The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 471

Hebrew 'ohv is used both of the neoro- trust(oomp. ver. 8). Aa a dream oh night mnncers (Lev. xix. 31; xx. 6, eto.) and of vision. " The baseless fabrio of a vision," the ghosts which they professed to raise when it has once pa.seed by, 11 leaves not Q (1 Sam. xxviii. 7, S; 2 Kings xx. 6, etc.). wmck behind." The entire host of the Here the " ghost " is spoken of. Thy "terrible ones" would melt nwe.y and dis- ■peeoh shell whieper; liternllv, chirp (oomp. appear, as e. night vision before the light oh. viii. 19). The word used occurs only of dny-it ,vould dissolve into nothing, in Isaiah. vnnish, leave no trace. Vers. 5-S.-THE WARNING FOLLOWED Ver. 8,-It shall be even as when an Bl A PROMISE. It is ever God's care to hungry me.n dreameth. The melting e.way prevent men from being "swallowed np of the vision would involve o. keen dis- with ornrmnch sorrow" (2 Cor. ii. 7). As appointment. The enemies of Ismel had long RS he is not about to " ma.kc a full expected to secure e. most valuable prey. They hnd dreamed of a rich booty when end" (Jer. fr. 27), ho mingles promises they should te.ke the city-0, booty which with his threats, words of cheer with words would reward them for all the hardships of of v.arning. So now the prophet is directed their marohes, their watches, their toils in to attach to liis four Yerses of denunciation the siege, the dangers to whioh they ex- (vers. 1-4) four others of encoungement, posed themselves in the assaults. It we.a e.s if o. hungry man he.d dreamed the.t he and to declare the utter di..comfiture of the we.s engaged in e. feast, or e. thirsty man vast host of enemies which for a time has the.t he was drinking deep at e. banquet, besieged and "distressed " Ariel. when suddenly he wakes up, and finds that Ver. 5.-Koreover; rather, but. The re- be be.s been merely dreaming, and that lation of vers. 5-S to vers. 1-4 is that of there is no reality in his fe.ncies. Dr. Ke.y contrast. The multitude of thy strangers; quotes a passage which is much to the i.e. " of thy enemies" ( comp. eh. x:xv. 5). point from Mungo Park's journals: "No In primitive societies every stranger is e.n sooner bad I shut my eyes than fa.noy enemy; and hence langnage--the formation would convey me to the streams and rivers of primitive men-often has one word for of my native le.nd. There, as I wandered the two ideas. In Latin hostis is ea.id to o.long the verdant be.nk, I surveyed the he.ve originally meant " foreigner" (Cic., clear streams with transport, e.nd hastened ' De Off.,' i. 12). Shall be like sm..eJl dust. to swallow the delightful draught: but, Gronnd down, i.e. to an impalpable powder o.le.s I disappointment a.waked me, and I -rendered utterly weak and powerless. found myself e. lonely ce.ptive, perishing of The meaning is determined by the clause thirst a.mid the wilds of Africa." Those which follows, with which it must neces- engaged in the siege, while themselves sarily be in close accordance. As chaff vanishing away, would likewise find their that puseth a.way. " Chaff," in Scriptllfe, dreams of plunder vanish, and would is always a metaphor for weakness (comp. bitterly feel the disappointment. That eh. v. 24; xvii. 13; xxxiii. 11; xii. 15; :light against Mount Zion. To attack Jeru- and see e.lso Ps. i. 4; mv. 5; Job xxi. 18; salem we.a to fight against the mount of Hos. xiii. 3 ; Dan. ii 35 ; Zeph. ii. 2). It God, the place where Jehovah he.d II set his has no value; man's object is to get rid of Ne.me," e.nd where he·condescended in some it: e. light wind ce.rries it a.way, and no true sense to dwell continually. How could one inqnirea whither. Yee.. it shall be at those who engaged in such an enterprise an inste.nt suddenly. Dr. Kay says it is hope to succeed? "the collapse of Jerusalem" which is here Vers. 9-12.-NEITHEll WARNING NOR intended. But most other commentators nuderste.nd, with more reason, the colle.pse PBOHISE COHPBEllENDED BY THOSE TO WHOlll of her enemies (Cheyne, Delitzsch, Vance THEY HAVE BEEN ADDBESBED, "Who he.th Smith, Knobel, etc.). believed our report?" snye the prophet in Ver. 6.-Thon shalt be visited; literally, another place (eh. liii. 1), "and to whom is shall there be a visitation. On whom the the arm of the Lord revealed? " It was visitation will fe.11 is not expressed; but the context shows the.t it is on the enemies of among the most painful circumstances o.t- J ude.h. The terrible nature of the visita- tnching to the prophetical office, that tion is signified by an enumeration of the scarcely ever was the prophet held in any most fearful of God's judgments-"thunder, esteem among his own people, or in bis own ee.rtbqu11ke, great noise, whirlwind, tem- lifetime. Isaiah knows that his warning pest, and a fiame of devouring fire." All will fe.11 dead-the.t the people e.nd their the expressions a.re probably mete.phorice.l. Ver. q .-Her munition ; i.e. her defences rulers he.ve neither "eyee to see" nor -the wa.lls e.nd tower& in which she put her "ears to hear." He places on record this Ott. xxrlt. 1--24.] TffE BOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHET ISAIAH, 473