The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 270

nation, whioh continues to be ihe object messenger come bonnding over .the moun- of address in the remainder of the discourse. tains of Judiea, to bring the news to Jerusa- Ver. 3.-Ye have sold youreeives for lem that her deliverance is come (ver. 7). nought; rather, for nought were ye sol~. Tue angelic watchers sing with joy (ver. 8) God received nothing when he allowe,l his people to becomo the elavee of the Ilaby- The prophet calls upon the waste places of lonie.ns. He took no price for them ( eee Jerusalem to do the same, and dwells on oh. I. 1), and therefore ie free to claim them the greatness of the mercy wrought (vers. be.ck without payment (comp. eh. xiv. 13). 9, 10). Finally, he exhorts the exiles to He has but to say the word ; and he is avail themselves of the permission to qu:t about to se.y it. Ver. 4.-My people went down . . . into Babylon, and prophesies that they will go Egypt . , , the Assyrian oppreased . ~~­ forth in peace, without hurry, under the Israel had experienced three captivities. guidance and protection of God ( ..-at"s. 11, 'fhey "went down" ~oluntarily into Egypt, 12). on invitation, to soJourn, and were th~re Ver. 7.-Eow beautiful upon the moun- cruelly and unjustly reduced to a servile tains are the feet of him that bringeth good condition (Exod. i. 13, 14). They (or e. tidings, that publieheth peace ! ( comp. N ah. great part of them) were violently carried i. 15 which is almost o repetition of the into captivity by the Aseyriau kings, ,eass;ge). The primary meaning is un- Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kings xv. ~9), So.~gon doubtedly that assigned to the words in the (2 Kings xvii. 6), and Sennacherib (2 K1nge introductory paragraph; but this does nc,t xviii. 13 • 'Eponym Ca.non,' p. 134), who, hinder there being also a secondary mea1:_- without o~use, grievously "oppressed" them. ing, viz. the l\1essionic one of Rom. x. Iv. Now they a.re eu~eriag und~r e. third Jerusalem'• deliverance is a type of the captivity in Babyloma. W_hat ia to be the redemption of the world by Christ. That Divine action under these c1rcumste.nces? saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth ! So long Ver. 5.-Whe.t have I heret rather, what as Israel was in captivity, and Jerusalem ha'l!e I to do here? i.e. what is the te.sk be- in ruins, God's earthly sovereignty ( I 8nm. fore me-the work that I have to perform? xii. 12) was in abeyance. The moment that There are three principal considere.tions by the Jews were set free and allowed to return which the answer to this queeti~n has to and to rebuild their city, his sovereignty be determined. (1) The Babylomans he.ve was re-established. obtained possession of the Israelites without Ver. 8.-Thy watchmen shall lift up the purchase-for nought; (2) they use their voioe • liternlly, The Toice of thy watchers. authority harshly e.nd brutally; and (3) They have lifted up the voice; they Bing ( or, they continually blaspheme the Name of shout joyfully, Kay) together. The "watch- Jehovah. All three aLre grounds for bring- men" are regarded by some a.s the prophets ing the ce.ptivity to an end: and ';?ming of the Captivity-time (Delitzsch), by others forward with the cry of a deliverer, Here as the faithful who" waited for the redemp- I am." Make them to howl ; rather, howl; tion of Israel" (Kny); but are considered i.e. insult over the captives with shouts 1md by the best critics (Cheyne, Alexa.n<ler) to yells of triumph. The prophet is spee.king be " eupersensible beings," or, in other of the Babylonian oppreeso~s, not of t~e words angels, who " watch " over the for- native "rulers," who exercised a certam tunes' of Israel, and sympathize with their amount of authority over the ce.ptives (s~e weal and woe (eee Dan. iv. 13, 17, 23, etc.). Delitzeeh and Cheyne). My Name . , . 1e 'fhese " watchers" now "sing" or "shout" blasphemed. Cruel taskmasters vexed the with joy. They shall see eye to eye ( compare captives by insulting their God. the" face to face" of Numb. xiv. H; Deut.. Ver. 6. - Therefore. Because of the xxxiv. 10). The" watchers" would watch "howling" and the "blasphemy." My clos,·ly God's dealings with his Church, 1111d people shall know my Name; i.e. "my people would see them as clearly os a mon sees his shall know by pro.otionl experience that I friend when he looks into his face. When am all that my name of El or Elohim-' the the Lord shall bring again Zion. It is, Strong,' • the Powerful '-implies." They perhaps, best to translt,te, with Houbigant shall know in that day. The "day" when e.nd Mr. Cheyne, " When thu Lord shall God would come to their help nn<l deliver return to Zion." '.l'he prophet eees God ~s them from their oppressors-when they the Lea<ler of his people, not merely by h1~ would coll upon him, and he wo?ld providence bringing them back, but "w. manifest himself (oh. lviii. 9), reepondmg turning" 11t their heEld ( comp. ver. 12). to their appeal as distinctly as though he Ver. !>.-Ye waste places of Jerusalem 11Bicl, "Here I am." (comp. eh. xliv. 26; xlix. 19; !xiv. 10, 11). Vera. 7-12.-A VISION OF THE DAY OF The city h[ld not been wholly destroyed. Only l>BLIVICBANOB. The prophet sees the the temple, the royal p[lhice, and the house~  280 TIIE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [on. LII. 1-16.