Persius, in his hard way of metaphor, calls "Exossatus ager." Sat. vi. 52. Ibid. Sorek.] Many of the ancient interpreters, LXX, Aq. Theod. have returned this word as a proper name; I think, very rightly: Sorek was a valley lying between Ascalon and Gaza, and running far up eastward in the tribe of Judah. Both Ascalon and Gaza were anciently famous for wine; the former is mentioned as such by Alexander Trallianus; the latter by several authors: (quoted by Reland, Palæst. p. 589. and 986.) And it seems, that the upper part of the valley of Sorek, and that of Eshcol, where the spies gathered the single cluster of grapes, which they were obliged to bear between two upon a staff, being both near to Hebron, were in the same neighbourhood; and that all this part of the country abounded with rich vineyards. Compare Num. xiii. 22, 23. Judg. xvi. 3, 4. P. Nau supposes Eshcol and Sorek to be only different names for the same valley. Voyage Nouveau de la Terre Sainte, liv. iv. chap. 18. So likewise De Lisle's posthumous map of the Holy Land. Paris, 1763. See Bochart, Hieroz. ii. col. 725. Thevenot, i. p. 406. Michaelis (note on Judg. xvi. 4. German translation) thinks it probable, from some circumstances of the history there given, that Sorek was in the tribe of Judah, not in the country of the Philistines. The vine of Sorek was known to the Israelites, being mentioned by Moses (Gen. xlix. 11.) before their coming out of Egypt. Egypt was not a wine country. "Throughout this country there are no wines." Sandys, p. 101. At least in very ancient times they had none. Herodotus, ii. 77. says, it had no vines; and therefore used an artificial wine made of barley: that is not strictly true; for the vines of Egypt are spoken of in Scripture, (Psal. lxxviii. 47. cv. 33. and sec Gen. xl. 11. by which it should seem that they drank only the fresh juice pressed from the grape, which was called ovog aμжελoç. Herodot. ii. 37.) but they had no large vineyards; nor was the country proper for them, being little more than one large plain, annually overflowed by the Nile. The Mareotic in later times is, I think, the only celebrated Egyptian wine which we meet with in history. The vine was formerly, as Hasselquist tells us it is now, "cultivated in Egypt for the sake of eating the grapes, not for wine; which is brought from Candia," &c. "They were supplied with wine from Greece, and likewise from Phenicia." Herodot. iii. 6. The vine and the wine of Sorek therefore, which lay near at hand for importation into Egypt, must, in all probability, have been well known to the Israelites when they sojourned there. There is something remarkable in the manner in which Moses makes mention of it, which, for want of considering this matter, has not been attended to: it is in Jacob's prophecy of the future prosperity of the tribe of Judah. "Binding his foal to the vine, And his ass's colt to his own Sorek; And his cloak in the blood of grapes." Gen. xlix. 11. I take the liberty of rendering, for p, his Sorek, as the Ma might naturally עיר .his foal עירו for ,עירה soretes do of pointing enough appear in the feminine form, but it is not at all probable that p ever should. By naming particularly the vine of Sorek, and as the vine S belonging to Judah, the prophecy intimates the very part of the country which was to fall to the lot of that tribe. Sir John Chardin says, "That, at Casbin, a city of Persia, they turn their cattle into the vineyards, after the vintage, to brouse on the vines." He speaks also of vines in that country so large, that he could hardly compass the trunks of them with his arms. Voyages, tom. iii. p. 12. 12mo. This shews, that the ass might be securely bound to the vine; and without danger of damaging the tree by brousing on it. Ibid. And he built a tower in the midst of it.] Our Saviour, who has taken the general idea of one of his parables (Matt. xxi. 33. Mark xii. 1.) from this of Isaiah, has likewise inserted this circumstance of building a tower; which is generally explained by commentators, as designed for the keeper of the vineyard to watch and defend the fruits. But for this purpose it was usual to make a little temporary hut, (Isa. i. 8.) which might serve for the short season while the fruit was ripening, and which was removed afterward. The tower therefore should rather mean a building of a more permanent nature and use; the farm, as we may call it, of the vineyard, containing all the offices and implements, and the whole apparatus, necessary for the culture of the vineyard, and the making of the wine. To which image in the allegory, the situation, the manner of building, the use, and the whole service of the temple exactly answered. And so the Chaldee paraphrast very rightly expounds it: "Et statui eos (Israelitas) ut plantam vineæ selectæ, et ædificavi Sanctuarium meum in medio illorum." So also Hieron. in loc. "Edificavit quoque turrim in medio ejus: templum videlicet in media civitate." That they have still such towers, or buildings, for use or pleasure, in their gardens in the east, see Harmer's Observations, ii. p. 241. Ibid. And hewed out a lake therein.] This image also our Saviour has preserved in his parable. p. LXX render it here πрoλŋvɩv, and in four other places vπоληvov, Isa. xvi. 10. Joel iii. 13. Hag. ii. 17. Zech. xiv. 10.; I think, more properly: and this latter word St. Mark uses. It means, not the wine-press itself, or calcatorium, which is called Л, or , but what the Romans called lacus, the lake; the large open place, or vessel, which, by a conduit, or spout, received the must from the winepress. In very hot countries it was perhaps necessary, or at least very convenient, to have the lake under ground, or in a cave hewed out of the side of the rock, for coolness; that the heat might not cause too great a fermentation, and sour the must. "Vini confectio instituitur in cella, vel intimæ domos camera quadam, a ventorum ingressu remota." Kempfer, of Schiras wine. Amoen. Exot. p. 376. For the hot wind, to which that country is subject, would injure the wine. "The wine-presses in Persia," says Sir John Chardin, "are formed by making hollow places in the ground, lined with mason's work.". Harmer's Observations, i. p. 392. See a print of one in Kempfer, p. 377. Nonnus describes at large Bacchus hollowing the inside of a rock, and hewing out a place for the winepress, or rather the lake: Και σκοπέλους ελαχηνε· πεδοσκαφείς δε σιδήρου "He pierc'd the rock; and with the sharpen'd tool Dionysiac. lib. xii. Ibid. And he expected-] Jeremiah uses the same image, and applies it to the same purpose, in an elegant paraphrase of this part of Isaiah's parable, in his flowing and plaintive manner: "But I planted thee a Sorek, a cion perfectly genuine; How then art thou changed, and become to me the degenerate shoots Jer. ii. 21. Ibid. poisonous berries] DW, not merely useless, unprofitable grapes, such as wild grapes; but grapes offensive to the smell, noxious, poisonous. By the force and intent of the allegory, to good grapes ought to be opposed fruit of a dangerous and pernicious quality; as in the explication of it, to judgment is opposed tyranny, and to righteousness oppression. , the vine, is a common name or genus, including several species under it ; and Moses, to distinguish the true vine, or that. from which wine is made, from the rest, calls it, Num. vi. 4. 13, the wine-vine. Some of the other sorts were of a poisonous quality; as appears from the story related among the miraculous acts of Elisha, 2 Kings iv. 39-41. "And one went out into the fields to gather potherbs; and he found a field-vine: and he gathered from it wild fruit, his lapful; and he went, and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. And they poured it out for the men to eat: and it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said: There is death in the pot, O man of God! and they could not eat of it. And he said, Bring meal (leg. p, nine MSS., one edition); and he threw it into the pot. And he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was nothing hurtful in the pot." From some such sort of poisonous fruits, of the grape kind, Moses has taken those strong and highly poetical images, with which he has set forth the future corruption and extreme degeneracy of the Israelites, in an al legory which has a near relation, both in its subject and imagery, to this of Isaiah: "I am inclined to believe," says Hasselquist, "that the prophet here (Isaiah v. 2, and 4.) means the hoary nightshade, solanum incanum; because it is common in Egypt, Palestine, and the east; and the Arabian name agrees well with it. The Arabs call it aneb el dib, i. e. wolf-grapes. The prophet could not have found a plant more apposite to the vine than this; for it grows much in the vineyards, and is very pernicious to them; wherefore they root it out: it likewise resembles a vine by its shrubby stalk." Travels p. 289. See also Michaelis, Questions aux Voyageurs Danois, No 64. . 3. —inhabitants], in the plural number; three MSS. (two ancient); and so likewise LXX and Vulg. 6. the thorn shall spring up in it.] A MS. has ; the true reading seems to be 1: which is confirmed by LXX, Syr. Vulg. 7. And he looked for judgment-] The paronomasia, or play on the words, in this place, is very remarkable; mispat, mispach; zedukah, zeakah. There are many examples of it in the other prophets; but Isaiah seems peculiarly fond of it: see chap. xiii. 6. xxiv. 17. xxvii. 7. xxxiii. 1. Ivii. 6. lxi. 3. lxv. 11, 12. The Rabbins esteem it a great beauty: their elegance of language." צחות הלשון term for it is Ibid. tyranny], from П, servum fecit, Arab. Houbigant: now, is serva, a handmaid, or female slave. No, eighteen MSS. 8. You who lay field-] Read 1, in the second person; to answer to the verb following; so Vulg. 9. To mine ear-] The sentence in the Hebrew text seems to be imperfect in this place; as likewise in chap. xxii. 14. where the very same sense seems to be required as here. See the note there: and compare 1 Sam. ix. 15. In this place LXX supply the word ŋcovσŋ, and Syr. yox, auditus est JEHOVAH in auribus meis: i. e. a, as in chap. xxii. 14. 9, 10. —many houses-] This has reference to what was said in the preceding verse: "In vain are ye so intent upon joining house to house, and field to field; your houses shall be left uninhabited, and your fields shall become desolate and barren: so that a vineyard of ten acres shall produce but one bath (not eight gallons) of wine, and the husbandman shall reap but a tenth part of the seed which he has sown." 11. -to follow strong drink] Theodoret and Chrysostom on this place, both Syrians, and unexceptionable witnesses in what belongs to their own country, inform us, that (iɛpa in the Greek of both Testaments, rendered by us by the general term strong drink) meant properly palmwine, or date-wine, which was, and is still, much in use in the eastern countries. Judea was famous for the abundance and excellence of its palm-trees: and consequently had plenty of this wine. "Fiunt (vina) et è pomis:-primumque è palmis, quo Parthi et Indi utuntur, et oriens totus: maturarum modio in aquæ congiis tribus macerato expressoque." Plin. xiv. 19. "Ab his cariota [palmæ] maxime celebrantur; et cibo quidem, sed et succo, uberrimæ. Ex quibus præcipua vina orienti; iniqua capiti, unde pomo nomen.” Id. xiii. 9. Kapoç signifies stupefaction: and in Hebrew likewise, the wine has its name from its remarkable inebriating quality. 11, 12. Wo unto them who rise early-] There is a likeness between this and the following passage of the prophet Amos, who probably wrote before Isaiah; if the latter is the copier, he seems hardly to have equalled the elegance of the original: Ye that put far away the evil day, And affect the seat of violence; Who lie upon beds of ivory, And stretch yourselves upon your couches; And eat the lambs from the flock, And calves from the midst of the stall; Who chant to the sound of the viol, And like David invent for yourselves instruments of music; Who quaff wine in large bowls, And are anointed with the choicest ointments: But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." Amos vi. 3-6. 13, 14. And their nobles -] These verses have likewise a reference to the two preceding. They, that indulged in feasting and drinking, shall perish with hunger and thirst; and Hades shall indulge his appetite, as much as they had done, and devour them all. The image is strong, and expressive in the highest degree. Habakkuk uses the same image with great force: the ambitious and avaricious conqueror "Enlargeth his appetite like Hades; And he is like death, and will never be satisfied." Hab. ii. 5. But, in Isaiah, Hades is introduced, to much greater advantage, in person; and placed before our eyes in the form of a ravenous monster, opening wide his unmeasurable jaws, and swallowing them all together. 17.—without restraint— ] 7, secundum ductum eorum; i. e. suo ipsorum ductu; as their own will shall lead them. Ibid. And the kids-] Heb. O, strangers. The LXX read, more agreeably to the design of the prophet, apves, the lambs: 'T), the kids, Dr. DURELL; nearer to the present reading: and so Archbishop Secker. The meaning is, their luxurious habitations shall be so entirely destroyed, as to become a pasture for flocks. 18. -as a long cable] The LXX, Aquila, Sym. and Theodot. for bana read band, is oxowup, or oxovios: and the LXX, instead of NV, read some other word signifying long; s oxoviy pakpy: and so likewise the Syriac, N. Houbigant conjectures, that the word which the LXX had in their copies was y, which is used, Lev. xxi. 18. xxii. 23. for something in an animal body superfluous, lengthened beyond its natural measure. And he explains it of sin added to sin, and one sin drawing on another, till the whole comes to an enormous length and magnitude; compared to the work of a rope-maker, still increasing and lengthening his rope, with the continued addition of new materials. "Eos propheta similes facit homini restiario, qui funem torquet, cannabe addita et contorta, eadem iterans, donec funem in longum duxerit, neque eum liceat protrahi longius.” “An evil inclination," says Kimchi on the place, from the ancient Rabbins, "is at the beginning like a fine hairstring, but at the finishing like a thick cart-rope." By a long progression in iniquity, and a continued accumulation of sin, men arrive at length to the highest degree of wickedness; bidding open defiance to God, and scoffing at his threatened judgments, as it is finely expressed in the next verse. The Chaldee paraphrast explains it in the same manner, of wickedness increasing from small beginnings, till it arrives to a great magnitude. 23. -the righteous] p, singular, LXX, Vulg. and two editions. 24. -the tongue of fire] "The flame, because it is in the shape of a tongue; and so it is called metaphorically." Sal. b. Melec. The metaphor is so exceedingly obvious, as well as beautiful, that one may wonder that it has not been more frequently used. Virgil very elegantly intimates, rather than expresses, the image: "Ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli Æn. ii. 682. And more boldly of Ætna darting out flames from its tops: "Attollitque globos flammarum, et sidera lambit." En. iii. 574. |