The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 444

The "drnnkards of Ephraim," or of the \be wholeBBle burning of cities and villages, .~n tribes, were at once intoxicated with the wanton destruction of trees end crops, the wine (Amos iv, 1 ; vi. 6) and with pride alnnghter of Lhousands in ba.ttles and sieges, (Amos vi. .13). As the external nepect of the subsequent messo.cre or hundreds in cold nlfairs grew more o.ml more threatening blood, the plnt1der of o.11 claeees, and the through the advance~ of 'riglo.th-Pileser and deport11Hon of tens of thousands of captives, Sbalmaneser, they gnve.themselvee up more who wete carried into l.10pelees servitude in and more to self-indulgence and luxury, lay a. strange Jo.nd. With the hand; i.e. "with upon beds of ivory, dre.nk wino from bowls, force,'' " violently." So in Assyrian con- feasted to the sound of the viol, and even stantly (eompare the use of the Greek x•p[). inTented fresh inetrumonts of music (Amos Ver. 3.-The crown of pride, the drunk- vi. · 4, 5). At the so.me time, they said in ards; rather, of the drunkard. (comp. ver. l). thoir hearts, '' Have we not taken to ue horns The "crown of pride " is scarcely " i:"a- }>y our own strength ? " ( Amoe vi. 13). They rnaria," as Delitzech supposes. It is rather per•ieted in regarding themeel vee ne secure, the eelf-eomp!acent an<I 1:,oaetful spirit of when even.ordinary political foresight might the Israelite people, which will be" trodden have seen -that their end was approaching. under foot" by the Aesyrians. Whose glorlous beo.uty is a fading :flower; Ver. 4.-And the glorioUB beauty, etc. fo.ther, and to the fading.flower of' his gloriom Translate, And the fadi'TI'] jl-01.Der of his beauty._ The" glorious beauty_" of Samaria gloriom beauty, which is on the head of the was a_ bee.uty of magnificent luxury. "Sum- fat 'IJall.ey, shall be like an early fi'J (that mer" and " winter houses," distinct each cmnes) bejore the harv~t. Such an "early from the -other (Amoe iii. 15); "ivory po.- fig" is a. tempting delicacy, devonre,l as le.cee " (1 Kings xxii. 39; Amos iii. 15); a soon as seen (comp. Hoe. ix. 10; Na.h. iii.12; ~ealth of "gardens, vineyarcls,_fig-oroho.rds, Jcr. xxiv. 2. etc.). The "bea.uty" of Sa- Jnd oliveyards" (Amoe iv; 9); . residences maria would tempt the Assyriane to desire of" hewn stone". (Amos v. :II); feasts en- it eo soon 11B they saw it, o.nd would rouse livened with "the melody of viols" (Amoe an appetite which would be content with v. 23); "beds of ivory'' (Amos vi. 4); "wine nothing less than the speedy absorption of in bowls" (Amos. vi. 6); "chief.ointments" the coveted morsel. Samaria's siege, once (Amos vi. 6); constituted a total of luxu- begun, was preesed without intermission, rious refinement beyond. which few nations and lasted less thun three years (2 Kings had pr_oceeded at t~e t~me, and. which ~saiah xviii. 9, 10)-o. short space compared to that was fa.mi _to_ recognize, m,a ,w.orldly pomt; of of olher sieges belonging to about tlie same vjew, e.s ,"glorious" and -"beautiful.'' But period; e.g. that of Ashdod, besieged twenty- the beauty wo.s of a kind liable to fade, and nine y:ears (Herod., ii. 157); that of Tyre, it was already fading under the •sirocco of besieged thirteen years (' Ancient Mo- Assyrian invasion. Wb.iah are on ,the .head no.rchies,' vol. iii. 4!:>2). of :the fat valleys; rather, whi_oh,_ is ..on the Vers. 5, 6.-TnE FALL OF SAMA.Ru COINCI- 'liead (or, which, deckii .the .head) of the rich. DENT WITH AN OFFER 01!' FA VOU11 TO J CD.AH. flall.ey, Sama.ria -WUJI built on a hill, of an· oval fonn. which rose up in the mit.l,t of a Her -sister's fate was the most powerful. of f11rtile valley shut_' in by_ mountains. The e.11 possible warnings to Judah o.ga.inst treacl- prophet identifies the valley with the. •king, ing in her steps. Samaria hlld perishe,l dom itself, and then personifies it, and rego.rda through want of fe.ith in Jehovah. She had ib! hf'.nd .as. orowned by the fa.ding flower of turned to other gods; she had trusted in her Samaria's beauty;. , ,Ver. 2.-The Lord hath a mighty and own "glory '' and "beauty ; " o.nd she ha<l mong on11, God has in reserve n mighty trusted in Egypt, I£ Judah would do the power, which he will let loose upon Same.rill. exoct opposite, she might be saved. If she 'l'he wicked ere" his ewordn (Ps. xvii. 13), would take Jehovah for her "Crown of and a.re 8I\lployed to carry out .his sentences. glory" and "Diadem of beauty," he was In the present case the " mighty e.nd strong willing to be so taken. He wns w illi11g to one" is the Assyrio.n power. .A,e a tempest of hail, etc. The fearfully devastating force impart a "spirit of judgment" to her rulers, of an Assyrian invasion ie set forth under and " strength ·• to her 'armed force. three distinct images-a hailstorm, e. furious Ver. 5.-In that day shall the Lord of tempest .of wiud, and a violent inundation- hosts bs, etc. This is an offer, and some- ns though so only could its full horror be thing more than an offer. It is implied depicted. War is always a horrible scourge; that, to some extent, the offer would be but in ancient times, and with a., people so e.ocepted. And clearly the closing of the cruel e.s the Aseyrians, it WllS ll calamity clouds around Samaria. was coincideut with c~ceeding in terribleness the utmost that the the down of a brighter da.y in Judah. Heze- modern reCMler can conceive.. It involved kie.h came to the throne only three yean 448 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [ou. x.xvm. 1-29,