EXPOSITION. e.nd then let the enemy march in and com• CHAPTER XXIX. mence the siege. Ver. 2.-Yet will I distress Ariel; rather, Vere. 1--4.-A WARNING TO JERUSALEM. and then will I distresg Ariel. The sense Expostulation is followed by threats. The runs on from the preceding verse. There prophet is aware that e.ll hie preaching to shall be heaviness and sorrow. Mr. Cheyne's the authorities in Jerusalem (eh. xxvili. 14 "moaning and bemoaning" represents the -22) will be of no avail, e.nd that their Hebrew play upon words better. The natural consequence of the siege would be adoption of measures directly antagonistic a constant cry of woe. And it ehall be to. the commands of God will bring on the unto me as Ariel. It woulu. be better to very evil which they a.re seeking to avert, translate, " Yet she shall be unto me ns nnd cause Jerusalem to be actually besieged Ariel." The meaning is that, though dis- by her enemies. In the present passage he tressed and straitened, Jerusalem shall still through e.11 be able by God's help to answer distinctly announces the siege, and declares to her name of "Ariel "-to behave as a the.t it will commence within a year. lion when o.ttacked by the hunters. Ver. 1.-Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city Ver. 3.-I will camp against thee round where David dwelt! "Ariel" is clearly e. about ; i.e. " I will bring armed men o.gainst mystic name for J eruse.lem, parallel to thee who shall encamp R:round the entire "Sheshe.ch" as e. no.me for Babylon (Jer. circuit of thy walls." There was small xxv. 26) e.nd "'lr-he.-heres" as a no.me for chance of forcing an entrance into J erusa- Heliopolis (eh. xi.x. 18). It is generally ex- lem on 11ny side 1:1xcept the north; bot, in plained as equivalent to Ari-El, '' lion of order to distress and harass her, an enemv God·; " but Delitzsch suggests the mean- with numerous forces would dispose them ail ing of" hearth of God,'' or "altar of God," round the walls, thus pre,enting all ingress a signification which " Ariel" seems to or egress (see Luke xix. 43). And ... lay have in Ezek. xliii. 15, 16. But there is no siege against thee with a mount ; or, with evidence that "Ariel" was ever employed a ,nound. Artificial mounds were raised in this sense before the time of Ezekiel. up against the walls of cities by the A.s- Etymologically, "Ariel" can only mean syrie.ns, as a foundation from which to work " lion of God,'' and the no.me would in this their battering-re.ms with greater o.dvantage sense be sufficiently descriptive of the against the upper and weaker portion of Jewish ce.pite.l, which he.d alwoys hitherto the defences (see 'Ancient MontLrchies,' been n sort of champion of Jehovah-a vol. ii p. 80). And ... raise forts against warrior fighting his battles with a lion's thee. " Forts" were usually movable. and courage and fierceness. Dwelt; literolly, accompanied the bo.ltering-ram for its better pitched his tent-an expression recalling the protection. Archers in the forts cleared old tent-life of the Hobrews (comp. l Kiugs the wo.Us of their defenders, while the rum xii. 16). Add ye yeu to year; rather, a was employed in making a breach (see year to a year; i.e. the coming year to the Le.yard, 'Monuments of Nineveh,' Second present one. 'fhe intention is to dote the Series, pl. 21). commencement of tho siege. It will foll Ver. 4.-Thy speech shall be low. The within the year next ensuing. Let them feeble cries of a people wasted and worn kill se.oriftoes. The best modern authorities out by a long siege a.re intended. Thes,, tra.nslclte, "Let the f eMUJ nm their Tou11d " cries would resemble those which seemed (Koy, Oheyne, Delitzsoh): i.e. lo~ the~e be to come out of the ground when a necro- one lll0re round of the annual festivl\l-hmos, mancer professed to raise a ghost. The 1i2 THE BOOK OF 'l'BE PROPHET ISAIAH. [ou, xtix.1-24,
Hebrew '0l11• is used both of the neoro- trust (oomp. ver, 8), A1 a dream of a night mnn<'<'rs (LeL xix. 31 ; xx. 6, et.o.) and of vision, " The baseless fe.brio of a vision," the ghosts which they professed to raiso when it has once passed by, "leaves not 11 (1 Sam. xxviii. 7, S; 2 Kings xx. 6, etc.). wrack behind." The entire host of the Hero the " ghost " is spoken of. Thy "terrible ones" would melt e.way and dis- ■peecJ:i__ehall whisper; litornlly, chirp (comp. appear, ns a night vision before the light oh. vm. 19). The word used occurs only of day-it would dissolve into nothing, in Ieaie.h. vcmish, leave no traoe. Vers. 5-8.-THE WARNING FOLLOWED Ver. 8,-It shall be even aa when an BJ A PROMISE. It is ever God's c.are to hungry man dreameth. The melting e.we.y prevent men from being "swallowed up of the vision would involve o. keen dis- with ornrmnch sorrow" (2 Cor. ii. 7). As appointment. The enemies of Israel had long AS he is not e.bout to "make a full expeoted to seoure a most valuable prey. They had dreamed of a rich booty when end" (Jer. fr. 27), ho mingles promises they should take the city-a booty which with his threats, words of cheer with words would reward them for all the hardships of of warning. So now the prophet is directed their marohes, their watches, their toils in to attach to his four verses of denunciation the siege, the dangers to whioh they ex- (vers. 1-4) four others of encouragement, posed themselves in the assaults. It was as if a hungry mCLn had dreamed that he and to declare the utter di..!comfiture of the was engaged in a feast, or a thirsty me.n vast host of enemies which for a time ha.a that he was drinking deep e.t a banquet, besieged and " distressed " .Ariel. when suddenly he wakes up, and :finds that Yer. 5.-Koreover; ratlier, but. The re- he has been merely dreaming, and that lation of vers. 5-8 to vers. 1-4 is that of there is no reality in his fancies. Dr. Kay contrast. The multitude of thy strangers; quotes a passage which is much to the -i.e. " of tliy enemies" (comp. eh. x:xv. 5). point from Mungo Park's journals: "No In primitive societies every stranger is an sooner had I shut my eyes than fanoy enemy; and hence language-the formation would convey me to the streams and rivers of primitive men-often ha.a one word for of my native land. There, as I wandered the two ideas. In Latin ho5tis is said to CLlong the verdant bank, I surveyed the have originally meant "foreigner" (Cic., clear streams with transport, and hastened • De Off.,' i. 12). Shall be like sms.I.l dust. to swallow the delightful draught; bnt, Gronnd down, i.e_ to an impalpable powder o.le.s I disappointment e.waked me, and I -rendered utterly weak and powerless. found myself a lonely captive, perishing of The meamng is determined by the clause thirst amid the wilds of Africa." Those which follows, with which it must neces- engaged in the siege, while themselves saril v be in close accordance. As eh.e.1f vanishing away, would likewise :find their 0