XI. Chapter ing Exiles. By Tmiting the river in the feven streams he means, (fays Grotius) he fhall divide e Affyrian Monarchy into several Governments, among whi Diffenfions arifing fhould give the Jews Opportunity of efcaping to their own Country;, but the Words will admit of a literal Senfe, he will divide Euphrates into 7, that is, many Streams, making it thereby fordable, and fo no Hindrance to thofe in Affyria returning homeward; but a Highway being referv'd for them in the next Verfe, Gataker, I think justly, takes the River to be Nile, whofe feven Streams, fo famous in Claffic Authors, fhould be dry'd by a mighty Wind, Exod. 15. Chapter Ver. 16. And there fhall be an highway for the remnant of 'his people, which shall be left from Affyria, like as it was to Ifrael in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.] Like as it was to Ifrael.] Thefe Words in the Clofe of all feem to belong to all that before was fpoken of drying up Waters and cafting up Ways, and have refpect to the whole Course of the Peoples Conduct in their Paffage from Egypt to Canaan, wherein Seas and Rivers were divided for them, and Paffages made through ftiange unfrequented Ways in the Wilderness. The ARGUMENT of Chapter XII. As Mofes and the Children of Ifrael when they had pass'd the Red Sea fung a Hymn of Thanksgiving to God, fo the Prophet here fubjoins a Song of Praife to be fung by the Jews, upon the Account of the wonderful Deliverance foretold in the foregoing Chapter. Verfe 1. : A CHA P. XII. ND in that day thou shalt fay, O Lord, I will praife thee: though thou waft angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedit me.] The People Ipeak as if they were one Perfon, return Thanks as it were with one Mouth to God for his Kindness to them, fo fignally manifefted in their Behalf at fo critical a Juncture; and they feem in thefe Words to acknowledge he had reafon to be angry with them, and might have fuffer'd their Enemies to rejoice in their utter Deftruction. Ver. 2. Behold, Gud is my falvation: I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my fong, be alfo is become my falvation.] Behold God is my Salvation, that is, the Author of it, whofoever or whatsoever the Means or Inftruments are, my Salvation is from him only, and this prefent Deliverance hall make me rely on him for future Preservation. Chapter XII. Ver. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation.] With Joy fhall ye draw Waters.] The Prophet compares the Love of God to his People to a perpetual Spring of Water, which shall never fail them entirely, tho' for a while it may feem to be dry'd up or diverted into another Channel for the Punishment of their Sins. How the (a) Councils of Florence and Trent make a true (a)Vid. Eftium Inference from this Verfe, That the Sacraments not only in loc. fignify or are Signs of Grace, but actually contain and convey it, is beyond my Comprehenfion; nor can I think that the Prophet had any Thoughts of thofe Evangelic Inftitutions, tho' moft of the Catholic Commentators fmell the Sacraments in this Water. Ver. 4, 5, 6. And in that day fhall ye fay, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doing's among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things this is known in all the earth. Cry out and fhout, theu inhabitant of Zion: for great is the holy One of Ifrael in the midst of thee] He calls on the Inhabitants of Ferufalem to give public Marks of Joy and Gratitude, for great is the holy One of Ifrael in the midst of thee; that is, you above all the Inhabitants of Judea have had a convincing Proof of the Greatnefs of God's Power in redeeming you from an Enemy, to whom you must otherwise in a few Days have been a Prey. The ARGUMENT of Chapter XIII. Thus far the Prophet has difcours'd about the Fate and Affairs of his own Kingdom, stepping now and then out of the way to thofe of the Ten Tribes, because of the near relation between them: and his whole Difcourfe hitherto has confifted in laying open the Sins of the Wicked, denouncing terrible Judgments against them, defcribing the Perfons and Power of those he would use as Inftruments of their Correction, but still upon every Occafion he interrupts the melancholy Subjects, and for the Comfort of the few good among them digreffes into a more pleafing Subject of Deliverance and Profperity. In this Chapter he feems to leave Judea, and take his Flight to diftant Countries; be forefaw the Babylonians, who were as yet almost unknown to the Jews, would prove in Times to come their foreft Enemy, that they would conquer their Nation, and carry them all into Captivity, which gives him occafion to foretel their Ruin, that when thofe Times of Affliction fhould come. the Jews might have this Confolation, that their Oppreffor fhould be destroy'd and they deliver'd. Grotius thinks this was fulfill'd a little after the fignal Overthrow of Sennacherib's Army, when the Affyrian Empire, in which Babylon was then comprehended, was broken in pieces by the Medes; but as there is no clear Footsteps of fuch a Conqueft in any Author, Sacred or Prophane, (Jays Gataker) fo there are Two. great Arguments which this Frophecy it felf affords, which plainly prove it must be understood of the taking of Babylon by Cyrus; for the Destruction of this great City is faid to be brought on her for the Deliverance of God's People, ch. 14. 1,3 Nor is there mention of any Deportation of them to Babylon before the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and fuch a Destruction is here foretold as foould be irrecoverable, V. 19, 20. of this, and 22, 23. of the following Chapter, which cannot be true of any Reduction of Babylon before the Time of Nebuchadnezzar, because in his Time it was in a very flourishing Condition. CHAP. Ver. 1, 2. 2.TH CHA P. XII. Chapter HE burthen of Babylon, which Ifaiah the fon of Amoz did fee. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.] Upon the high mountain.] The Word in the Original fignifies cloudy, fays Grotius, and Babylon is fo call'd because it was built in a marshy Plain, and had always a thick Cloud hanging over it in the Air, tho' St. Jerom gives another, not more fatisfactory, Reafon, Ob omnium rerum in ea caliginofam confufionem, from whence it deriv'd its Name: Moller thinks it might be call'd a high Mountain becaufe its Walls were 600 Cubits high; and Sanctius because of the Horti Penfiles, which at a distance would make the City look like a Mountain rearing its Head to the Sky: But if Babylon had been fituated on a lofty Ground, as Nifhpe fignifies, the Standard cannot be fuppos'd to be erected there, because the Prophet reprefents God as calling together his Soldiers, juft beginning to levy Forces for the intended Expedition; it may therefore be interpreted of any high Mountain (a) from whence fuch a Signal might (a) Eman. Sa. be farthest defcry'd, on fome Mountain probably in Media or Perfia. Ver. 3. I have commanded my fanctified ones, I have alfo called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. My fanctified ones.] That is, thofe whom I have confecrated to this Service, and fet apart as fit Inftruments to go through fo dreadful a Work, fo called: perhaps in Allufion to thofe religious Rites and Ceremonies which were in Practice among moft Nations before they undertook a War. I have called my mighty ones for mine anger, thofe who have Strength to execute my Anger, even those that rejoyce in my highness, that is, in me, in doing my Will and Pleafare; or perhaps it may be ren-der'd agreeably with the Original, that rejoice in the lifting up of my [Standard] and run with Ambition into fo honourable (b) a Services Ver. 4. The naife of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people: a tumultuous noife of the kingdoms of nations gathered (b) Forerius. Chapter gathered together: the Lord of hosts muftereth the host of the XIII. battel.] The noise of the multitude.] This is like Horace's Audire magnos jam videor duces. The Prophet ftops on a fudden, as if furpriz'd with the confus'd Noife of eager Volunteers flocking about the Standard of the Lord; that Öde of Horace is one of his beft, the Colours are very lively, and the Design bold, but natural; yet I believe a true Judge of Poetry will find fomething which furpasses it in the bright Defcriptions of this lofty Chapter, tho' he read them under the Disadvantage of a Tranflation, which gives exactly the Senfe of the Words rather than discovers the Beauties, which I mention only to tempt thofe to read the Scripture who may defpife it for the Lowness of its Stile. Ver. 5. They come from a far country, from the end of hea ven, even the Lord and the weapons of his indignation, to deftroy the whole land.] From a far country.] Babylon is 225 (4) Zach. Urfin. Miles from the Eastern Borders of Perfia, (a) and perhaps fome of their Auxiliaries might come from more diftant Countries. From the end of heaven.] He fpeaks in the Phrafe of the Vulgar, who think the Heaven Semicircular, like a drawn Bow, and that it ends where their Sight is bounded, and perhaps it might be the Language of the Learned among them alfo, for Philofophy never made any great Figure among the Jews. By the whole land, he. means all the Province of Babylon, which had fubdu'd a great part of the then known World. Ver. 6. Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand: it fhall come as a deftruction from the Almighty.] Howl ye.] He turns his Difcourfe to the Babylonians, and bids them lament the Calamities which were coming upon them as a Deftruction from the Almighty, and therefore unavoidable. Ver. 7. Therefore fhall all hands be faint, and every mans heart fhall melt.] Every heart fhall melt.] Things which are melted turn foft, and are unable to refift the Agents which prefs upon them, and therefore, because Fear makes a Man unable to make Oppofition against his Enemies, it's faid to melt the Heart; and that this is the Reason of the Metaphor may be learn'd from an Expreffion of Job, ch. (b) Comment. 23. 15. I am afraid of him, for God maketh my heart foft. And (b) Cafar, fpeaking of the Gauls, fays, Ut ad bella lib. 3. Sufcipienda |