Verse 11, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities."
The event and glorious issue of the suffering of Christ, in respect of himself and others, with the reason thereof, is briefly comprised and expressed in this verse.
" Videhit et saturabitur. Videbit diu, ad satietatem. Simile lo- quendi genus in Hebrseo, Gen. xxv. 8, xxxv. 29, 1 Paral. xxiii. 1, xxix. 28, 2 Paral. xxiv. 15.
"In scientia sua. Per eam quam habet Dei cognitionem.
" Justificabit ipse Justus servus ineus viultos. Exemplo et insti- tutione corriget multos etiam ex gentibus. Hjec est maxime pro- pria verbi P'''^^"'. significatio, et Grsoci dmaiovv, ut apparet Dan. xii. 3, Apoc. xxii. 11, et alibi soepe.
" Ut iniquitates eorum ipse portdbit. Id est, auferet, per fjutruw- f/,iav, quia qui sordes aliquas auferunt solent eos collo supposito por- tare. Abstulit Jeremias multorum peccata, ita ut diximus, eos corri- gendo."
" 'He shall see, and be satisfied.' He shall see long, unto satiety. The like phrase of speech you have in the Hebrew, Gen. xxv. 8, etc.
" 'By his knowledge.' By that knowledge which he hath of God.
" ' He shall justify many.' By his example and institution he shall convert many even from among the heathen. This is the most
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proper sense of the word P'''^V-, and of hixaiovv in the Greek, as ap- peareth, Dan. xii. 8, Rev. xxii. 11, etc.
" 'For he shall bear their iniquities;' that is, take them away, by a metonymy, because those that take away filth used to take it on their necks and bear it. Jeremiah took away the sins of many, as was said, by correcting or amending them."
The intelligent reader Avill easily perceive the whole Socinian poison about the death of Christ to be infolded in this interpreta- tion. His " knowledge" is the knowledge that he had of God and his will, which he declares; to "justify" is to amend men's lives; and to " bear sin" is to take it away. According to the analogy of this faith, you may apply the text to whom you please, as well as to Jeremiah. But the words are of another import, as we shall briefly see: —
1. These words, it^'^J ^"QV)?, which the Vulgar Latin renders " pro eo quod laboravit," ad verbum, "propter laborem animse suae," which express the object of the seeing mentioned, and that where- Avith he was satisfied, are not taken notice of The " travail of the soul" of Christ is the fruit of his labour, travail, and suffering. This, says the prophet, he " shall see," that is, " receive, perceive, enjoy," as the verb i^^"} in many places signifies; verbs of sense with the Hebrews having very large significations. J'l'P'^ " satura- bitur," he shall be " full and well-contented," and pleased with the fruit that he shall have of all his labour and travail. This, saith Grotius, is, " He shall see to satiety," whereby he intends he should " live very long," as is evident from the places whither he sends us for an exposition of these words. Gen. xxv. 8, etc., in all which men- tion is made of men that were old and full of days.
(1.) But to " live to satiety," is to live till a man be weary of living, which may not be ascribed to the prophet.
(2.) This of his " long life" was spoken of immediately before, ac-_ cording to the interpretation of our annotator, and is not probably instantly again repeated.
(3.) The long life of Jeremiah, by way of eminency above others, is but pretended, as hath been evinced. But, —
(4.) How came this word, " to see," to be taken neutrally, and to signify " to live?" What instance of this sense or use of the word can be given? I dare boldly say. Not one. " He shall see unto satiety;" that is, " He shall live long."
(5.) The words " videbit, saturabitur," do not stand in any such re- lation to one another or construction as to endure to be cast into this form. It is not " videbit diu ad satietatem," much loss " vivet ad satietatem," but " videbit, saturabitur."
(G.) The word " shall see" evidently relates to the words going be- fore, " the travail of his soul." If it had been, " He shall see many
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years, or many days, and be satisfied," it had been something; but it is, " He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied."
2. " By his knowledge," ^^H?? " ^^ (or by) his knowledge;" "In scientia sua," Vulg. Lat. ; " Cognitione sui," Jun, The LXX. wholly pervert all the words of this verse, except the last, as they do also of the former. That by the "knowledge" here mentioned is meant the knowledge of Christ taken objectively, and not the knowledge of God taken actively, as our annotator supposes, is evident from the fruit that is ascribed hereunto, which is the justification of them that have that knowledge: "By his knowledge," — that is, the knowledge of him, — "they shall be justified," Phil. iii. 8. So, " Teach me thy fear," that is, "The fear of thee;" " My worship," that is, "The worship of me." No " knowledge of God " in the land. But the use of this is in the next words.