The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 455

book, which Hee open "before him," eo the.t e. mere pleonasm, as in eh. ix. 8; x. 21, 22; their sin is ever in his eight (comp. Ps. lvi. xxvii. 6; :uix. 23; xl. 27; xii. 8, etc. (see B; Me.I. iii. 16 ; Rev. :u. 12). I will not the comment on cb. xl. 27). An inheritor of keep silenoe (comp. Ps. I. 3). "Keeping my mounte.ins. The whole of Palestine is silence" is o. meto.phor for complete inaction. little more than e. closter of mountains. The But will reoompense, etc. ; re.ther, wntil I ha11e cluster may be divided into three groups: recompensed, yea, recompen8ed [them] into (l),Themountaine of Galilee, extending from their bosom8 (comp. Luke vi. 38). Gifts were Hermon to Tabo:r, separated from the next given e.nd received into the fold of the beged, group by the plain of Esdraelon; (2) the or cloak, which depended in front of the mountains of Samaria and Judrea, extending bosom. f:rom Carmel a.nd Gilboa to the plateau of Ver. 7.-Your iniquitiea. This is a new Mamre above Hebron, which is 3600 feet sentence, not a continuotion gf ver. G, which a.hove the sea; (3) the mountains of the should be closed by a full stop. It is e.n trans-Jordanic region, including those of incomplete sentence, needing for its comple- Bashan, Gilead, Moab, and Etlom, sepuated tion the repetition of the verb shillam!i, " I from the two other groups by the Jordan will recompense." Wbioh he.ve burned in• va.lley. The highest elevation attained is oense upon the mounte.ins (see 2 Kings xvii. thnt of Hermon (9!00 feet); other minor 11; Hos. iv. 13; Ezek. vi. 13; a.nd comp. heights are Jebel Jurmuk, in Galilee, 4000 eh. lvii. 7). And blasphemed me; rather, feet ; Safed, also in Galilee, 277 5 feet ; Ebal reproached me (see eh. xxxvii. 4, 17, 23, 24). and Gerizim, in Samaria, 2700 feet; Sinjil, Therefore will I meo.sure their former work; 2685; Neby Sam will, 2650; and the Mount re.ther, therefore will I, first of all, measure of Olives, 272-l feet. The plateau of i\-famre their work into their bosom. The expression, reochee a. height of 3600 feet. The only "first of all," prepares the way for tile en- Palestinian plains are those of Esdraelon, couraging promises of vere. 8-10. Sharon, and the Ghor, or Jordan valley. Vere. 8-10.-SALVATION PBOMISED TO A Thus the land may well be spoken of as "my mountains." Mine elect (comp. ch.xliii. REMNANT, In Ise.ie.h, and especially in the 20; xlv. 4). The same expression is used of "Book of Consolation" (eh. xl.-lxvi.), Israel in 1 Chron. xvi. 13; Ps. lx:xxix. 3; promises a.re o.lmost e.lways intermingled cv. 6, 43 ; cvi. 5. Goel "chose" Israel out with threa.tenings. The three.ta extend to of a.11 the nations of the earth to be hi.a the bulk of the ne.tion ; the promises a.re "peculie.r people." Ver.10.-She.ron shall be a fold of flocks. limited to " a remnaut," since a remnant "She.ron," instee.d of being "like a wilder- only could be brought to " seek" and serve ness" (eh. xx.xi.i.i. 9), shall onco more be '' n God (ver. 10). Here the announcement the.t place for flocks "-o rich pasture for the a remnant would be spa.red is introduced by flocks and herds of the returned exiles. (On a simile from men's treatment of their own the position e.nd fertility of Sharon, see the comment upon eh. xxxiii. 9.) The valley of vineye.rds (ver. 8). Aohor (see Josh. vii. 24-26). The 'Emeq Ver. 8.-As the new wine is found in the '.Akor was near Jericho. The two ple.ces seem oluster; rather, ae when new wine is found in to be selected on account of their position, a grape-bunch; i.e. e.s when even e. single one on the eo.ste:rn, the other on the western cluster of gre.pes is spied on e. vine-stem, border. l'llypeople that have sought me; or, the vine-pruners sa.y one to e.nother, "De- inquired of me-the same verb as that used stroy not that stem, but spa.re it," so will at the beginning of the chapter. God refre.in from destroying those stocks Vere. 11-16.-A MIXTURE OF THREATS in his vineyard, which give even a swe.11 promise of bee.ring good fruit. Destroy it WITH PROMISES. The prophet returns, in not. The words are thought to be those of a the mnin, to his former attitude, uud resumes well-known vintage-song, which is perlmps his denunciations (vers. 11, 12); but, with alluded to in the heading (Al-ta8chith) pre- ver. 13, he begins to intermingle promises fixed to Pe. l vii., 1viii., and lix. "Each of these of favour to God's serva.uts with thrrnts psalms was probably sung to the air of this favourite eong" (Cheyne). A blessing is in nguinst the rebellious, an<l finally (in ver. it ; i.e." a boon from God" (comp.oh. xxxvi. 16) turns wholly towcirds the side of gmce 16; 2 Kings v. 15). o.nd favour, announcing the coming of 11 time Ver. 9.-A seed out of J'e.oob, and out of when "the former ti·oubles" will be a,lto- J'ude.h, Scarcely, "the people of the two gother "forgotten," and the king,lom of captivities" (Delitzsch), though uo doubt many Israelites of the teu tribes did return truth o.nd right wiH be establisheu. with Zerubbo.bel (1 Ohron. ix. 3 ; Ezra ii. 2, Ver. 11.-But ye o.ro they the.t forsake the 70; iii. 1 ; vi. 17; viii 85, eto.). Rather, Lord j rather, but as for yo11 who f ordake the  !72 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [ott. Lltv.1-25.