The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 170

m11.y he "11. light to lighten the Gentiles ; " The ne.i:ua of the words, "I am tho Lord, but it is not maintn.ined solely, or even and there is none else. I Jo,1n the lir,ht, and mainlv. for this end. Its welfare is an end create darkness," is such as natu'mlly to in itself, and ...-ould be sought by God apart suggest nn intended antagonism to lho from any further consequcnre. Israel mine Zoroastrian system. Under that, Ormuzd elect (comp. eh. xli. 8; xliv. 1). I have created "light" and "peace," Aluime.n surnamed thee ; i.e. " gi\·eu thee designa- "darkness" and "evil." The two wel"0 tions of honour," e.g." my anointed" (ver. eternal adversaries. engaged in an inter- 1); "my shepherd" (rh. xliv. 28); "he min,Lble contest. Ormuzd, it is trne, claimed ...-ho shall do ull my pleasure" (eh. xliv. 28). the undivided allegie.nce of mankind, since Though thou he.st not known me; rather, he we.s their maker; but Abrim11n was a tho,igh thou didst not lrno,,, me. Cyrus's great power, terribly formidable-perhaps honours, bis titles, his mention by name, a god ( diva )-certainly the chief of tho etc.. were acc.umulated upon him before his devas. It was from Zoroastrie.nism that birtb. when he knew nothing of God, when, llfanil-heism derived its doctrine of the therefore, he had in no way merited them. two principles, and to the same source may, Thus all was done, not for his sake, but with much probability, be tre.ced the "devil- for the sake of Israel. worshippers " of the Zagros mountain Yer. 5.-I girded thee. As God" loosed chain. the loins" of Cyrus's adversaries (ver. I), Ver. 8.-THE BLESSED RESULTS OF ISRAEL'S to wt,aken them, so he "girded" those of DELIVERANCE. The restoration of Isre.el to Cyrus, to give him strength (comp. Ps, xviii. 32). their own le.nd will be followed by e. gree.t Ver. 6.-That they may know from the increase· of righteousness and salvation. rising of the S1lll. Here we have tbe third They will be, as it were, showered down motive of the Divine action respecting abund11.Dtly from heaven, while at the same Cyrus. The attention of all the world from time they will spring in profusion from the extreme east 1.o the extreme ,,-est, would be drawn by the wonderful occurrences. earth's bosom. Jehovah, who has caused Jehove.h's he.nd in them wonld be perceived, the deliverance, will al~o cause these results an<l his sole Godhead would obtain acknow- to follow from it. ledgment. An impulse was donbtless Ver. 8.-Drop down, ye heavens; literally, given to monotheism by the victories of diBtil, ye heavens (1'.omp. Dent. · xxxii. I; Cyrus and the favour which he showed the Job xxxvi. 28) ; or rain down on the thirsty J e,,-s ; but it cannot be said to he.ve been earth your gracious influences. Let right- very marked. !dole.try and polytheism eousness, or God's law of right, descend were to a certain extent discredited; but afresh from the skies as e. boon to mankind they maintained their ground nevertheless. -e. boon for which they he.ve been long It we.s not till the true "Anointed One" we.iting. And , , , let the earth open. Let 11.ppeared-the e.ntitype of whom Cyrus was earth make due response, opening her the type-the.t the idols were "utterly gentle bosom, e.s she does in spring (comp. abolished." Aprilis from operio), e.nd blossoming with Ver. 7.-I form the light, and create dark- human righteousness, the fruit and evidence ness. It has been recently denied the.t of so.I vation. To the prophet's re.pt gaze there is anv alluaion in these words, or in the excellence of the post-Captivity times, those wLich follow, to the Zoroastrian when all idolatry had been put e.we.y, tenets ; and it ha.a even be.en asserted the.t seemed, in comparison with ee.rlier ages, the religion of the early Acluemenian kings the reign of justice and truth upon ee.rth. was free from the taint of dualism. But I the Lord he.ve created it; i.e. "I, Jehovah, according to some authorities, "e. god of have wrought the chnnge by the le.rger lies" is mentioned in the Behi.Btun inscrip- outpouring of my Spirit" (comp. eh. xliii. tion ; and the evidence is exceedingly 3). strong that dualism we.a o.n essential part Vera. 9-13.-IsRAEL WARNED NOT TO of the Zoroastrian religion long before the OALL IN QUESTION GOD'S MODES 011' AOTION. time of Cyrua (see • Ancient Monarchies,' vol. ii. pp. 332, 333, 2nd edit.). It is quite Apparently, Ise.iah anticipates that the r~asouo.ble to snppose that Isaiah w~uld Ismelites will be discontented e.nd murmur be acquainted with the belief of the Persians at their deliverer being e. heathen king, o.nd e.nd Medes, who had come in contact with not one of their own body. He therefore the A.ssyrie.ns as early a~ B.C, 830; and _e. warns them against presuming to criticize warning e.gainst the chief error of theu the arrangements of the All-Wise, remind- religion would be quite in place when he was holding up Cyrus to his count~en ing them of hie unapproache.ble greatness u entitled to their respect and veneration. (ver. 12), and once more as8Ul'ing them cm. nv. 1-26.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 175