Commentary on Isaiah Volume 1 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
suam, contra quem si convocetur cœtus pastorum, a clamore eorum non commovebitur, neque ob eorum tumultum humiliabitur; sic descendet Iehova exercituum ad præliandum pro monte Sion, et pro colle ejus.
5. As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it
5. Sicut aves quæ volant, ita proteget Iehova exercituum Ierusalem; protegens liberabit, transiliens servabit.
6. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 6. Revertimini ut profundam fecistis defectionem, filii Israel. 7. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
7. Quoniam in die illa abjicit homo idola argenti sui, et idola auri sui, quæ fecerunt vobis manus vestræ peccatum.
8. Then shall the Assyrians fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
8. Tum cadet Assur per gladium, non viri; et gladius non hominis devorabit eum; et fuga sibi consulet a facie gladii, et juvens ejus in liquefactionem erunt.
9. And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
9. In arcem suam præ formidine transibit, et pavebunt Principes ejus a vexillo, dicit Iehova, cui ignis est (vel, qui ignis illi est) in Sion, et cui fornax in Ierusalem.
1. Woe to them that go down to Egypt. He again returns to the subject which he had handled at the beginning of the former chapter; for he still cries loudly against the Jews, whose ordinary custom it was, in seasons of danger, to resort, not to the Lord, but to the Egyptians. We have formerly explained why this was so highly displeasing to God. To state the matter briefly, there are two reasons why the Prophet reproves this crime so severely. The first is, because it is impossible for us to place confidence for our salvation in creatures, and at the same time in God; for our eyes must be withdrawn from him as soon as they are directed to them. The second reason is, God had expressly forbidden them to enter into alliance with the Egyptians. (Deuteronomy 17:16.) To sinful confidence was added rebelliousness, as if they had resolved to provide for their safety by despising God, and by disobeying his will.
We must therefore look at the source of this evil, if we wish to understand fully the Prophet's meaning. There was also a peculiar reason, as we have formerly remarked, why the Lord wished the Jews to have no intercourse with the Egyptians. It was, lest that wicked alliance should obliterate the remembrance of the redemption from Egypt, and lest they should be cor-