Chapter
XLIE:

Ver. 7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prifoners from the prifon, and them that fit in darkness out of the prifon houfe.] This Prophet, and other facred Writers, defcribe a State of Mifery by Darkness; therefore in the Hebrew Language to open the Eyes, is the fame as to give Light, to comfort, and refresh, as thofe who bring clofe Prifoners fhut up in dark Dungeons into the open Air and fet them at liberty, open their Eyes as it were, and make them fenfible of thofe Bleffings they were before depriv'd of; and therefore the Prophet explains himself in the next Sentence, by bringing the Prifoner's out of Prifon.

Ver. 8, 9. I am the Lord, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praife to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they Spring forth I tell you of them.] Here the Prophet fpeaks in his own Perfon, as if he were in the midft of his Captive Brethren; and faw them groaning under their Oppreffion, Behold, (fays he) the things I foretold are come to pafs, I bring you the joyful News of your Deliverance, before there appears the leaft probability of fo ftrange a Revolution, I declare it to you.

Ver. 10. Sing unto the Lord a new fong, and his praife from the end of the earth: ye that go down to the fea, and all that is therein; the ifles and the inhabitants thereof.] Wherever they are, in what remote corner foever of that great Monarchy, he advises them to celebrate the praise of God with, Songs: By them that go down to the Sea, muft be understood chiefly the Tyrians, whom Nebuchadnezzar carry'd into Captivity about the fame time with the Jews, and by the Inhabitants of the Ifles, he means the Neighbouring Maritime States, who being opprefs'd by the Babylonians, would have reafon to rejoyce at their deftruction.

Ver. 11. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit let the inhabitants of the rock fing, let them fhout from the top of the mountains.] By the Wilderness he means the Wilderness by the Red Sea, in which the Edomites dwelt who were ill us'd by the Chaldeans, and would therefore rejoyce at their downfal; And the Arabians likewife, whom he

calls

calls Kedarenes from Kedar the Son of Ishmael, who fet, Chapter tled in those Parts and Inhabitants of the Rocks, because XLII. that Country is very Mountainous, and therefore call'd Arabia Petraa.

Ver. 12, 13. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praife in the islands. The Lord fhall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealoufie like a man of war: he Shall cry; yea, roar, he shall prevail again his enemies.] He fhall roufe his indignation against them, by confidering the barbarities exercis'd on his People, and quicken his Revenge by the Thoughts of their Sufferings. Forerius understands this of our Saviour, and refers he shall go forth, to what is faid of him in the Gofpel, Exwi a Patre & veni in mundum. Here, (fays he) he brings in the Son of God like a Warrior, flufh'd with affurance of Victory, and eager to enter the Lifts with the grand Enemy of Mankind: But I fee no ground for all this, and think it would be very difficult to reconcile in the fame Perfon, the gentleness defcrib'd in the third Verfe, with Fury and Heat in this.

Ver. 14. I have long time holden my peace, I have been ftill and refrained my felf: now will I cry like a travelling woman, I will deftroy and devour at once.] The Words of God himself, fays Gataker, profeffing that he had long forbore to Execute Judgment and revenge his Peoples. Wrongs, keeping in his Anger as Women in Travail hold in their Breath to promote Parturition.

Ver. 15. I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs, and I will make the rivers iflands, and I will dry up the pools.] That is, he will lay defolate the whole Land of Chaldea, and this particular of making Rivers Ilands, was remarkably fulfill'd when Cyrus deriv'd Euphrates into Channels, and made his Soldiers, pafs over dry Foot.

Ver. 16. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things Straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forfake them.] Having foretold the deftruction of the Wicked, fays Forerius, he here, explains the Redemption of the Elect. These he calls blind, walking in darkness, wand

XLII.

Chapter dring out of their way in crooked Paths: These Chrift brought to himself by a way they knew not, for he brought them to the Law of Righteoufnefs, which they thought they could have obtain❜d by their own Merits, without Faith; and fo he goes on to fhew that Chrift was the Light of the World, the Way and the Truth: This is very true, but I think not defign'd by the Prophet; the Way he speaks of may more maturally be refer'd to their paffage through unknown Countries home-ward, as is plain by what he adds of making crooked things ftreight, the fame which he foretold, Chap. 40. 4. concerning the returning Captives: And nothing is more ufual in Scripture then to reprefent fuch as are in mifery, by being blind and fitting in darkness.

Ver. 17. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly afhamed that trust in graven images, that fay to the molten images, ye are our gods.] But the Idolatrous Babylonians fhall fee in the utmost confusion, asham'd of their unaffifting Idols, in which they vainly trufted and flatter'd themselves with fecurity, in confidence of their Numbers.

Ver. 18, 19. Hear ye deaf, and look ye blind, that ye may fee. Who is blind but my fervant? or deaf, as my meffenger that I fent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lords fervant?] This fome understand of the Babylonians, as if the Prophet had faid, Hear this and tremble ye blind Idolators; but Gataker refers it to the Jews. Hear this, ye unconfidering ftupid Jews; Blind to the mighty Works I have done for you, and deaf to the repeated Admonitions of my Prophets; and think not I do you an Injury by calling you Deaf and Blind: For who is fo blind as my Servant Ifrael? or deaf as my People to whom my Meffenger is fent to declare my will? What Nation in the World is fo befotted, as he that is perfect? Kimfhullam, as that Nation which thinks it felf Perfect, or as the Word may also be render'd, as the People recompenced or rewarded? A People on whom more Bleffings have been confer'd, than on all the Nations in the World.

Ver. 20. Seeing many things, bnt thou obferveft not: opening the ears, but he heareth not.] Many are the Wonders which thou haft feen, O Incredulous Nation! but they

have made no impreffion thee; thou takest no more no- Chapter tice of them, than of the common appearances of Na- XLII. ture, which pafs by without obfervation.

Ver. 21. The Lord is well pleafed for his righteousness fake, he will magnifie the law and make it honourable.] That is, the Lord fet his Affection on this People, for his own righteoufnefs fake, becaufe he had ingag'd his Word to their Fathers that he would take particular care of them, he Deut. 7. 8. made them great and honourable by his Law.

Ver. 22. But this is a people robbed and Spoiled, they are all of them fnared in holes, and they are hid in prifon-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a fpoil, and none faith, Reftore.] Yet after all thefe favours and Honours conferr'd on them, fee what Calamities are now befall'n them, for their Difobedience to their Maker. They are become a People plunder'd and fpoil'd by their Enemies of every thing valuable in the World, they are thrust into nafty Holes, and forc'd to drudge and toil in ftinking Prisons, every one may infult over them at pleasure, and the poor Wretches have no prospect of being deliver'd by any other but by me.

Ver. 23, 24. Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken, and hear for the time to come? Who gave Jacob for a fpoil, and Ifrael to the robbers? did not the Lord, be against whom we have finned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.] As if he had faid, Hearken what I fay to you, ye Captives, and take warning for the future to behave your felves fo, as to avoid the like Calamities another time? Who but the Lord gave You over into your Enemies Hands, and why? But because ye rebell'd against him; becaufe ye were refractory and would not be guided by him, but follow the bent of your own Inclinations. He fpeaks all along as if they were actually in Captivity.

Gataker.

Ver. 25. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battel, and it hath fet him on fire round about, yet he knew not, and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. He alludes to great Storms which pour down fuch spouts of Rain, as thofe in the Levant Seas; Gataker. where a whole Cloud fometimes fuddenly breaking defcends not leifurely, by fucceffive Drops, but falls down as it were all at once.

Rr 2

The

(a) Hugo, Pagnin. Hieron.

Cyril.

Chapter
XLIII.

The ARGUMENT of Chapter XLIII.

He proceeds on the fame Subject of the Babylonian Captives, as appears by the firft Word Venatt. And Now, which connects this with the former Chapter; he incourages them. to bear up manfully under their Misfortunes, putting them in mind of that Relation they stood in toward God, and of the many Dangers out of which He had Redeem'd their Forefathers: Pofitively affuring them, that he will Collect them together, out of the feveral Quarters of their Dif perfion. Then he makes a fhort Digreffion on God's Omnipotency, proper to roufe their Hope under their Circumfrances, and returns to the deftruction of Babylon, ver. 14. at which, leaft their Faith should stagger, he refreshes their Memory with the Overthrow of Pharoah and his Hoft, promifing to do more for them than he did for their Fathers, not only fet them at liberty, but furnish them with all defirable conveniencies in the way. And at last he condef cends to give them a Reason why he suffer'd them to fall into fo great Afflictions. This is the (a) Subject of this Chapter, tho' fome understand it of the Church, when there is not a Word which is not applicable to the Jews, nor a Word which is to the Chriftians.

Verfe r.

CHA P. XLIII.

UT: now thus faith the Lord that created thee, O Facob, and he that formed thee, O Ifrael, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.] This I understand of the Two Tribes, fays Sanctius, to whom, as well as their Brethren of the Ten Tribes, the Names of Jacob and Ifrael were common, because they all proceeded from the fame common Parent. God is faid to have Form'd and Created them, becaufe out of all the Families of the Earth, he chofe them for his Favourite People, rais'd them to a flourishing Nation, and vouchfafed to be their King. Fear not (fays the Prophet) tho' your Oppreffors are mighty and -powerful, for in fpight of their Strength I will redeem you: Because tho' your Sins make me withhold my kind> 1. 15 hefs