The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 22

oemlng the matter In hand, once 11nd for oblations," as though the daily oblation wri~ ever (Ko.y). I am full of the burnt offerings to cense; hut "bring no more oblntion, of rams; rnthor, I am overfull, satiated, that are '1'ain ones," i.e. empty and unreal-- wearied with them. Rams formed a part mere forms, without the proper correspond- of the required sncrifice on all great occa- ing spirit. 'fhe "oblation" apokcn of is the sions, ns o.t the Pnssover (Numb. xxviii. 19), minchah, or" meat offering,'' of Lev. ii. I - o.t the Fellet of Weeks (Numb. xxviii. 27), at ll; Numb. xxviii. 12-31, which was a cake the Fee.et of Tabernacles (Numb. xxix. 13, of fine flour mingled with oil, and generally 17, 20, 29, 26, 29, 32, 96), o.t the F'enet of had incense joined with it, which explain. 'frumpete (Numb. xxix. 2), o.nd on the the nexus of this clause with the following grnllt Dlly of Atonement (Numb. xxix. one. Incense is an abomination unto me. 8). They were commanded o.s the sole God had commanded the use of incense in encrifice for ll trespass offering (Lev. v. 16, worship, as he had commanded burnt offer- 18). Under David were offered on one ings and oblations (Exod. xxx. 1-8, 34-38; occasion "e. thousand re.me" (1 Chron. Lev. ii. 2; xvi. 12, 13). Bat incense sym- xxix. 21); and the occo.eione where seven bolized prayer (Ps. cxli. 2); o.nd if no heart- re.me fol'med the legitimate so.orifice were felt prayer accompanied its use, it was mllny. Uno.ccompanied by a proper fro.me emptied of all its significance, and became of mind, ea.oh euch offering we.a an offence hateful to God-a mere form, and conse- to God, displeased him, wearied him. The quently an "abomination." The new moons fo.t of fed beasts. The fo.t we.a always and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I regarded, both by the Hebrews o.nd the cannot away with. The weekly festival of Greeks, llS especially suitable for so.crifice. the sabbath, the monthly one of the "new It was bum~ upon the o.lto.r in every case, moon,'' and the annual "assemblies" or even where the greater part of the victim "solemn feasts" (2 Chron. viiL 13), were the was consumed o.s food (see Lev. i. 8, 12; iii. me.in occasions of Jewish worship. As at 3, 10, etc.; note particularly the expression this time conducted, God could endure none in Lev. iii. 16, "All the fat is the Lord's"). of them; all were tainted with the preva- "Fed beasts" are those which were kept lent unreality. The construction of the separate in sto.lls or sheds for some time passage is highly rhetorical, an<l indicates before the sacrifice, and given food in which great'excitement of feeling. Kay translates there wa.s nothing" unclean." The Paschal it literally, "New moon and 811,hbath, the lambs were required to be thus separated calling of assemblies, I cannot - it is o.nd fed for four days (Exod. xii. 3, 6). I nngodliness-even the solemn meeting." delight not in the blood. The blood, The autl10rs of the Revised Version also " which is the life" (Lev. xvii. 14), was to suppose an aposiopesis. The solemn meet- be sprinkled on the altar in every sacrifice ing. The word thus translated is applied of o. victim. This sprinkling was of the only to particular days in the great festival very essence of the sacrifice (Lev. i. 5; iii. seasons, as to the eighth day of the Feast 2, 8, 13; iv. 6, 17, 25, 30, etc.). Bullooks of Tabernacles (Lev. x.xiii. 36; Numb. u.i:s:. . . . lambs . . . he-goats. These, together 35 ; N eh. viii. 18), and the seventh day of with rams, oonstituLed all the sacrificial the Passover (Deut. xvi. 8), or else to <lays beasts of the Hebrews. specially appointed for religious services by Ver. 12.-When ye oome to appear before civil authority (2 Kings x. 20 ; 2 Chron. vii. me. Mr. Cheyne tro.nsle.tes, " to see my 9; Joel i. 14; ii. 15). Tue meaning thus face; •· but most other commentators (Gese- is, tli1.Lt e11en the very highest occasions of nius, Delitzsch, Ewald, Kay) regard the religious worship were abuoed by the Is- phl'llse used as equivalent to that employed raelites of the time, and me.de an offence to in Exod. xxiii. 17; xxxiv. 29; Dcut. xvi.16; God. e.nd the pu.seo.ge as referring to that attend- Ver. 14,-Your new moons. (For tho ance in the temple at the three great annual ceremonies to be observed o.t the opening of festivals, which was required of o.11 adult eachmonth,see Numb. xniii.11-15.) Your mu.le Israelites. The requirement of the appointed feasts. The "appointed feasts" Lu.w WRS still observed in the letter, but are the great festival-times-the Feast of not in the spirit. They came with no true Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, cm<l religious objeot. Hence the question whioh the Feast of Tubernacles. They do nut follows : Who hath required this o.t your include the B11bbath or the "new moon," hand, to tread my oourts 1 This was not with which they ure, both here and else- whnt God hu.d enjoined-a. mere bodily where (1 Chron. xxiii. 31; 2 Chron. xxxi. 3), attendnnce, e. trampling of his courts with oontrnsted. They are a trouble unto me ; their feet, when thoir heurts were far from literally, an e-,icu.mbrance (see Oeut. i. 12). him. Ver. 15.-I will hide mine eyes, eto. A Ver. 19.-Bring no more vain oblations. timo comes when the wicked o.ro alo.rme<l, The oommu.nd is not " Bl'ing no more and seek to tlll'n to God ; bui it ii too late, 6 THF: 'BOOR OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [OR, I, 1-81,