because he will not ever be wheel of his cart, nor bruise it threshing it, nor break it with the with his horsemen. wheels. The word PR means often mountains, and beatest them small"to break in pieces; to make small or fine. It is, however, applied to threshing as consisting in beating, or crushing. Isa. xli. 15: " Thou threshest the pin. ¶ Because he will not ever be threshing it. The word rendered "because," ", evidently here means al 29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is won though or but; and the sense is, that he will not always continue to thresh it; this is not mis only business. It is only a part of his method by which he obtains grain for his bread. It would be needless and injurious to be always engaged in rolling the stone or the sledge over the grain. So God takes various methods with his people. He does not always pursue the same course. He sometimes smites and punishes them as the farmer beats his grain. But he does not always do it. He is not engaged in this method alone; nor does he pursue this constantly. It would crush and destroy them. He, therefore, smites them just enough to secure, in the best manner, and to the fullest extent, their obedience; just as the farmer bruises his sheaves enough to separate all the grain from the chaff. When this is done, he pursues other methods. Hence the various severe and heavy trials with which the people of God are afflicted. Nor bruise it with his horsemen. Lowth renders this "with the hoofs of his cattle;" proposing to read instead of by a change of a single letter Samekh, instead of Shin. So the Syriac and the Vulgate; and so Sym; machus and Theodotion. But the word may denote not only a horseman, but the horse itself on which one rides. See Bochart Hieroz. P. i. L. ii. c. vi. p. 98. Comp. Habak. i. 8, Note Isa. xxi. 7, 9, 2 Sam. i. 6. That horses were used in treading out grain there can be no doubt. They are extensively used in this country; and though in Palestine it is probable that oxen were chiefly employed (Deut. xxv. 4) in the early times, yet there is no improbability in supposing that in the times subsequent to Solomon, when horses abounded, they were preferred. Their more rapid motion, and perhaps the hardness of their hoofs, makes them more valuable for this service. See Michaelis' Commentary on the Laws of Moses, vol. ii. Appendix, pp 430–514, Ed. London, 1814. There are here, therefore, four modes of threshing mentioned, all of which are common still in the East. (1.) The sledge with rollers on which were pieces of iron, or stone, and which was dragged over the grain. (2.) The cart or wain, with serrated wheels, and which was also drawn over the grain. (3) The flail, or the stick. (4.) The use of cattle, and horses. 29. This also cometh, &c. That is, these various devices for threshing his grain comes from the Lord no less than the skill with which he tills his land. See ver. 26. T And excellent in work. ing. Or rather who magnifies his wisdom, n. This word properly means wisdom, or understanding. Job xi. 6, xii. 16, xxvi. 3. Prov. iii. 21, viii. 14, xviii. 1. The idea of the prophet is, that God, who had so wisely taught the husbandman, and who had instructed him to use such various methods in his husbandry, would also be himself wise, and would pursue similar methods with his people. He varying course, but would vary his diswould not always pursue the same unpensations as they should need, and as would best secure their holiness and happiness We see (1.) The reason of afflictions. It is for the same cause which induces the farmer to employ various methods on his farm. (2.) We are not to expect the same unvarying course in God's dealings with us. It would be as unreasonable as to expect that the farmer would be always ploughing, or always threshing. (3.) We are not to expect always the same kind of afflictions. The farmer uses different machines and modes of threshing, and adapts them to the nature of the grain. So God uses different modes and adapts them to the nature, character, and disposition of his people. One man requires one mode of discipline, and grain. So another anotner. At one time we need | pursue it too far, and not to injure the one mode of correction to call us from with God's dealings with sin and temptation; at another another. His object is not to destroy We may lay it down as a general rule them, but it is to separate the chaff that the divine judgments are usually from the wheat; and he will afflict in the line of our offences; and by the them only so much as may be necessary nature of the judgment we may usually to accomplish this. He will not be alascertain the nature of the sin. If a ways bruising his people, but will in man's besetting sin is pride, the judg- due time remit his strokes-just as the ment will usually be something that is thresher does. (5.) We should, therefitted to humble his pride; if it be fore, bear afflictions and chastisements covetousness, his property may be re- with patience. God deals with us in moved, or it may be made a curse; if mercy-and the design of all his disit be undue attachment to children or pensations toward us in prosperity and friends, they may be removed. (4.) God adversity; in sickness and in health; will not crush or destroy his people. in success and disappointment, is to The farmer does not crush or destroy produce the richest and most abundant his grain. In all the various methods fruits of righteousness, and to prepare which he uses, he takes care not to us to enter into his kingdom at ɔve. CHAPTER XXIX. ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. This chapter relates solely to Jerusalem-here called Ariel. See Note on ver. 1. It is not immediately connected with the preceding or the following chapters, though it is not improbable they were delivered about the same time At what time this was delivered is not known, thongh it is evident that it was before the invasion by Sennacherib, and probably before the time of Hezekiah. The prophecy in the chapter consists of two parts. I. The invasion of Judea by Sennacherib, and its sudden deliverance, vs 1-8. II. A reproof of the Jews for their infidelity and impiety. 1. The invasion of Judea, and the distress that would be brought upon Jerusalem, and its sudden deliverance, vs. 1-8. (a.) Ariel would be filled with grief and distress, vs. 1. 2. (b.) JEHOVAH would encamp against it and besiege it, and it would be greatly straitened and humbled, vs. 3. 4. (c.) Yet the besieging army would be visited with sudden calamity and destruction.-represented here by thunder and tempest and flame, vs. 5, 6. (d.) The enemy would vanish as a dream, and all his hopes would be disappointed, as the hopes of a hungry and thirsty man are disappointed who dreams of having satisfied his hunger and thirst, vs. 7, 8. There can be no doubt, I think, that this portion of the prophecy refers to the sudden and dreadful overthrow of Sennacherib; and the design of this portion of the prophecy is to give the assurance that though Jerusalem would be in imminent danger, yet it would be suddenly delivered. II. The second part consists of reproofs of the inhabitants of Jerusalem for their infidelity and impiety. (a.) They were full of error, and all classes of people were wandering from God-reeling under error like a drunken man, ver. 9. (b.) A spirit of blindness and stupidity every where prevailed among the people, vs. 10-12. (c) Formality and external regard for the institutions of religion prevailed, but without its life and power, ver. 13. (d.) They attempted to lay deep and skilful plans to hide their wickedness from JEHOVAH, ver. 15. (e.) They were unjust in their judgments, making a man an offender for a word, and perverting just judgment, ver. 21. (f.) For all this they should be punished. (1.) The wisdom of their wise men should fail, ver. 14. (2.) The scorner would be consumed, ver. 20. (g.) There would be an overturning, and the people would be made acquainted with the law of God, and the truly pious would be comforted, vs. 16-19. Those who had erred would be re formed, and would come to the true knowledge of God, vs. 22-24. 1 Wo 'to Ariel, to Ariel, the ye year to year; let them kill city where David dwelt! add sacrifices. 1 or, O Ariel, i. e. the lion of God. 2 or, of the city. 1. Wo. Comp. Note ch. xviii. 1. To Ariel. There can be no doubt f 2 Sam. 5. 9. 3 cut off the heads. that Jerusalem is here intended. The declaration that it was the city where David dwelt, as well as the entire scope of the prophecy, proves this. But still, it is not quite clear why the city is here called Ariel. The margin reads, "O Ariel, i. e. the lion of God." The word Ariel, is compounded of two words, and is usually supposed to be made up of a lion, and God; and if this interpretation is correct, it is equivalent to a strong, mighty, fierce lion-where the word "God" is used to denote greatness in the same way as the lofty cedars of Lebanon are called cedars of God; i. e. lofty cedars. The lion is an emblem of strength, and a strong lion is an emblem of a mighty warrior or hero. 2 Sam. xxiii. 20: " He Blew two lion-like () men of Moab." 1 Chron. xi. 22. This use of the word to denote a hero is common in Arabic. See Bochart, Hieroz. P. i. Lib. iii. c. i. If this be the sense in which it is used here, then it is applied to Jerusalem under the image of a hero, and particularly as the place which was distinguished under David as the capital of a kingdom that was so celebrated for its triumphs in war. The word "Ariel" is however used in another sense in the Scriptures, to denote an altar (Ezek. xliii. 15, 16), where in the Heb. the word is Ariel. This name is given to the altar, Bochart supposes (Hieroz. P. i. Lib. iii. c. i.), because the altar of burnt-offering devours as it were the sacrifices as a lion devours its prey. Gesenius, however, has suggested another reason why the word is given to the altar, since he says that the word is the same as one used in Arabic to denote a fire-hearth, and that the altar was so called because it was the place of perpetual burnt-offering. The name Ariel, 'is, doubtless, given in Ezekiel to an altar; and it may be given here to Jerusalem because it was the place of the altar, or of the public worship of God. The Chaldee renders it, "Wo to the altar, the altar which was constructed in the city where David dwelt." It seems to me that this view better suits the connection, and particularly ver. 2 (see Note), than to suppose that the name is given to Jerusalem because it was like a lion. If this be the true interpretation, then it is so called because Jerusalem was the place of the burnt-offering, or of the public worship of God; the place where the fire, as on an hearth, continually burned on the altar. took the hill of Zion from the Jebusites, The city where David dwelt. David and made it the capital of his kingdom. 2 Sam. v. 6-9. Lowth renders this, "the city which David besieged." So the LXX (Eroλépnoe); and so the Vulgate (expugnavit). The word properly means to encamp, to pitch one's tent (Gen. xxvi. 17), to station one's self. It is also used in the sense of encamping against any one, that is, to make war upon or to attack (see ver. 3, and Ps. xxvii. 3, 2 Sam. xii. 28); and Jerome and others have supposed that it has this meaning here in accordand the Vulgate. But the more correct ance with the interpretation of the LXX idea is probably that in our translation, that David pitched his tent there; that is, that he made it his dwelling place. Add ye year to year. That is, ' go on year after year, suffer one year to glide on after another in the course which you are pursuing.' This seems to be used ironically, and to denote that they were going on one year after another in the observance of the feasts; walking the round of external ceremonies as if the fact that David had dwelt there, and that that was the place of the great altar of worship, constituted perfect security. One of the sins charged and heartlessness in their devotions on them in this chapter was formality (ver. 13), and this seems to be referred to here. ¶ Let them kill sacrifices. Marg. " cut off the heads." The word here rendered "kill," P, may mean to smite; to hew; to cut down. Ia. x. 34. Job xix. 26. But it has also another signification which better accords with this place. It denotes to make a circle, to revolve; to go round a place, Josh. vi. 3, 11; to surround, 1 Kings vii. 24, Ps. xxii. 17, 2 Kings vi. 14, Ps. xvii. 9, lxxxviii. 18. The word rendered sacrifices, Da, may 2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow and it shall be unto me as Ariel. mean a sacrifice (Ps. cxviii. 27. Ex. xxiii. 18. Mal. ii. 3), but it more commonly and properly denotes feasts or festivals. Ex. x. 9, xii. 14. Lev. xxiii. 39. Deut. xvi. 10, 16. 1 Kings viii. 2, 65. 2 Chron. vii. 8, 9. Neh. viii. 14. Hos. ii. 11, 13. Here the sense is, let the festivals go round; that is, let them revolve as it were in a perpetual, unmeaning circle, until the judgments due to such heartless service shall come upon you. The whole address is evidently ironical, and designed to denote that all their service was an unvarying repetition of heartless forms. The 2. Yet I will distress Ariel. reference here is doubtless to the siege which God says (ver. 3) he would bring upon the guilty and formal city. T And there shall be heaviness and sorrow. This was true of the city in the siege of Sennacherib, to which this probably refers. Though the city was delivered in a sudden and remarkable manner (see Note on vs. 7, 8), yet it was also true that it was reduced to great distress. See chs. xxxvi. xxxvii. 3 And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. k 2 Kings 25. 1, &c. in supposing that there was presented to the mind of the prophet in vision the image of the total ruin that would come yet upon the city by the Chaldeans-when the temple, the palaces, and the dwellings of the magnificent city of David would be in flames, and like a vast blazing altar consuming that which was laid upon it. 3. And I will camp against thee. That is, I will cause an army to pitch their tents there for a siege. God regards the armies which he would employ as under his control, and speaks of them as if he would do it himself. See Note ch. x. 5. ¶ Round about, 2. As in a circle—that is, he would encompass or encircle the city. The word here used (~7) in ch. xxii. 18 means a ball, but here it evidently means a circle; and the sense is, that the army of the besiegers would encompass the city. A similar form of expression occurs in regard to Jerusalem in Luke xix. 43: " For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench (xápaka-a rampart, a mound) upon thee (oo against thee), and compass thee round (TEρIKUKλwoonoi σe, encircle thee). So, also, Luke xxi. 20. The LXX render this, "I will encompass thee as David did" evidently reading it as if it were And it shall be unto me as Ariel. This phrase shows that in ver. 1 Jerusalem is called " 'Ariel," because it contained the great altar, and was the place of sacrifice. The word Ariel here is to be understood in the sense of the hearth of the great altar; and the 2; and Lowth observes that two meaning is, I will indeed make JeruMSS. thus read it, and he himself salem like the great altar; I will make adopts it. But the authority for corit the burning place of wrath where recting the Hebrew text in this way is my enemies shall be consumed as if not sufficient, nor is it necessary. The they were on the altar of burnt sacri- idea in the present reading is a clear fice.' Thus in ch. xxx. 9, it is said of JEHOVAH that his "fire is in Zion, mies of Sennacherib would encompass one, and evidently means that the arand his furnace in Jerusalem." the city. With a mount. A ramis a strong expression denoting the capart; a fortification. Or, rather, perlamity that was approaching; and though the main reference in this whole haps the word means a post, a passage is to the distress that would military station, from, to place, come upon them in the invasion of to station. The word in this form ocSennacherib, yet there is no impropriety | curs nowhere else in the Scriptures, but This |