The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 176

EXPOSITION. t1ia latter Um6 he Wh 1Yrought MM1lf' on tM CHAPTER IX. !Day of the sea. The perfect is a '' prophetic Vere. 1-7.-TRE TBOUJILEB 0ll' lsBAEL perfect," and the reference ia to the hononr SHALL END TRBOUGH TW!l BmTH 011' A MAR• that would be done to the northern districts, "the la.nd 'lf Zebulon and the land of N aph- VELL0UB OHILD. The section of the pro- tali," by the Messiah dwelling there (comp. phecy commencing with eh. vii. 1 terminates Matt. iv. 14-16). The way of the sea; in this glorious burst of glad and gracious i.e. the district about the sea of Tiberias, promise, The gist of the whole section is : called "the ,iea of Kinnereth" (equivalent " Israel shall not suffer from Pelmh and to "Gennesareth ") in Numb. JUXiv. 11, and "the sea of Galilee" in John. vi. I. Rezin ; her oppressors shall be Assyria and Beyond lorde.n; i.e. the tract east of the Egypt, more especially the former ; Assyria see. and of the upper Jordan, where the shall overwhelm her, crush her, lay her low; five thousand were fed, and where our Lord she shall remain a.while in gloom .e.nd dark- was transfigured. Galilee of the natiou, ness; but e.t length the darkness shall be The name " Galilee " seems to have been dispelled; e. 'great light' shall shine forth, given to the outlying circuit, or zone, on the north, which was debatable ground first in the north, then over all the land : between the Israelites and their neighbours 'the rod of the oppressor' shall be broken ; (see I Kings ix.. 10; Josh. xx. 7: x:xi 32). . e. Child1 she.11 be born, who shall bear me.r- The word means "circuit," or "ring." , vellous names, and shall rule over the full Though claimed as theirs by the Israelites, kingdom of David in justice and righteous- it was largely peopled by "Gentiles." Ver. 2.-The people that walked in dark- • ness for ever.'' God has spoken, e.nd God ness ( comp. eh. viii. 22). .All the world will perform this. was "in darkness" when Christ came; but Ver. !.-Nevertheless the dimnees shall here the J ewe especially seem to be intended. not be such e.s was in her vexation., when, It was truly e. dark time with them when etc. Our translators have misconceived the Christ came (see Dollinger's • Judenthum construction, and consequently missed the and Heidenthum,' vol. ii. pp. 301-335). Have sense. The first two clauses, which they run seen; rather, saw. The •• prophetio" pre- together, o.re entirely separate e.nd distinct. terite is used throughout the whole passage. Translate, Ne1Jertheless there shall beno (more) A great light. "The Light of the world," da.rlmess to her who was in affliction. As at "the Sun of righteousness," "the true Light, the former time he brought contempt upon the which lighteth every man that cometh into land of Zebulon, etc. Contempt was brought the world," first broke on man in that on the more northe1-n pa.rt of the Holy northern tract "by the way of the sea.," Le.nd, first when it we.a overrun and ravaged when Jesus came forward to teach and to by the Syrians (1 Kings xv. 20) under Ben- preach in "Galilee of the Gentiles." For ho.de.d, 11,nd more recently when it bore the thirty years he he.d dwelt at Nazareth, in brunt of the Assyrian e.tte.ok (2 Kings xv, Zebulon. There he had first come forward 29) under Tiglath-Pileser. At the 1lrBt to teach in e. synagogue (Luke iv. 16-21); , , , and e.fterwe.rd; rather, at the former in Galilee he had done his first miracles t1"m8 . , . in the latter time. The contrast (John ii. 11; iv. 54); at Ca.pernaum, "upon ia between two periods of Ismel's history, the sea coo.at, in the borders of Zabulon and the ex~qting period (\Ild the Messianic. And Nephthe.lim," he commenced his preaching afterward did more grievously aflli.ot her. of repentance (Matt. iv. 13-17). Th" Thi• is altogether wrong. Translate, So i11 " light" firs, streamed forth in this quarter,  Hl6 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET •ISAIAH. [OIi. tt. 1-21.