and caſt, as it is in Winter, have a Subſtance, or Subſiſtence, or ſupport wirhinthemſelves,to wit, a Vital Principal, which preſerves Life jn the Root and Body of the Tree, and in due time ſends IT forth intoall the Branches. Bur others take the Hebrew Word Shallecheth, for the proper name of a place. ro wit, a Cauſeway which led from the Palace to the Temple, 1 Chron: 26: 16: and fo the place isand may be rendred thus, 4s atezl-rree, ( or, an elm)and as an oak ( the Singular Number for rhe Pluralgas is very frequenr) As the elms and oaks whith are at orby Shallecheth ( on both ſides of which Way ſuch Trees were planted, to beautifie and to ſupport that Cauſeway, as ſome have obſerved ) have ſubſifence or ſupport in them, either, 1. for themſelves ; they ſand faſt and firm, when 0- ther Trees are blown down : or, for the way which they up- hold. z Or rather, the ſupport (as the ſame Word ſeems to be taken in the next foregoing Clauſe) thereof, to wit, ofthe Land or People, which, were it not for the ſake of thoſe Ele& Perſons, ſhould be totally and finally rooted out ; or, of chat Tenth part, which ſhall be delievered and preſerved for the ſake of that holy Seed,;thoſe true= hearred J/raclitzs which are among them, C AF. VI Ahaz afraid of Rezmmand Pekah is comforted oy Iſaiah. 1=—=g9, ro chuſe a fign,Chrift is promiſed for one. 10 16, his judgment ſhould come by Aſſyria, 17: 25.
Nd ir came to paſs inthe days of * AhaZz a the ſon * : Kingy +2 of Jotham,the ſon of Uzziah king of Judah, hat 6 5: Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the ſon of Remali- ny ah, king of [frac], went up towards Jeruſalem to war * © againſt it b, but could not + prevail againſt it. s A moſt wicked King : Yet no Prophecies are more comfortable than thoſe which were delivered in his time ; God ſo ordering it partly for the encouragement of the Faithful that lived under his ryrannical and impious Reign; and partly to manifeſt the Riches and Freeneſfs of his Grace, in conferring ſuch Favours upon a moſh worthleſs G-neration. b Which they attempted before in Jetham'g Reign, 2 Kings 15: 37: but now more ſeriouſly undertook, though without ſucceſs, aS1s noted here, and 2 Kings 16; 5. | 2 And itwas told the houſe of David c, ſaying, Syria 7 is confederate with Ephraim 4d And his heart was + Hebep moved e, and the heart ofthe people, as the trees of the «hon Boks
wood (haken with the wind. rai, c Ahaz, +nd his Royal Relations and Courtiers, He calls them the houſe of David, to intimate that the following comfortable Meſo ſage was ient ro 4kaxz, not for his own ſake, but only for the ſake of his worthy Progenitor, David, to whom, God had premijſed an everlaſting Kingdom. @ The Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, com- monly called Ephraim, as Iſa: 28:1: Hoſ; 12: 1, becauſe thar was far the moſt numerous and potent of all of thein.e With exceſſive fear ariſing part}y from the conſcience of their own guilt,whercby they, had put tkemielves our of Gods ProreCtion ; and partly from the conſideration of the grear Strength and power of his Enemies, who having preva:led againſt him ſeverally, 2 Chron: 28: 5, 8: and hay- ing now united their Forces, he, having no Faithin God, nor Con « dence to deſire or expe his he]p,concluded his Caſe deſperate and deplorable.
3 Then ſaid the LORD unto Iſaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz f, thou, and || Shear- jaſhub's thy ſon, at 1765,
refuſug
t Heb:fobs 7
the end ofthe * conduir of the upper pool inthe || high- 7 way of the fullers field 4 : , mma og
f Thouyh he do not ſeek nor ſend to thee. as he ought, This is Cha:6: 13; N eminent inſtance of preventing Mercy. g Whoſe very Name && 10: 21: c:rriedin it a Sign and Pledge of the Promiſed Deliverance. bh *2King:18; Whither he'probably went to take care about the Waters which 17: Ehap; thence were brought into the City, either to ſecure them to him- 36: 2: 'cIf orto keep them from the Enemy, as Hizekiah afterward did, || Or,cauſey. 2 Chron: 32; 3, 4
4 And ſay unto him, take head, and be quiet z,fear not, Þ neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of theſe + Heb. !s {moakiog fire-brandsk,for thefierce anger of Rezin with not #6ybean
Syria, and the ſon of Remaliahl/. » beimar, 7 See thar thon be quiet, abandon thy Fears, and ſettle thy Mind by che belief of that joyful Mefſage and Promiſe which I am now to deliver thee from the Lord. k they are not whole Fire-brands burning in the Fire, in which there is more Smoke than Fire, ane the Fire will be ſpeedily extinguiſhed. They have more of Shew and Terrour, than of Strength. Petah King of 1/racl, wv. 1. whom here, and in the next Verſe, he calls only the ſon of Remaliah, to in- timate, that he was unworthy of the Name of King, as having gor that Title and Power by Uſurpation, and the Murder of his Maſter and King Pekabiah, 2 Kings 15: 25-
5 Becauſe Syria, Ephraim, and the ſon of Remali-
ah have taken evil counſel againſt thee,ſaying.
6 Let usgo up againſt Judah, and|| vex it, and let us [Or,v4#
make a breach thereip m for us, and'ſec a king in the midſt of it, even the lon of Tabgal ».
9 Either,1. break and divide that Country into two parts, one for
thee, and another for me; er rather, 2+. break their Power and King-
dom, Phraſe is ſo uſed, 2 Chron: 32: 1: where there was no ſuch Diviſion j intended. | of Judah was ſtill to be united under another King, who ſhould pay
Tribure to them ſeverally, able Captain, in whoſe Fidelity both of them had good confidence;
bur whether he was an 7/7#eire or Sjrien. 15 uncertain, and. not ma- terial.
and ſubdue it ro our ſelves : For, I, the ſame Word and 2. Becauſe the next Clauſe intimates, that the Kingdom
as they ſheuld agree. » Some conſider-
that which came out of Babylon, which tor the moſt part, were | corrupt and degenerate, as eppears by the Sacred Hiſtories and
7 Thus
Chap. vi, | C
ll.
| ods | z
Palle,or al 20t by
tablibeg
pak
eas a «4 2;
7 I
Chap. VIL.
8 - Thus ſaith the LORD God, Tr o ſhal not ftand,
neither (hal ic come to pals,
#H-b fow aprople:
EY 4
*Yes
o Their evil Countel, as it is called, v, $.
V
8 For the head of Syria is p Damaſcus, and the head of Damaſcus is Rezin ; and within threeſcore and five years q (hal Ephraim be broken, Þ that ir be not a People.
p Or, rather ſha! be ; for the Verbis not expreſſed in the He” brew Text, and therefore may be either way ſupplied. The ſenſe
is, Damsſcus ſhal ſtill continue to be the Capital and Chief City of