The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 70

Ver. 23.-The gl&SSea; rather, the mif'f'or&, with such euctness 1md order as to look In ancient times these were not m&de of like a work of o.rt." The exnot arronge- glRss, but of some metal which took I\ high ment of tl,e hair is very rernarkoble, both in polish. Most commonly, the material seems the Egyptian and the Assyrinn sculptures. to hRve boon bronze. Many suoh mirrors Instead of such elaborat,e nttompts to im· hRve been found in Egypt, I\ few in Assyria., prove their looks, the du.ughters of Jeru- in Etruria a oonsiderable number. They salem would soon pluck their ho.ir out by "re of small size, intended to be carried in the roots, or shave it off, in mourning. A the hand, Bnd have for that purpose a metal girding of aaokoloth (comp. G_en. xxxvii. or a wooden handle, which is sometimes 34; 2 Sam. iii. 31, etc.; and for the adop- highly artietio. The :fine linen; rather, the tion of the custom by women, see 2 Sam. t1wllli11 robes. Sedin, the Hebrew word used, xxi. 10; Joel i. 8), B1ll'lling instead of is probably a corruption or analognc of Bin- beauty. This meaning is now generally d.on, the Greek name for IndiRn fabrics. It acknowledg,·d, the sense of "burning'.' is only use.d here and in J udg. xiv. 12, l 3; being borne out by the coguu.te verb used Prov. mi. 24. The hoods, and the vails; in Prov. vi. 28; eh. xliii. 2, and the cog• or, the turbans a,,.d the scarfs. The word nate noun used in Exod. xxi. 25. The" burns translated" hood" is nearly the same as ing" intended is probably branding by e. that which designates the head-dress of b&rbarous enemy (see Herod., vii. 233; the high priest in Exodus (xx:viii. 4, 37, 3!l; • Hist. Tamerlan.,' p. 320). xxix. 6, etc.) and Leviticus (viii. 9; xvi. 4), Ver. 25.-Thy men; rather, thy people, which seems to have been a" turban" (see i.e. the inhabitants of Jerusalem generelly. note on Exod. xxviii. 4). The other word, Note here the first distinct statement that here translated "vail," occurs only in this the coming visitation will be one of war. place and Cant. v. 7. Its exact meaning is Ver. 26.-Rer gates, The sudden change uncertain; but it can scarcely be a veil; of person is common in Oriental poetry. since "veils" have b~en e.lree.dy mentioned Shall lament and mourn. On account of (ver. 19). their destruction, which would be very com- Ver. 2-1.-Instaad of 11Weet mnell; lit.e- plete (see Lam. i. 4; ii. 9; N eh: i. 3; ii. 13). rally, qnce (comp. Exod. XXXV. 28; 1 Kings Conquerors could not do more than break x. 10, etc.). Stink; rather, rottenness, II.II breaches in ·the walls of a fown;-bnt they translated in eh. v. 24 (compare the cog- carefully destroyed the g11tes, -Being deso- ne.te verb in Lev. :n:vi.. 39). Instead of a late ; or, emptied-plundered of everything, girdle a l'ent. So Lowth aud Kay; but and so far ••cleansed" from. her abomina- most moderDB prefer the meaning given by tions. Shall Bit upon the ground. In deep the Septuagint and Vulgate, "instead of a grief (see Job ii. 13; and comp. en. 'x.lvii: 1 ; girdle, a rope." The word used occurs only Lam. ii-.10). So in the coin of Vespasie.n, in this place. Instead of well-set hair bal.d- the captive Judah (Juda1a capta) sits upon JllllB ( compare above, ver. 17). By "well- the ground. • set hair " seems to be meant " hair arranged ., HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-7.-Many steps in the decay of states.•. Ruin does not often come Qn states e.t once, even when God has determined on it. There are many steps in the fall of ,a great nation. I. CESSATION OF A SUCCESSION OF GREAT AND WISE MEN, (Vers. 2, 3.) One:-of tbe first marks of decay is a falling off in this succession. When the intervals between one great man and another lengthen; when wise men, capable of giving the state good counsel, grow rare; when mediocrity everywhere prevails, and no· on_e steps forth con- spicuous by marked superiority to his follows ;_:then it may at once be procla.i,med that :iecline bas set in, and that the nation is verging towards its fall. •The great a.rid .the we are the salt which preserve society from corruption. Witboµ_t Jhei:u. ~l,l go~s wrong; the pulse of the national life slackens, energy disappears, foreign a.ggressioq. 1s weakly resisted, a. genera.I debilitation becomes apparent in every pa.rt and function 8f the body politic. No state can long resist the insidious malady, which,-like atrophy or U/TUEmui, steals gradually over the entire frame, exhausting. itJ and bringing about it& dissolution. • • • 11. ACTIVE FOLLY IN THE RULERS. (Ver. 4.) When the great' and the wise fail, government necessarily falls into the hands of the incompetent. If not" children" in age, they will be " babes" in respect of policy and statecraft. So· long, however, u cR. m. l-26.J 'l'llE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAil. 65