The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 240

nonnced deliveranoe from Babylon, was held immediate and oonetant oommunioe.- there no response? 'Why did no che.mpion tion with the "Servant "-not enlightening e.ppeRr? le it thRt my power wa.s doubted? him occasionally, e.s he did the prophets, by tbe.t it wBB feAred my hand wa.s shortened, ?reai:us a~d visions, but c?ntinually whisper- so thAt it could not redeem or deliver 1 But ing m his car. At no time did the Father I e.m be who has power with bis rebnke to "leave him alone" (Johu viii. 29) or cease dry np the sea {Exod. xiv. 21), to make to spellk to him. " Morniug by moruing" is rivers a wilderness (Exod. vii. 20; Josh. not to be narrowed to the b!lro literal mean- iii. 16, 17); in fact, to che.nge the course of ing, but to be taken in the sense of "un- nAtnrc AS seemc·th him good, and accomplish interruptedly." To hear e.s the learned; his will against all obstacles. Is my he.nd rather, to hear as disciples hear; i.e. atten- shortened 1 i.e. "is my power less than it tively, submissively, gln,lly. was?" Can any one suppose this? Surely Ver. 5.-The Lord he.th opened mine ear. what I have once done I can do again. If Some understand this of the boring of the I delivered from Egypt, I can redeem from ear for perpetual service (Ps. xl. 6 ; Exod. Babylon. Their fish sti.nketh (comp. Exod. xxi. 6) ; but it is perhaps better to rego.rd it vii. 21 ). But the object is rather to assert as inteuded to mark e. contrast between the an nbsolute control over natnre than to take true Servant and the professed servants, or the thoughts of the hearers back to any chilrlren of Israel. They "did not hear; special occasions when control was exer- their ear was not opened; they were cised. treach.,rous and rebellious from the womb" Yer. 3.-I clothe the heavens with black- (eh. xlviii. 8). His ear we.a opeued to ness (comp. Jer. iv. 28; Ezek. u:xii. 7, 8; rccei-.e God's word perpetually; he was not Joel ii. 10; iii. 15; Matt. xxiv. 29; MRtk rebellions, did not turn e.we.y be.ck. Even xiii. 24; Luke :ni. 25; Rev. vi. 12). The when most tried, his final word was, •·Not Egyptian plague of darkness (Exod. x. 21- my will, but thine, be done" (Luke xxii. 23) is not adequate to the expressions here 42). us,·d. God means to assert his power of Ver. 6.-I g-e.ve my be.ok to the smiters lea,·ing all natnre in absolute darkness, if (see eh. Iiii. 5, ad fin.; and comp. Me.tt. xxvi. he so choose-a power necessarily belonging 67; xxvii. 26; John xix. I). My cheeks to to him who said, "Let there be light; and them that plucked off the hair. This is e. there was light" (Gen. i 3). I make sack- detail not historically recorded by the cloth their covering (see Rev. vi 12, "The evnngelists; but it may have he.d e. literal sun became black as sackcloth of hair "). fulfilment. Plucking off the hair waa not Vere. 4-9.-A SOLILOQuY OF THE SEB- un1.,iown to the Jews e.s e. punishment (see V .L~T OF JEHOVAH. The separateness of N eh. xiii. 25). I hid not my face from shame and spitting (see Matt. xxvi. 67; this passage ha.a been maintained in the xxvii. 30). Spitting in the East mo.rked opening po.re.graph. That it is not of him- e.t once contempt and abhorrence. It is self that the prophet here speaks, appears e. practice which continues to the present (I) from the self-assertion ( vers, 4, 5, 9) ; day. (2) from the depth of humiliation declared Ver. 7.-For the Lord God will help me; rather, but the Lord God will help me. I in ver. 6, which is beyond anything re- shall not be left alwnys in the bands of my corded of Isaiah. But if he does not speak enemies. In this confidence the Servant of himself, he can scarcely speak of any rests, and is not confounded, even when the other besides "the Servant," of whom he worst happens to him. He sets his fe.oe like has already said much (eh. xlii. 1-8; xli.x. a flint; i.e. makes _it hnrd, impassive, ex- pressionless, and nt the same time deter- 1-12), and of whom he be.a still much more mined, fixed not to give way (comp. Ezek. to say ( eh. Iii 13-15; liii. 1-12). ill. 8, 9). Ver. 4.-The Lord God he.th given me the Vere. 8, 9.-He is near that jnsti11.eth me. tongue of the learned; literally, the tongue God, who knows his innocence, is near at of di.sci,pZea; ie. 11 trained tongue, e. well- hand, and will shortly "make his righteous- te.nght tongue. Christ •• did nothing of ness clear e.s the noonday." This Wllij himself; as the Father had taught him," done when Goel raised up from the dead so he spoke (John viii. 28). Th.at I should "the Holy One e.nd the Just" (Acts iii. 14), know how to speak a word in see.son to him whom cruel men "by wicked hands had that is weary; rather, that I shall kn01.D how crucified aud ale.in" (Acts ii. 23). By the to MUtain by a word him that is weary. resurrection God acquitted Christ of the Compo.re, "Come unto me, e.11 /e that charge of blasphemy on which he bad been labour and a.re hea\y la.den, e.n I will cond,·rnned, 1111d proclaimed him "holy, give you rest" (Mf\tt. x.i. 28). Ke we.keneth harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" morning by morning . . . mine ear. God (Heh. vii. 26). Who will contend with me 1 ett. t.. 1-11.1 '1'BE BOOK OF 'l'Ht PROPHET ISAIAH.