The vanity of idols, Before CHRIST ISAIAH. name of Jacob; and another shall about 712. subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. с 6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD e Chap. 41. 4. of hosts; I am the first, and I am Rev. 1. 8, 17. the last; and beside me there is no God. & 48. 12. & 22. 13. 7 And who, as I, shall call, and 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid 9 They that make a graven image e 10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? : 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be fashamed and the workmen, they are of men let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. and folly of idol makers. Before CHRIST his rule; he marketh it out with a 14 He heweth him down cedars, 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. courage. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their Heb. eyes, that they cannot see; and their daubed. hearts, that they cannot understand. to his heart. 19 And none + considereth in his + Heb. settelh heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 12 The smith || with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived of a tree? 13 The carpenter stretcheth out heart hath turned him aside, that he --- 6. Thus saith the Lord, I am the first, &c.] In the Revelation Jesus Christ says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last," Rev. xxii. 13. These titles of "the first" and "the last" are confined in the Prophet to Him alone, "besides whom there is no God." But Jesus hath assumed these titles to Himself: therefore Jesus is that God, besides whom there is no other. Jones of Nayland. + Heb. that which comes sacred writers are generally large and eloquent upon the subject of idolatry: they treat it with great severity, and set forth the absurdity of it in the strongest light. But this passage of Isaiah (ver. 12-20.) far exceeds any thing that was ever written on the subject. in force of argument, energy of expression, and elegance of composition. One or two of the Apocryphal writers have attempted to imitate the Prophet, Wisd. xiii. 11 19; xv. 7, &c.; Baruch vi. Bp. Lowth. God exhorteth Israel to praise him CHAP. XLIV, XLV. for his redemption and omnipotency. Before CHRIST cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is about 712. there not a lie in my right hand? 21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. 23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Before CHRIST servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jeru- about 712. salem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the † decay- +Heb. wastes. ed places thereof: 27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the h2 Chron. temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Ezra 1. 1. CHAP. XLV. 1 God calleth Cyrus for his church's sake. 5 By his omnipotency he challengeth obedience. 20 He convinceth the idols of vanity by his saving power. TH HUS saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right 36. 22. ch. 45. 13. strengthened. 24 Thus saith the LORD, thy re- 25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; 26 That confirmeth the word of his Is there not a lie] That is, a lying vanity "in my right hand?" This was a just appeal to common sense against the abominable stupidity of worshipping idols, which, when wrought up to their highest perfection, can but resemble some great man, but can never be endued with the sense of the poorest idiot, or even of the vilest brute: how much less can any thing of Divine power or knowledge be ascribed to them? The Pagans of old endeavoured to defend their worship of images by saying, that they did not terminate their worship in them, but only used them as a medium to convey their devotions to a Divine invisible being. And some idolatrous Christians have used the same argument for the same purpose. But God, who best knows the nature of religious worship, charges these devotees with idolizing the figures before which they prostrate themselves, not only in this chapter, but in various other places of His holy word. Reading. 23. Sing, O ye heavens ; &c.] The expressions here, and in parallel passages, denote the joy to be so great and universal, that even the inanimate parts of the creation are said to be affected with it, and are exhorted to bear a part in the general chorus. W. Lowth. 24. I am the Lord. alone; by myself;] We are not to suppose that this is said to the exclusion of any Person of the blessed Trinity, but only in opposition to creatures or other gods; see chap. ii. 11, 17; xliii. 11. The word God is probably in such places to be understood in a large indefinite sense, comprising the whole Trinity, where the context or other circumstances do not confine the signification and intent to one person only. Dr. Waterland. 27. That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:] By the remarkable manner in which Babylon was taken did the event exactly correspond with 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: this prophecy Jeremiah also has noted it, chap. 1. 38; li. 36. See note on chap. xiv. 23. Bp. Lowth. 28. That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, &c.] Here does Isaiah, near 200 years beforehand, name the very person who should order the enlargement of the Jews: and Jeremiah, chap. xxix. 10, points out the year in which it should happen. Dr. Berriman. Thus God calleth things that are not, that have no existence, as if they were, because He has power to fulfil all His pleasure, and can, whenever He sees fit, produce those things into light, which He suffers to remain unaccomplished for many years after the first prediction. Reading. Chap. XLV. ver. 1.- the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,] From the custom which obtained among the Jews of separating, by the ceremony of anointing, both persons and things to particular purposes, the person who is constituted and appointed by God (as Cyrus) to some great office or employment, is said to be Lord's anointed." Bp. Kidder. v. 27. "the - I will loose the loins of kings,] See note on chap. -to open before him the two leaved gates;] The gates of Babylon within the city, leading down to the river, were left open when Cyrus's forces entered through the channel, in the general disorder occasioned by the festival then celebrated: and the gates of the palace were imprudently opened by the king's orders, to inquire the cause of the tumult without. Bp. Lowth. 2.- the gates of brass,] In every side of the great square wall which encompassed Babylon were twentyfive gates, one hundred in all, of solid brass; those which led to the river, and those which enclosed the God calleth Cyrus for his church's sake. Before CHRIST about 712. a Deut. 4. 35, 39. & 32. 39. chap. 44. 8. 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? Before CHRIST b Jer. 18. 6. Rom. 9. 20. 3 And I will give thee the trea- | with the potsherds of the earth. Shall sures of darkness, and hidden riches of the clay say to him that fashioneth it, about 712. secret places, that thou mayest know What makest thou? or thy work, He that I, the LORD, which call thee hath no hands? by thy name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: a 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive temple of Belus, were of the same material. Dean Prideaux. 3.-I will give thee the treasures of darkness, &c.] The riches which Cyrus found in his conquests amounted to a prodigious value: those parts of Asia abounded in wealth and luxury; Babylon had been heaping up treasures for many years, and the riches of Croesus king of Lydia, whom Cyrus conquered and took prisoner, are in a manner become proverbial. Bp. Newton. 4, 5.-though thou hast not known me.] That is, Shalt be bred in ignorance of Me; and remain so, till I am made known to thee by My Prophet Daniel. Dr. Wells. See note at Ezra i. 1. 7. I form the light, and create darkness: &c.] This seems to be spoken in reference to the Persian sect of the Magians, who held the being of two first causes, Light, or the good god, who was the author of all good; and Darkness, or the evil god, the author of all evil; and that of the mixture of these two, as they were in a continual struggle with each other, all things were made. Dean Prideaux. 11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will || direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he c shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. 14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come Or, make 2 Chron. 36. za 1.1. chap. 44. 28. straight. 22. 9. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! &c.] The Prophet warns the people not to be impatient, but to wait God's time for accomplishing their redemption: men may contend with their equals, with those who are made of the same clay with themselves, but should not presume to inquire of God the reasons of His proceedings, or find fault with His works of creation or providence, as if not wisely contrived or well-timed. W. Lowth. 11. Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, &c.] These words import, that, although God be not obliged to render an account of His proceedings to His creatures, He was graciously pleased, through His Prophets, to resolve any questions proposed concerning His people's future destiny. W. Lowth. An answer to that effect seems to be contained in the following verses, and the rest of the chapter generally; ver. 13, 14, declaring to God's people, not only that they shall be liberated from captivity, but that great happiness awaits them; and ver. 20, 22, 23, pointing to the universal call of the Gentiles, and second advent of Christ, as ver. 23, is applied by St. Paul in the passages referred to in the margin. Jos. Mede. 13. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways:] This is to be immediately understood of Cyrus, whom God raised up to be the instrument of executing His justice upon the Babylonians, and fulfilling His mercy to the Jews; but many passages, manifestly relating to the deliverance of the Jewish nation effected by Cyrus, are with good reason and upon undoubted authority to be understood of the redemption wrought for mankind by Christ. W. Lowth, Bp. Lowth. 8. Drop down, ye heavens, &c.] These expressions, taken from the dew and the rain descending from heaven, and making the earth fruitful, and some nearly of the same kind, used Ps. lxxxv. 9-13, may perhaps be primarily understood to set forth, in a splendid manner, the happy state of God's people, restored to their country, and flourishing in peace and plenty, in piety and virtue; but they must undoubtedly have a further reference to the blessings of the great redemption by the Messiah. Bp. Lowth. In the prophetick writings the expressions often run so high, as to denote events and characters too gloriously great for the thing or person next at hand; which is esteemed a certain indication of The labour of Egypt, &c.] All we meet with in their having in prospect some other more remote, in this verse must be understood to have respect to reliwhich they are to find their just completion. Dean Stan-gion; predicting that in aftertimes proselytes of various nations should submit themselves to the Church of hope. 14. He convinceth the idols of vanity CHRIST CHAP. XLV, XLVI. Before after thee; in chains they shall come about 712. over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. d Chap. 44. 11. e Deut. 30. 11. 15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. 16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. 17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. 18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that by his saving power. no knowledge that set 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24 || Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. CHAP. XLVI. 1 The idols of Babylon could not save themselves. 3 God saveth his people to the end. 5 Idols are not comparable to God for power, 12 or present salvation. Before CHRIST fRom. 14. 11. Phil. 2. 10. Or, Surely me. In the righteousness and strength. he shall say of LORD is all + Heb. righteous nesses. are escaped of the nations: they have BBL boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, about 712. God, fettering as it were the hands that were used to be raised against her, becoming bound in spirit, and prisoners in the Lord Jesus, should dedicate themselves, and whatever their land produced most precious, to the service of God; which prophecy might be literally fulfilled, in a small degree, by the Jews receiving formerly proselytes from all nations, and offerings to their temple from some kings and countries, yet must principally be applied to that event, which was so constantly before the eyes of the Prophets, and is so repeatedly treated of by them, the call of the Gentiles. Vitringa. See notes on chap. xiv. 1. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself,] The Prophet testifies here his firm trust in future deliverance, though God may seem to neglect His people, for a time; and professes withal the unsearchableness of God's ways; see chap. lv. 8, 9. Vitringa. He turns from this solemn adoration of the secret and mysterious nature of God's counsels to a spirited denunciation of the confusion of idolaters, and final destruction of idolatry, contrasted with the salvation of Israel. Bp. Lowth. 19. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth] In opposition to the manner in which the heathen oracles gave their answers, and to their falsehood and ambiguity. They were generally delivered from some deep and obscure cavern; such was the seat of the Cumean sybil, mentioned in Virgil; such that of the famous oracle of Delphi. The answer given to Croesus, when he marched against Cyrus, (a piece of history that has some connexion with this part of Isaiah's prophecy,) is well known; 66 Croesus, by passing the Halys, will overthrow a great kingdom!" Croesus supposed by this their idols were upon the beasts, that he should overthrow the power of the enemy, but in reality he overthrew his own power. In either event the oracle would have appeared true. Bp. Lowth. By such fallacious oracles did those evil spirits, from whom they proceeded, delude mankind in those days, rendering their answers in such ambiguous terms, that, whatever were the event, they might admit of an interpretation to agree with it. Dean Prideaux. 23.- unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.] We must observe, that these words, here said to be spoken by God Jehovah, are applied by St. Paul to Jesus Christ. Bp. Wilson. It is a rule laid down by St. Paul, "that God swears by Himself," for this reason, "because He can swear by no greater," Heb. vi. 13. But the words in the text, being compared with Rom. xiv. 10, 11, are proved to be the words of Christ. Christ therefore has sworn by Himself; so that, if the Apostle's rule be applied, He must for this reason be God, and there can be no greater. Jones of Nayland. Such instances constantly occur, and all of them_are plain proofs of the Divinity of Christ, and that the Prophets of the Old Testament had all along an eye to the times of the New, and spoke of the Messiah as God. W. Lowth. Chap. XLVI. ver. 1. Bel boweth down,] See Dean Prideaux's note on Gen. x. 9. - Bel,- Nebo] Idols worshipped in the East; it has been conjectured that the former meant the sun, the latter the moon. Vitringa. their idols were upon the beasts, &c.] The images a Chap. 40. 18, 25. 3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. 5 To whom will ye liken me, [ and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. 7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. of these deities were to be no longer carried about in solemn procession by their worshippers, but in triumph and with derision by the Persians; as was usual for conquerors to do in token of complete victory. W. Lowth. Compare Jer. xlviii. 7; Dan. xi. 8. 3.-house of Israel, which are borne by me &c.] The Prophet contrasts the power of God, and His tender goodness effectually exerted towards His people, with the inability of the false gods of the heathen. He, like an indulgent father, had carried His people, "as a man doth bear his son," Deut. i. 31; had protected them, and delivered them from their distresses: the idols must be themselves carried about by their worshippers, (ver. 7,) removed from place to place with much labour and fatigue, nor can they answer when their votaries cry unto them. Bp. Lowth. They were so far from being able to defend them, that they could not save themselves; and those, who were wont to be bowed to and adored, are forced themselves to bow and stoop to the will of the plundering soldier, and are removed as common lumber, ver. 1, 2. Wogan. 8. Remember this, and shew yourselves men :] That is, Consider it well, think of it again and again. Consideration is the proper act of reasonable creatures, to whom it is peculiar to propose to themselves some end and design of their actions; if ye do not this, you do not shew yourselves men, but are rather like brute creatures who have no understanding, and act only by a natural instinct. Abp. Tillotson. 11. Calling a ravenous bird] The eagle; a very proper emblem of Cyrus; as in other respects, so particu for power, or present salvation. Before 8 Remember this, and shew your- CHRIST selves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, about 712. 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will bPs. 33, 11. do all my pleasure: my Prov. 19. 21. & 21. 30. Hebr. 6. 17. man of my 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, † the man that executeth + Heb. the counsel from a far country: yea, I counsel. have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 12 ¶ Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: 13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. larly because his ensign was a golden eagle. Bp. Lowth. Conquerors that overrun and ravage countries are elsewhere compared to birds of prey; see Ezek. xvii. 3, 4 ; 2 Esdras xii. 11. W. Lowth. -from the east, the man that executeth my counsel] Compare chap. xli. 25; and xliv. 28; xlv. 13. W. Lowth. - I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass ;] If in all succeeding ages, from that time to this, we attend to the great events that have happened in the world, we shall find them all conducted by the same sovereign and almighty hand especially, if we observe, that many of these events were foretold long before they happened, and have since been exactly accomplished, we must conclude these to be visible and incontestible proofs of the eternal power and godhead of Him, who so declared the end from the beginning;" His power effecting what His wisdom had foreseen and decreed. Hereby we are not only taught the use and benefit of history in general, especially of that contained in the holy Scriptures; but, by comparing events with the prophecies therein contained, we must be convinced with the utmost certainty, that the Scriptures are infallibly true; that they are the word of God, and not of man; the word of Him alone, who declares "the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done;" who besides can say, "What I have spoken I will also bring to pass; what I have purposed I will also do." Wogan. Chap. XLVII. ver. 1. - O virgin daughter of Babylon,] |