Chapter is his treasure.] He directs himself to Hezekiah, in whose XXXIII. Reign this Deliverance fhould come to pafs, as if he

had faid for this will God do, because thou O Hezekiah art a wife and good Prince, thy Reign fhall no more be disturb'd and as it were fhaken with fuch Calamities, thou shalt fit faft in thy Throne furrounded with prudent Counselors: And all because the fear of the Lord his Treasure.

Ver. 7. Behold, their valiant ones fhall cry without : the ambaffadors of peace fhall weep bitterly.] The Original Erel which occurs in this Place only being very like Ariel, Grotius thinks it fignifies the fame, as if the Prophet had faid, The Affyrians fhall cry out in their Camp, behold their Altar fhall not protect them: But it fignifies a Herald says, Gataker, and then the Senfe will be the fame as that of the following Sentence, the Prophet in both fpeaking of the Meffengers fent to Sennacherib, to fupplicate Peace of him who fhould return with down-caft looks, bewail their Countries Misfortune, and even defcend into unmanly Tears: Which is faid to aggravate their danger, and illuftrate the kindness of God who deliver'd them out of it.

Ver. 8. The high-ways lie wafte, the wayfaring man ceafeth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath defpifed the cities, be regardeth no man.] That is, in thofe Days Trade shall be quite interrupted, and no Body venture to Travel in the High-ways for fear of the Affyrians: For tho' Senacherib will feem to be pacify'd by the Prefents of Hezekiah, and come to Articles of Agreement with him, I forefee he will brake the Covenant, he will infult the Defencelefs Towns and Villages, regarding neither Age, Condition nor Sex.

Ver. 9. The earth mourneth and languifheth: Lebanon is afhamed, and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bafhan and Carmel shake off their fruits.] The Design of the Prophet, fays Forerius, is to fet forth the Univerfality of this Affyrian's depredation, no corner fhall efcape his plundering Forces; for Lebanon was in the North, Sharon in the Weft, Bashan toward the East, and Carmel South. I doubt, fays Gataker, whether Geography will confirm this; however, his defign is to fhew that the

Land

Land of Judah fhould be laid waft; and he fpeaks of Chapter the Hills and Fruitful Fields, as if they were fenfible XXXIII. of the Damage they fhould receive. I fhould concur rather with thofe who fuppofe, that thefe Places lay in the Way of Sennacherib; for Carmel, fays Tacitus, lay in the Way between Judea and Syria.

. Ver. 10. Now will I rife, faith the Lord: now will I be exalted, now will I lift up my felf.] When their Treafure was exhaufted, their Country become a Wildernefs, their Ambaffadors repuls'd, their Courage finking, and nothing but Defpair to be feen in every Face; this was a feafonable time for God to step in and deliver them; now will I rife, faith the Lord. He reprefents him like a Man rifing from Sleep, fhaking off his Drowfinefs, and preparing for vigorous Action..

Ver. 11, 12. Te Jhall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth Stubble: your breath as fire fhall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire.] He fpeaks to the Affyrians flush'd with Succefs, full of Affurance that All was their own; they should have the plundering of Jerufalem, and the Kingdom of Judah become a Tributary Province to Af Syria: But the Prophet tells them their forward Hopes Thould vanish into Air, and to come to nothing; which is the meaning of conceiving chaff and bringing forth ftubble. Your breath as fire fhall devour you: Your Wrath and revengeful Spirit against my People, fhall be your ruin. And very probably, if Sennacherib had not gone farther then his Commiffion ran, but had contented himself with plundering the Country, without endeavouring to make a compleat Conqueft of it, his Army had never been deftroy'd nor he kill'd. The Prophet all along reprefents the Destruction of the Affyrian Army, as if it were done by Fire; which might probably give rife to the Tradition mention'd by Jofephus, that they all died of the Plague, which may be call'd a latent Fire..

Ver. 13. Hear ye that are far off what I have done'; and ye that are near, acknowle ide my might,] An Epiphonema to the Nations at a diftance, from Judea, as well as thofe in her Neighbourhood, to take notice of, and feriously confider the remarkable Judgment he was just about

Antiq. 1. 105,

Ch. 2.

Chapter about to inflict the greatest Monarch upon Earth; imXXXIII. plying, that it fhould be notorious, and make a noife in the World.

Vatablus.

A Lapide, Sanctius, Forerus, &c.

Ver. 14. The finners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath Suprifed the hypocrites: who among us fhall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnnings? He fpeaks of the fame unbelieving Jews, who could not be prevail'd upon to give Credit to the Predictions of the Prophets, but concerted Meafures - for their own. Security; as if he had faid, I have told you that the Lord will preferve Jerufalem, and destroy the Affyrians, yet will not the Sinners in Sion believe me, but be afraid and fay among themselves: Who among us Shall dwell with the devouring fire? How is it poffible we fhall hold out or efcape, when we fee nothing is able to oppose him; like a raging Fire he is not to be stopp'd, but burns up every thing that comes in his way: By Everlasting burning he means the fame: And it cannot be understood of Hell-fire, as many Commentators imagine because in the next Verfe, the Prophet fays, He that walketh rightiously can live with this Fire; that is, withstand the fury of it, and be preferv'd from its violence.

Ver. 15. He that walketh righteously, and fpeaketh uprightly, he that defpifeth the gain of oppreffions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and fhutteth his eyes from feeing evil. He anfwers the Queftions of the unbelieving Fems, and defcribes the Characters of those who fhould be preferv'd from the Affyrian, by fuch Attributes as are contrary to thofe apply'd to the Infidels in the former Chapter,

Ver. 21.

Ver. 16. He shall dwell on high his place of defence fhall be the munitions of rocks, bread fhall be given him, his waters fhall be fure. He, that is, they, all thofe who come up to the Character in the Verfe before, fhall be feated, as it were, on a high Rock, as fafe from danger, as if furrounded on every fide by inacceffible Precipices; and tho' all the Avenues to the City be block'd up by the Affyrian Forces, they fhall want nothing to fupport them; Bread and Water they fhall have in plenty, which are ufually wanted in long Sieges.

Ver.

Ver. 17. Thine eyes shall fee the king in his beauty: they Chapter fhall behold the land that is very far off] That is, the Eyes XXXIIL of thofe beforemention'd, v. 15. They fhall fee their King in his Glory; not in a fubmiffive manner ftooping to an in- Clarius, folent, Tyrant, not in Sackcloth and Mourning, as in the Gataker. Time of their Diftrefs, but in all the Pomp and Majefty of a King, in greater Magnificence than he ever appear'd in before. And they shall behold the Land that is very far off, though at prefent they are coop'd up within their Walls, yet then fhall they be at liberty to look abroad, to travel fafely all over their Land to the remoteft corners of it.

Ver. 18. Thine heart fhall meditate terrour: Where is the fcribe where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?] Then fhall ye think with pleafure on the Dangers ye have efcap'd, on the Fright ye were in when ye faw the Affyrians at your Gate; then fhall ye infult over your vanquish'd Enemies, and ask, Where is the Scribe, or Secretary of War, the Officer who Register'd the Names of the Soldiers, and kept an account of their Muster? Where is the Receiver, or Tribute-gatherer? Where is he that counted the Towers, or the Mafter of the Artillery?

Ver. 19. Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper fpeech then thou canst perceive; of a ftammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.] Thou shalt no longer fee the Affyrians, whofe frightful Numbers ye have often trembling gaz'd on, nor hear their unintelligible barbarous Sounds, the Noife of which often grated on your Ears and chill'd your Blood.

Ver. 20. Look upon Zion the city of our folemnities: thine eyes fhall fee Ferufalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that Shall not be taken down, not one of the ftakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither fhall any of the cords thereof be broken.] The Imperative inftead of a Future, (a) Ye fhall no more (4) Munster. from your Walls look trembling on the Affyrian Hoft, but turn your Eyes on the growing Beauties of Jerufalem, and every Day behold fresh Ornaments arife; the Dispute among Interpreters whether he fpeaks of the Church Tri- (b) Cyril, umphant (b) or Militant (c) may be eafily decided, for he arius, fpeaks of neither, but of Sion the city of Solemnities, to (c) Hieron Haymo. which the Jews from all parts reforted on their folemn Alvarez,

Feaft

Chapter Feast Days, which he compares to a Tent fix'd with XXXIII. Stakes in the Ground, and according to our Tranflation

one would think he foretold that there fhould not be the leaft Damage done either to the City or Walls, contrary to what I have before fuppos'd; but our Tranflators have put in Words which are not in the Original, which rightly tranflated implies no fuch thing,Your Eyes fhall fee Ferufalem a quiet Habitation, a Tabernacle or Tent which fhall not be remov'd, whofe Stakes shall not be stirr'd out of their places, whose Cords fhall not be broken; which gives a quite different Turn to the Words, and fuppofes the Enemy to make fome Breaches in the Wall, notwithstanding which they should not be able to take the City.

Ver. 21. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and ftreams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither fhall gallant ship pass thereby.] Tho' Jerufalem be not furrounded by any River, which might render Access to it more difficult, yet God fhall afford more Security to it than any fuch River could add; he himself will be a broad River to it, fo broad, and of fo ftrong a Stream, that neither the Affyrian Men of War (as we now fpeak) nor their lesser Frigats shall be able to pass it.

Ver. 22, 23. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will fave us. Thy tacklings are loofed, they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not fpread the fail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided, the lame take the prey.] Having compar'd Jerufalem to a City furrounded with a navigable River, he likens the Affyrians to a Ship, much after the fame manner as Horace does the Roman Empire, Ac fine funibus, vix durare Carine poffunt imperiofius aquor: Thy Tackling is out of order, thy Maft will not stand upright, thy Mariners can make no use of their Sails; and when, O Sennacherib, thou art in this fhipwreck'd Condition,the Prey which thou haft taken from the Nations over-ruh by thy Forces fhall be divided among the Jews, which fhall be fo confiderable, that the strong and the lufty among them shall not be able to take all away, but those that are lame, and impotent, and unable to make fo much hafte, fhall however come in for their Share of it.