The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 23

" Then ,ball they oa,11 npon ml', bnt I get justice done to &II men; B0e that they "·ill not 1m1wer; they shall seek me early, " hnve right." Relieve the oppre11ed, Bo hut they ehall not find me" (Prov. i. 28). the LXX., the Vulgo.te, the Syrio.c, e.nd the When ye make many prayers; literally, Chalde.'\n Versions. But the word trnnslo.tcd .,,.,//i11l11 1,rayl'f'. Full of blood (comp. ver. "oppressed" is thought by mnuy t.o mean ~ l ). Al't.uel blo0<fahf'd. may be pointed at, "oppressor" (Kimchi, Gcsenius, Cheyne), '" the murder of Zechario.h (2 Ohron. xxiv. This is certainly its meaning iu Ps. Ixxi. 4. :'I). and the fat.e which oofell IAAi.ah himself, Translate, righten the opp,·esaor; i.e. oorreot nrrording to the tradition, would 'Beem to &nd chasten him. J'udge tho fatherless; ~how. But cruelty and oppression, produc- rather, a,, }mtice to the orphan (Cheyne); see ing poverty and wretchedness, and tendinl!: that he is not wronged-be his ohe.mpion. fo ~hort.en life, are no doubt also included Pleo.d for the widow; i.e. ple11.d her cause (romp. Micah iii. 10, 11). These were the in the courts; or, if judge, o.ud she have no sperilll sins of the time (see vers. 17, 23). advocate, leo.n townrds her, o.s if her Vcrs. 16-20.-THE REQUIREMENT OP advocate. The widow and the orphan GoD-AlllENDIIENT OF LIFE. God, having were taken under God's special protection from the time of Moses, and const.antly com- put aside the worthless plea of outward mended to the tender co.re of the righteous religiousness made by his people, goes on (Exod. x:xii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxiv. 17; fo declare, by the mouth of his prophet, xxvii. 19, etc.). whnt he requires. First, in general terms Ver. 18.-Come now, and let 118 ree.son (,·er. 16), and then with distinct specifica- together. God hu from time to time tion (ver. 17), he calls on them to amend permitted man to reason with him (Gen. xviii. 23--32; Exod. iv. 1-17; Job xxiii. their ways, both negatively (" cease to do S-7 ; Micah vi. 2); bnt it is difficult to edl ") and positively(" learn to do well"). see tho.t there is o.ny "reasoning" or "con- If they will really amend, then he assures troversy" here. Mr. Oheyne translates, them of forgiveness and favour; if they "Let us bring our dispute to o.n end!' refuse and continue their rebellion. the Though your Bins be as soarlet, . . . like orimson; i.e. "open, evident, glaring." Or !!word will devour them. there mo.y be an allusion to their blood- Ver. 16.-Wash y011, make you alea.n. guiltiness (see vere. 15, 19). They shall be The all.lllogy of sin to defilement, o.nd of a.s white 118 snow. Comp. Pe. Ii. 7, which is wn.ehing to cleansing from sin, has been felt completely pare.lie!, whether it was written among men universally wherever there has before ar after. There co.n be no better been any sense of sin. Outward purifico.tion image of purity than snow (comp. Job i:1. by wo.ter ho.s been constantly made use of 30; Lnm. iv. 7). As wool. A weaker a.s typical of the recovery of inward purity. illustration tho.n the preceding one, but Bence the numerous washings of the Levi- needed for the pa.ro.lleliem. (The resem- tica.l Lew (Exod. :nix. 4; Lev. L !J, 13; b111nce of falling snow to wool is noted in Numb. xi.x. 7, 8, 19; Dent. :nL 6; xxili. 11 ; Ps. cxl vii. 16.) etc.) ; hence the ablutions of the priests in Ver. 19.-If ye be willing o.nd obedient. Egypt (Herod., ii. 37); hence the appro- Roeenmiiller explains this o.e equivalent to priat.eness of the rite of baptism; hence the "if ye be willing to obey" (cf. Ezek. iii. symbolical wllBhing of ho.ads to free from 7); but perhe.ps it is better to give ea.eh complicity in blood-gniltineas (Ma.it. uvii. verb its sepo.ro.te force: "If you consent in 24). •· Wo.sh you, make you clean," could your wills, and are o.lso obedient in your not be misunderstood hy the li!raelites; they actions" (so Kay). Ye shall eo.t the good would know that it was e. requirement to of the land; i.e. there eho.11 be no iuvo.sion; "wash their hands in innocency" (Ps. strangers sho.11 not devour your crops (see xxvi. 6 ; Ix.xiii 13 ), even a.po.rt from what ver. 7); yon sho.11 consume them your- follows. Put away the evil of your doing& selves. "The good of the Jo.nd" is e. com- from before mine eyes. Not "hide it," for mon expression for its produce (Gen. xlv. that wo.s impossible; bnt remove it alto- 18, 20; Ezra ix. 12; Neh. ix. 36; Jer. gether-in olher words, "cease from it." ii. 7). " Cast off all the works of darkness;" get Ver. 20.-If ye refuse o.nd rebel ; i.e. "U rid of evil, to begin with. So much is ye neither consent in will, nor obey in o.ct," negative. antithetical to the two verbs in the first Ver. 17.-Leam to do well. Now comes clo.use of ver. 19. Ye shall be devoured j the positive; first, in the general form- or, ye ,hall be eaten. The so.me verb u in " learn," etc. ; which resembles the apostle's the latter clause of ver. 19. With the sword. "Put on the o.nnour of light" (Rom. xiii. 12). The metaphor is not a common one, but Then follow the particulan. Beek judg- occurs in Jeremiah (ii. 30; xii. 12; xlvi. ment j or, aeek out jtJ./IUee; I.e. endeavour to 10, 14:) and No.hum (ii. 13). The mouth ot Olt, I, 1-31.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 7