The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 152

)11,(ter (oomp. oh. xl. 18-25; xii. 4-7, 21- ~ohu, describes th<1 primitive ohRos iu Gen. 29). 1. 2 (O?mp. c~. xxiv. 10; xxxiv. 11; xl. 17, Yer. 6.-The Lord the King of Israel. 23; xh. 29; hx. 4). Their deleotable things Therefore entitled to Ismel's e.llegi11,noe shall no_t ~roftt. "_Their delectable thiugs" (comp. eh. xliii. 15). And his Redeemer· are their ,)do]~, which are " pets, favourites, i.e. Israel's Redeemer-he who he.d redeemed treasures. 'I hese cannot possibly be of any them from Eg"ptinn bondage-who will advantage to them. They arc their own rl'<leem them from the power of Babylon- witnesses. Their powerlessness stands con- " ho, best of all. will redeem them from fessed i1_1 tlwir very nppeo.mnce, since they i heir ~ins. '.fhe First ... the Last ( comp. 11,re manifestly sightless aud senseless. The.t eh. xh. 4, with the comment). Beside me they may be ashamed. Tho subject of this there is no God. This had been distinctly clause cannot be sought in the earlier part O$Scrtcd in the L11w (Dcut. iv. 35, 39; xxxii. of the verse. It is th~ idol-makers ~bat will 39); but Ismel could not be induced prac- be put to sho.me. tically to believe it. The "gods of the Ver. 10.-Who hath .. , molten a gre.ven nnt.ions" were supposed generally to be image! Mete.I idols were mostly cast in the realities, e.ctnal powers, not perhaps so first instance, and then finished off with a potent as J e~ovah, but still real beings, graving-tool. "Who bath molten" means capalile of domg goo:l and h1trm (see eh. " wIto has been so foolish as to do so-to take x Ii. 2:'l). It is one of Ise.io.h's special objects so much trouble about a thing which oanuot in these later chapters to disabuse Israel of possibly profit any one?" this notion (see eh. xii. 21-24; xliii. 9-11; Ver. 11.-All his fellows j or, all its as- xiv. 5, 6, 14-22, etc.). sociates·; i.e. all who are e.ssociated together Ver. 7.- Who, as I, shall call, etc.? i.e. in the worship of the idol. The worshippers "Who will do (or who can do) as I do-call of a particular idol, or sometimes of a events into being, declare them, and set them particular god, formed e. sort of guild or com- in order beforehand-who can do this for me I!any_. bound_ tog:ether by common participa- (or, in my steo.d)? No one. I have done it, tion m oerte.m rites, and under an obligation ever since I ap;;cinted (or, placed upon earth) to defend each other. The prophet says the ancient people "-that is, the race of that, though the worshippers and the makers men before the Flood (see Job xx:ii. 15). The should, all of them, be gathered together, claim is that, from the first creation of man- and stand up to help one the other, yet kind, God has not only prearranged the should they be unable to effect anything. events that should happen, but has declared Gathered together against God, they would them by the mouth of prophets (see Gen. iii "tremble and be ashamed." 15; vi. 13, 17; viii22,23; ix.12-16,etc.). Ver. 12.-The smith with the tongs. The No other has done the same. The things Hebrew text is defective, some word having that are coming, and &hall come. Not earlier fallen out. We should probably supply and later events, but "future events," and " maketh," and translate, The smith malceth "such as will actually come to pe.es" (Kay, an au, and worketh it in the coals, and Cheyne). Let the idol-goda declare these, with hammers ja.hioneth it. The descrip- if they are to be entitled to consideration. tion of image-making thus commences Yer. 8.-Fear ye not (comp. eh. xli 10, 13; with the fashioning of the carpenter's xliii. 5 ; ver. 2). Israel need not fear that toolB. He is hungry, etc. The artificer they will be forgotlen or forsaken. God who takes the firBt step in " forming a has told them from that time, or, from the god" (ver. 10) is himself hungry and beginning (eh. xlviii. 3, 7), and declared to thirsty, depending on so mean a thing as them, what he is about to do-viz. destroy food to supply him with the needful strength. Babylon, and give them deliverance. He Unless he can eat and chink, the whole work will aBBuredly do as be has said. Ye are is brought to a standstill. even my witnesses (comp. eh. xliii. 10, 12). Ver. 13.-The carpenter, etc. When the There is no God; literally, there i, no Rock; smith has done his part in the formation of i.e. no Sllfe ground of trust or confidence toolB, the carpenter is called into action. ( comp. eh. xvii. 10; xxvi. 4 ; x.xx. 29; and Hie proceedings are traced "extre.gressively" see the comment on eh. xvii. 10). (Delitzsch). First, he is regarded as in Vers. 9-20.-The uniqueness of God possession of his block of wood. On this he having been set forth, the prophet nowtums proceeds to 1tretoh out his rule, to obtain to the images and the image-makers, over- the idol's length and brendth. Thon ho whelming them with his scorn and ridicule. marks out on the block a rough outline with The passage may be compared with Jer. x. red chalk (sered). After this ho pares away 3-10 e.nd Baruch vi. 8-72. the super II uons wood with planes, or chisels, Ver. 9.-They that make a graven image and marks out the limbs more accurately are ... vanity; rather, are conftUion. The with the oompass, planing and measuring word uaed is tohu, which, together with until he has brought the rough blook into IIH, XLIV. 1-28.] TH.l!t .BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH.