The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 159

course the Euphr&tee ofteu overflows its deTJiwe a derrice; i.e. form l!l'Jme plan, even b&nks, and lnunclates the adjacent districts, the cloverest possible, against G0d's people, oausi,ng vast damage to crops, and some- and the result will be utter failure. It sba.11 times threatening to break down the walls not Bta.nd (comp.oh. vii. 7). J'or God is with of cities (Loftus, 'Chaldea and Susiona,' na. In the Hebrew, ki 'irrvrrvin,1.-El, "for p. 7). It is scarcely likely, however, that with us (is) God,'' words declarative of the Isaiah had any acquaintance with this fact. true meaning of the name which Go<l had Ilis experience would probably have been made a sign io his people (eh. vii. 14). It limited to the "swellings of Jordan" (Jer. wo.s his being "with them" that could xii. 5; comp. Josh. iii. 15). All his glory alone save them from their enemies. (comp. eh. x. 12, 16, 18, etc.). Re shall Vera. ll-16.-THE GROUNDS OJ' ISAIAH'S oome up over all his channels. A graphic desc1iption of the swelling of rivers i1l the CoNFTDEli'CE, Having declared his absolute East. '.rhcse, when they are low, contract confidence, not only that the attack of Pekah their waters from the many channels, in and Ilezin will fa.ii (vers. 1--4), but that which they ordinarily flow, into some one Assyria. also (ver. 8), nay, that all the or two, leaving the others dry. 'fhe first nations of the earth (ver. 9) will fa.ii, and effect of a :flood is to fill all the channels, bring destruction upon themselves, if they after which it may proceed further and overflow the banks. "devise devices" against God's true people, Ver. 8.-And he shall.pass through Judah; the prophet explains the ground of his con- rather, lie shall pass on foto Judah(" He shall fidence by .relating a special " instruction" sweep onward into Judah,''Revieed Version). which he had received from God some time The Assyrians will not be content with in- previously. He had been bidden to sepRrate vading Syria and Samaria; they will "pass on into J udrea." It is not clear whether this is himself from the mass of his countrymen in to be done immediately by Tiglath-Pileser, thought and feeling, and to cling only to or by one of hie successors at a later date. J ehova.h, who would " be for a Sanctu.iry" There is reason to believe from Tiglath- (ver. H) to his own, but " for a Stone of Pileser's inscriptions that he used the terri- stumbling and a Rock of offence" to all tory of Ahaz for the, passage of his armies ae those of a vassal king, but did not ravage others. them. Ke shall reaoh even to the neok. The Ver. 11.-For the Lord. Mr. Cheyne re- Assyrian attacks on J udma shall stop short gards this passage as '' a short oracle, com- of destroying it. The flood shall not sub- plete in itself,'' and entirely unconnected merge the head, but only rise as high as the with what has preceded. But the initial ki, neck. Thie propheoy was fulfilled, since it "for," is in that case inexplicable. Spake was not Assyria, but Babylon, which de- thna to me with a strong hand; litera.lly, with stroyed the Jewish kingdow. The stretohing strength of hand-Le. laying a strong grasp out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy upon him; l\nd, as it were, con.straining land. The Assyrian armies shall visit every him to attend (comp. Ezek. i 3; iii. H, 22, part of the land. The sudden ohange of etc.). That I ahonld not walk in tha way metaphor is in the manner of Isaiah (see of this people. Isaiah was bidden not to oh. i. 30, 31; v. 24, 30, etc.). 0 Immanuel. " follow a multitude to evil" ( Exod. =iii. On the importance of this address, as indi- 2). It wea not merely idolatry against cating tho kingly, and so (probably) the which he was warned, but the whole spirit Divine ohnro.cter of Immanuel, see the notes and tone of the society of his day. He was on eh. vii. H. Isaiah could not speak of not to entertain their suspicions, or to hopo the land as belonging to his own infant son. their hopes, or to fenr their fears. He wwi Ver. 9.-Assooiate yourselves. It is im- to to.ke a line of his own, to fear God and possible to obtain this meaning from the him only ; then God would be "for a Sunc- existing Hebrew text, which must be trans- tunry " to him. lated, "Be angry,'' or "Rage" (" Make an Ver. 12.-Say ye not. The transition from uproar,'' Revised Version). The prophet the singular to the plural is noticeable. It passes from the consideration of the opposi- implies that Isaiah did not stand alont>, but tion offered to Jehovah by Israel, Syria, aud had followers-a "little flock," it may be- Assyria, to a general consideration of all the but still enough to give him the support of nations of the earth. He challenges them sympathy (comp. ver. 16). A oonfederaoy; to the combat against Jehovah, o.nd con- rather, treason, or conspiracy (see 2 Sam. xv. fidently predicts their defel\t. 0 ye people; 12 ; l Kings xvi. 20; 2 Kings xi. 12; xii. rather, 0 11e peoples (compore the corre- 20; Jer. xi. 9; Ezek. xxii. 25, eto.). The sponding expression in the next olause," All command is, not to call a course of conJ net ye of far countries"). treasonable simply because the people gene- Ver. 10,-Ta.ke oounael together; literally, rally 10 oall it. Jeremiah was charglid 148 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [on. vm. 1-22.