aent me. Dr. Ke.y supposes the.t "one remnant" (eh, i. 9); the ten tribes were Divine Personage is here sent by another" for tbe most part absorbed into the heathen -the Beoond Person of the Holy Trinity by among whom they had been scattered; the First and by the 'l'hird ; but it is against the two tribes had dwindled in number the analogy of faith the.t the Third Person through the ho.rrlships of the Captivity, and should send the Second. Probably Mr. were scarcely more the.n a" handful." Lese Cheyne is right in suggesting that "here than fifty thousand returned with Zcrubbabel a fresh speaker is introduced,'' and also (Ezra ii. 64); less than two thousand males right in his supposition that the fresh with Ezra (Ezra viii. 2-20). Had Israel speaker is "the prophet himself," who tells not been disobedient, the promises made us the.t he is now carrying on the goodly to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would have succession which he.e been " from the begin- been literally fulfilled, antl the descendants ning," and is sent to deliver his message of Abraham would have been millions upon by God (the Father) e.nd hie (Holy) Spirit. millions, instead of being one or two hundred On the tendency of Isaiah to "hypostatize" tlionsaud. The offspring of thy bowels like the Spirit of God, see the comment on eh. the gravel thereof; rather, like the grains xl. 13; and compare Mr. Cheyne's note on thereof; i.e. the grains of the sand. His the same passage (' Prophecies of Isaiah,' name; i.e. "Israel's name.·, Should not vol. i. p. 243). have been cut off, Israel's name he.d not Ver. 17.-The Lord . . . which teacheth been wholly" cut off" or "destroyed." But thee to profit. God's teachings e.re all it had been approximately" cut off." Israel directed to the ••profit" of those to whom was no more e. people, but only a horde of they are adch-essed; and, if received in a slaves. The restoration to Palestine was a proper spirit, actually "profit" them more resurrection-the re-creation of a nation the.n anything else cau do. "All Scripture which, humanly speaking, had ceased to be. is given by inspiration of God, and is pro- Ver. 20.-Go ye forth of Babylon. A fitable" (2 Tim. iii. 16). Very profitable also sudden transition from expostulation to are the teachings of God's providence, exhortation. It might have seemed that which chasten men, warn men, and tend to no exhortation would be needed ; the.t, as keep men in the right path. soon as the prison-doors were set open, Ver. 18.-Oh that thou hadst hearkened! there would be e. general rush to escape. (comp. Ps. lxxxi. 13-16, "Oh the.t my But, when the time came, it was not so. people had hearkened unto me, e.nd Israel Those only availed themselves of the edict he.d walked in my ways I I should soon of Cyrus " whose spirit God bad rdised to he.ve subdued their enemies, and turned my go up and build his house" (Ezra i. 5). he.nd against their e.d versaries," etc.) Some The wealthier classes, Josephus tells us render, "Oh that thou wouldst hearken I " (' Ant. J ud.,' xi. 1), remained. The ,iery poor, etc., on the e.nalogy of eh, !xiv. l; but it is probable, could not learn. Motives unnecessarily. Dr. Kay says that God of various kinds debined others. The " upbraideth not," referrinj? to J as. i. 5. result was tho.t probo.bly a larger number But he me.y expostulate. What is it but elected to continue in the country than to expostulation, when our Lord says, " 0 return to Po.Jestine. Hence the exhorta- Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the tion to "go forth from Ba by lon and flee prophets, and stonest them which are sent from the Chaldeane " was far from being unto thee, how often would I have gathered superfluous. Flee ye from the Che.ldeans. thy children together, even as e. hen Not "flee before them" (sec eh. Iii. 12), ge.thereth her chickens under her wings, and as enemies to be feared ; but quit them ye would not I Behold, your house is left hastily, as corruptere to be avoi,led. With unto you desolate" (lliatt, x.x.iii. 27, 28)? a voice of Binging ; rather, ioith a t•oica of To look back on the past, o.nd see what ,houting (Delitzsch), or with a riHyi11g cry we have missed, is e. good lesson for the (Cheyne). The cry was to rc·o.eh eveu to future. Then he.d thy peace been as a river; the end of the earth. All the nations were literally, as the river (i.e. the Euphro.tes), to be informed of the great event, in which abounding, overflowing, continuous. Thy they might not feel, but in which they were, righteouaneBB. Not "thy prosperity " deeply interested-the delivere.nce of Israel (Cheyne), but "thy good deeds," If Israel out of Babylon, which was •• the prelude of, had clung to God, then God's ble88ing o.ud a preparation for, the world's redemp- would have been poured upon them, and tion" (Ke.y). ho.ve enabled them to bring forth o.bundant Ver. 21.-They thirsted not (comp. eh. fruits of righteousness. A■ the wave■ of xliii. 19, and the comment ad loc.). The the see. ; i.e. innumerable e.nd unceneing. literal meaning is not to bo altogether Ver. 19.-Thy seed also had been as the excluded. We he.vo no biotoricul e.ccouut sand. Isro.el, at the close of the Captivity, we.e of the journey mo.tlo Ly the bulk of the "e. remnant" (oh. xxxvii. 81), e. "very Blllo.11 exiles who returned with Zorubbo.bel ; bu~ 218 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [OH. XLVIll. 1-22.
they mnst nlmost certainly have experi- Ver. 22.-There is no peaoe, eto. Thia enood difficulties with respect to water; warning 1;1hrase occur~ again, "in the manner and it is quite possible that a miraculous of a refram 11 (Cheyne), at the close of what supply was vouchsa.red to them. Most com- most commentators regard as the seoond mentators, however, are oontent to explain section of this portion of Isaiah's worlt both this and the earlier passage as merely (eh. lvii. 21). The third section oloses "symbolical.'' The Israelites-they say- with a still more solemn warning (oh. lxvi. had spiritual refreshment on their home- 24). ward journey, by God's goodness, constantly. 1