The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 556

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXXIV. the feelings of the prophet are excited, he shrinks from no hyperbole. Here he repre- Oh, mi.v. and xxxv. are generally re- sents the blood of God's enemies as shed cognized as constituting a distinct prophecy, in such torrents that mountains are melted complete in itself, and only slightly con• by it. nected with wJ:\e.t precedes. The passe.ge Ver. 4.-All the hoet of heaven shall be is, ii.s Bishop Lowth observes, "an entire, dissolved. A dissolution of the material frame of the heavens, in which the moon regular, o.nd beautiful poem, consisting of and stars are regarded as set, seems to be two pe.rts, the first (eh. xxxiv.) containing intended (comp. Matt. xxiv. 29; 2 Pet. iii. a denunciation of Divine vengeance age.inst 10). The slaughter of God's enemies is the·enemies of God; the second (eh. :xxxv.) here connected with the end of the world, describing the flourishing ste.te of the e.s in the Book of Revelation (xix. 11-21). Church of God, consequent upon the The heavens shall be rolled together as a soroll; literally, as a book. Ancient boob execution of those judgments.''. The pre- were written on long strips of paper 01 sent che.pter, which forms the first he.If of parchment, which, when unrolled, extended the poem, is wholly denunciatory. Its to many yards in length, bot which might theme is vengeance on God's enemies be rolled together " by means of one or two generally; but, e.s e. typical specimen, the smooth round sticks into a very small compass." Such a rolling together of the Edomites a.re selected, and theil' punish• widely extended heavens is here intended, ment is depicted in the strongest colours. not a shrivelling by means of heat (comp. The awful picture, with its dark aud lurid Rev. vi. H). All their host shall fall (comp. hues, prepares the we.y for the soft nnd Matt. xxiv. 29, "The stars shall fall from lovely portre.iture of the blest condition of heaven"). Ver. 5.-My sword shall be bathed in the Church triumphe.nt, which is conte.ined heaven; rather, has been bathed, or has been in the ensuing chapter. made drunken (lµ,66<r671, LXX.) in hearen. Ver. 1.-Ye people; rather, ye peoples. Some suppose n reference to the old" war in The address is couched in the widest heaven," when the sword of Divine justice possible terms, so ns to include the whole wa.s drawn age.inst the devil and his angels. of human-kind. The earth . . . and all Others regard the sword now to be used that is therein; literally, the earth, and the age.inst the Itlumeans as first, in heaven, f ulness thereof. The inhabitants aro no "made drunken" with the Diviue anger. doubt intended. It shall come down upon Idumea (comp. eh. Ver. 2.-l!'or the indignation of the Lord lxiii. 1-6). The Edomites first showed is upon, etc. ; rather, for the Lord hath themselves enemies of Israel when they indignation agninst all the nations, and refused to allow the Israelites, under Moses, 'ID'fath again,t all their host. He hath utterly "a pnssRgo through their border" (Numb. destroyed ; rather, he hath devoted, or put xx. 14-21). David subdued them (2 Sam. under ban. ix. 14); but they rovolted from Jehoram (2 Ver. 3.-Ce.st out; i.e. refused burial- Chron. xxi. 8-10), and were thenceforward thrown to the dogs and vultures (comp. Jer. among the most hitter a,h-ersaries of the :xxii. 19; xxxvi. 80). Such treatment of soulhern kingdom. They "smote Judah" the dead was regarded as n sharue nnd a in the reign of Ahnz (2 Chron. xxviii. 17), disgrace. It was on some occasions an and wero always ready to "shed the blood intentiono.l insult (Jer. xxii. 19); but here of the children of Israel by the force of the the idea is rather that it wonld be impossible sword in the time of their calamity'' (Ezek. to bnrythe sle.inon account of theil' number. xxxv. 5). Amos speak8 of them very much In ancient times corpses often lay unburied in the same tone os Isaiah (Amos i. 11, 12). on be.ttle-flelde (Herod., iii. 12). The moun- They ultimately "filled up the measure of tains shall be melted with their blood. When their iniquities" by open rejoicing when  CiGO THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE'l' ISAIAH. [orr. xxnv. 1-17,