The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 355

(1 Kings vii. 2-6). This was, it would thereof; i.e. you have not looked to God, seem, usod e.s e.n armoury (1 Kings x. 17; who in his eterne.l conn~els foreknew and xiv. 27; eh. uxix. 2). decreed all the steps that you are ta.king Ver. 9.-Ye have aeenalso ... are many; for your defence (see below, eh. uxvii. 26). mther, ye saw also ... were many. The Ver. 12.-In the.t de.y. The day e.llnded breaohe1 of the oity of David. "The city of to in ver. 7, when the choice ve.lleys in the David" may be hore e. no.me for Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jerusalem were first seen generally, e.s "the city where De.vid dwelt" to be fol I of a hostile soldiery, and the As- ( eh. xxix. I), or it me.y designate the ee.stem syrian horsemen were ohserved drawing them- hill, where David fixed his residence (2 Se.m. selves up opposite the gates. Such a sight v. 7; Neh. iii. 15, 16, 25; xii. 37). In constituted an earnest call upon the people 2 Chron. xuii. 5 wo read that Hezekiah o.t for irumediate repentance. Baldnese (comp. this time "built up e.ll the we.11 that was eh. xv. 2; Micah i. 16; Amos viii. 10). It broken, and raised it up to the towers, e.nd has been said that" baldness" was forbidden another we.11 without, and rape.ired Millo in by the Law (Cheyne); but this is not so, the city of David," where a particular part e.bsolntely. Baldness was wholly forbidden of Jerusalem seems certainly to be mee.nt. to the priests (Lev. xxi. 5; comp. Ezek. xliv. Ye gathered together the waters of the lower 20); and certain pecnliar modes of shaving pool. The auangements me.de by Hezekiah the hair, the beard, and the eyebrows, prac- with respect to the water-supply at the time tised by idolatrous nations, were prohibited of Senne.cherib's invasion, seem to have been to Bll the people (Lev. xix. 27; Deut. xiv. 2). the following : He found on the north of But such shaving of the head as was practised the city, where the Assyrian attack was by Job (Job i. 20) and other pions men, was certain to be delivered, in the vicinity of the not forbidden to laymen, any more the.n the De.me.sous gate, a pool or reservoir ( eh. vii. wearing of se.ckclotb. It was regarded as a. 3), fed by a conduit from some natural natural mode of exhibiting grief. source, which lay open and patent to view. Ver. 13.-And behold joy and gladneu The superfluous water ran off from it by a (comp. ver. 2). "Let us eat and drink, for "brook" (2 Chron. xxxii. 4), which passed to-morrow we die," is e. common sentiment, down the Tyropceon valley, and joined the if not a common expression. It he.a been Kedron to the south-east of Ophel. His supposed to have given rise to the Flgyptian first step was to cover over and conceal the practice of carrying round the model of e. open reservoir, aud also the "brook" which mummy to the gnests e.t feasts. According ran from it, e.t least as far as the northern to the Greeks, Sardanapalus had a phrase city we.11, to prevent their use by the very like it engraved upon his tomb (' An- Assyrians. He then further made a conduit cient Monarchies,' vol. ii. p. 500). Sailors underground (2 Chron. xxxii. 30) within he.ve often e.cted upon it, when they fonnd the city, along the TyropCBOn depression, to it impossible to save their ship. On seeing e. second reservoir, or" pool," e.lso within the their city invested, a portion of the inhabit- city, which could be freely used by the ants of Jerusalem, despairing of safety, did inhabitnnts (see ver. 11; and comp. Ecclus. as sailors have done so frequently. xlviii. I 7). Further, it is probo.ble the.t he Ver. 14.-It we.a revee.led in mine ee.rs by oorried a conduit from this second pool, under the Lord of hosts; rother, the Lord of hosts the temple e.ren, to the" fount of the Virgin" revealed himself in mine ears, ,aying. This on the eastern side of Ophel, e.nd thence iniquity shall not be pnrged from you till ye further conveyed the water by e. tuunel die. The sin of tnming a call to repentance through Ophel to the "pool of Siloe.m." into an excuse for rioting aml drunkenness (This le.et me.y be the work here alluded to.) is one which God will not po.rdon. It im- The inscription recently discovered e.t this plies a hardness of heart which cannot fail pool is probably of Hezekie.h's time (see to issue in final impenitence. • Quarterly Statement' of Palest. Expl. Fund Vers. 15-24.-PROPHECY ON THE DEPOSI- for April, J 881, p. 70). TION OF SHEBNA AND THE ELEVATION OF Ver. 10.-Ye have numbered . . . have ELIAKIIII. In its first e.nd simplest applica- broken down; rather, ye numbered . . . ye tion, this section predicts th~ fall of one broke down. The "numbering" was pro- bo.bly in order to see how me.ny could be state official e.nd the advancement of an- dpnred for pulling down. 'fhe repair of the other-matters, no doubt. of some impor- we.Us with materials thus flll'nished wns " tacce in the court history of the time, but sign or extreme hBste e.nd urgency. It would scarcely (with reverence be it said) of such seem from vers. 7, 8 that the repairs were moment us to be worthy either of prophetio not begun until the town was invested. Ver. 11.-Ye me.de also a ditoh; rather, a announcement or of divinely inspired re- lake, or reserooir (see the comment on ver. 9). cord. It IHts, therefore, been generally felt fut ye have not looked unto the maker that there must be a s~conde.ry application lSAIAH, 2 A  THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [cH. xxn. 1-25.