1The blessedness of the righteous in death, who are taken out of the way of evil. 3God reproveth the Jews for their idolatry: 13he comforteth the penitent with promises of mercy.
1THE1 righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and mercifula men 2are taken away, none considering 3that the righteous is taken away 4from the evil to come.
1 That is, such kind of godly persons, who have in their lifetime been diligent and careful to keep the law of God, they die away.
a Psalm 12:1; Micah 7:2.
2 Hebr. are gathered, or, are fetched, that is, they are withdrawn from this life. See Deut. 32:50; Judges 18:25; Psalm 26:9, and the annotations there.
3 Other, for the righteous is snatched away.
4 Hebr. before the face of evil, that is, before the miseries come, which the Lord has determined to send into the world; or, from the company of wicked men. See 2 Kings 22:20; Book of Wisdom 4:10.
25He shall enter 6into peace: they shall rest in their 7beds, each one walking in his 8uprightness.
5 Understand here every righteous person whom God calls unto Himself.
6 That is, into the joy of heaven, into eternal bliss, to partake of eternal joy. Or, in peace, that is, in quietness and with a good conscience. Compare Luke 2:29.
7 Or, sleeping-places, or, bedchambers, or, couches, and so hereafter often, that is, in their graves, where they shall rest till their resurrection at the last day.
8 Or, straightness, namely without yielding from the right way, either to the right hand or to the left. The meaning is: He who orders his entire life and conversation in the strictest manner according to the laws and commandments of the Lord. Or, who has walked aright or in the right way. Or, who is right before him, namely, has walked before the Lord. See Gen. 5 on verse 22.
3¶But draw near hither, 9ye sons of the sorceress, 10the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
9 That is, ye who practice witchcraft and sorcery.
10 That is, ye seed or children of adulterers, or children of those who are given to adultery. Such He calls the Jews, because of their spiritual adultery, that is, their idolatry, as it may be gathered from the next verses. See Ezekiel 16. Christ likewise calls the Jews an adulterous generation, Mat. 12:39, because they often revolted from the true God and served the idols of the Gentiles.
411Against whom do ye sport yourselves? 12against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not 13children of transgression, 14a seed of falsehood,
11 Or, On whom have ye your pleasure? That is, with whom do ye amuse yourselves by making fun of them? In these and the following words the Lord shows how the idolatrous Jews carried themselves towards the prophets of the Lord, when they preached the Word of God to them.
12 Or, at whom? As if He said: Do ye not do it to spite Me? See Job 16:10; Psalm 35:21.
13 That is, wicked rogues, who have delivered you totally to transgression?
14 That is, men addicted to falsehood, that is, to a false worship.
515Enflaming yourselves 16with idols under 17every green tree, 18slaying the children in the valleys 19under the cliftsb of the rocks?
15 That is, ye go a whoring and commit idolatry.
16 Wherein they committed idolatry. See Isa. 1:29. Other, ye are enflamed upon the gods, that is, idols.
17 Or, leafy tree, or tree with foliage.
18 Compare Ezek. 16:21, 36; 23:39; 24:7, and compare further 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chron. 28:3.
19 Or, under the rocks that stick out.
b cleft, hollow
620Among the smooth stones of the stream is 21thy portion; they, they are 22thy lot: even 23to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. 24Should I receive comfort in these?
20 Other, by the smooth brook-stones is thy portion. Hebr. by the smoothnesses of the stones of the brook is thy portion, that is, you are diligent to choose fair, smooth stones, to set up an idol, or an altar to the honor of idols.
21 That is, you love them so dearly as if it were your portion which is fallen to you by lot. The contrary is, Psalm 16:5. See the annotation there.
22 Or, thy portion.
23 Namely, to the idols, which you have set up in those places. Or, in those places thou pourest, etc.
24 The sense is: Is it possible that I would forget the grief and sorrow, which I have had and still have, because of your idolatry? It is spoken of God after the manner of men. See Gen. 24:67; 2 Sam. 13:39. The question denies and threatens. As if He said: I will by no means forget your idolatry, but I will sorely punish you for it. See Isa. 1:24; Ezek. 5:13.
7Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set 25thy bed: even thither wentest thou up 26to offer sacrifice.
25 That is, your altars or chapels, to commit spiritual whoredom there with idols, as an harlot does on the bed. See Ezek. 16:24.
26 Namely, to the honor of idols.
827Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up 28thy remembrance: 29for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and 30art gone up; 31thou hast enlarged thy bed, 32and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst 33their bed 34where thou sawest 35it.
27 Some take these words thus: Thou settest thy memorials behind the door, that is, everywhere in all the corners of your houses do you place an idolatrous image, being a sign of your abominable spiritual idolatry. Others understand here by the memorials or remembrance, the law of God, which ought not to be placed behind the door, but God commands that they should write it on the front or upon the posts of their doors, Deut. 6:9; 11:20.
28 Or, thy memorial. Hebr. thy remembrance.
29 The meaning is: Forsaking Me, Thy lawful Husband, thou uncoverest thyself, as an unchaste wife, unto others. He continues still in the same allegory of spiritual whoredom, namely, idolatry.
30 Namely, upon an high mountain, as verse 7. Other, thou goest up to it, namely, to thy bed, as verse 3; and understand the bed of spiritual fornication or whoredom.
31 That is, thou committest fornication with many idols.
32 Namely, especially with some of the pagan idols, though thou art in love with them all. Other, and makest a covenant more than they, namely, the Gentiles. Of whom thou hast learned this. Other, and hewest thee down trees more than those; thou hewest thee down trees, namely, to make room in the grove to set up images and altars of idols, or to make idols of them. Compare Isa. 44:14.
33 Namely, the couch of idols, that is, thou committest idolatry with delight.
34 Other, in the place that thou hast looked out for thyself.
35 Hebr. hand, as Isa. 56:5.
9And 36thou wentest to the king 37with ointment, and 38didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers 39far off, 40and didst debase thyself even 41unto hell.
36 That is, thou sendest thine ambassadors when thou art in trouble, to ask for help.
37 Namely, with precious, sweet balsam-oil (as Hosea 12:1) for a present, as some conceive, to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, 2 Kings 16:7.
38 That is, thou preparest great amount of this oil to present the king abundantly therewith.
39 Namely, into Assyria.
40 That is, in order that thou mayest obtain help from him, thou humblest thyself before him even unto hell, that is, in the lowest manner or degree, as Mat. 11:23. It seems that the prophet has here respect to the words of king Ahaz, when he sent word to the king of Assyria saying, I am thy servant, 2 Kings 16:7.
41 The same as annotation number 40.
1042Thou art wearied in the 43greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, 44There is no hope: 45thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou 46wast not grieved.
42 The meaning is: Although thou hast made a long and tedious journey to Assyria to seek there for help, yet thou art not frightened away by it.
43 Into Assyria. Hebr. in the greatness or multitude of thy way.
44 It is labor lost, or, it is desperate work, therefore I will let it alone.
45 That is, which was able to keep thee alive, or to preserve thy strength and vigor. Other, thou hast found (that is, thou didst hope to have found) a band (or company, or multitude) of thine hand, that is, thou perceivest to have ready at hand, or at thy command, namely, the Assyrians. Other, a strengthening of thine hand, that is, a comfort of help, whereby thine hand shall be strengthened. Other, the victual of thine hand. The meaning is: Since thou hast found comfort by the Assyrians and they do promise to strengthen thine hand with help and assistance, therefore it doth not repent thee that thou hast gone such a long journey, but thou art rather hardened and strengthened by it in thine idolatry, and thou goest still to Assyria to seek there for help.
46 That is, thou growest not weary, faint; thou art not discouraged; thou faintest not in thy design or purpose.
1147And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and 48hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? 49have not I held my peace 50even of old, and thou fearest me not?
47 The sense is: When My prophets do reprove thy sins, thou disownest them, and coverest them with lies. Compare Isa. 59:13. Art thou not afraid nor fearest any man, yea, not thy God Himself, because He suffereth thee to go so long unpunished?
48 That is, thou hast not thought on My vengeance, nor feared that I would punish thee for thy lies.
49 That is, because I do not straightway punish thee, as soon as thou didst sin against Me? Other, have I not held my peace, or have kept Me quiet, suffered thee to go unpunished, for a long while together, and yet thou hast not feared Me? Or thus, Do I not also hold my peace of old, and wilt thou not fear me?
50 Hebr. from eternity. See Job 22 on verse 15.
12I will 51declare 52thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.53
51 That is, I will conceal them no longer.
52 That is, thy dissimulation, thy hypocrisy, wherewith thou makest a show as if they were good works, but in the deed it is iniquity; for, we must know that this is spoken ironically and in a deriding or scoffing manner, since they wanted to be esteemed and counted for true, godly and righteous people, but in their act they were not so.
53 Understand additionally, but on the contrary they shall greatly hurt thee.
13¶When 54thou criest, let 55thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he thatc putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit 56my holy mountain;
54 Namely, being in trouble and begging help of Me.
55 As if the Lord said: I will not deliver you; let us see if the Assyrian soldiers, whom ye have gathered for your help, will be able to deliver you.
c Psalm 34:8.
56 That is, he shall be a member of My congregation here on earth, and after this life inherit eternal life. Hebr. the mountain of my holiness. Compare herewith Psalm 37:9; Isa. 2:2; 56:7.
14And 57shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
57 Or, he shall say, namely, the crier, or king Cyrus, who caused proclamation to be made that the Jewish people would return to their own country, and that no man would hurt them. See Isa. 40:3; 62:10; whereby is further typified the redemption by Jesus Christ.
15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also 58that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
58 See the annotation at Psalm 34 on verse 18.
16For Id will not contend 59for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for 60the spirit should 61fail before me, 62and the souls whiche I have made.
d Psalm 103:9.
59 Or, unto the end.
60 That is, the heart, the mind of all men, when I would always contend with them, or would be at all times equally angry with them.
61 See Psalm 61 on verse 2; see Psalm 102 in the title.
62 Namely, would be overwhelmed, or fall into a swoon.
e Heb. 12:9.
17For the iniquity of 63his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: 64I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly 65in the way of his heart.
63 Or, their. Hebr. his. This 17th verse and also the 18th and 19th verses are continually put in the singular number.
64 That is, I withdrew My grace and help from them.
65 That is, in the way which their own heart invented and devised.
18 ¶ 66I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to 67his mourners.
66 Other, But when I beheld their ways, then I healed, or cured, them. The meaning is: When I saw that they were totally corrupted, and were not able to help themselves, then I helped them by mere grace and mercy.
67 Namely, to those who are grieved, because they have provoked Me to anger.
1968I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace 69to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
68 That is, I will raise and produce much peace and joy, much comfort and thankfulness by the lips of My servants who preach peace. Other, I create that which hath been brought forth, or, is brought forth by the lips.
69 That is, to all the elect, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. See Eph. 2:17.
20But the wicked are 70like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose 71waters 72cast 73up mire and dirt.
70 As the sea or lakes, which are moved, stirred and troubled by the mighty winds; thus are the wicked driven on to all manner of wickedness, both by their own evil conscience, and by other wicked men.
71 Or, waves or billows.
72 As such the wicked cast up and bring forth all manner of filthiness and corruption out of their corrupt hearts and minds.
73 Or, forth.
21There is 74no peace, saith my God, to thef wicked.
74 Namely, no peace of conscience or of mind. See Job 18 on verse 11.
f Isa. 48:22.