16. It is not poffible by any language to describe a greater convulfion in the state of the world, and a greater destruction of mankind. Allowing all that we can to hyperbolical description, it must refer to something much greater than has yet taken place.

17. After the general account of all the judgments with which God will vifit a guilty world, the prophet comes to the case of Babylon in particular, and to events near to his own time, tho' it is very poffible that in his own idea they might all be coincident, or immediately follow one another. The prophets did not always understand their own predictions, but they spake as Peter fays, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, fo that other perfons living nearer to the time of the events may understand them better than they did.

In the time of Isaiah Babylon was only a city belonging to the Affyrian empire, or at the most had but just afferted its independence of it. For the Babylonians joining with the Medes overturned the Affyrian em pire; and yet the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes, then in alliance with them, is here diftinctly foretold; and the deftruction of a city which after the time of the prophet came to be the greateft that the world had ever feen,has been completely and wonderfully accomplifhed, and at fuch a distance from the time of the prophet, that it can never be in the power of unbeliev ers to say that the prediction did not precede the event, or that it in the leaft contributed to produce it.

21. By satyrs are to be understood goats, which frequent rocky and defert places.

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22. The expreffion of a time being near, is often used in the fcriptures to denote the certainty of an event; as if the Divine Being, who looks into futurity, faw it actually come to pass. This, I doubt not, was the meaning of Jefus, when he said to the penitent thief, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Ch. XIV. 1. The prophet after defcribing the cala. mitous end of Babylon, contrafts it with the future happy state of his own country.

2. This must relate to their final return and peaceful fettlement in their own country; for it cannot be faid as yet that they have ruled over their oppressors.

4. This is a striking poetical defcription of the fall of Babylon, and the powerful king of it; when the dead are perfonified, and reprefented as meeting and accofting him on his arrival among them.

20. The LXX has My land and my people.'

23. The bittern is a bird that avoids places frequented by men.

24. he labour of Egypt was corn; that of the Sabians was guid, silver, ivory, and perfumes, in which they trafficked.

26. The conclufion fhews that as particular judg ments were referved for Babylon, its fate would extend to all other nations that had oppreffed, or should opprefs, the Jews.

28 The Philistines, after having been conquered by David, had recovered themselves, and become formida ble to the Ifraclites; but they had been again fubdued by Uzziah (2 Chron. xxvi, 6) and had probably continued in a state of fubjection till the death of Ahaz, on

which event they might rejoice, and revolt. In this ftate of things the prophet announces their intire and final fubjugation.

29. Tho' Ahaz was dead, his fon and fucceffor would be more formidable than he had been.

80. The Ifraelites would fuffer, but it would be only like taking the fruit from a tree, which in due season would produce more; but the fufferings of the Philiftines would be like deftroying the root of the tree, which could never recover itfelf. Accordingly we read that they were conquered by Hezekiah, 2 Kings, xviii, 8, that he smote the Philistines even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. But this prophecy was not completely fulfilled till after the conquefts of Alexander, and the fubjection of what remained of the Philistines to the kings of Judea.

Ch. XV. This chapter and the following contain an account of the judgments of God against Moab, to be accomplished in three years; but the prophecy being without a date, hiftory furnishes no light for the interpretation of it. It is only conjectured that it was delivered in the firit year of Lezekiah, and fulfilled by Shalmanaffar, when he invaded the kingdom of Ifrael. But, as lar as appears, all that the Moabites fuffered by the flyrians, was little in comparifon to what they fuf fer by Nebuchadnezzar afterwards. For in the time of Iremiah they were a powerful nation, and he denoaned heavy judgments against them, very much in the manner of this prophecy of Ifaiah. I would obferve on this occafion, that the difficulties we meet with

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in reconciling history with prophecy is a proof that the books of fcripture are no forgeries. The perfons who forged them might easily have guarded against any objection of this kind.

1. Instead of destroyed in the night, a small variation in the Hebrew will make it completely destroyed. Mention is here made of particular cities of the Moabites, and of their lamentation at the altars of their gods, who could give them no affistance.

2. To cut off the hair was a token of mourning in all antient nations. The object was to neglect and diffigure themselves, as if careless what became of them.

7. Moab bordered upon the Arabs, who were always noted for plundering their neighbours, agreeable to the original prophecy concerning Ifhmael. His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him. Thus Job is reprefented as fuffering by their incurfions.

9. Dimon is from a root which fignifies food; and to this there is an allufion after the manner of the Hebrew poets. There is great uncertainty in the reading and interpretation of this paffage.

Ch. XVI. The meaning of this part of the prophecy is very obfcure. It probably intimates that not only the chief men, but the fon of the king, would flee before the enemy; and that even the women would be obliged to cross the river Arnon, which was the boundary of the country.

4. This feems to imply that they who fled from Moab would take refuge in the kingdom of Judah, and be kindly received there.

6. The pride of Moab is noticed by Jeremiah, tho' it does not appear from history that there was any particular foundation for it.

8. These wines were probably much efteemed, and fent to distant countries.

12. The heathens imagined that when they could not fucceed in their application to their gods in one place, they might in another; as we fee in the history of Balaam.

Ch. XVII. 1. This prophecy concerning Damafcus (but which relates as much to the ten tribes) was probably delivered before the invasion by the Affyrians, and while they were both confederated against the kingdom of Judah. It is thought to have been fulfilled when Tiglathpilefar took Damafcus,and carried the people to Kir, 2 Kings xvi. 9, and when at the fame time the Af fyrians overran part of the kingdom of Ifrael, and carried away many captives. But it was more completely fulfilled on the conqueft of that country, and the captivity of the remains of the people,by Shalmanaffar.

2. There is great uncertainty in the rendering of this paffage. Our common verfion has the cities of Arcer are forsaken. In the Syriac it is Adoiris is forsaken. In the Seventy, Damascus is taken from the cities, and shall be destroyed. As this has not taken place, I prefer the common rendering, tho' it is no doubt very uncertain. Damascus has never fince this time been the feat of an independent empire; but the language of the other part of the prophecy muft be hyperbolical, if the prefent reading be right.

5. Rephaim was a fruitful valley near Jerufalem.