+ Heb. Thou haſt added to the nation. Which may be underſtood either, 1 in way of Mercy, of adding to their Numbers, as our Tranſlation takes it ; and fo we have in effect the ſame Phraſe, 2 Sams 24: 3. The Lord add to the People, &c. and Pſal. 115. 14. in the Hebrew Text, The Lord ſhall add upon or to you : or, 2. in way of Judgment, of adding to their Plagues or Miſeries, of which we Tead, Rev 22:18. in which ſenſe the Phraſe is found in the Hebrew Text, - Plal: 120: 3» What ſball be add-d to thee ; and in that uſual Form of Imprecation, The Lerd do ſo to me and mare, Ruth 1. 17. 1 Sam: 3: 16, &c. where it is in the Hebrew, The Lord do ſo ro me and add. And this ſenſe ſeems to be favoured by the Context as alſo by the ancient Greek Tranſlators, who render te Words, add 10 them evil or puniſhments. And ſo the Word adding may be uſed emphatically and {arcaſtically : God indeed will add to them ; but what ? Not Numbers, and Power, and Glory, as they expettcd ; but Plagues or Judgments one after another. This 74101 1t 15 ſuppoſed by the Current of interpreters to be the People of 1/racl, emphaticaily called the nation. Poſſibly it _ be the 4ſhrians, of whom he ſpake in the laſt Verſe. But this I propoſe with ſub- miſſion» # Thy Juſtice is glorified in their Puniſhment or De- ſtru&ion- x Which may be undeſtood either, 1. of J/rael, and that either in a way of Mercy, Thou haſt by deſtroying the 4ſ- rians enlarged thy People, who were thut up in Jeruſalem, ſo that now they may go to the remoteſt parts of the Land ; or in way of Judgment : Thou haſt removed thy people out of their own Land, and ſuffered them to be carried Captive to the ends of the Earth : Or, 2. of the 4ſiians ; Thou halt removed them from Feruſalem, which they had beſieged, and cauſed them to flee into their own Country, which in Scripture-phraſe was in the ends of the earth ; of which ſee Ia: 5: 26. & 13.5.
16 O LORD, in trouble have they y viſited thee z, they poured out # a | prayer b hen thy chattning was
upon them c. : y To wit, thy People, as appears both from the Matter of this Verſe, and from the following Verſes. z Come into thy Preſence, with their Prayers and Supplications, as the next Clauſe explains 1t. # Which notes the Plenty or rather the Earneſtneſs of their pray=- ers, as Pſal. 42: 4: 142: 2. b Heb. a muttering or lowly ſpeech, fuch as Charmers uſe, and ſuch as Hezekiah uſed when he was 1n great diſtreſs, 1ſa. 38: 14, Like a crane o& ſwallow fo did I chaiter, 1 did mourn as 4 dove; and ſuch as is uſual in caſe of great humiliation and deje&ion of Mind, c When thou waiſt punithing them for their Sins. : fo 17 Like as a woman with child, 7hat draweth near
the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crierh out in her pangs : ſs have we been 4 in thy ſight e, O
LORD. > ah
4 Such was our Anguiſh and Danger. | e Whilit thou didſt on- ly look upon us like a meer SpeQator, without affording us the leaſt degree of Pity or Help. Or, this Phrale notes only the rea- lity of the Thing 3 God was Witneſs of this our Miſery, and knoweth the Teuth-of what I ſay
18 We have been with child,we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind f, we have not
wrought any deliverance g in the earth þ, neither have
the inhabitants of the world z fallen.
f We have had the Torment of a Woman 1n Childbearing, but not the Comfort of a Living Child, John 16: 21. for we have brought forth nothing but Wind ; all our Labours and Hopes were vain and unſucceſsful. The Prophet here repreſents their deplo= rable and deſperate Condition, before God appeared ſo eminently to deliver them. g We found that we were utterly unable to deliver our ſelves. h Or, in the /and, in our own Country,where yet we had far greater Advantages than we could have had elſe- where. # The Aſjrians, or our other Enemies; for they are here oppoſed to Gods People. ;
19 Thy dead men ſhall live & ; together with my dead body / ſhall they ariſe » : awake », and ſing, ye that dwell in the duſt 0: for thy dew p is as the dew of herbs q, and the earth ſhall caſt our the dead r.
& The Prophet here turneth his Speech to God's People, and gives them a Cocdial to ſupport them 1a their deep Diſtreſs, ex- preſſed in the foregoing Verle. Thy dead Mea are not like thoſe
IS4#7T85
have had dominion over us » 2 but by thee only s will |
, Iy the Captivity of the Jews in Babylon, and
| again. 2» Unto Life, as appears from the former Clauſe.
©. i4. for they ſhall not live, as I there ſaid ; but thine ſhall live. ou ſhall certainly be delivered from all your Fears and Dan gers.
| Nothing is more frequent, both in Scripture and other Authors,
than for great Calamities to be compared.to death,and Deliverance irom them ro life, and reviving, and reſurrefion 3 and particular- their Deliv