VAH,' or 'JEHOVAH will save.' The Vulgate renders it ISAIAS; the LXX. Hoatas Esaias. This is also retained in the New Testament. Matt. iii. 3, iv. 14, xii. 17, xv. 7. Mark vii. 6. Luke iv. 17. John xii. 39. Acts viii. 28. Rom. ix. 27, &c. &c. In the book of Isaiah itself we find the form scription the Rabbins give the form It was common Yesha'yâ. however, it seems clearly intended to include the entire book, because it embraces all that was seen during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; that is, during the whole prophetic life of the prophet. The same title is also given to his prophecies in 2 Chron. xxxii. 32: "Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his Yesha'yahu, but in the ingoodness, behold they are written in the vision of Isaiah." Vitringa supposes that the former part of this title," the vision of Isaiah," was at first affixed to the single prophecy contained in the first chapter, and that the latter part was inserted afterwards as an introduction to the whole book. This might have been done by Isaiah himself if he collected his prophecies into a volume, or by some other inspired man who collected and arranged them. See the Introduction to ch. xxxvi.-The word vision, hhazón, denotes properly that which is seen, from the verb hhâzâ, to see, to behold. It is a term which is often used in reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament. Num. xii. 6, xxiv. 4. 1 Sam. iii. 1. Ps. lxxxix. 19. Dan. ii. 19, vii. 2, viii. 1. Nah. i. 1. Gen. xv. 1. Isa. xxi. 2, xxii. 1. Hence the prophets, were anciently called Seers, as those who saw or witnessed events which were yet to come. Comp. 1 Sam. ix. 9: "He that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer." 1 Sam. ix. 11, 18, 19. 1 Chron. ix. 22, xxix. 29. 2 Kings xviii. 13. In these visions, the objects probably were made to pass before the mind of the prophet as a picture in which the various events were delineated with more or less distinctness, and the prophecies were spoken, or recorded, as the visions appeared to the observer. As many events could be represented only by symbols, those symbols became a matter of record, and are often left without explanation. On the nature of the prophetic visions, see Introduction, § 7. (4.) T OF ISAIAH. The name Isaiah from Yesha'-salvation, help, deliverance-and in Yehova or JEHOVAH, means 'salvation of JEHO among the Hebrews to incorporate the tirely with the design of so large a 2 Hear, O heavens; and give | brought up children," and they ear, O earth; for the LORD hath have rebelled against me: spoken: I have nourished and c De. 32. 1. Je. 2. 12. Mi. 1. 2. d ch. 63. 16. him an army of more than three hundred thousand men. But he became proud-attempted an act of sacrilegewas smitten of God and died a leper. But though the kingdom under Uzziah was flourishing, yet it had in it the elements of decay. During the previous reign of Joaslı, it had been invaded and weakened by the Assyrians, and a large amount of wealth had been taken to Damascus the capital of Syria. 2 Chron. xxiv. 23, 24. It is not improbable that those ravages were repeated during the latter part of the reign of Uzziah. Comp. Isa. i. 7. Jotham. He began to reign at the age of twenty-five years, and reigned sixteen years. 2 Chron. xxvii. 1, 2. Ahaz. He began to reign at the age of twenty, and reigned sixteen years. He was a wicked man, and during his reign the kingdom was involved in crimes and calamities. 2 Chron. xxviii. THezekiah. He was a virtuous and upright prince. He began his reign at the age of twenty-five years, and reign tribes. Few of the prophets appeared among them; and the personal ministry of Isaiah does not appear to have been at all extended to them. ¶ Jerusalem. The capital of the kingdom of Judah. It was on the dividing line between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It is supposed to have been founded by Melchizedek, who is called king of Salem (Gen. xiv. 18), and who is supposed to have given this name Salem to it. This was about 2000 years before Christ. About a century after its foundation as a city, it was captured by the Jebusites, who extended its walls and built a citadel on Mount Zion. By them it was called Jebus. In the conquest of Canaan, Joshua put to death its king (Josh. x. 23), and obtained possession of the town, which was jointly occupied by the Hebrews and Jebusites until the latter were expelled by David, who made it the capital of his kingdom under the name of Jebus-Salem, or, for the sake of easier pronunciation by changing the B into R, Jerusalem. After the revolted twenty-nine. 2 Chron. xxix. See of the ten tribes, it of course became the Introduction § 3. the capital of the kingdom of Judah. It was built on hills, or rocks, and was capable of being strongly fortified, and was well adapted to be the capital of the nation. For a more full description of Jerusalem, see Notes on Matth. ii. 1. The vision which is here spoken of as having been seen respecting Judah and Jerusalem, pertains only to this chapter. See ch. ii. 1. ¶ In the days of Uzziah. In the time, or during the reign of Uzziah. 2 Chron. xxvi. Comp. Intro. § 3. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty-two years. It is not affirmed or supposed that Isaiah began to prophesy at the commencement of his reign. The first part of the long reign of Uzziah was prosperous. He gained important victories over his enemies, and fortified his kingdom. 2 Chron. xxvi. 5-15. He had under 2. Hear, O heavens. This is properly the beginning of the prophecy. It is a sublime commencement; and is of a highly poetic character. The heavens and the earth are summoned to bear witness to the apostacy, ingratitude, and deep depravity of the chosen people of God. The address is expressive of deep feeling,-the bursting forth of a heart filled with amazement at a wonderful and unusual event. The same sublime beginning is found in the song of Moses, Deut. xxxii. 1: Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Comp. Ps. iv. 3, 4. Thus also the prophets often invoke the hills and mountains to hear them. Ezek. vi. 3: "Ye mountains of Israel, hear the words of the Lord God: Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, and to the rivers, and to the valleys." Comp. Ezek. xxxvi. 1. "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord." Jer. ii. 12. By the heavens therefore, in this place, we are not to understand the inhabitants of heaven, i. e. the angels, any more than by the hills we are to understand the inhabitants of the mountains. It is high poetic language, denoting the importance of the subject, and the remarkable and amazing truth to which the attention was to be called. T Give ear, O earth. It was common thus to address the earth on any remarkable occasion, especially any one implying warm expostulation. Jer. v. 19, xxii. 29. Micah i. 2, vi. 2. Isa. xxxiv. 1, xlix. 13. T For. Since it is Jehovah that speaks, all the universe is summoned to attend. Comp. Ps. xxxiii. 8,9: "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world. stand in awe of him. For he spake and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast." ¶ The LORD. Yehōvâ, or JEHOVAH. The small capitals used here and elsewhere throughout the Bible, in printing the word LORD, denote that the original word is JEHOVAH. It is derived from the verb hâyâ, to be; and is used to denote being, or the fountain of being, and can be applied only to the true God. Comp. Ex. iii. 14: "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM," MOON GUN HOON. Ex. vi. 3. Num. xi. 21. Isa. xlvii. 8. It is a name which is never given to idols, or conferred on a creature; and though it occurs often in the Hebrew Scriptures, as is indicated by the small capitals, yet our translators have retained it but four times. Ex. vi. 3. Ps. lxxxiii. 18. Isa. xii. 2. xxvi. 4. In combination however with other names, it occurs often. Thus in Isaiah, meaning the salvation of Jehovah; Jeremiah, the exaltation or grandeur of Jehovah, &c. Comp. Gen. xxii. 14: "Abraham called the name of the place Jehovahjireh." Ex. xvii. 15. Judges vi. 24. Ezek. xlviii. 35. The Jews never pro nounced this name, not even in reading their own Scriptures. So sacred did they deem it, that when it occurred in their books, instead of the word JEHOVAH, they substituted the word ADONAI, Lord. Our translators have shown respect to this feeling of the Jews in regard to the sacredness of the name; and hence, have rendered it by the name of LORD-a word which by no means conveys the sense of the word JEHOVAH. It would have been an advantage to our version if the word JEHOVAH had been retained wherever it occurs in the original. ¶ I have nourished. Heb. I have made great, . In Piel, the word means to make great, to cause to grow; as e. g. the hair; Num. vi. 5, plants, Isa. xliv. 14; then to educate or bring up children. Isa. xlix. 21, 41, 13. 2 Kings x. 6. ¶ And brought up. römămti, from Drum, to lift up or exalt. In Piel it means to bring up, nourish, educate. Isaiah xxiii. 4. These training up of children, yet are here words, though applied often to the used also to denote the elevation to which they had been raised. He had not merely trained them up, but he had trained them up to an elevated station; to peculiar honour and privileges. T Children. Heb. bânim-sons. They were the adopted children of God; and they are represented as being weak, and ignorant, and helpless as children, when he took them under his fatherly protection and care. Hosea xi. 1: "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." Comp. Note, Matth. ii. 15. Isa. Ixiii. 8-16. ¶ They have rebelled. This complaint was often brought against the Jews. Comp. Isa. lxiii. 10. Jer. ii. 6, 7, 8.-This is the sum of the charge against them. God had shown them peculiar favours. He recounted his mercy in bringing them out of Egypt; and on the ground of this, he demanded obedience and love. Comp. Ex. xx. 1, 2, 3. had forgotten him, and rebelled against him. The Targum of Jonathan, an And yet they 3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people h Jer. 8. 7. 66 ancient Chaldee version, has well expressed the idea here. Hear, O heavens, which were moved when I gave my law to my people; give ear, O earth, which didst tremble before my word, for the Lord has spoken. My people, the house of Israel, whom I called sons, I loved them,-I honoured them, and they rebelled against me." The same is true substantially of all sinners; and alas, how often may a similar expostulation be made with the professed people of God! 3. The ox, &c. The design of this comparison is to show the great stupidity and ingratitude of the Jews. Even the least sagacious and most stupid of the animals, destitute as they are of reason and conscience, evince knowledge and submission far more than the professed people of God. The ox is a well known domestic animal, remarkable for patient willingness to toil, and for submission to his owner. Knoweth his owner. Recognizes, or is submissive to him. ¶ The ass. A well known animal, proverbial for dulness and stupidity. His master's crib. from Dabas, to heap up, and then to fatten. Hence it is applied to the stall, barn, or crib, where cattle are fed, or made fat. Job xxxix. 9. Prov. xiv. 4. The ass has sufficient knowledge to understand that his support is derived from that. The idea is, that the ox was more submissive to laws than the Jews; and that even the most stupid animal better knew whence support was to be derived, than they did the source of their comfort and protection. The ass would not wander away, and the ox would not rebel as they had done. This comparison was very striking, and very humiliating, and nothing could be more fitted to bring down their pride. A similar comparison is elsewhere used. Thus, in Jer. viii. 7, the Jews are contrasted with the stork: "Yea, the stork in the doth not consider. 4 Ah, sinful nation, a people 'laden with iniquity, a seed of 1 of heaviness. k Matth. 11. 21. heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle [dove], and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord." This idea has been beautifully expressed by Watts: The brutes obey their God, And bow their necks to men; But we more base, more brutish things, Comp. Hos. xi. 4. ¶ But Israel. The name Israel, though after the division of the tribes into two kingdoms specifically employed to denote that of the ten tribes, is often used in the more general sense to denote the whole peoof Judah. It refers here to the kingple of the Jews, including the kingdom dom of Judah, though a name is used which is not inappropriately characteristic of the whole people. ¶ Doth not know. The Latin Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Arabic, add the in the sense of recognizing him as their word "me." The word know is used Lord; of acknowledging him, or subHeb. Do not understand. They have mitting to him. Doth not consider. a stupidity greater than the brute. 4. Ah! sinful nation. The word rendered “ah!” hoy-is not a mere exclamation, expressing astonish ment. It is rather an interjection, denouncing threatening, or punishment. 'Wo to the sinful nation.' Vulg. "Vae genti peccatrici." The corruption pertained to the nation, and not merely to den with iniquity. The word transa part. It had become general. ¶ Lalated laden-723-denotes properly any thing heavy, or burdensome; from 7 kabhadh, to be heavy. It means that they were oppressed, and borne down with the weight of their sins. Thus we say, Sin sits heavy on the conscience. Thus Cain said, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." Gen. iv. 13. The word is applied to evil-doers, children that are corrupters! they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 2 alicnated, or separated. Ps. 58. 3. Gen. xii. 7. xiii. 15, 16, xv. 5, 18, xvii. 7, &c. ¶ Children. Heb. sonsthe same word that is used in ver. 2. They were the adopted people or sons of God, but they had now become corrupt. ¶ That are corrupters. mashhithim, from to destroy, to lay waste, as an invading army does a city or country. Josh. xxii. 33. Gen. xix. 13. shahhath, To destrok a vineyard, Jer. xii. 10. To breay down walls, Ezek. xxvi. 4. Applied to conduct, it means to destroy, or lay waste virtuous principles; to break down the barriers to vice; to corrupt the morals. Gen. vi. 12: "And God looked upon the earth, and it was corrupt--for all flesh had corrupted his way--upon the earth." Deut. iv. 16. xxxi. 29. Judges ii. 19. They were not merely corrupt themselves, but they corrupted others by their example.-This is always the case. When men become infidels and profligates themselves, they seek to make as many more so as possible. The Jews did this by their wicked lives. The same charge is often brought against them. See Judges ii. 12. Zeph. iii. 7. They have provoked. Heb. an employment as being burdensome. Exod. xviii. 18: "This thing is too heavy for thee." Num. xi. 14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone; it is too heavy for me." It is applied also to a famine, as being heavy, severe, distressing. Gen. xii. 10: "For the famine was grievous (heavy) in the land." Gen. xli. 31. It is also applied to speech, as being heavy, dull, unintelligible. Ex. iv. 10: "I am slow (heavy) of speech, and of a slow (heavy) tongue." It is not applied to sin in the Scriptures, except in this place, or except in the sense of making atonement for it. The idea however is very striking, that of a nation-an entire people, bowed and crushed under the enormous weight of accumulated crimes. To pardon iniquity, or to atone for it, is represented by bearing it, as if it were a heavy burden. Ex. xxviii. 38, 43. "That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things." Lev. x. 17: "God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation." Lev. xxii. 9, xvi. 22. Num. xviii. 1. Isa. liii. 6: “JEHOVAH hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." 11: " He shall bear their iniquities." 1 Pet. ii. 24: "Who his own self bar e our sins in his own body. They have despised the Holy on the tree." TA seed. zērā', One.' Comp. Prov. i. 30, v. 12, xv. 5. from zâra', to sow, to scatter, to Vulg. They have blasphemed.' Septuagint, παρωργίσατε. disperse. It is applied to seed sown You have proin a field; Judges vi. 3. Gen. i. 11, 12, voked him to anger.' The meaning is, xlvii. 23; to plants set out, or engraft- that they had so despised him, as to ed; or to planting, or transplanting a excite his indignation. ¶ The Holy One nation. Isa. xvii. 10: " And thou shalt of Israel. God; called the Holy One of Israel because he was revealed to set it shalt sow, or plant it] with strange slips." Hence it is applied to children, posterity, descendants, from the resemblance to seed sown, and to a harvest springing up, and spreading. The word is applied by way of eminence to the Jews, as being THE seed or posterity of Abraham, according to the promise that his seed should be as the stars of heaven. 66 them as their God, or they were taught to regard him as the sacred object of their worship. They are gone away backward. Lowth: They have turned their backs upon him." The word rendered they are gone away, 1‡ nâzōrū, from "zur, means properly, to become estranged; to be alienated. Job xix. 13: "Mine acquaintance are |