The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 47

Ver. 2.-In the lut days; litemlly, in the will decide those international qnestfons ,equel of the day,; but genemlly used of o. oat of which wa.r ordinarily ijprings" (Kay). remote fulure (Gen. xli.x. 1; Numb. xxiv. Bat it would seem to be nt least a.a likely 14; Dent. iv. 30, etc.). The mountain of that be will bring the no.tions to such a the Lord's. house; i,P,, the Church, the true pitch of wisdom and moderation, that they Zion, which is to be tho o,ntitype of the exist- will voluntarily discaYd war, a.nd agree to ing Zion, o,ud is therefore given its mo,terial decide a.ny disputes that a.rise by meana of aUlibutes. Spiritually, it would be a arbiters. The arbiter would then, like "'mounto,in," o,s "a. city set on e. hill," "ther judges, represent God, and "by him which "could not ,be hid" (Matt. v. H); decree justice" (Prov. viii. 15). Shall re- and again, as occupying a position from buke. Rosenmiiller translates, "Arbiter which it would command the whole earth. pacis sit;" Cheyne, "aha.II arbitrate.'' In the top of the mountains ; rather, at the Here again, as in ver. 3," people" should head of the mountains; i.e. with pre-emi- be " peoples." They shall beat, etc. On a nence over them. The metaphor is dro,wn sadden call to war, nations "beat their from the common physical fa.et of a high ploughshares into swords, a.nd their pruninis• mountain range culminating in a. sin~le hooks into spears" (Joel iii. 10). '.rl1ey will supreme eminence. So Mount Hermon do the reverse "in the latter days,'' when towers above the rest of the Antilibanus, God shall have "1,,ulo wara to cease" (Ps. Dema.vend over Elbul'z, Rowo,ndiz over xlvi. 0) a.ud '' speak peace unto the nations" Za.gros. The "mounto.ins" a.hove which (Zech. ix. 10). the true Zion shall tower IU'e the kingdoms, Vera. 5-11.-TRE CONTRAST OIi' THE or .perhaps the religions, of the earth. All PRESENT WlTH THE FUTURE. Having shown na.tions; literally, all the nations; i.e. '' a.ll to Israel the vision of a far-distant future, the nations of the earth" ( <'<>mp. Ps. Ix.xii. 11). Shall flow; or, stream. A. constant when holiness and peace would reign upou accession of converts from all quarters is the earth, a.nd '' the mountain of the Lord's intended. These are represented a.s con- house" would dro.w all men into it, the tinually streaming upward into the holy prophet returns to things a.s they are-first mountain of God's house. exhorting Israel to '' walk in the light oi' - Ver. 3. - Many people; rather. many people,. Shall go ; or, set forth. The pro- Jehovah" (ver. 5), a.nd then showing how phet means to represent the nations a.s en- fur they have withdrawn from the light; (1) couraging one another on the wa.y. There by magical practices (ver. 6); (2) by com- is no jealousy among them, for the "moun- mercial greed (vers. 6, 7) ; (3) by ostento.- tain" oan, hold them a.II. He will tea.oh us. tion and luxury (ver. 7); (-1) by idolatry The nations feel their ignorance of God, and their need of "teaching." God a.lone (ver. 8). Such being the co.se, punishmenl ca.n teach them concerning himself (Rom. must come-mean. uu<l great must be equally xi. 33, 34; 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11) ; a.nd "be will brought low (ver. 9)-the people must fly to teach" the.m, either directly, as the In- their cave-fastnesses (vcr. 10), and hide carnate Son, or indirectly through those themselves; they mnst be humiliated to whom he has appointed to be "teachers" (1 Cor. xii. 28). Of his wo,ys; i.e. "some of the uttermost (ver. 11). hiB ways," not "all of them;" for a.t pre- Ver. 5.-0 house of Jacob. "House of sent "we know in pa.rt" only (1 Cor. xiii. Jacob" is the common expression in Isaiah, 9), and the greater portion of his ways a.re instead of "house of Isra.el" (see eh. viii. "pa.et finding out" (Rom. xi. 33). The 17; x.20; xiv.I; xxix.22; :dvi.3; :tlviii. l; "ways" here spoken of are, no doubt, rules !viii. 1). It has no purticulur force, merely for the conduct of life, which a.re prnclically signifying "Israelites.'' Come ye, and let U3 inexhaustible. God, however, will teach walk. The same words as those of the every ma.n, who honestly seeks to learn, "nations" in ver. 3, "Come ye, and let na enough to eno.ble him to " walk in bis go up." As the nations will invite mch paths." Out of Zion sho.11 go forth the Law; other " in the last days," so the proph, t rather, instruction, or teaching. The word now invites his couutrvmen to wa.lk with (lorah) is without the 111·ticle. The instruc- Goel. • tion intended is that of the Church of God. Ver. 6.-Therefore; rather, /OT. The Ver. 4.-He. shall judge among the na- prophet. i11 cnlliug upon Israel to "walk iu tions. 'l'his is clearly not yot fulfillecl. the light of the Lord," implies that they How God shall ultimntoly "judge among aro not so walking. He then proceeds lo the nations," or ra.the1· "between nation give the reasons of this. They are not, "/or and untiou," is 11 mystery which only tho God has forsaken·• them, or, "oast them future can r1neal. It hns bern supposed off." The first reason is because they be that "by his provi<lentinl rctriLutiou~ ho replenished from the oa.st (Reviled Verdion, 32 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [on. 11. 1-22.