The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 347

tion of the formulm which tho Iere.elitee Ver. 10.-Thou art wearied In the were oommo.nded in the Lo.w to write on gree.tneH of thy way. Judah had travelled their doorpoete 11nd on their go.lee (Deut. far from God, seeking aid from all quarters, vi. 9 ; xi. 20). Bot, in the firat place, there and might well be "wearied" with her Is no evidence tho.t o.nciently theee pa.see.gee quest; but ehe wonld not confess her wee.ri- were understood Iitemlly, or that such in- ness--sho would not so.y, There is no hope; scriptions were ever set up; o.nd secondly, she stirred up her remaining strength, and o.s Mr. Cheyne remarks, they would have persisted in her course, not suffering herself been more, ro.ther tho.n less, conspicuous in to '' grieve. 0 o, new plo.ce. Probably, therefore, the Ver. ll.-Of whom hut thou bean afraid 1 ••memorial" (zikM.rdn) of this plo.ce is Jndah's abandonment of Jehovah and devo- eome idolo.trous symbol or emblem newly tion to new deities was co.used by fear-the adopted by the Jews, and made use of ae e. fear of man, especially of Assyria. This sort of taliemo.n. Many commentators think induced them to seek for help in each new that it wo.s of o, pbo.llio character (see Ezek. superstition that presented itself, and pro- xvi. 17). Disoovered thyself; rather, un- duced the enlarged syncretism which hae covered thyself. Thou bast enlarged thy been noticed in the comment on ver. 8. But bed; i.e. multiplied thy idolatries (comp. how absurd to be driven by fear of man into 2 Kings xvi. 3, 4, 10; xxi. 3-7). It is e. offending God I That thou hast lied (see feo.ture of the idolatry of the time, that it the last clause of ver. 4, with the comment). wae a mixture adopted from many quarters. Eave not I held my peaoe, etc.? i.e. " Is it It included Baal and Ashtoreth-worship not because I have for so long a time held from Phamicia, Moloch-worship from Moe.b my peace, that thou fearest me not?" God and Ammon, worship of the Queen of Hee.van had for a long time suffered them to " go on from Syria, high-place worship from the still in their wickedness "-he had not in- Caoao.nites, and stone-wol'ship from their terposed with any severe judgment; there- own remote Mesopotamian ancestors. And fore they had celU!ed to fee.r him, and had me.de thee e. coveno.nt with them ; i.e. "e. feared men instead. bargain for wages," that aid and protection Ver. 12.-1 will deole.re thy righteous- should be rendered in r<:turn for worship ness, etc. The Syri11c Version has "my and sacrifice. Where thou so.west it. The righteousness," which gives e. mnch better original is very obscure, but can scarcely sense, and is adopted by Bishop Lowth, Dr. have this meaning. It is certainly a dis- Weir, and Mr. Cheyne. God will be silent tinct clause, and may perhaps be best tro.ns- no longer. He will" declare,'' or show forth, lated, "thou ea.west indecency." "his righteousness," by visiting Judah with Ver. 9.-And thou wenteet to the king. some righteous punishment. Then it will Delitzsch o.nd Mr. Cheyne understand "the be seen of what value a.re those things in King of Assyria," and regard the verse e.s which Judah has hitherto trusted. Her bringing forward a new subject of complaint: works-whether her "idols" a.re meant "Not only hast thou deserted me for other (Cheyne, Delitzsch), or her "deeds of gods, but thou trustest for aid, not to me, iniquity" (Ke.y)-what will they profit 1 but to the Assyrian monarch." But there is She will " cry " out under the rod of no iudication of the Jews h11ving put any chastisement-cry to her false gods to save trust in Assyria after the reign of Ahe.z, to her. which this chapter, by its po~ition in the Ver. 13.-When thou oriest, let thy oom- prophecy, cannot belong. Moreover, the pe.niea deliver thee. Then, when she thus King of Assyria is never called simply" the cries, let her mixture of gods (ver. 8), if king." It is, therefore, better to regard they can, deliver her; they will fail utterly " the king" as Moloch, whom the J ewe of to do so. The wind-or rather, a breath- Isaiah's time certainly worshipped (see ver. ehe.11 oe.rry them all e. way ; vanity she.11 take 5), and whose ne.mo was e. mere dialectic them. The idol gods she.II be shown to be variety of Melech, "king" (see Dean Payne wholly futile, unable to save, incapable of Smith's 'Sermons on Is11iah,' sermon iv. rendering nny the slightest assistance. But p. 119). Ointment . . . perfumes. Either he that putteth his trust in me ahe.11 po1184118 bearing them 11s offerings, or herself per- the le.nd. If, however, e.t that dread hoar, fumed with them, as was the practice of there be o.uy among the people who are not lewd women (Prov. vii. 17). And didst send idolaters, but " trust in J chovah,'' the crisis thy meaeengers far off; i.e. to distant Moloch- shnll turn to their advantage. They shall shrines. And didst debo.se thyself even unto " possess the land,'' i.e. hll ve the promised hell ; i.e. " didst take on thee the yoke of e. land for their inheritance (Deut. iv. 1 ; v. mean and grovelling superstition, which 33; Ps. xxxvii. 11-29, etc.); and inherit d1>be.scd thee to the lowest point conceiv- Zion, God's holy mountain (see oh. 1i. 9 ; able." There was ·nothing lower in religion xxvii. 13; lvi. 7, etc.). than the worship of Molooh. Ver. 14.-And Bhe.11 say; rather, and O'lld  858 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [en. Lvn. 1-21,