The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 67

order in which he valuoe them, !18 to that in be felt that something must be clone. A whioh they were valued by the people. Tile man will take hold of hie brother (i.e. hi8 ancient; /;e .. " the elder," as tho word is fellow) in his (i.e. the latter's) father's house, translated commonly. The '' ekkra" had where he lives in aeclueion, and say to him, O:n ascertained position in the ~tate under "Thou bast clothing" ( or, " thou art de- the mou11rchy (2 Sam. v. 8; xix, 11; cently clad"), "thou must be our ruler; let 1 Kings viii. I; xx. 7; 2 '.Kings vi. 82, etc.). this ruin" (i.e. "this n1ined state") ·• be Ver. 8.-The captain of fifty. '' Captains tinder thy band." This ruin; literally, this tf fifties " were scarcely at this period ,tumbling-block (see Zeph. i. 3; and com- "oivil officers" (Cheyne). They represent pare the uniform translation of the kind red aiir.ply the lowest grade of officers in the noun mikshol (Lev. xix. 14; Ps. cxix. IG5; army (2 Kings i. 9, 11, 18). Honourable. eh. lvii. 14; Jer. vi. 21; Ezek. iii. 20; vii. The same expression is used again in eh. ix. 10, etc.). The Jewish community is meant, 15. ·It occurs also in 2 Kings v. 1 and Job which was full of stumbling itself, and xxii. 8. • 'The cunning artificer. "All the might well cause all thoae to stumble who craftsmen· and smiths" in J erusulem were came into contact with it. carried &way by Nebuchadnezzar in the Ver. 7.-In that day shall he swear; or, captivity of Jehoiachin (2 Kings xxiv. 14: lift up hia voice-speaking with emotion cf. Jer. xxiv; 1). They were among the (Kay). I will not be an healer; literally, most valuable ·of the population, in time of a binder-up ( comp. eh. i. 6) ; " I will not war no less than of peace, since on them undertake to heal the calan,ities of the depended the construction and repair of the state." In my house is neither bread nor military engines which were regarded as of clothing; i.e. "I am not a wealthy man ; I so much importance (2 Chron. xxvi. 15). have no stores laid up; I am quite unfit to The eloquent orator; rather, the ezpert en- be the people's ruler." Make me not; or, ye chanter (comp. Eccles. x. 11; Jer. viii. 17). shall not make me. The decently clad man Ver. 4.-1 will give children to be their entirely declines to be advanced to the helm prinoes ; rather, youths than " childxen." of the state. The extreme youth of the later kings of Vers. 8.-26.-THE CAUSE OF THE Jrnc- Judah at the date of their accession is very lIENT SHOWN TO BE THE SINS OF JERUSALDL remarkable. After Hezekiah, only one was ali much as twenty-five years old when he I. The sin8 of the men. (VeIT!. 8-15). came to tlie th:roue. Jehoabaz was twenty- These are declared to be partly sins or three (2 Kings xxiii. 81); Amon, twenty-two speech, but mainly sins of act (ver. 8). Of (2 Kings xxi. 19); Zedekiah twenty-one sins of speech the only one specified fa the (2 Kings xxiv. 18); Jehoiacbin, eighteen open and shameless declaration of their (2 Kings xxiv. 8); Manasseh, twelve (2 Kings xxi. 1); and Josiah eight (2 Kings xxii. 1). wickedness (ver. 9). 'L'nder the bead of Thus this prophecy was fultilled·to the letter. sins of net o.re enumerated (lJ chiklisbness And babes shall rule over them; litero.lly, and effeminacy; (2) irreligion and leading puerilities shall rule ov~r them ; i.e. the people awo.y from God (ver. 12); (3) op- youths shall behave in a childish way. pression of the poor o.nd afllicted (vers. H, Ver. 5.-And the11eople shall be oppressed, 15). The enumeration of the sins is mixed etc.; rather, shall oppress each man his fellow, a11d each man his coml"!-nion. This would be with exhortation and comment in such a nonewthing(see ch.1.17,21,28),but perhaps way o.s to give rise to the conjcctme that might be more widely spread, having passed we have here, not the original prophecy as from the upper classes to the lower ones, as the author penned it, but a later "suwmary" is usuo.l with vices. The child; ro.ther, the of several prophetical discourses, which youth. Shall behave himself proudly ; or, imolently. The respect for age inculcated summary itself is "o. little fragmentary" by the Law (Lev. xix. 82) shall disappear. (Cheyne). Youths shall set at nought the counsel of Ver. 8.-J'erusalem is ruined; or, has the aged. The spirit of Rehoboom shall come to ruin-the " perf~ct of prophetic prevail over tho.t of Solc,mon, with the usual certainty" (Cheyne)-(comp. Amos v. 2, result-rashness, recklessness, o.nd fo.ilure, " The virgin of Israel is fa.lle11 "). Their And the bue, etc. Respect for station tongue and their doings. Sins of the tongue shall likewise disappear. The drege of the are denounced in the Old Testament o.s people sho.ll grow insolent towards those well as in the New, though uot, perhaps, so a.hove them in the social scale; and thus the frequently (see Exod. xx. 7; xxi. 17: xxii. old social order slmll be invel'ted. 28; xxiii. 1, 2 ; Ps. xxxi. 18 ; xciv. i, etc.). Ver. 6.-When e. me.n ehe.11 te.ke hold of To provoke the eyes of his glory. This is hia brother. A new depnrture. In the 1m unusual metaphor. God's glory seelllB general o.ne.rohy deeoribed (vers. 4, 5) it will here to bo identified with himself, as being 52 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [oH, Ill, 1-.,36,