Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
A Remnant to be Saved. ISAIAH VII. Ahaz's Alliance with Aiyrui.
where. Whom . . . who—Implying that /etf would be willing to bear the self-deuial which the delivering of such an unwelcome message to the Jews would require on the part of the messenger (cf. 1 Chronicles 29. 5). Here am I —prompt zeal, now that he has been specially qualified for deciphered. For the liistorical facts in tliis cl)apter, cf 2 Kings 15.37-16.9. Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel, as confederates, advanced against Jerusalem. In the first campaign (2 Chronicles 28.) they "smote Ahaz with a great slaughter." Their object was probably to unite tha three kingdoms against Assyria; Egypt seems to have favoured tlie plan, so as to interpose tliese confederate kingdoms between her own frontier and Assyria (cf. v, it (v. 7; cf. 1 Samuel 3. 10, 11 ; Acts 9. 6). 9. Hear . . . Indeed Hebrew, In hearing hear, i. e., Though ye hear the prophet's warnings again and again, ye are doomed, because of your perverse will (John 7. 17), not to understand. Light enough is given in revelation to guide those sincerely seeking to know. In order that they may do, God's
18, "Egypt;" and 2 Kings 17.4, Hosliea's league with Kgypt). Rezin and Pekah may have perceived Ahaz'a inclination towards Assyria rather than towards their own confederacy; this and the old feud between Israel and Judah (1 Kings 12. 16) occasioned their invasion of Judah. Ahaz, at the second inroad of his enemies (cf. 2 Clironicles 28., and 2 Kings 15. 37, with ch. 16. 5), smarting under his former defeat, applied to Tiglath-pileser, in spite of. Isaiali's warning in this chapter, that he sliould rather rely on God; that king accordingly attacked Damascus, and slew Rezin (2 Kings 9.): and probably it was at the same time that he carried away part of Israel captive (2 Kings 15. 20), unless there were two assaults on Pekah—that in 2 Kings 15. 29, the earlier, and that in which Tiglath helped Ahaz subsequent. [G. V. Smith.] Ahaz was saved at the sacrifice of Judah's Independence, and the payment of a large tribute, which continued till the overthrow of Sennacherib under Hezekiah (ch. 37.; 2 Kings 16. 8, 17, 18; 2 Chronicles will; darkness enough is left to confound the wilfully blind (ch. 43. 8). So in Jesus' use of parables (Matthew 13.
14). see . . . Indeed—rather, "though ye see again and again," yet, &c. 10. Make . . . fat—(Psalm 119. 70.) "Render them the more hardened by thy warnings." [Maurer.] This effect is the fruit, not of the truth in Itself, but of the corrupt state of their hearts, to which God here judicially gives them over (ch. 63. 17). Gesenitjs takes the imperatives as futures. "Proclaim truths, the result of which proclamation will be their becoming the moi'e hardened " (Romans 1. 28 ; Ephesians 4. 18) ; but this does not so well as the former set forth God as designedly giving up sinners to judicial hardening (Romans 11. 8; 2 Thessalonians
2. 11). In the first member of the sentence, the order is, the heart, ears, eyes ; in the latter, the reverse order, the eyes, ears, heart. It is from the heart that corruption flows into the ears and eyes (Mark 7. 21, 22) ; but through the eyes and ears healing reaches tlie heart (Romans 10. 17). [Bengel.] (Jeremiah 5. 21; Ezekiell2. 2; Zechariah 7. 11 ; Acts
28. 20). Aliaz's reign began about 741 B. c, and Pekah waa slain in 738. [Winer.] 1. Ahai—In the first years of his reign the design of the two kings against Judah was carried out, which was formed In Jotham's reign (2 Kings 15.
7.57; 2 Timothy 4.4.) In Matthew 13. 15, the words are quoted in the indicative, is waxed gross (so the LXX.), not the imperative, make fat ; God's word as to the future is as certain as if it were already fulfilled. To see with one's
37). Syriftr—Hebrew, Aram (Genesis 10. 22, 23), originally the whole region between the Euphrates and Mediterranean, including As-syria, of which Syria is an abbreviation; here the region round Damascus, and along Jlount Libauus. Jerusalem—an actual siege of it took place, but was foiled (2 Kings 16.5). 3, is confederate with—rather, eyes will not convince a will that is opposed to the truth
(cf. John 11. 45, 46; 12.10,11). "One must toye Divine things in order to understand them." [Pascal.] toe healed—of is encamped upon the territory of Ephraim [Maurer] ; or better, as Rezin was encamped against Jerusalem, " is ported by" [Lowth] Ephraim, whose land lay between Syria and Judali. The mention of " David " alludes, in sad contrast with the present, to the time when David made Syria subject to him (2 Samuel 8. 6). Ephraim—the ten tribes, as . . . trees of . . . wood— a simultaneous agitation. 3. Go forth—out of thecity, to the place where Ahaz was superintending the works for defence, and the cutting ofT of the water supply from the enemy, and securing it to the city. So ch. 22. 9 ; 2 Chronicles 32. 4. Sheartheir spiritual malady, sin (ch. 1. 6; Psalm 108. 3; Jeremiah
17. 14). 11. how long—will this wretched condition of the nation being hardened to its destruction continue? until— (ch. 5. 9)— fulfilled primarily at the Babylonish captivity, and more fully at the dispersion under the Roman Titus. 13. (2 Kings 25. 21.) forsaking—abandonment of dwellings by their inhabitants (Jeremiah 4. 29). 13. and it shall return, and ... he eaten—Rather, but it shall be again given over to be consumed: if even a tenth survive the first destruction, it shall be destroyed by a second (ch. 5. 2,5; Ezekiel 5. 1-5, 12). [Maureb and HoRSLEY.] In English Version, "return" refers to the poor remnant left in the land at the Babylonish captivity (2 Kings 24. 14; 25. 12), which afterwards fled to Egypt in fear.leshuh i. e., A remnant shall return (ch. 6. 13). His very name (cf. v. 14; ch. 8. 3) was a standing memorial to Ahaz and the Jews that the nation should not, notwithstanding the general calamity {v. 17-25; ch. 8. 6-8), be utterly destroyed (ch. 10. 21, 22). conduit—an aqueduct from the pool or reservoir for the supply of the city. At the foot of Zion was Fount Siloah (ch. 8. 6 ; Nehemiah 3. 15; John 9. 7), called also Gilion, on the west of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles
(2 Kings 25. 26), and subsequently returned thence along with others who had fled to Moab and Edom (Jeremiah
40.11, 12); and suffered under further Divine judgments, tell—Rather, terebinth or turpentine tree (ch. 1. 29). substance . , . when . . . cast . . . leaves— Rather, "As a
32. 30). Two pools were supplied from it, the Upper, or Old terebinth or oak in which, when they are cast doivn (not ' cast
(ch. 22. 11), or King's (Nehemiah 2. 14), and the Lower (ch. 22.
their leaves,' Job li.7), the trunk or stock remains, so the holy seed (Ezra 9. 2) shall be the stock of thai land." Th e seeds
9), which received the superfiuous waters of the upper. The upper pool is still to be seen, about seven hundred yards from the JaflSa, gate. The highway leading to the of vitality still exist in botli the land and the scattered people of Judea, waiting for the returning spring of God's favour (Romans 11. 5, 23-29). According to Isaiah, not all fullers' field, which was in a position near water for the purposes of washing, previous to drying and bleaching, the cloth, was probably alongside the aqueduct. 4. Take heed, <fec.—t. e.. See that thou be quiet (not seeking Assyrian aid in a fit of panic), tails—mere ends of firebrands, almost consumed themselves (about soon to fall before the Assyrians, v. 8), therefore harmless, smoking—as about to go out; not blazing, son of Remaliah— Pekah, an usurper (2 Kings 15. 25). The Easterns express contempt by designating one, not by his own name, but by his
Israel, l)ut the elect remnant alone, is destined to salvation. God shows unchangeable severity towards sin, but covenant faithfulness in preserving a remnant, and to it Isaiah bequeaths tlie prophetic legacy of the second part of his book (ch. 40.-66).
CHAPTER VII.
Chapters 7., 8., and 9. 1-7. Prediction of the III Success OF THE SYRO-ISKAELITISH INVASION OF JUDAH— AHAZ'S Alliance with Assyria, and its Fatal Refatlier's, especially when the father is but little known (1 Samuel 20. 27, 31). 6. vex—rather, throw into consternation, [Gesbniu.s.] make a hreach—rather, cleave it asunder,
BtTLTS TO Judea—yet the Certainty of Final Preservation AND of the Coming of Messiah. In tlie Assyrian inscriptions the name of Rezin, king of Damascus, is found among the tributaries of Tlglath-pileser.
TJieir scheme was to divide a large portion of tlie territory between themselves, and set Mp a vassal-king of tlieirown overtlie rest, son of Tabeal-unknown ; a Syrian-sounding natne, perhaps favoured bur a party In Jerusalem (oh.
of whose reign the annals of seventeen years have been