1. To grant the first observation, as to the change of persons in the discourse, the word (^"^9^? " shall be astonished") here used signifies not every slight admiration, by wondering upon any occasion, or that may be a little more than ordinary, but mostly an astonish- ment arising from the contemplation of some ruthful spectacle. So Lev. xxvi. 82, " I will bring the land into desolation, and your ene- mies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it ;" and the word is near twenty times used to the same purpose. This by way of dimi- nution is made, " mirati sunt, admirationi erit."
2. This astonishment of men is by Grotius referred both to the dejection and exaltation of Jeremiah, whereof there is nothing in the words. It is the amazement of men at the despicable condition of him that is spoken of only that is intended; but without intruding something of his exaltation, this discourse had wanted all colour or pretext.
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8. Was it so great a matter in Jenisalem that a prophet should be put in prison there, where they imprisoned, stoned, tortured, and slew them almost all, one after another, in their several generations, that it should be thus prophesied of as a thing that men would and should be amazed at? Was it any wonder at all in that city, whose streets not long before had run with the blood of innocent men, that a prophet should be cast into prison? Or was this peculiar to Jere- miah to be dealt so withal? Is it any matter of astonishment to this very day? AVas his honour afterward such an amazing thing, in that for a little season he was suffered to go at liberty, and had victuals given him? Was not this, as to the thing itself, common to him with many hundred others? Were his afflictions such as to be be- yond compare with those of any man, or any of the sons of men? or his honours such as to dazzle the eyes of men with admiration and astonishment? Let a man dare to make bold with the word of God, and he may make as many such applications as he pleaseth, and find out what person he will to answer all the prophecies of the Messiah. This not succeeding, let us try the next verse : —
"So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him : for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider."
" Ita asperget gentes multas. In Hebrao, ' Sic asperget,' ut re- spondeat illi ' sicut,' quod prsecessit. Multos ex gentibus ab idolorum cultu avertet. Similitudo sumpta ab aspersionibus legalibus; unde et Chaldasis i^TJ est objurgare. At LXX. habent, Oii-w ^a-oijAcoyrai Uvri 'zoXXa sir aurw, non male; nam mirari est aspergi fulgore alicujus;" — " In the Hebrew it is, ' So he shall sprinkle,' that it might answer to the ' as' that went before. He shall turn many of the nations from the worship of idols. A similitude taken from the legal washings; whence "^l^ with the Chaldees is to ' rebuke.' The LXX. render it, ' So shall many nations wonder at him,' not badly; for to wonder is as it were to be sprinkled with any one's brightness."
For the exposition of the words, —
1. We agree that it is, " So he shall sprinkle," an avobodig, relating to the TTporaGig, verse 14, " As many were astonished," etc.; the great work of Christ and his exaltation therein being rendered in opposi- tion to his humiliation and dejection, before mentioned. As he was in so mean a condition that men were astonished at him, so he shall be exalted, in his great work of converting the nations, to their admiration.
2. It is granted that the expression, " He shall sprinkle," is an allusion to the legal washings and purifications; which as they were typical of real sanctification and holiness, so from them is the promise thereof so often expressed in the terms of "washing" and " cleans- ing," Ezek. xxxvi. 25, the term being preserved and used in the New Testament frequently ; the blood of Christ, whereby this work
462 VINDICI^ EVANGELIC^.
is done, being therefore called " the blood of sprinkling/' Heb. xii. 24, Eph. V. 25, 26. The pouring out of the Spirit by Jesus Christ, for the jjurifying and sanctifying of many nations, not the Jews only, but the children of God throughout the world, by faith in his blood, is that which is here intended. What the use of ^}l in the Chaldee to this purpose is I know not.
3. The LXX. have very badly rendered the words, " Many nations shall wonder at him/' both as to words and sense; for, — (1.) As the words will not bear it, so, (2.) They make that the action of the na- tions towards Christ which is his towards them. They lose the whole sense of the words ; and what they say falls in with what fol- lows, and is clearly expressed. (3.) It is not helped by the explana- tion given to it by the annotator. The first expression is metapho- rical, which the LXX. render by a word proper, remote from the sense intended, which the annotator explains by another metaphor; by which kind of procedure, men may lead words and senses whither and which way they please.