The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 470

knowledge, while at the same time striving glosses, whioh have crept from the margin if by ony tnellns he moy arouse some from into the text (Eichhorn, Koppe, Cheyne). If their condition of dull opothy. so, they a.re probably mistaken glosses, the , allusion being, not to particular classes, but· 1 Ver. 9.-Btay yourselves, and wonder: to the actual" heads" and " eyes" of ind i- ro.ther, stand stupefied and be 1UJloniBhed. vidual Hebrews, which were "closed" and • The prophet blus them I act o,s he knows "covered" by the judicial action of the that they will act. They will simply Almighty. In the East a covering is often "store with astonishment" at II prophecy drawn over the head during sleep. which will seem to them" out of 1111 rela- Ver. 11.-The vision of all; i.e." the en- tion to facts" (Cheyne). They will not tire vision "-all that Isaiah has put before yield it the slightest credence. They will them in vers. 1-8. All the words of a only mo.rvel how II sa.ne mnn could ha.ve book that is see.led ; rather, the 'UIMdB of a uttered such egregious folly. Cry ye out, letter (marginal rendering) or writing. and ory. Delitzsch a.nd Mr. Cheyne trans- Written documents were often sea.led up to late, "Blind yourselves, a.nd be blind," secure secrecy, the sea.ling being done in which certainly gives a much better sense, various ways. When the writing was on a and is justified by the use of the same verb cle.y tablet, it was often enclosed in a clay in eh. vi. 10. As Pharaoh began by harden- envelope, so that the document could not be ing his own heart, and then God hardened read till the outer clay covering we.a broken. it (' Pnlpit Commentary' on Exodus, pp. Rolls of papyrus or parchment were secured 103, 166, 203, etc.),. so those who blind differently. One that is learned; i.e. '' one their own eyes, and will not see when they the.t can read writing," which the ordinary have the power, are, in the end, if they Jew could not do, any more than the ordi- persist, judicially blinded by God. They nary European in the Middle Ages. Neither are drunken, but not with wine. The the learned nor the unlearned Jews would drunka.rds of Ephraim" (eh. xx:viii. 3) were be e.ble t.o understand Isaiah's prophecy, so such litemlly. They "erred through strong as to realize and accept its literal truth. drink" (eh. xxviii. 7); they "were swal- They were devoid of spiritual discernment. lowed up of wine;" but the case wo,s dif- Even the rulers were but "blind leaders of ferent with the infatuated ones of Juda.h. the blind.", They were morally, not physically, intoxi- Ver. 12.-Kim that is not learned; i.e. cated. Their pride and self-trust rendered "that cannot read writing." Even in our them as irrational and as unimpressionable Lord's day the ordino.ry Jew was not taught as ever drunkenness rendered any man ; to read and write. Hence the surprise of but they were not actual drunkards. the rnlers at his teaching the people out of Ver. 10.-The Lord bath poured out upon the Law (John vii. 15, "How knoweth ibis you the spirit of deep Bleep. " Sleep," in man letters, having never learned? "). Scripture, is sometimes" rest," "repose from trouble" (" So he giveth his beloved sleep," Vers. 13-16.-A RENEWAL OF WABllIYG. Ps. cxxviii. 2). But here H is "spiritual The inability of the Jews to comprehend deadness and impassiveness "-an ina.bility Isaiah's threatening prophecies probably to appreciate, or even to underst_and, arose in p11It from their accomplishment :J spiritual we.mings: Tb e ~we of Ise.1e.h's seeming to be inconceivable, since they mn time were sunk rn a epmtue.l lethargy, counter to the covemmt promises me.de by from which he vu.inly endeavoured to a.rouse them. This spiritual lethargy is here said God to Israel. Isaiah is therefore instructed to have been "poured out upon them by to inform them that it was a. most morvel- Jehov11h;" but we are not to suppose that loue and almost inconceive.ble thing th,1 t there we.a anything exceptional in their God wos now purposing to do, yet a thing treatment-" because they did not like to justified by their hypocrisy (ver. 13) e.ncl reta.in God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind" (Rom. i. their rebellion (vers. 15, 16). 28), as be does men generally. Rath oloaed Yer. 13.-Wherefore the Lord said; your eyes (comp. oh. vi. 10 ; ond see also rather, moreover the Lord said. This people Matt. xii. 13; Mork iv. 12; Luke viii. 10; draw near me with their mouth. S=aria John xii. 40; xi. 8, etc.). The prophets. hCld been punished for open idolatry aucl As the text stands, the proper translation flagrant neglect of Jehovah (2 Kings xvii. would be, " For the Lord bath poured out 7-17). Jerusalem had not gone these upon you the spirit of doep sleep, and h11th lengths. She still, in profession, clung to , closed your eyes (the prophets), ond your the worship of Jehovah, and had even re- bends (the seers) bath he covered." But it oently accepted a purification of religion ,1t is reosonably conjectured th ..i the expres- the hand of Hezekiah, who had "removed : sions, " the prophets," " the seers," are the high plt1ces, , ~ . and out down the,  TBE BOOK 01◄' 'l'BE PROPHE'l' ISAIAH. [oH. xtxx. 1-24,