Isa 14:4-5, Isa 15-16 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 4. This proverb -"This parable"] mashal , I take this to be the general name for poetic style among the Hebrews, including every sort of it, as ranging under one or other, or all of the characters, of sententious, figurative, and sublime; which are all contained in the original notion, or in the use and application of the word mashal. Parables or proverbs, such as those of Solomon, are always expressed in short pointed sentences; frequently figurative, being formed on some comparison; generally forcible and authoritative, both in the matter and the form. And such in general is the style of the Hebrew poetry. The verb mashal signifies to rule; to exercise authority; to make equal; to compare one thing with another; to utter parables, or acute, weighty, and powerful speeches, in the form and manner of parables, though not properly such. Thus Balaam's first prophecy, ( ,) is called his mashal ; though it has hardly any thing figurative in it: but it is beautifully sententious, and, from the very form and manner of it, has great spirit, force, and energy. Thus Job's last speeches, in answer to his three friends, chap. xxvii.-xxxi., are called mashals ; from no one particular character, which discriminates them from the rest of the poem, but from the sublime, the figurative, the sententious manner which equally prevails through the whole poem, and makes it one of the first and most eminent examples extant of the truly great and beautiful in poetic style. . The Septuagint in this place render the word by θρηνος, a lamentation . They plainly consider the speech here introduced as a piece of poetry, and of that species of poetry which we call the elegiac; either from the subject, it being a poem on the fall and death of the king of Babylon, or from the form of the composition, which is of the longer sort of Hebrew verse, in which the Lamentations of Jeremiah, called by the Septuagint θρηνοι, are written. The golden city ceased ] madhebah , which is here translated golden city , is a Chaldee word. Probably it means that golden coin or ingot which was given to the Babylonians by way of tribute. So the word is understood by the Vulgate , where it is rendered tributum ; and by Montanus, who translates it aurea pensio , the golden pension. Kimchi seems to have understood the word in the same sense. De Rossi translates it auri dives , rich in gold, or auri exactrix , the exactor of gold; the same as the exactor of tribute.

‏ Isaiah 14:4-5

Verse 4. This proverb-"This parable"] mashal, I take this to be the general name for poetic style among the Hebrews, including every sort of it, as ranging under one or other, or all of the characters, of sententious, figurative, and sublime; which are all contained in the original notion, or in the use and application of the word mashal. Parables or proverbs, such as those of Solomon, are always expressed in short pointed sentences; frequently figurative, being formed on some comparison; generally forcible and authoritative, both in the matter and the form. And such in general is the style of the Hebrew poetry. The verb mashal signifies to rule; to exercise authority; to make equal; to compare one thing with another; to utter parables, or acute, weighty, and powerful speeches, in the form and manner of parables, though not properly such. Thus Balaam's first prophecy, (Nu 23:7-10,) is called his mashal; though it has hardly any thing figurative in it: but it is beautifully sententious, and, from the very form and manner of it, has great spirit, force, and energy. Thus Job's last speeches, in answer to his three friends, chap. xxvii.-xxxi., are called mashals; from no one particular character, which discriminates them from the rest of the poem, but from the sublime, the figurative, the sententious manner which equally prevails through the whole poem, and makes it one of the first and most eminent examples extant of the truly great and beautiful in poetic style. See Clarke on Pr 1:1.

The Septuagint in this place render the word by θρηνος, a lamentation. They plainly consider the speech here introduced as a piece of poetry, and of that species of poetry which we call the elegiac; either from the subject, it being a poem on the fall and death of the king of Babylon, or from the form of the composition, which is of the longer sort of Hebrew verse, in which the Lamentations of Jeremiah, called by the Septuagint θρηνοι, are written.

The golden city ceased] madhebah, which is here translated golden city, is a Chaldee word. Probably it means that golden coin or ingot which was given to the Babylonians by way of tribute. So the word is understood by the Vulgate, where it is rendered tributum; and by Montanus, who translates it aurea pensio, the golden pension. Kimchi seems to have understood the word in the same sense. De Rossi translates it auri dives, rich in gold, or auri exactrix, the exactor of gold; the same as the exactor of tribute.

‏ Isaiah 15

CHAPTER XV

Prediction of very heavy calamities about to fall upon the Moabites, 1-9.

This and the following chapter, taken together, make one entire prophecy, very improperly divided into two parts. The time of its delivery, and consequently of its accomplishment, which was to be in three years from that time, is uncertain; the former not being marked in the prophecy itself, nor the latter recorded in history. But the most probable account is, that it was delivered soon after the foregoing, in the first year of Hezekiah; and that it was accomplished in his fourth year, when Shalmaneser invaded the kingdom of Israel. He might probably march through Moab; and to secure every thing behind him, possess himself of the whole country, by taking their principal strong places Ar and Kirhares.-L. The authorized Version which we have followed in the margin, places the prophecy in this chapter fourteen years earlier than that contained in the two preceding,

Jeremiah has happily introduced much of this prophecy of Isaiah into his own larger prophecy against the same people in his forty-eighth chapter, denouncing God's judgment on Moab, subsequent to the calamity here foretold, and to be executed by Nebuchadnezzar; by which means several mistakes of transcribers in the present text of both prophets may be rectified.

NOTES ON CHAP. XV

Verse 1. Because in the night] beleil. That both these cities should be taken in the night is a circumstance somewhat unusual; but not so material as to deserve to be so strongly insisted upon. Vitringa, by his remark on this word, shows that he was dissatisfied with it in its plain and obvious meaning, and is forced to have recourse to a very hard metaphorical interpretation of it. Noctu vel nocturno impetu; vel metaphorice, repente, subito, inexpectata destructione: placet posterius. Calmet conjectures, and I think it probable, that the true reading is keleil, as the night. There are many mistakes in the Hebrew text arising from the very great similitude of the letters beth, and caph, which in many MSS., and some printed editions, are hardly distinguishable. Admitting this reading, the translation will be,-

"Because Ar is utterly destroyed, Moab is undone!

Because Kir is utterly destroyed, Moab is undone!"

Verse 2. He is gone to Bajith, and to Dibon] alah habbayith, should be rendered, he is gone to the HOUSE, i.e., to their chief temple, where they practiced idolatry. Dibon was the name of a tower where also was an idolatrous temple; thither they went to weep and pray before their idols, that they might interpose and save them from their calamities. So R. D. Kimchi. He is gone to Bajith and to Dibon: but Bishop Lowth reads Beth Dibon; this is the name of one place; and the two words are to be joined together, without the vau intervening. So the Chaldee and Syriac. This reading is not supported by any MS. or Version: but some MSS., instead of ar, have ir, a city, others have ad, unto, and some editions have al, upon. But all these help little, though they show that the place puzzled both the scribes and the editors.

On all their heads shall be baldness, &c.-"On every head there is baldness," &c.] Herodotus, ii. 36, speaks of it as a general practice among all men, except the Egyptians, to cut off their hair as a token of mourning. "Cut off thy hair, and cast it away," says Jeremiah, Jer 7:29, "and take up a lamentation."

τουτονυκαιγεραςοιονοιζυροιοσιβροτοισι

κειρασθαιτεκομηνβαλεεινταποδακρυπαρειων

HOM. Odyss. iv. 197.

"The rites of wo

Are all, alas! the living can bestow;

O'er the congenial dust enjoined to shear

The graceful curl, and drop the tender tear."

POPE.

On every head.-For roshaiv, read rosh. So the parallel place, Jer 48:37, and so three MSS., one ancient. An ancient MS. reads al col rosh. Five read bechol rosh, on every head, with the Septuagint and Arabic. AND every head. The vau, and, is found in thirty MSS., in three editions, and in the Syriac, Vulgate, and Chaldee.

Cut off-"Shorn."] The printed editions, as well as the MSS., are divided on the reading of this word. Some have geduah, shorn, others geruah, diminished. The similitude of the letters daleth and resh has likewise occasioned many mistakes. In the present case, the sense is pretty much the same with either reading. The text of Jer 48:37 has the latter, diminished. The former reading is found in twelve of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., forty of De Rossi's, and two of my own. A great number of editions have the same reading.

Verse 3. With sackcloth] sak. The word is in the plural sakkim, sacks, in one of De Rossi's MSS.

Verse 4. The armed soldiers-"The very loins"] So the Septuagint, ηοσφυς, and the Syriac. They cry out violently, with their utmost force.

Verse 5. My heart shall cry out for Moab-"The heart of Moab crieth within her"] For libbi, my heart, the Septuagint reads libbo, his heart, or leb; the Chaldee, libbo. For bericheyha, the Syriac reads berocheh; and so likewise the Septuagint, rendering it εναυτη, Edit. Vat: or ενεαυτη, Edit. Alex. and MSS. I., D. II.

A heifer of three years old-"A young heifer."] Hebrew, a heifer three years old, in full strength; as Horace uses equa trima, for a young mare just coming to her prime. Bochart observes, from Aristotle, Hist. Animal. lib. iv. that in this kind of animals alone the voice of the female is deeper than that of the male; therefore the lowing of the heifer, rather than of the bullock, is chosen by the prophet, as the more proper image to express the mourning of Moab. But I must add that the expression here is very short and obscure; and the opinions of interpreters are various in regard to the meaning. Compare Jer 48:34.

Shall they go it up-"They shall ascend"] For yaaleh, the Septuagint and a MS. read in the plural, yaalu. And from this passage the parallel place in Jer 48:5 must be corrected; where, for yaaleh bechi, which gives no good sense, read yaaleh bo.

Verse 7. "Shall perish"] abadu or abadeh. This word seems to have been lost out of the text: it is supplied by the parallel place, Jer 48:36. The Syriac expresses it by aber, praeteriit, "he hath passed;" and the Chaldee by yithbazezun, diripientur.

To the brook of the willows-"To the valley of willows"] That is, to Babylon. Hieron. and Jarchi in loc., both referring to Ps 137:2. So likewise Prideaux, Le Clerc, &c.

Verse 9. The waters of Dimon] Some have Dibon, others have Ribon and Rimon. St. Jerome observes that the same town was called both Dibon and Dimon. The reading is therefore indifferent.

Upon him that escapeth of Moab, &c.-"Upon the escaped of Moab, and Ariel, and the remnant of Admah."] The Septuagint for aryeh read ariel. Ar Moab was called also Ariel or Areopolis, Hieron. and Theodoret. See Cellarius. They make Admah also a proper name. Michaelis thinks that the Moabites might be called the remnant of Admah, as sprung from Lot and his daughters, escaped from the destruction of that and the other cities; or, metaphorically, as the Jews are called princes of Sodom, and people of Gomorrah, Isa 1:10. Bibliotheque Orient. Part v., p. 195. The reading of this verse is very doubtful; and the sense, in every way in which it can be read, very obscure.-L. Calmet thinks there may be a reference to 1Ch 11:22, where it is said, "Benaiah slew two lion-like men of Moab," or the two Ariels of Moab, and would therefore translate, "I will bring down the remnant of Moab like Ariel, (which Benaiah smote,) and them that are escaped like Adamah." They shall be exterminated, as were the inhabitants of those two cities. Ariel was a double city-the river Arnon dividing it in two. This is the two Ariels of Moab-not two lion-like men, much less two lions. See Calmet on this place.

‏ Isaiah 16

CHAPTER XVI

The distress of Moab pathetically described by the son of the prince, or ruler of the land, being forced to flee for his life through the desert, that he may escape to Judea; and the young women, like young birds scared from their nest, wade helpless through the fords of Arnon, the boundary of their country, to seek protection in some foreign land, 1, 2.

The prophet addresses Sion, exhorting her to show mercy to her enemies in their distress, that her throne may be established in righteousness, 3-5.

Exceeding great pride of Moab, 6.

The terrible calamities about to fall upon Moab farther described by the languishing of the vine, the ceasing of the vintage, the sound of the prophet's bowels quivering like a harp, &c., 7-13.

Awful nearness of the full accomplishment of the prophecy, 14.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVI

Verse 1. Send ye the lamb, &c.-"I will send forth the son, &c."] Both the reading and meaning of this verse are still more doubtful than those of the preceding. The Septuagint and Syriac read eshlach, I will send, in the first person singular, future tense: the Vulgate and Talmud Babylon, read shelach, send, singular imperative: some read shilchu, send ye forth, or shalechu, they send forth. The Syriac, for car, a lamb, reads bar, a son, which is confirmed by five MSS. of Kennicott and De Rossi. The two first verses describe the distress of Moab on the Assyrian invasion in which even the son of the prince of the country is represented as forced to flee for his life through the desert, that he may escape to Judea; and the young women are driven forth like young birds cast out of the nest, and endeavouring to wade through the fords of the river Arnon. Perhaps there is not so much difficulty in this verse as appears at first view. "Send the lamb to the ruler of the land," may receive light from 2Ki 3:4, 5: "And Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs with their wool, and one hundred thousand rams: but when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against Israel." Now the prophet exhorts them to begin paying the tribute as formerly, that their punishment might be averted or mitigated.

Verse 3. Take counsel-"Impart counsel"] The Vulgate renders the verbs in the beginning of this verse in the singular number, So the Keri; and so likewise sixty-one MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's have it, and nineteen editions, and the Syriac. The verbs throughout the verse are also in the feminine gender; agreeing with Zion, which I suppose to be understood.

Verse 4. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab-"Let the outcasts of Moab sojourn with thee, O Zion"] Setting the points aside, this is by much the most obvious construction of the Hebrew, as well as most agreeable to the context, and the design of the prophet. And it is confirmed by the Septuagint οι φυγαδεςμωαβ, and Syriac.

The oppressors-"The oppressor"] Perhaps the Israelites, who in the time of Ahab invaded Judah, defeated his army, slaying one hundred and twenty thousand men, and brought the kingdom to the brink of destruction. Judah, being now in a more prosperous condition, is represented as able to receive and to protect the fugitive Moabites. And with those former times of distress the security and flourishing state of the kingdom under the government of Hezekiah is contrasted.

Verse 5. In mercy shall the throne be established] May not this refer to the throne of Hezekiah? Here we have the character of such a king as cannot fail to be a blessing to the people. 1. "He sitteth on the throne in truth"-He does not merely profess to be the father and protector of his people: but he is actually such. 2. He is judging. He is not a man of war or blood, who wastes his subjects' lives and treasures in contentions with neighbouring nations, in order to satisfy his ambition by the extension of his territory. On the contrary, his whole life is occupied in the distribution of justice. 3. He seeketh judgment. He seeks out the poor distressed ones who cannot make their way to him, and avenges them on their oppressors. 4. He hastens righteousness. He does not suffer any of the courts of justice to delay the determination of the causes brought before them: he so orders that the point in litigation be fairly, fully, and speedily heard; and then judgment pronounced. Delays in the execution of justice answer little end but the enriching of unprincipled lawyers.

Verse 6. We have heard of the pride of Moab-"We have heard the pride of Moab"] For ge, read geah; two MSS., one ancient, and Jer 48:29. Zephaniah, Zep 2:8-10, in his prophecy against Moab, the subject of which is the same with that of Jeremiah in his forty-eighth chapter, (See Clarke on Isa 15:1,) enlarges much on the pride of Moab, and their insolent behaviour towards the Jews:-

"I have heard the reproach of Moab;

And the revilings of the sons of Ammon:

Who have reproached my people;

And have magnified themselves against their borders.

Therefore, as I live, saith JEHOVAH God of hosts,

the God of Israel:

Surely Moab shall be as Sodom,

And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah:

A possession of nettles, and pits of salt,

And a desolation for ever.

The residue of my people shall spoil them,

And the remnant of my nation shall dispossess them:

This shall they have for their pride;

Because they have raised a reproach, and have magnified

themselves

Against the people of JEHOVAH God of hosts."

Verse 7. For the foundations of Kir-hareseth-"For the men of Kirhares."] A palpable mistake in this place is happily corrected by the parallel text of Jer 48:31, where, instead of ashishey, foundations or flagons, nve read anshey, men. In the same place of Jeremiah, and in Jer 48:36, and here in Isa 16:11, the name of the city is Kirhares, not Kir-hareseth.

Verse 8. Languish-"Are put to shame"] Here the text of Jeremiah leaves us much at a loss, in a place that seems to be greatly corrupted. The Septuagint join the two last words of this verse with the beginning of the following. Their rendering is: καιουκ εντραπησηταπεδιαεσεβων. For ach they must have read al; otherwise, how came they by the negative, which seems not to belong to this place? Neither is it easy to make sense of the rest without a small alteration, by reading, instead of εντραπησητα εντραπησεται. In a word, the Arabic version taken from the Septuagint, plainly authorizes this reading of the Septuagint, and without the negative; and it is fully confirmed by MSS. Pachom. and I. D. II., which have both of them εντραπησεται πεδιαεσεβων, without the negative; which makes an excellent sense, and, I think, gives us the true reading of the Hebrew text; ak nichlemu shadmoth cheshbon. They frequently render the verb nichlam by εντρεπομαι. And nichlemu answers perfectly well to umlal, the parallel word in the next line. The MSS. vary in expressing the word nechaim, which gives no tolerable sense in this place; one reads nochaim; two others bechaim; in another the caph is upon a rasure of two letters; and the Vulgate instead of it reads mecotham, plagas suas.-L.

For the men of Kirhares ye shall make a moan. For the fields of Heshbon are put to shame. This is Bp. Lowth's sense of the passage.

Her branches are stretched out-"Her branches extended themselves."] For nitteshu, a MS. has niggeshu; which may perhaps be right. Compare Jer 48:32, which has in this part of the sentence the synonymous word nagau.

The meaning of this verse is, that the wines of Sibmah and Heshbon were greatly celebrated, and in high repute with all the great men and princes of that and the neighbouring countries; who indulged themselves even to intemperance in the use of them. So that their vines were so much in request as not only to be propagated all over the country of Moab to the sea of Sodom, but to have scions of them sent even beyond the sea into foreign countries.

halemu, knocked down, demolished; that is overpowered, intoxicated. The drunkards of Ephraim are called by the prophet, Isa 28:1, halumey yayin, drinkers of wine. See Schultens on Pr 23:25. Grotius, speaking of the Mareotic wine, says of it,

Pharios quae fregit noxia reges. CYNEG. 312.

Verse 9. With the weeping-"As with the weeping"] For bibechi, a MS. reads bechi. In Jer 48:32, it is mibbechi. The Septuagint read kibeki, as with weeping, which I follow.

For thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen-"And upon thy vintage the destroyer hath fallen."] veal ketsirech heidad naphal. In these few words there are two great mistakes, which the text of Jer 48:32 rectifies. For ketsirech, it has betsirech; and for heidad, shoded; both which corrections the Chaldee in this place confirms. As to the first,

"Hesebon and Eleale, and

The flowery dale of Sibmah, clad with vines,"

were never celebrated for their harvests; it was the vintage that suffered by the irruption of the enemy; and so read the Septuagint and Syriac. heidad is the noisy acclamation of the treaders of the grapes. And see what sense this makes in the literal rendering of the Vulgate: super messem tuam vox calcantium irruit, "upon thy harvest the voice of the treaders rushes." The reading in Jer 48:32 is certainly right, shoded naphal, "the destroyer hath fallen." The shout of the treaders does not come in till the next verse; in which the text of Isaiah in its turn mends that of Jeremiah, Jer 48:33, where instead of the first heidad, "the shout," we ought undoubtedly to read, as here, haddorech, "the treader."

Verse 10. Neither shall there be shouting-"An end is put to the shouting"] The Septuagint read hishbeth, passive, and in the third person; rightly, for God is not the speaker in this place. The rendering of the Septuagint is πεπαυταιγαρκελευσμα, "the cry ceaseth;" which last word, necessary to the rendering of the Hebrew and to the sense, is supplied by MSS. Pachom. and I. D. II., having been lost out of the other copies.

Verse 12. When it is seen that Moab, &c.-"When Moab shall see," &c.] For nirah, a MS. reads raah, and so the Syriac and Chaldee. "Perhaps ki nirah is only a various reading of ki nilah." SECKER. A very probable conjecture.

Verse 14. Within three years] beshalish

keshalish, according, or in or about three years, is the reading of nine of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and two ancient editions.

But the present reading may well stand: "Now, the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling." It seems as if this prophecy had been delivered before, without any time specified for its fulfilment; but now the time is determined-"in three years, as the years of a hireling"-for, as a hireling counts even to a single day, and will not abide with his employer an hour beyond the time agreed on; so, in three years, even to a day, from the delivery of this prophecy, shall destruction come upon Moab. This is the import of the present text; but if we take keshalish, AS in three years, or in about three years' time, the prophecy is not so definite.

These three years, says Calmet, are mentioned from the death of Ahaz, see Isa 14:28, and end the third year of Hezekiah, three years before the taking of Samaria by Shalmaneser. This conquerer did not ruin Moab so completely as not to leave a man in the land; the final desolation of Moab was reserved for Nebuchadnezzar, five years after the taking of Jerusalem.

Feeble-"And without strength."] An ancient MS., with the Septuagint, reads velo, "and not."

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