, but now should be prevailed against and overthrown. For the wind, though Jerome renders it by Africa, yet Hebr. it is set forth by a word signifying the South, and the meaning is nothing else, but as tempests by the South-wind are raised, which are most fierce; so the Medes and Persians shall come against Babylon. Object. Writers commonly agree, that rain comes from the South being called Auster ab hauri • ndis aquis; and by the Greeks Notus, for the same reason, but from the North come tempests. Sol. Pliny saith, that the greatest tempests at sea come from the South, and therefore Babylon being here set forth by the name of a sea, the Prophet compares the tempest coming against it, to a whirlwind in the South. Junius understands the horrible Land of Media, but the wilderness from whence the tempest comes, of that part of Babylon in which Nitacris made so great a lake. But this not standing with sense may be rejected, and Media concluded to be the Land meant by both. For although the violence done to God's people were the cause of Babylon's ruin, yet the Prophet here plainly speaks of the instruments, by whom; not the cause, as verse. 2. doth declare, in saying, Ascend, O Elam, besiege (O Mede) of the former part of the verse enough hath been said already, amongst all which I prefer Sasbonts reason, why it is called a sea; but why desert, Lyra's.

The treacherous deals treacherously, and the waster wasteth. Thus Junius, whom our N. Tr. follows: But Vatablus, Transgressor transgressori, Vastator vastatori, reckoning up many Expositions more. Jerome, qui insidelis est infideliter agit, & populator vastat. But Hebr. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. the same words only doubled, The treacherous, or transgressor, the transgressor, the spoiler, the spoiler: Before which if we put the words before going, Aburthensome vision was shown unto me, the sense will be plainly this, The Babylonian full of treachery and spoiling without end, having their sins now remembered, that they may be punished accordingly with unspeakable misery; this was the heavy vision that was shown me, and if ye ask how, the next words do declare, Ascend O Elam, &c. And thus I find one acknowledging that the words may be rendered, but to make up the sense he addeth est or sit, giving this for the sense; the treacherous Median will be treacherous to the Babylonian, or this, let him be treacherous. Lyra applieth the first words here to Belshazzar, who dealt like a wicked infidel by bringing forth the holy vessels of the Lord's house to carouse in, and the next to Cyrus coming presently upon him and spoiling his Babylon. Calvin, A transgressor or treacherous shall find a treacherous one, a spoiler, a spoiler: Giving this for the sense, The Babylonian that against all right hath spoiled other Nations, shall have another come against him to spoil him, applying to this chap. 33. 1. where the same is more plainly shown, and thus he saith, God proceeded to stir up one Nation against another, the Grecians against the Persians, the Romans against the Grecians, and the Goths against the Romans, and the Vandals and Mohammedans also, and the day of judgment against the Mohammedans. And the Prophet died a hundred years before this Prophecy was fulfilled. Junius saith it was a hundred seventy years before the accomplishment, whereby it appears that Isaiah spake by the Spirit of God, to whom things to come long after are as present. And it was God's will that Prophecies should be written of things, the fulfilling whereof the generations then living saw not, that their posterity yet looking hereupon, might be comforted against the miseries under which they were pressed, viz. they that should live in the time of the Babylonish Captivity, being hereby assured that Babylon should fall, and then they should be delivered. But to conclude upon the sense, since there needs no word to be supplied to make sense here, for it is sensible enough to take the words as they are, Aburthensome vision was shown me, a wicked dealer, a wicked, a spoiler, a spoiler. Especially if we understand by the wicked dealer, the Babylonian, with Lyra; and by the spoiler, the Persian or Median: for then the sense is, these two were shown me in vision; the Babylonian wronging and dealing vilely with others, and then the Persian accordingly spoiling him. Wherefore in the next words it is, ascend (O Elam) that is, Persian, a part of Persia called Elam, being put for the whole. I have made all his sighing to cease. That is, saith Calvin, according to some, all the sighing of the oppressed by him, because he should be utterly destroyed and so oppress no more: According to others, all his sighing to cease in the time of his calamity, because the enemy should not hereby be moved to show any pity, because the Lord would show him none, as he had formerly shown none to others. Jerome hath the first of these and this, so that he shall not dare to sigh for fear of the Persian; so Lyra also. Of all these, I prefer the first, which also Vatablus hath; for the sighing of the oppressed caused by him, may well be called his, because he made it; the ceasing of his sighing then is the ceasing of his oppressions; unless we shall understand the Babylonians sorrows and sighings, when they saw themselves in such an evil case; the meaning being, that they should do so indeed and grieve intollerably, but an end should soon be put to their sighing, by the Persians sword, bereaving them of breath and life and all.

Therefore my loins are filled with grief, &c. Jerome thinks that the Prophet speaks this in his own person, because being a man he could not but be affected with great grief in declaring the Babylonians miseries coming so universally upon them, men, women and children, being many hundred thousands, and that upon the sudden, they living before in all abundance and pleasure, although they were the Churches cruel enemies. Junius contrariwise saith, that he speaks in the person of the Church which had been so ill dealt withal by the Babylonian. Calvin in person of Babylon itself grieving for their own miseries. Lyra follows Jerome, Luther, Musculus and Sasbont, and others agree with Calvin. The Prophet speaks this per mimesin, bringing in the Babylonian, and in particular Belshazzar thus perplexed when the hand-writing appeared upon the wall, Dan. 5. for then he was surprised with great horror and trembling, as is there shown; and if this be compared with that place, it will appear to agree most aptly to him. If it shall be thought that the Prophet himself might be moved, as well in speaking of this as of the miseries of Moab, chap. 16. 11. if he shall but look into chap. 14. 4, &c. where the Church of God is brought in, triumphing over Babylon ruined, or Psal. 137. he will be of another mind; since it cannot be thought to be the Prophets grief, which is the Churches Jubilee. And as for that of Junius, it is most improbable, when the cruelest enemy of the Church should be quite destroyed, that she should be filled with grief. No, it was the Babylonian and their King, in whose loins now there was no strength, who had been so potent before.

The night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. Vulg. Lat. Babylon dilecta mea posita est mihi in miraculum. The Septuagint as if it had been 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Nephesh, My soul was in terror. But the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signifying darkness, or the twilight; and it is as if he had said, in the person of Belshazzar, the night wherein I feasted and was so merry, became a night of terror. That which moved Jerome to render it Babylon, was because he thought by darkness, that Babylon was set forth, as being called mous caliginosus, chap. 13. 1. but this was a weak ground, and if it be so taken, how shall we think that the Prophet called Babylon his beloved, since he took all this as spoken by the Prophet in his own person? Cornel. a Lapide, to salve this, saith that my is redundant, and that it may be rendered without it, Babylon the beloved: That is, of the world, for the glory and magnificence thereof. But there is no need of this shift, if we render the words as they properly signify.

Spread the table, watch in the watch-tower, eat, drink, &c. Vulg. Lat. Contemplate in specula, comedentes & bibentes. Or it may be rendered, The table being prepared, there being watching in the watch-tower, eating and drinking, arise ye Princes, anoint the shield. The meaning is, Belshazzar making a feast, and eating and drinking with his Nobles, the watchman being in the mean season set to watch, whether the enemy attempted anything, he suddenly espying the Persians to enter the City, crieth out, arise, prepare to resist, the enemy is entered, to this effect Calvin, with other Expositions: This making all so plain here, I will not trouble the Reader, for the words will well bear this reading. And whereas Corn. a Lapide makes this an argument that Belshazzar was not meant in the former words, because the fear spoken of Dan. 5. came not upon him, till the table prepared, which is mentioned after that; this is of little force, because he proceeds, 1. By speaking in general of his perplexity and the Babylonians to come, and then show more particularly the manner, as he here doth. They are bidden to anoint the shield, saith Musculus, because it was their manner so to do, when they went to battle to make the enemies weapons to slide off. Vulg. Lat. arripite clypeum, respecting rather the sense then the signification of the word, which is, anoint. And Pagnine hath either anoint the shield for the end before spoken of, or anoint the King, as a shield, but this far fetched, though some by the King, that he bids them anoint, understand Cyrus, to whom he wills them to submit, Balthasar being now to be slain. But the plain meaning is, by laying oil upon the shield and rubbing make it bright, which by neglect is now rusty, as is commonly used to be done, when men prepare to go to battle; according to that of Virgil,

Set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels, &c. Jerome and others after him give this for the sense, As the Lord hath commanded me, I Isaiah bid thee Belshazzar to set a faithful watchman up, that may not speak for flattery, but tell the truth, because he had said before a watchman in the watch-tower, and this watchman indeed will I be unto thee; for so a Prophet is called, Ezek. 3. So that when he saith, he saw, in the third person, he means himself, as v. 8. is made plain: And if thou askest me what I see, I answer, a pair, the Persian and the Mede in a chariot drawn by an Ass and a Camel, for the Ass being little and obscure, sets forth the Persian, who before this was but of little power, but the Median always strong and mighty. The Prophet saw in the spirit this pair of horsemen, so long before coming with war-chariots and men of Persia and Media, whom they guided as the waggoner his chariot, and brought up to fight against Babylon. Ver. 8. And the lion cried being set upon the watch tower of the Lord. That is, the Prophet as a lion for his terrible voice here following: Vers. 9. Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Vers. 9. And here comes a man's chariot, a pair of horsemen That is, Cyrus bringing an Army of the two people's before said, for he and not Darius did all, although he came with him in his forces. Then the watchman, the Prophet foreseeing this, cried, [Babylon is fallen, and all his graven images] Of which he makes mention in special, that the Jews might hereby be moved to repent of their idolatry, seeing there is so little help in idols.

My threshing and the son of my floor, &c. That is, either Judea, where the Temple stood upon the threshing floor of Araunah, so that he turns by an apostrophe to his people, persuading them to believe this, as being nothing but what the Lord had shown, as in the next words. Or Babylon, the meaning being, as thou hast threshed and cruelly beaten others, so shalt thou be threshed, yet not by any power of mine, but of the Lord, who hath verily spoken thus by me. But this he rejecteth, Sasbont is indifferent betwixt both, and yields this, as a reason, why Jerusalem should be called his threshing, because the Lord was always purging his Church as a man his floor; and he used Babylon, as a man his threshing to beat the Nations. Musculus is only for this last, giving a probable reason, because as the oxen did tread out the corn upon the floor; so Babylon trod underfoot other Nations, tearing them in pieces, as it is particularly said of Judah, chap. 8. 9. and Ier. 51. 20. of others also, but specially v. 33. where Babylon is expressly called a threshing-floor. And the word here used signifieth threshing, or thresher, the son of my floor, an Hebraism not unfrequent to set forth anything upon the floor. And that this Prophecy might not by the Babylonians be contemned, because it came from a mean private person and an enemy, in way of epilogue he assures them, that what he had shown came from the Lord of hosts, who was of power to do it, that they might be affected with it. And nothing else ought any of the Prophets to speak. Whereas, v. 8. he hath it, A lion cried,] the righter reading is, he cried, a lion, my Lord, meaning that he saw a lion, the Persian or Median fierce as a lion against Babylon. And he saith, I stand all the day and whole nights] to give the more credit to that which he telleth, because he was always most vigilant to mark truly what was coming. And hereby industry and study is to be commended to every Preacher, that he [Note.] never be idle or negligent. Neither ought any Christian to sleep, but to be watchful always, as the Lord commandeth all, and the spouse, Cant. 5. 2. sleeping, yet watcheth in her heart. Petrus Chrysologus saith, Watchfulness is profitable for all, a watchful King prevents the treachery of the enemy; the soldier frustrates the attempts of the night; the Mariner passeth through doubtful ways, and the Shepherd preserves his flock from wolves. For the doubling of the word, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; it serves to denote the utter ruin thereof, even as Rome called Babylon, Apoc. 18. shall fall, as the Jesuits themselves confess, only they seek to turn men's eyes from Rome, as now it stands, to that which it shall be in the end of the world, when it shall become idolatrous, as though it were not so now, when as the Pope is made a God, and the Virgin Mary a goddess, the Queen of heaven, and the Saints departed by invocation, and ascribing to them omniscience, and even dumb idols by obsequiousnesse unto them. See the like also, Ier. 51. 8.

The burden of Dumah, one cries to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? &c. Dumah was one of the sons of Ishmael, Gen. 25. 14. and of Seir it is spoken, Gen. 17. 6. as of the Horites country; but Deut. 2. 22. given to the Edomites, who came of Esau. The Septuagint read it Idumea: but Jerome, it is not so much Idumea, as a Country thereof, lying south, which by some it placed at a City of the Philistines now called Eleutheropolis, within twenty miles. Seir had the name from Esau, who was hairy, as this word signifieth. Dumah the Metropolis of the Country, remembering that Esau came of Abraham, who was in such great grace with God, and they the inhabitants thereof were his posterity, being besieged by the Assyrian, is here said by way of Prophecy to have cried to the Lord, calling him keeper or watchman, because it is said, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep, as if they had said, Oh thou keeper of Israel, who defendest thy people by a sempiternal custody, and watchest, when they sleep in the night, that the enemies break not in upon them, why dost not thou protect us, who are of the same seed? But the Lord this Keeper answereth, the morning cometh and the night. That is, the light of comfort to Israel, but to you, O Idumeans the darkness of misery, or the night of misery being past, the morning of comfort comes, if ye seek for my help and be indeed Abraham's posterity, that is, not seeking to me in your misery only, but turning to me constantly to serve me with all your hearts, as true penitents; thus Jerome: but Sasbont setting forth all the Prophecy more fully saith. The Prophet makes himself a keeper here, as before a watchman, and brings in those of Seir, who were to be destroyed also, as requiring of him, What of the night? that is, what time of the night is it? when will the morning come? hoping that then they should have some ease of their miseries, the meaning being, How long shall we be thus oppressed and suffer by our enemies? The keeper answers, that it would not be long till morning, but then they should still continue in their misery, for with the morning the night should come, or continue still to them. But he presently speaks more comfort saying, If ye seek, seek, be turned and come, that is, yet if ye will seek as true penitents to the Lord, do it from your hearts unfeignedly and not in your misery only, come to him, leaving your sins, and then ye shall be delivered; Now if the cause of the Edomites sufferings be demanded, other Prophets show this, as Ier. 49. Ezek. 23. Obadiah 1. Amos 1. viz. their unkindness and harsh dealing with their brethren the children of Israel. Lyra saith, that this is against Duma or Edom, for they are one and the same, but only Dumah a part, is put for the whole; and hereby is shown, that they being carried into Captivity, as the Jews were, had no liberty granted them to return, as the Jews had by Cyrus. And of this the Prophet showeth, that they should complain to God, calling him keeper; because except the Lord keeps the house, the watchman watcheth in vain. As if they had said, Why are not we delivered also, forsomuch as we are the posterity of Abraham, with whom thou madest a Covenant. How much of the night of our Captivity is yet to come, before the morning of our deliverance ariseth? He answers, the morning of comfort, and night of misery come of the Lord to all men according to their doing; the Jews have turned to me and sought me with all their hearts, if ye will seek me and turn also, do it, and then ye shall come out of your bondage, as they have done. R. Salom. understands by one crying, the Angel guardian of mount Seir standing for his people, according to the like, Dan. 10. Vatablus and some others take it as the crying of the Edomites to their watchman, when they feared the coming of their enemies: As if it had been said, What espiest thou to night, seest thou any enemies coming? Answ. The morning cometh and the night: That is, I see that which will little comfort you, viz. That though the morning be near, yet night will soon follow again, even the increase of your misery, till ye be destroyed. Some others, Why ask ye, What of the night? What of the night? like children, as if your enquiring after this would profit you, look up your arms rather, come and go out against your enemies like men, if ye mean to do any good towards the defense of your Country. Arias Montanus. The morning is so near, that if ye will go out to seek and bring in any provision, do it with speed and return, before the enemy who is not far off, be upon you, for then it will be night to you again, wherein ye cannot go out. Calvin and Musculus and the rest of our Expositors are for the Edomites crying, here prophesied of, that should be in the time of their danger by the enemies coming against them, the meaning being nothing else, but that they should be anxious and solicitous, as people in great straits, first one and then another calling to the watchman, what he observed in the night, and he should be able to speak no comfort but terror to them. For though it were day, it should still be night to them, their miseries continuing and increasing; so that they might seek, and having fled out of Dumah for fear, to be more out of danger elsewhere, return and come thither again, yet their case should be no whit better. And this is the condition of the wicked, when God comes against [Note.] them with his judgments, they shall be full of terror everywhere, and in the evening wish it were morning, Deu. 28. Again the Lord made known these judgments before they came, against divers Countries, that his people might know that they came not casually, but from divine Justice, taking vengeance upon sin, and that they might not be moved in their calamities to flee to any other Country of the Heathen, thinking to be more out of danger, but keep constantly in the Church, because though she be punished, yet light shall soon rise to her again, out of darkness and the shadow of death. Thus I have related the divers Expositions of divers, amongst which that seemeth to me to be most genuine, whereby the Lord represented by the Prophet, who was as his mouth, is made the keeper, to whom the ery comes out of Seir: It cannot be a watchman of the Edomites who dwelt there, because it is not said only one cried, but to whom one cried to me. And who else can this be, but the Lord, that spake by his Prophet? The Edomites crying then to the Lord in the midst of their oppressions is here set forth. And what do they cry, but as desirous of some ease, What from the night? for so the words properly signify; Shall there not come a day of comfort to us again? The Lord answers little comfort; but by and by more sorrow, as when another long night comes, willing them therefore, if they be truly disposed to seek to him, to do it by turning, as the Ninevites being in danger did, and coming by true repentance of all their sins unto him.

The burden upon Arabia▪ in the forest of Arabia shall ye lodge; O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. Hebr. The burden in Arabia. In Arabia dwelt the Amonites, Moabites, Idumeans and Ishmaelites, being a very large tract of ground from India to Mauritania and the Atlantic ocean. But the Ishmaelites only are here prophesied against; for as Sasbont noteth, he saith not as before, the burden of Dumah, but the burden in Arabia; that is, in that part of it, wherein the Ishamaelites inhabited, who came of Ishmael the son of Abraham by Hagar, being therefore otherwise called Hagarens, although they now call themselves by the name of Saracens, as if they came of Sarah, for their greater credit. And that these only are meant appears, because v. 16. the Prophet coming to declare who they were in Arabia, that he prophesied against; he saith, All the glory of Kedar shall fail. Now by Kedar the Ishmaelites are to be understood, as is plain, Gen. 25. 13. where Kedar is named as the second son of Ishmael, and their glory was in their tents, which were most sumptuous; and in their abundance of cattle; as is shown, Jer. 49. 28, &c. Wherefore the tents of Kedar are mentioned, Cantic. 1. 5. For the thing prophesied of, it is fleeing before the enemy, their tents being left for fear, and they being glad to lurk in the Forest, where they might not be seen. For, Ye travelling companies of Dedanim, Hebr. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The ways of Dedanim, wherefore others read it, In the ways of Dedanim. Whatsoever moved our new Translatours to render it, as before. The Vulgar Latin also herein consents with the Hebrew, although in the words before it varies, saying, Ye shall lodge in the Forest in the evening, because the same word which signifieth Arabia, if the pricks be altered, signifieth the evening, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 with two segols.

In meeting the thirsty bring waters, ye inhabitants of the land of Tema. New Translation, They brought waters. Vulgar Latin for Teman hath the South] according to the signification of the word: But because Tema was one of the twelve Princes which came of Ishmael, Gen. 25. 15. it is more probable, that a place having the name from him is meant. The meaning is, That such of the Ishmaelites as fled would be ready to perish for thirst and hunger, if some of their brethren did not succor them. Jerome applies this to the Israelites, as if they fleeing at the Babylonish Captivity were meant, and that in fleeing they should come into the deserts of Arabia to hide themselves there, and the Ishmaelites were here bidden to make haste to succor them; and this, saith Sasbont, is followed by many. But he is for the former, and so are all ours, as there is good reason, since it is not the burden of Judea fleeing from Nebuchadnezzar, but of the Arabians fleeing from Sennacherib, according to Junius, who also saith, that Arabia Petraea is here meant, and that they are threatened for their hostility against the Jews, as they are sometimes complained of by the name of Hagarens.

Yet a year according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail. Having shown the judgment to come upon the Arabians, that they might be the more terrified; he here showeth, that it should not be delayed, but certainly come at the end of one year, that is, saith Lyra, one year after Jerusalem destroyed, and the cause is intimated in saying, The glory of Kedar, and the remainder of the strong archers; they gloried in their tents and abundance of cattle, and valor, and dexterity in shooting, wherefore the Lord would thus abase them.

CHAP. XXII.

THe burden of the valley of Vision, &c. The Septuagint renders it, Of the valley of vision, of Zion, expressing the place here threatened, which is here Hebr. only by a Periphrasis set forth. For Zion and Jerusalem are certainly meant here, as all agree, because it was the seat of the Prophets, to whom by visions God revealed things to come, and they were called videntes, Seers, therefore respect also was had to the name Moria vision. And although it were a mountainous place, yet it is set forth by the name of a valley, because brought so low by God's just judgments for their sins, and this was by Nebuchadnezzar, as Ier. 39. 2 Kin. 25. so Jerome. Some as Sasbont hath it, refer it to the time of Sennacherib, as indeed Junius doth because Elam spoken of verse. 6. was a City in Assyria, and Shebna, who was in Hezekiah's days verse. 15. when Sennacherib's Army came against Jerusalem: Some to the destruction by the Romans, but he stands for this, and Lyra also. And Musculus saith, it is the destruction to come by the Chaldees, that is here threatened, and I cannot see how it can be applied to the Assyrians, because when they came against Jerusalem, instead of destroying it, they were destroyed. But Calvin will have the whole Land of Judea meant by the valley of vision, being called valley, because however it were mountainous, yet in part it consisted of valleys, and it was generally a plain compassed about with mountains; and if it be so understood, haply that coming of Sennacherib against the Cities of Judah, and taking them may be meant, yet ver. 2. calling the place here prophesied against a City of stirs, a joyous City, makes it plain, that not all Judea but Jerusalem is meant, and the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Whereas it is objected, Lyra saith, that the Elamites were brought by Nebuchadnezzar as his hired men. Others granting, that the Elamites came with Sennacherib, say that the destruction by the Chaldees being prophesied of to ver. 5. he there propounds the danger before this past, in which they had been by the Assyrians in Hezekiah's time, and were saved, but not any whit the more turned in their hearts from sin, and to fear God and trust in him, but in worldly means of defense, of which see verse. 9, 10, &c. which seems to be the best. The Note of Calvin hereupon is good, in that it is not plainly called Judea or Jerusalem, but the [Note.] valley of vision, that a check was hereby secretly given to the Jews for being so wicked in the midst of God's Prophets, a Country alone of visions, and so of more light, and yet turned by their sins into obscurity, as low ground compassed with high hills hath less of the Suns light, then higher grounds; thus they made mountains valleys, dark and obscure by their sins elsewhere called darkness, as John. 3. 19. They love darkness more then the light. What aileth thee, that thou also art gone up to the house tops?] See the like touching Moab before, Chap. 15. 3. for which he saith, That thou also, being in distress by the Army of the Chaldees, he showeth, that they should go up, and seeing the mighty Army of their enemies, instead of going out courageously to fight, stand there weeping like women: and that we may not doubt how they could stand upon their house-tops, it is to be known that their buildings were battlements to walk upon.

A City of tumult and noise, and of joy; that is, of joy before the Chaldees coming, but now clamour, fear and trouble. Thy slain men are not slain with the sword, viz. Because by famine through the long continuance of the siege, for it lasted about six months, even till bread failed them in the City, and this was a greater judgment, then to die fighting valiantly against their enemies, wherein men glory. But these had no hearts so to do, but being pined away and dying through famine, without having any battle, they perished so, that the Chaldees at length brake in, there being few to make resistance, and those that were, fleeing out another way. One hath a conceit, that they are said to be slain, but not by the sword of the enemy, but by God's hand, as Titus