The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 390

(eh. xii. 1; xlii. 4; xli.x. l; li. 5, eto.). as imagery, the representation ie that the Thev shnll send their sons, and their gifts, barren hills which stand about Jerusnlom in ships, which will come from far, and shall, in the new state 'of things, be c!eoked cover the Mediterranean (see the preceding with tall and beautiful forest trees, all the verse). The ships of Tarshieh. Either ships sylvan scenery of Lebanon being transported bclongi ng t.o the people of Tartessus, in t.o Southern Palestine, so as to enoompass Spain, who had a "idely extended commerce the city of God with a garden ae delightful in Rneicnt times (Herod., i. 163; iv. 152; as that of Eden. The spiritual meaning is 1 Kings x. 22; Ez.;k. xxvii. 12; Jonah i. 3; that graces of all kinds shall abound in and ete.), or ships of a peculiar class, such as around the holy city, and shall make it were considered suitable for the long and beautiful and glorious. The 11.r tree, the dangerous voyage t.o the distant Western pine tree, and the box together (comp. eh. port (see the comment on eh. ii. 16). To xii. J9, where the same words occur in the bring thy sons from far (see the comment on same order; and, for the trees intended, see ver. 4). Unto the Name of the Lord; i.e. the comment on that passage). To beautify " t.o the place where the Lord has set his the plaoe of my sanctuary, Not with Name" (comp. eh. xviii. 7). "avenues of cedars and plane trees leading Ycrs. 10-14.-The third stanza. Zion's up to it" (Delitzsch), which was a style of reconstruction. ornamentation quite unknown to the He- Yer. 10.-The sons of strangers shall build brews; but with groves, and thickets, and up thy walls. Cyrus aided in the supply of sylvan glades, and wooded elopes all around timber for the construction of the second it, as round the Syrian temples in the temple (Ezra iii. 7). Aitaxerxes Longima- Lebanon. The plaoe of my feet. The Jew- nus sanctioned the rebuildfog of the wall of ish temple, as the special place of God's JenB&lem (Keh. i. 3; ii. 5-8). The passage presence upon earth, was frequently termed has, howe,er, a meaning beyond the literal "God's footstool" (1 Chron. xxviii. 2; Ps. one. .. Strangers " of all kinds, Greeks, and xcix. 5; cxxxii. 7; Lam. ii. 1). He that Romans, and Syrians, and Africans, and towers above the heavens had there set his Gauls, and Spaniards. and others, assisted foot. The metaphor is transferred to the m building and enlarging the we.lie of the renovated Zion. Church as it spread over the world, set up Ver. 14.-The sons (i.e. descendants) also its bulwarks in the Creeds, and fenced it of them that afll.ioted thee; i.e. of the various round about with various decrees and canons. nations that at different times oppressed and Their kings shall minister unto thee ( see afflicted Israel-as Egyptians, Canaanites, the comment on ver. 3). Among ministrant Philistines, Aeeyrians, Babylonill.IIB, Edom- 1.ings mny be mentioned Cyrns, Darius the itee, Moe.bites, Ammonites, eto. Bhall sou of Hystnspee, Artaxerxes Longimanue, oome bending unto thee. Bowing themselves Alexander the Great, Constantine, Theodo- down to the new Israel-the Israel of God- sius, Charlemagne, St. Louie, etc. I had as the eleven sheaves bowed themselves mercy on thee. A preterit of prophetic down to Joeeph'e sheaf (Gen. xxxvii. 7). certitude. Mr. Cheyne translates, "I will At the soles of thy feet (comp. eh. xlix. 23). have compassion upon thee.'' Shall call thee, The oity of the Lord. Ver. 11.-Thy gates shall be open con- Hitherto her enemies had bestowed on tinually. Tha.t all who seek salvation may Jerusalem disparaging names, as "For- have free acceee at all times. There is no saken," or "Desolate" (eh. lxii. 4). Now fear of enemies entering, since war hae they will substitute for such names titles of ceased (eh. ii. 4 ; xi 9, etc.). The foroes of honour, such as "Citl of Jehovah," "Zion the Gentiles; ratl.Jer, the wealth of the Gen- of Israel's Holy One.' tile,, as in ver. 5. T!Jat their kings may be Vere. 15-18.-The fourth stanza. Zion's brought; i.e. forced to come by their sub- prosperity. jects, "l'l"ho know that their own prosperity Ver. 15.-Thou hast been forsaken and is involved in corn plete submission to the hated (comp. eh. liv. 7; !xii. 4). Zion has Church established in Zion, and therefore been a wife repudiated for her adulterioe, compel their kings to come and render their "forsaken" by her husband, and the object homnge in person.. of his just "hate." Bo that no man went Ver. 12.-The nation . , . that will not through thee. The mixed metaphor i11 aerve thee shall perish. God's curse shall awkward, but readily intelligible. Zion is be upon them; they shall wither and decay at once a city and a wife. As a wife, she for lack of the Di vine favour and of the is "hated and forsaken," ae a city, no man graces which God dispenses to mankind goes through her. An etemal exoellenoy through his Church (comp. Zech. xiv. 17- (comp. eh. lix. 21, and see the Homiletica 19). on the passage). Ver. 13.-The glory of Lebanon shall oome Ver. 16.-Thou ■halt also 1uok the milk of (comp. eh. u.xv. 2; xli. 19). Considered the Gentilea (comp. Deut. x.xxiii 19). As a CH, LX, 1-22,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 403