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punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity. 27. He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

CHAP. XIX.

BETTER is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips (u), and is a fool. 2. Also, that the soul (r) be without knowledge, it is not good: and he that hasteth with his feet (y), sinneth. 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way (z): and his heart fretteth against the LORD. 4. Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour (a). 5. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. 6. Many will intreat the favour of the prince; and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. 7. All the brethren (b) of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. 8. He that getteth wisdom, loveth (c) his own soul: he

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(z) v. 3. "Perverteth his way, &c." i. e. (either)"leads him into wrong courses,' "frustrates his attempts;" and then he murmurs against God for what his own folly brings.

or

(a) v. 4. "From his neighbour." "They who live nearest disregard him."

(b) v. 7. "The brethren," " even his "kinsmen desert him: much more they "who have no tie but friendship."

(c) v. 8. "Loveth," i. e. " serveth, doeth "good to;"" acts as if be loved."

(d) v. 10. "Delight," i. e. " pleasure."

that keepeth understanding, shall find good. 9. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. 10. Delight (d) is not seemly for a fool: much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12. The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion (e); but his favour is as dew upon the grass. 13. A foolish son is the calamity of his father; and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping (g). 14. House and riches are the inheritance of (h) fathers; and a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep (i); and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 16. He that keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul (k); but he that despiseth his way shall die. 17. He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given, will he pay him again. 18. Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. 19. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver (1) him, yet thou must do it again. 20. Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou

"Joy is as much misplaced when conferred "on him, as the rule over princes is mis"placed, when given to a servant."

(e) v. 12. "As the roaring of a lion;" "as much to be dreaded;" "as likely to "bring destruction." In Prov. xvi. 14. "The wrath of a king is said to be as messengers of death."

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(g) v. 13. "A continual dropping," "which must at last wear a man "out."

(h) v. 14. "Are the inheritance of," i.e. "descend from." A man's ancestors may give him wealth: a prudent wife is a gift none but God can bestow.

(i) v. 15. " Sleep," " so as to waste the "hours in which subsistence ought to be "obtained."

(k) v. 16. "Keepeth his own soul," i. e. "shall live."

(1) v. 19. "Deliver," or "spare." For "bearance or lenity will never check "him."

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mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21. There are many devices in a man's heart (m); nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand: 22. The desire (n) of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. 23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied: he shall not be visited with evil. 24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25. Smite a scorner (o), and the simple will beware; and reprove

CHAP. I.

one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. 26. He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. 27. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. 28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgement; and the mouth of the wicked devoureth (p) iniquity. 29. Judgements are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

ISAIAH.

THE vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, | Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jowhich he saw (q) concerning Judah and

(m) v. 21. "A man's heart." The contrast is between man's purposes and God's: whatever man may devise, it is God's counsel only that shall stand. So Ps. xxxiii. 10, 11. And see post, Is. xliv. 25, 26.

(n) v. 22. "The desire, &c." i. e. (perhaps) "attraction." "Kindness makes a man sought after: but even a poor man, one who has no power to confer benefits, "is better than a liar, i. e. one who pro"fesses what he will not perform, or one "who can give aid and pretends he cannot."

(o) v. 25. "A scorner." Who must be smitten, because reproof, words alone, which will be sufficient for a man of understanding, will have no effect upon him; and the example, in smiting him, will do good.

tham (r), Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of

(p) v. 28. "Devoureth," i. e. "feeds "greedily upon; makes it his food; swal"lows it as gluttons do dainties." (g) v. 1. Concerning," or "against." 1 Chrys. 720.

(r) v. 1." Uzziah, Jotham, &c." Isaial is supposed to have begun to prophesy in the last year of Uzziah's reign, and to have prophesied at intervals till the 15th or 16th year of Hezekiah, or even to the first year of Manasseh, about 72 years before Jeremiah began. He lived in the same times with Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Nahum, and perhaps Joel; and he began to prophecy before Micah and Nahum, but after Hosea, Joel, and Amos.

The following Table, shewing the duration of each reign from the commencement of Uzziah's till the Babylonish captivity, and the character of the respective kings, will be of use in reading Isaiah and the subsequent Prophets :

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Judah. 2. Hear (s), O heavens (t), and "give ear, O earth: for (u) the LORD "hath spoken, "I have nourished and

(s) v. 2. "Hear, &c." The prophecy in this chapter was probably delivered in the time of Ahaz. The state of the nation (as described verse 2 to 8.), corresponds with his times, not with those of Uzziah, Jotham, or Hezekiah. Uzziah and Jotham were successful against the neighbouring nations, and had God's help (2 Chron. xxvi. 6 to 8. and 2 Chron. xxvii. 5, 6.); and though in Hezekiah's time Sennacherib took the fenced cities of Judah, and forced Hezekiah for a time to pay him tribute, yet was Hezekiah soon miraculously delivered from his power; and the people in Hezekiah's time shewed great zeal in abolishing idolatry, and returning to the true worship of God. (See 2 Kings xviii. 3. 13, 14.2 Kings xix.

and 2 Chron. xxix. to xxxii.) But in Ahaz's time the nation was brought very low, because of Ahaz; and their sins were very high. The king of Syria carried away a great multitude of the Jews captive to Damascus. Pekah, king of Israel, slew of them in one day 120,000, all valiant men. The Edomites also smote Judah, and carried away captives; and the Philistines invaded and took many of their cities and villages, and dwelt there. (See 2 Chron. xxviii. 5, 6. 17 to 20.) The sins of Ahaz were enormous; and God's judgments upon the nation had no effect towards reclaiming him. He made molten images for Baalim, burned his children in the fire after the abomination of the heathen, and sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. In his distress, too, after being smitten by the Syrians, he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, and said, "Because the gods "of the kings of Syria help them, therefore "will I sacrifice to them, that they may "help me." And he cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and made him altars in every corner of Jeru salem; and in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods. (2 Chron.xxviii. 2 to 4. and 22 to 25.) The concurrence of the people in these abominations may be collected from Hezekiah's statement to the Levites, in the first year of his reign: "Our fathers "have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God,

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was upon Judah and Jerusalem; and he "hath delivered them to trouble, to aston"ishment, and to hissing, as ye see with "your eyes. (2 Chron. xxix 6 to 8.") It is to the time of Ahaz, therefore, that this prophecy should (apparently) be ascribed. Vitringa, however, refers it to the time of Hezekiah, shortly after the entire destruction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmanezer, which was in the 6th year of Hezekiah. It is an entire piece of itself, unconnected with the following chapters; containing & severe remonstrance against the prevailing corruptions, and strong exhortations to repentance; threatening the impenitent, and promising better things when the nation should be reformed. The expressions are clear, the connection easy: as to the images, sentiment, and style, it is a beautiful example of Isaiah's elegant manner, though not equal to many of his other prophecies. See 2 Lowth. 4.

(t)" Hear, O heavens, &c." A solemn invocation, to intimate the importance of what he was about to say. It begins as the song of Moses, Deut. xxxii.; perhaps to call attention to that song, and to inti mate, that the state and times to which part of that song looked forward were now arrived.

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(u)" For, &c." or, "it is the Lord that speaketh."

(x)" Nourished and brought up." So that I had every reason to expect a grateful

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"ass (y) his master's crib: but Israel "doth not know, my people doth not "consider." 4. Ah sinful nation, a "people laden with iniquity, a seed of "evil-doers, children that are corrupt66 ers (a), they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the holy One of "Israel unto anger, they are gone away "backward. 5. Why (b) should ye be "stricken (c) any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head (d) "is sick, and the whole heart faint.

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country (i) is desolate, your cities are

"burnt with fire: your land, strangers "'devour it in your presence, and it is

fed and taken care of, not for their own sake, but for their owner's profit; and they are employed in works of the lowest drudgery: whereas it is for their own benefit alone that God supports his people, and had honoured them with the highest distinctions. Bochart in loco, 1 Vitr. 37, 38. Well did Moses ask, "What nation was there so great, who had God so nigh unto them, as the Lord their God was in all things "that they called upon him for?" Deut. iv.7. (a) v.4. "Corrupters." Not content with being wicked themselves, but corrupting others, causing them to fall. An aggravated degree of guilt!

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(b) v.5. "Why, &c." "What claim have you to further warnings, or what end will "they answer?" As Gen. vi. 3. ante 507: My Spirit shall not always strive with man."

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(c)" Stricken," i. e. "corrected;" to produce amendment. So Jer. v. 3.

(d) "The whole head, &c." i. e. "the "corruption is universal: there is not one "it hath not reached."

(e) v. 6. "From the sole, &c." i. e. " all "ranks are infected; none is free." (g)

Wounds, bruises, &c." i. e. "sins "of every description."

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(h) "Not closed, &c." i. e. "nothing has been done to make them better: they are in the worst state possible." (i) v. 7. "Your country, &c." "These "warnings you have had: Why are you to "have more?" An answer to the question

in verse 5.

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"desolate as overthrown by strangers(b). "8. And the daughter of Zion (4) is left as a cottage (m) in a vineyard, as a“ lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a "besieged city. 9. Except the LORD "of hosts had left unto us a very small "remnant, we should have been as "Sodom, and we should have been like "unto Gomorrah. 10. Hear the word "of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom (n); give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah (n). 11. To what "purpose (o) is the multitude of your "sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: "I am full of the burnt-offerings of "rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and. L "delight not in the blood of bullocks, 66 or of lambs, or of he-goats. 12. When

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ye come to appear before me, who "hath required this at your hand, to "tread my courts (p)? 13. Bring no

(k) v. 7. "Overthrown by strangers," or rather, "overwhelmed by an inundation." 1 Lowth, 2.-2 Lowth, 11, 12.—and Parkh, Hebr. Lexicon, 4th ed. 185. The common reading is nearly a repetition of what preceded.

() v. 8. "The daughter of Zion," i. e. "Jerusalem," which lay under mount Zion. Chrys. in loco, 1 Chrys. 723.

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(m) "A cottage, &c." i. e. " lonely, de"solate, solitary; with scarce a house or "inhabitant in it.'

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(n) p. 10. "Sodom," Gomorrah," i. e. "Jerusalem," called by these names, as resembling those cities in wickedness! this is another allusion to the song of Moses, where, (in speaking of the sins of the nation,) he says, "Their vine is of the "vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Go"morrah. Deut. xxxii. 32."

(o) v.11. "To what purpose, &c." "It "is not a compliance with externals only "God requires; he expects inward purity, "and righteous conduct." See Ps. xlix.

(p) v. 12. Bp. Lowth reads, and so does Chrys. in loco, vol. 1. p. 725. "Who hath "required this at your hands? Tread my "courts no more: bring no more vain "oblations, &c." Though God required all the Israelites to appear before him at stated times, it was the appearance of those only who did justice and obeyed the weightier matters of the law, that was ac ceptable to him. The appearance of the presumptuous sinner was an insult; and the question here, "Who hath required' this

"(q) more vain oblations; incense is an "abomination unto me, the new moons "and sabbaths, the calling of assem"blies I cannot away with (r), it is "iniquity, even the solemn meeting. "14. Your new moons, and your ap"pointed feasts, my soul hateth: they "are a trouble unto me, I am weary to "bear them. 15. And when ye spread "forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your "hands are full of blood. 16. Wash ye, "make you clean, put away the evil of

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your doings from before mine eyes, "cease to do evil, 17. Learn to do "well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge (s) the fatherless, plead "for the widow. 18. Come now and "let us reason together, saith the LORD: "though your sins be as scarlet, they "shall be as white as snow; though "they be red like crimson, they shall "be as wool. 19. If ye be willing and "obedient, ye shall eat (t) the good "of the land. 20. But if ye refuse and "rebel, ye shall be devoured with the "sword: for the mouth of the LORD "hath spoken it. 21. How is the faith"ful city become an harlot? it was full "of judgment; righteousness lodged in "it; but now murderers. 22. Thy "silver (u) is become dross, thy wine "mixed with water. 23. Thy princes

"at your hands ?" might be intended to imply that it was that God who had also commanded righteousness, and was of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.

(9) v. 13, 14. A similar passage occurs,

Amos v. 21 to 24.

(r) v. 13. " Away with," i. e. " endure." (s) v. 17. "Judge," i. e. " do justice to." (t) v. 19. "Ye shall eat, &c." It shall no longer, as in verse 5. be "devoured by "strangers."

(u) v. 22. "Thy silver, &c." Probably proverbial expressions, to denote that their best things and persons were become very vile and degenerate, their princes rebellious, &c.

(x) v. 23. "Gifts," i e. "bribes." (y) v.25. "Dross," and "tin,” i. e. “ deand wickedness;" what is comgeneracy plained of in verse 23.

"are rebellious, and companions of "thieves: every one loveth gifts (1), "and followeth after rewards: they "judge not the fatherless, neither doth "the cause of the widow come unto "them. 24. Therefore saith the LORD, "the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of

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Israel, “Ah, I will ease me of mine "adversaries, and avenge me of mine "enemies. 25. And I will turn my "hand upon thee, and purely purge "away thy dross (y), and take away all "thy tin (y). 26. And I will restore "thy judges as at the first (z), and thy "counsellors as at the beginning (z): "afterward thou shalt be called (e), "The city of righteousness, the faithful

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city." 27. Zion shall be redeemed "with judgment, and her converts with " righteousness. 28. And the destruc"tion of the transgressors and of the "sinners (b) shall be together (c), and "they that forsake the LORD shall be "consumed. 29. For they (d) shall be "ashamed of the oaks (e) which ye have "desired, and ye shall be confounded "for the gardens (e) that ye have chosen. "30. For ye shall be as an oak, whose "leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath

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no water (g). 31. And the strong "shall be as tow, and the maker of "it (h) as a spark, and they shall both "burn together, and none shall quench "them."

(z) v. 26. "At the first," and "at the "beginning," i. e. "at the times when it "deserved the title given it in verse 21.” of " the faithful city," when it was "full of "judgment, &c."

(a)" Shalt be called," i. e. "shall deserve the name of."

(b) v. 28. Bp. Lowth reads, "But de"struction shall fall at once on the transgressors and the sinners."

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(c)" Together," or "sudden, entire, "complete."

(d) v. 29. "They," or rather "ye." (e)" Oaks," and "gardens;" places of idolatrous worship.

(g) v. 30. "No water." Where every thing therefore must perish.

(h) v. 31. "The maker of it," or rather "his work;" "whatever he does."

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