The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 178

only In I's. xl v. 6. It denotes in leaiah hand it stretched out etill." A somewhat l\lwnys (o.s Mr. Choyne observes) "divinity early date has been assigned to the pro- in an l\bsolute sense; it is never need hyperbolically or meto.phorico.lly." The phecy, a.a, foT instance, "some period in the Everlasting Father; rather, EverlaBting or reign of Jotham" (Cheyue); but the in- El,ernal Father. Dut here, again, there is a. ternal evidence only proves that it WM singulnrity in the ideo., which makes the written before the destruction of Samaria. by omission of the nrticli, unimporto.nt; for how the Assyrians. could there be more than one Everlasting Ver. 8.-laoob ... Israel. These words F,ithe·r, one Creator, Preserver, Protector of do not show that the prophecy is directed mankind who was absolutely eternal? If against the kingdom of Israel only. the term "}father," applied to our Lord, "Jacob" designates Judah rather than grn~es on our ears, we must. remember that lsTael in eh. ii. 3, 5, 6; and the expression, the .distinction of Persons m the Godhead " both the houseM of Israel," in eh. viii. 14, had uot yet been revealed. The Prince of shows that the term "Israel" embraces both Peaoe; literally, Prince of Peaoo. A" Prince kingdoms. The distinctive names by which of Peace •• had been long shadowed forth, as Isaiah ordinarily designat-es the northern in Melohizedek, "King of Salem," i.e. •· of k:iagdom are " Ephraim " and w Sama.ria." Peace; " aud a.go.in in S~lomon, "the peace- Ver. 9.-Even Ephraim; rather, etipecially ful oue • " and Isaiah himself had already Ephraim. The prophecy is no doubt_ mainly prnphesied the peacefulness of the Messiah's directed against the northern kmgdom. kingdom (eh. ii. 4). Compare the song of That say in the pride and stoutneaa of the o.agel!ut our Lord's birth (Luke ii. 14). heart; rather, in the pride and tdoutneu oj If the peacefulness has not yet very clearly heart,_wherein they w.y. shoW'Q. itself, Jbe reason would seem to. be that-our Lord's kingdo;m has yet to. come , Ver. 10.-The bricks are fallen down, .into the hearts of most men. etc. ; i.e. we have suffered a moderate damage, but we'will mote than make up for Ver. 7.-Of the increue of his government it; all our losses w'e will replace wi tb some- and peaoe there shall be n~ end. The thing better. Bricks were the ordinary Messio.h's kingdom shall ever 1~or~e m?re material for the poorer class of houses in and more; there shall be no limits to 1t; Palestine; stone was reserved for the dwell- ultimately it, shall fill the world (comp. ings or the rich and great (Amos v. 11). Matt. xxviii. 18, 19). '.fhe continual spread Sycomore wood was the commonest sort of of Christianity tends to the accomplishme_nt timber, cedar the scarcest and most pre- of this prophecy. Upon the throne of Da~d, cious, havina0 to be imported from Phamicitl and npon his kingdom. That the MesS1ah (1 Kings v. 6; 2 Chron. ii 3; Ezra iii. 7). is to sit on the throne of David, suggests, (On the c1ntrast between cedar and sycornore but does not absolutely imply, his Davidic wood, comp. 2 Cbron. i. 15.) Cut down. descent. That descent is, however, au- The Israelites probably alluded to damage nouuced with sufficient clearuess in eh. xi. done by Tiglath-Pile~er iu his ~rat invasion. I, JO. To order it, and to establiah it. A The Assyrians were 10 the habit of actually aradual establishment of the kingdom would cutting down trees in foreign countries, in seem to be implied, such a.a is taught also order to injure and weaken them ; but the in the parables of the mustard seed and the present passage is, perhaps, rather intended leaven. From henceforth even for ever. to be figurative. '.fhe kingdom is to be both universal in respect of exteut (see the fir:st uote on the Ver. 11.-Therefore the Lord shall set verse), and in respect of du~at1?n eternal. up the e.dvenaries of Bazin against him. The zeal; or, jealousy. Gods Jealousy of "Age.inst him" means'· against Ephrai~," his own honour, which is Lound up with the or the kin adorn of Israel. " The ad versanea prosperity and final triumph of his people of Rezin 'i\ could only be the Assyrians ; over all their enemies, will assure the per- but these seem precluded by the ue:xt formance of all that is here prophesied. vel'se which mentious onlv "Syrians" a.ml Pbili~tinee." Hence many critics accept Vere. 8-21.-THE PROPlmT RETURNS TO the variant reading of several mannscripts THREATS AND WAR!iINGS, ADDRESSED OHIEPLY - ~arey for tsarey-whicb gives the sense of TO THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL. The remainder " the princes of Rt>zin" (so Lowth, Ewa.Id, of this chapter, together with the lhst four Houbige.nt, Weir, Cheyne). verses of the next, seems to have formed Ver. 12.-The Syrians before, and the originally 11, distinct and sepnrate prophecy. Philistines behind ; or, the Sy·riam Jrorrt th,, east, and the Philistines from the weet. The passago is a poem in four stanzns, with The Semitic races reg,mled the world as the so.me refrain nt the eud of each : " For looking to the rising sun, and used for the all Uiis his unger is not turnoo away, but hie e811t the preposition ~ignifyiug •· in front," HIS THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAll. [en. Ill:, 1-21.