1God's judgments against the enemies of Zion. 13The consternation of sinners, and privileges of the godly.
1WOE to thee 1that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! 2when thou shalt cease to spoil, 3thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, 4they shall deal treacherously with thee.
1 Namely, Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians. Yet it is also spoken to all persecutors of the church of God.
2 When thou shalt be come to the end which God has appointed, that is, when thou shalt have filled up thy measure, and when the punishments, wherewith God will visit His people, shall have an end.
3 Namely, first your army shall be wasted and destroyed by the angel; secondly, you yourself by your own sons. See 2 Kings 19:35, etc.; lastly, your city Nineveh shall be wasted or destroyed by the Chaldeans.
4 It seems that this is to be understood of Sennacherib’s sons, who murdered him in his idolatrous temple, 2 Kings 19:37.
2O LORD, be gracious 5unto us; 6we have waited for thee: be thou 7their arm 8every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
5 Namely, Thy holy church, or, unto us, who are Thy people.
6 Namely, that Thou shouldest help and deliver us.
7 Namely, the Arm of the godly Jews. The sense is: Be Thou the Defender and Protector of Thy people against the Assyrians.
8 Hebr. in the mornings, that is, every morning, continually, always, as Psalm 90:14. See the annotation at Psalm 73 on verse 14. Or, when they call upon Thee at the time of the morning sacrifice.
39At the noise of the tumult 10the people fled; 11at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
9 Namely, when the angel shall fall upon them. See 2 Kings 19:35.
10 Namely, the soldiers in the army of the king of Assyria, which consisted of different people and nations.
11 When thou, O Lord, shall set Thyself, as it were, upon Thy judgment seat, and shalt execute judgment upon the enemies of Thy people.
412And 13your spoil shall be gathered 14like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run 15upon them.
12 This is a speech made to the Assyrians. The meaning is, the Assyrians shall be slain by the angel of the Lord, and be spoiled and plundered by the Jews.
13 That is, the spoil or prey, which the Assyrians plundered and took away from other nations, the same shall be again taken away from you.
14 Hebr. with a gathering of the caterpillar.
15 Namely, upon your spoil, that is, upon the spoil which shall be taken away from you. Upon it shall they skip and leap to and fro, and dance often upon it, with joy, again and again and with gladness, and with shouting.
5The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth 16on high: 17he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
16 That is, in heaven.
17 Or, he shall fill Zion, etc., namely, after the destruction of the Assyrians in Hezekiah’s time.
6And wisdom and knowledge shall be 18the stability 19of thy times, and 20strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD 21is 22his treasure.
18 Here the prophet turns or directs his speech to king Hezekiah. Others understand that it is a speech directed to the church of God. As if the prophet said: What shall cause the church to stand fast and be immovable, shall be the knowledge of the loving kindness and favor of God.
19 That is, of your reign, O Hezekiah, or, O church of God.
20 Or, thy saving strength, or, the strength of thy manifold salvation.
21 That is, shall be, or, is.
22 Namely, of the king Hezekiah. As if he said: Because he fears the Lord, therefore He will bless him with riches. See 2 Kings 20:13; 2 Chron. 32:27, 28, 29. Other, his, or, her, namely, of the church of God. If these words are applied to king Hezekiah, then they show likewise what and how great and excellent was that wisdom of king Hezekiah, of which we may read 2 Kings 18:4, 5, 6; 19:1, 14.
7Behold, 23their 24valiant ones shall cry 25without: 26the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
23 Namely, of Sennacherib and his princes. See Isa. 36:13, etc.; 37:10, etc.
24 Or, their ambassadors, messengers, namely, those, whom Sennacherib has sent to king Hezekiah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 2 Kings 18:17, 18, etc.
25 Namely, outside the city of Jerusalem, as one may read in 2 Kings 18:17, 18, etc.
26 Namely, those men whom Hezekiah had sent unto Sennacherib to ask or beg peace of him, 2 Kings 18:14.
827The highways 28lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: 29he hath broken 30the covenant, he hath despised 31the cities, he regardeth no man.
27 Namely, in the land of Judah. The sense is: No man dares to journey or to travel in the land of Judah on the common roads or highways, because of the invasion of the Assyrians. Compare Judges 5:6 and the annotations there.
28 Namely, of the Assyrians.
29 Namely, Sennacherib.
30 Namely, which he had made, promising to march away when Hezekiah would have paid him the sum of money which he had laid upon him. See 2 Kings 18:14, etc.
31 Namely, the cities in Judah.
932The earth mourneth and languisheth: 33Lebanon is 34ashamed and 35hewn down: 36Sharon is like a wilderness; and 37Bashan and 38Carmel 39shake off their fruits.
32 Namely, the land of the Jews, which is laid waste by the Assyrians.
33 The name of a mountain; and by this, as by other places named after, situating on the borders of the land, is signified that the entire land was wasted.
34 Namely, because it is uncovered of its fair high cedar trees, which are hewn down by the Assyrians, wherewith formerly it was beautified and as adorned.
35 Or, it withereth.
36 A land where good wheat was wont to grow. See 1 Chron. 27:29; but it was pitifully wasted when the prophet wrote this.
37 In Bashan was good pasture. See Deut. 32:14; Psalm 22:12. This mountain was not situated in the tribe of Judah, but in the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 13:30.
38 Here was also good pasture land, 1 Sam. 25:2.
39 Or, cast off, namely, their fruits. Other, brayeth, that is, cries like an ass, that is, roars terribly, because the animals which were wont to feed there, were now driven away and plundered.
10Now will I 40rise, saith the LORD; now will I be 41exalted; now will I lift up myself.
40 Or, get me up, namely, against the Assyrians.
41 Namely, by slaying the Assyrians.
1142Ye shall conceive chaff, 43ye shall bring forth stubble: 44your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
42 The Lord speaks this to the Assyrians; as if He said: Ye indeed intend something great, namely, to take and destroy Jerusalem, but your design shall not prosper; ye yourselves shall be confounded and destroyed.
43 Your attempts shall prevail as little as if they were made of straw and stubble.
44 That is, your pride shall move Me to destroy you, namely, by My destroying angel. See 2 Kings 18:19, etc.; 19:9, etc.
12And 45the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
45 Namely, the soldiers in the army of the Assyrian shall be destroyed as lime is burnt in the lime-kiln. See 2 Kings 19:35. Other, shall be laid in lime-kilns, namely, to be burned into lime.
13 ¶ 46Hear, ye that are far off, 47what I have done; and, ye that are near, 48acknowledge my might.
46 This is a preface to what follows here, namely, an exhortation to foreign nations that they are to honor the true God because of the destruction of the Assyrians.
47 Namely, how wonderfully I have destroyed the Assyrians by an angel.
48 That is, observe and exalt My great power.
1449The sinners 50in Zion 51are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell 52with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
49 That is, the wicked among the Jews, who have despised all admonitions.
50 That is, at Jerusalem.
51 Namely, when I did visit them by the Assyrians, who were not afraid when I did threaten them by the prophet Isaiah. See 2 Kings 18:37; 19:14.
52 That is, with God, when He is provoked to anger. See Deut. 4:24; 9:3; Heb. 12:29. Some take these words as being spoken by the prophet. Compare Psalm 15:1.
1553He thata walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth 54the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding 55of bribes, that stoppeth his ears 56from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from 57seeing evil;
53 Here the prophet, or God through the prophet, answers the foregoing question of the wicked Jews; and he shows that they have no cause to complain of God’s rigor and severity, but rather about their own wicked life, whereby they give God just cause to punish them.
a Psalm 15:2; 24:3.
54 That is, the unrighteous gain, which one takes to assist to oppress his neighbor.
55 Namely, which are given him as a judge to make a good cause bad.
56 That is, that he does not attend the counsels of shedding innocent blood. See Psalm 51:14.
57 Namely, with pleasure and delight. See Psalm 22 on verse 17.
16He shall dwell 58on high: his place of defence shall be the munitionsb of rocks: 59bread shall be given him; his waters 60shall be sure.
58 That is, sure and safe, out of danger, under the protection of the Most High. Compare Psalm 91:1.
b fortresses, strongholds
59 That is, the bread, which he needs, or desires to have. The sense is: he shall want nothing.
60 That is, the Lord will surely provide him with drink.
1761Thine eyes shall 62see 63the king in his beauty: 64they shall behold the land that is very far off.
61 Here the prophet speaks to those whom he described in verse 15, namely, the godly among the Jews.
62 Or, behold, with joy, namely, after the glorious victory and conquest over the Assyrians, for before, when the Assyrians invaded the land, he was in a sad and doleful condition. See 2 Chron. 32:23, 27.
63 Some understand here king Hezekiah, others the Lord Christ.
64 Hebr. the land of great distances. The sense is: they, namely, the citizens of Jerusalem, shall no more be forced to be strictly shut up, and, as it were, to abide prisoners within their own city, but they shall have their liberty to go and travel wheresoever they list throughout the entire land.
1865Thine heart 66shall meditate terror. 67Where 68is the scribe? where is 69the receiver? where is he 70that counted the towers?
65 Here the prophet addresses all the godly Jews in particular.
66 Or, it shall indite of that terror, namely, of those terrors wherewith you were seized because of the Assyrians, and from which you shall be wonderfully delivered by the power and grace of God.
67 These are the words of the Jews, defying the Assyrians after they had gotten the victory. As if they said: Where are now all those great masters and officers of king Sennacherib? They are now all consumed and destroyed; now we care no more for them; they cannot hinder nor hurt us. Some take these as words spoken by the Jews in this manner, namely, as if, when the Assyrians came against them, they had, through astonishment and for want of counsel, asked where are now the officers and trustees who would heed our safety and protection, and take care and order concerning all things?
68 Namely, clerk of the muster, or secretary of the army, namely, of king Sennacherib.
69 Or, the paymaster, treasurer, cash-keeper. Hebr. the weigher, or, he that weigheth, namely, the money, that is, he who pays the soldiers their wages. Concerning the weighing of money, see Gen. 23 on verse 16.
70 That is, the architect or engineer, whose office is to count and ordain how many towers, strongholds, forts or bulwarks ought to be made for the defense of a siege against a city, or to siege a city and to contain it.
19Thou shalt 71not see 72a fierce people, a people of a deeper 73speech than thou canst 74perceive; of a 75stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
71 For the angel of the Lord shall partly slay them and partly put them to flight. See 2 Kings 19:35, 36.
72 Or, cruel people, or, barbarous people. Hebr. strengthened, hardened people. See Deut. 28:50; Judges 14 on verse 14; Psalm 114:1.
73 Hebr. of lip, as Gen. 11:1, that is, a people that has an unknown language.
74 That is, cannot understand it. See Gen. 11:7.
75 See Isa. 28 on verse 11. Other, of a ridiculous tongue.
2076Look upon Zion, 77the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, 78ac tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall 79ever 80be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
76 Here the prophet still addresses the godly Jews.
77 Namely, Jerusalem, where the people of God were wont, especially on the solemn feast days, to assemble and meet together.
78 Understand here the christian church which would forever abide firm and unmovable, although it is so sorely assaulted by her enemies. The earthly Jerusalem was wasted and destroyed by the Romans.
c Psalm 46:5; 125:1, 2.
79 That is, never.
80 Hebr. shall never be pulled up.
21But there the 81glorious LORD will be 82unto us a place 83of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant 84ship 85pass thereby.
81 See of the word glorious Psalm 8 on verse 1.
82 Namely, Jerusalem; meaning the spiritual Jerusalem, that is, the church of the elect.
83 Or, wide. Hebr. wide in hands, that is, wide in compass, as Gen. 34:21; Judges 18:10; Psalm 104:25. See the annotations there.
84 Or, galley.
85 Or, come over it. The meaning of this verse is: The church shall be like a city that is compassed about with wide ditches or hedges, so that the enemies shall not be able to prevail against it, but all the elect shall be sure and safe in it.
22For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will 86save us.
86 Or, preserve, or deliver.
2387Thy tacklings 88are loosed; 89they could not well 90strengthen their mast, 91they could not spread the sail: 92then 93is the prey of a great spoil divided; 94the lame take the prey.
87 The prophet addresses the Assyrians, as if they were all of them in one ship, which is in great danger; as if he said: O ye Assyrians, all your strength and purpose against the church and the people of God shall be in vain and to no purpose; as one cannot sail and advance when the tackling and sails, for want of wind, cannot stand out stiff or be spread abroad, or are broken by storm and tempest.
88 Or, grown slack, slackened.
89 Namely, the enemies or the ropes.
90 Or, hold it straight up.
91 Or, spread abroad the flag or ensign.
92 Namely, when the enemies, who wanted destroy the church of God, shall be smitten and confounded by the Lord.
93 Other, then shall there be divided unto a great spoil. The meaning is: The citizens of the christian church (namely, the believers) shall greatly rejoice. Compare this with Isa. 9:3.
94 The sense is: The case shall be so with the enemies of God’s church, that even the weakest and feeblest shall be strong enough to spoil and plunder them. See Psalm 68 on verse 12.
24And 95the inhabitant shall not say, I am 96sick: the people that dwell therein 97shall be forgiven their iniquity.
95 Namely, of the city of Jerusalem, that is, of the christian church.
96 Or, weak, or, feeble, for, the Lord heals all our infirmities and He forgives us all our offences.
97 Hebr. shall be unburdened of iniquity. God shall unburden them, that is, God shall forgive them their sins, and therefore He makes them strong and courageous. See the annotation at Psalm 32 on verse 1.