b The ſame thing is repeated again and again, becauſe this was ſo illuſtrious a Proof of the infinite Power and Providence of the God of Iſrael, and ſo clear and full a diſcovery of the vanity of Idols. c Heb. YNes fromthen (of which Phraſe ſ{-e the foregoing verſe) thine ear was not opened. 1. e. thou didſt not hear, ro wit, from me; I did not reveal theſe things unto thee, for ſo this Phraſe of opening the ear is underſtood, 1 Sam.g. 15. 2 Sam. 7. 27. d I knew all theſe cau- tions were necefary to cure thine Infidelity and Apoſtacy. e To wit, juſtly and truely : Or, thou was indeed ſuch a perſon, zo be called pur for to beas we have oft noted. | |
9 For my Names ſake will I defer mine anger f, and for my praiſe g will I refrain &5 for thee, that I cut thee not off. | ; f And although thou doeſt juſt'y deſerve my hotteſt anger and moſt dreadful judgements, which allo, if thou repenteſt nor, I will in due time infli&, yet at preſent I will ſpare thee; and de-
liver thee out of Captivity, nor for thy fake, be it known to thee;
bur meerly for my own Sake,and for the Vindication of my Name and Glory, as it follows, verſe 11. g That I may be praiſed and magnified for my Pgwer, Faithfulneſs, and Goodneſs, and other Perte&ions. h< To with, mine anger; which is eaſily underſtood out of the foregoing Clauſe. | OT \ Io Behold, I have refined thee i, but not [| with fl- ; ver &, I have choſen / thee in the furnace of affliction. : ; Or, I will refine thee. Although I will not cut thee off, of utterly deſtroy thee, as IT now ſaid, yer I. will put thee into the Furnace, nor to conſume thee, but to purifie thee from that drois which cleaveth to thee, and needs fuch afflitions to purge
it away. Or, 706 among Silver: Or, not as Silver, which is pur into, and kept in the Furnace fo Jong till all the droſfs be purged away from it. I will notdeal fo rigorouſly with thee; for thea I ſhould wholly conſume thee : In Judgeinent I will remembes " 2S e- Merey.
Chap. XEVIIE,
4 Becauſe I knew # that thou art + obſtinate; and + preg; hard,
Zhaps XLVIIL. I S A
*Ch. 42-8:
*Ch. 41.4. & 44- 6.
Rev. 1.17. & 22. 13.
!| Or, the
paimof my
De feend q Or, dech ſpan, i. e. met out the Heavens with a ſpan, as the Phraſe
Outs
1 will chuſe thee, or, I will yet chuſe thee, as it is expreſſed Io ps of 4 = I _ Or, I will chuſe thee again, as Zech. 2. = tor it muſt be confidered, that God had in a manner reje&ted Iſrael, when he ſcar them into Captivity, and given her 4 bil of divvorce, as he ſaith, Jercn. 3+ $. ſee alſo Yaiah go. r. and therefore it was _ ceſſary that God ſhould chuſe this People a ſecond time, thar t wy might be berrorhed to him again, as is expreſſed and promiſed, J: 2, 19, 20. This ſeems to me the true ſenſe; alrhough it may te thus underſtood, I will chuſe thee, (i. &) I will manifeſt by my pon age £0 thee that [ have choſen thee: Or, that thou art my _ " People. Things be oft ſaid to be done when they are manuteſted, as was obſerved onverſe 7. w_
11 For mine own ſake, ever for my own ſake wil
do it m; for how ſhould my Name » be polluted? and
I will not give my * glory unto another o.
m This {0m work of delivering my People out of Babylon. » my Name is here fitly ſupplyed both our of verſe 9. where it is ex- preſſed,and out of the following Clauſe of this verſe, where he ſaith, my glory, which is equivalent to it. The ſenſe is, If I ſhould nor ſpare and deliver my People, myName would be fadly prophaned and blaſphemed,as if I were either impotent or implacable ro them: o I will nor give any colour or occaſion to Idolaters, to aſcribe the Divine Nature and Properties, which 2re my peculiar, unto Idols, as they would do if I'did not reſcue my People out of their hands in fpight of their Idols.
12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Iſrael my called p; Iamhe; Tam the* firſt, I alſo am the laſt,
p Whom I have called out of the World to be my peculiar Peo- ple, to ſerve, and glorifie, and enjoy me, and therefore you of ail others have leaſt cauſe to foreſake me, or to follow after Idols.
13 Mine hand alſohath laidche foundation ofthe earth, and i my right hand hath ſpanned q the Heavens : #hen I call unto them, they ſtand up together 7.
is, Jajah 40. 12. Although thar be expreſſed there in other Hebrew wofds, Or, hath ſpread them out with its palm, or like a palm, when the hand is ſtretched our. »r Either they ſto*d up and aroſe out of nothing, when I commanded them to do ſo : Or, they are ſtill con- tinually in readineſs to execute my Commands.
1 4 H. Chap. XLy1y, | ©?
Or, 2, OfGod; and then the Senſe may be this, From the time that I firſt ſpoke of it, or foretold it, I am or was there, to take care to effett whar I had foretold : I minded ir carefully from thar time, as being then more eſpecially obliged to do it, leſt m Truth or Power ſhould be queſtioned: Or the Words may bethus rendred and explained, From the 11me that this ſhaZ be, when the time appointed for the doing of this Work ſhall come, hire I will be, to encourage and afliſt Cyrus in the Work. e This is Oppoſed to thoſe foregoing Words, from the begining, f God by his Spirit ; Or God, even the Spirit or the Holy Ghoſt, to whom the ſending and inſpiring of God's Prophets is aſcribed, 2 Pee. r. 21. g To wir the Prophet J/aiah; who yer wasa Type of Chriſt, and ſo this may have a ReſpeC to him alſo.
17 Thus faith the LORD thy Redeemer, the holy One of Iſrael, 1 aamthe LORD thy God which teact;-
eth thee to profit þ; which leadeth 3 thee by the way that thou ſbouldeſt go.
hþ Which from time ro time have made known unto thee, not vain and frivolous things, but all neceſſary and uſeful Dodrines: Which, if believed and obſerved by thee, would have been ink. nitely profitable to thee, both for this Life, and that ro come. So that it is not my fault, but thine own, if thou doeſt not pro fir. + Which acquainteth thee with thy Duty and Intereſt in all the parts and concerns of thy Liſe; ſo that thou canſt not prerend 1gnorance,
18 O that thou hadſt hearkened to my Command- ments & then had thy peace been as a river /, and thy righteouſneſs ms as the waves of the ſea ».
& The failure hath not been on my part, but on thine : I gave
diſobeyed them, and to thy own great diſadvantage. Such wiſhes ; as thele are nor to be taken properly, as if God longed fcr ſome-