The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 384

Ver. 7,-The new wine mourneth. Even like the few grapes and olives that were the when the joyous time of the vintnge oomes portion of the gleaners ( cf. eh. xTii. 6). round, the earth is still sad, cannot shake There shall be. TheAe wor,fa are not needed, oft' its depression or wake up to merriment. and should be erased. The nezua is, "so it Jllven those most disposed to be " merry- shall be as 1the shaking [rather, 'beating'] hoarted," under the dismal circumstances of of an olive tree." the time can do nothing but "sigh." Ver. 14.-They llha.ll lift up their voice. Ver. 8.-The mirth of tabrete . ; , of the Even in this time of depreAsion and ruin harp oeaeeth (comp. eh. v. 12). The feasting, there shall be a "remrnrnt," whkh will be and the drinking-songs, and the musical faithful to God, and which, from the midst accompaniment, common at the vintage of the suff'eringe and calamities of the periorl, season, are discontinued. A.11 is dismay and will "lift op its voice," in songs of adoration wretchedness-desolation in the present, and praise, to Jehovah, and sing, or "send worse desolation expected in the future. forth 8 cry." This chor11B of praise will go Ver. 9.-They shall not drink wine with a forth-to a large extent-from the sea.; i.e. song. Men will still drink; they will seek from the Mediterranean. to drown their care in wine; but they will Ver. 15.-Wherefore glorify ye the Lord not have the heart to attempt a song as they in the fires. The reading ba'urim, "in the 'drink. Even in their c,upe they will be fires,'' is dou btfnl H it be regarded as silent. Strong drink shall be bitter. By sound, we must understand the "fiery trials" "strong drink" lshekar) seems to be meant which were coming on the faithful remnant. any intoxicating liquor whatever, including But the LXX. seems to have had the read- wine. Many such liquors were drunk in ing ba'iyyim, "in the islands" or "in the Palestine (see 'Diet. of the Bible,' vol. i. coasts;" and so Lowth, Hitzig, and Mr. pp. 458, 459). A.ll were more or less plea- Oheyne. sant to the taste; but they would to.ate Ver. 16.-GlorJ to the righteous. The bitter to those who were warped and soured righteons remnant perceive that the calami- by the ca.Iamities of the time, which would ties which have come upon the earth are prevent all enjoyment. nshering in a time of honour and glory for Ver. 10.-The oity of oonfu.eion is broken themsel vee ; and they console themselves by dowu. No special city seems to be intended. making this ract the burden of some of their "Est urbis nomen collective capiendum" songs. Their honour, it must be remembered, (Rosenmilller). Chaos (tohu) reigns in the is bound up with God's glory; which will cities, where there is no civic life, no govern- not shine forth fully till their salvation is ment, no order, nothing but confusion. complete, and they "reign with him" in Every house is abut up; bolted and barred glory (2 Tim. ii 12). But I said, My lean- against intrnders. There is no confidenoe, ness. The thonght of this joyful time, when no friendly interoourse, no visiting. the saints shall reign with their Lord in a Ver. 11.-There is a orying for wine in new heaven and a new earth, reccills the the streets. Wine, though still manufnotured prophet (contrast being one of the law, of (see vers. 7, 9), is scarce, but is much sought the association of ideas) to the misery of the after. Men clamour for it at the doors of present, and hie own po.rticipa tion therein. the wine-shops, but are unable to obtain it. A time of suffering, of wasting, and pining They crave for its exhilarating effects, or away must be endured-for how long he perhaps for the oblivion whioh it brings knows not-before the joyous consmnm.,,tioo, when drunk to excess. If they could obtain towards which he stretches in hope and it, they would act as the Jews in the siege confident expectancy, can be reaohed. This of Jerusalem (oh. :xxii. 13). But they can- is the period of hie " leanness." The not. Hence even the factitious merriment, treaoheroue dealers, or ungodly of the earth, whioh wine is capable of producing, is denied will bear sway during this period, and will now to the inhabitants of the earth, with deal treaoheronsly and cruelly with God's whom all joy is darkened, from whom all saints, pereeouting them incessantly in a mirth is gone. thousand ways. Have dealt. The perfect Ver. 12.-The gate is llmitten with de- of prophetio certainty. atruotion. The very gates of the towns, Ver. 17.-"J'ear, and the pit, and the snare, generally gnarded with suoh oare, are broken are upon thee, Man will be like a hunted down and lie in ruins. animal, flying from pursuit, and in danger Ver. 13.-When thus it shall be; mther, at each step of foiling into a pii or being for eo shall it be. In the time desoribed the caught in a snare (comp. Jer. xlviil. 43, H, oondition of the earth sball be like to that where the ides is borrowed from this pbce, ofan olive-ground when the beating is done, and 11pplied to a partioular nation). or of a vineyard when the grapes are Ver. 18.-The noise of the fear; i.8. the gathered. That is, [\ small and scattered sound of the pursuers. Hunters pursued remnant of inhabitants shall alone be left, their game with shouts and mes. The IBA IAH. 2 C <'86 THE BOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHET ISAIAH, [en. XXIv. l-2a