לילית J. A. ALEX., comm. in loc., especially on Not only beasts of the desert, but also repulsive demons of the desert disport themselves in the desolate ruins of Edom. The Prophet mentions a female being, the ghost-like, restlessly wandering (comp. Matt. xii. 43) Lilith, but which just there in those dreadful places finds a congenial resting place. The name certainly comes from “the night,” and denotes a being of the night, a spectre. According to the TALMUD Lilith is the chief of the nocturnal Schedim, ["The sense of the whole metaphor may then be-that God has laid this work out for Himself of the ?? or 1 (comp. BUXTORF, Lez. and will perform it (BARNES),-that even in de- rabb., p. 1140 and 877), and bears the name stroying He will proceed deliberately, and by, i. e., "Agrath the (female) rule (KNOBEL), which last thought is well expressed in ROSENMUELLER's paraphrase (ad mensuram vastabitur, ad regulam depopulabitur).”— J. A. ALEXANDER.] -with her mate. 4. They shall callVers. 12-15. The Prophet now describes the desolation as it affects the territory of the nobility of Edom, both as to their persons and their castles. being nominative absolute, the words must be translated: "as to her nobles, there are none there that call out a monarchy (election of king, accession to regency)." As the presence of the nobility is the necessary condition of a king's election, and not vice versa, I regard this translation as more correct than the other which is also grammatically possible, viz. "there is no kingdom that they may proclaim." Moreover it is logically more correct that in the phrase with the word put before absolutely should be the subject. Royalty in Edom was not inherited, but Esau's descendants formed a high nobility from which the king proceeded by election (Gen. xxxvi. 15 sqq.; 31 sqq.)., liber, *ingenuus, nobilis Isaiah uses only here. Comp. Eccl. x. 17; Jer. xxvii. 20 and often. monol., 1866, p. 61 and 86 sqq. Certainly Lilith dancer." Comp. KOHUT, Jüd. Angel. und Däis a production of popular superstition, to which various attributes and forms of appearance are ascribed. Comp. BUXTORF, 1. c. ВOCHART, Hieroz. III., p. 829, ed. ROSENMUELLER, GESEN. Thes. p. 749. [SMITH'S Dict. of Bible, under the word Owl]. ♫ is äπ. Zey. ["In itself it means nothing more nor less than nocturnal, and would seem to be applicable to an animal or to any other object belonging to the night." "This gratuitous interpretation of the Hebrew word" (viz., as referring to the superstitions mentioned above) was unfortunately sanctioned by BOCHART and VITRINGA, and adopted with eagerness by the modern Germans who rejoice in every opportunity of charging a mistake in physics, or a vulgar superstition on the Scriphere, because the writers of this school usually tures. This disposition is the more apparent Pique themselves upon the critical discernment with which they separate the exegetical inventions of the Rabbins from the genuine meaning of the Hebrew text. GESENIUS for example, will not even grant that the doctrine of a personal [On, J. A. ALEXANDER gives a copious Messiah is so much as mentioned in the writings synopsis of interpretations and then adds: "This of Isaiah, although no opinion has been more great variety of explanations, and the harshness universally maintained by the Jews, from the of construction with which most of them are date of their oldest uncanonical books. In this chargeable, may serve as an excuse for the sug- case, their unanimous and uninterrupted testigestion of a new one, not as certainly correct, but mony goes for nothing, because it would establish as possibly entitled to consideration." Beside an unwelcome identity between the Messiah of the meaning nobles, D' in several places no the Old and New Testament. But when the obless certainly means holes or caves (see 1 Sam.ject is to fasten on the Scriptures an odious and xiv. 11; Job xxx. 6; Nah. ii. 13). Now it is contemptible superstition, the utmost deference matter of history not only that Edom was full of is paid, not only to the silly legends of the Jews, caverns, but that these were inhabited and that but to those of the Greeks, Romans, Zabians and the aboriginal inhabitants, expelled by Esau, Russians." "Beside the fact that n' means were expressly called Horites (D) as being in- nocturnal, and that its application to a spectre is habitants of caverns (xiv. 6; xxxvi. 20; Deut. entirely gratuitous, we may argue here, as in ii. 12, 22). This being the case, the entire de-xiii. 25, that ghosts as well as demons would be population of the country, and especially the destruction of its princes, might be naturally and poetically expressed by saying that the kingdom of Edom should be thenceforth a kingdom of deserted caverns." For the appropriateness of description sec in ROBINSON'S "Researches" the account of Petra.-TB.]. wholly out of place in a list of wild and solitary animals. Is this a natural succession of ideas? Is it one that ought to be assumed without necessity?" "Of all the figures that could be employed, that of resting seems to be the least appropriate in the description of a spectre." .. . The quotation of Matt. xii. 43 in this connection 66 is "strange " and "incongruous," "where the away," like the Hiph. lxvi. 7: the imperf., with evil spirit is expressly said to pass through dry Vav consecutive makes what must hypotactically places seeking rest and finding none." The be regarded as a repeated fact, appear paratactisense is sufficiently secured by making cally as occurring once. yp "to cleave," for mean a nocturnal bird (ABEN EZRA), or more by cleaving open the young are brought forth, specificially, an owl (COCCEIUS), or screech-owl comp. xxxv. 6; lviii. 8; lix. 5. 717" to cherish" (LOWTH). But the word admits of a still more (only here and Jer. xvii. 11), cherishes the young satisfactory interpretation, in exact agreement in its shadow (i. e., of its own body)-7'7 "vulwith the exposition which has already been given ture," again only Deut. xiv. 13. The expression of the preceding terms as general descriptions only here and ver. 16 in Isaiah. rather than specific names. If these terms repre- DRECHSLER justly construes it as asyndeton, and sent the animals occupying Idumea, first as belonging to the wilderness (D), then as dis- as in apposition with the subject, as must be done tinguished by their fierce and melancholy cries (D), and then as shaggy in appearance (y), nothing can be more natural than that the fourth epithet should also be expressive of their habits as a class nocturnal or belonging to the night."-J. A. ALEXANDER, in loc.-TR.]. Ver. 15. BOCHART in his Hieroz., II. p. 194 sqq., has proved that DP means arrow-snake. In lonely places, out of danger it harbors and lays its eggs. ? Piel = "to cause slipping also ver. 16. ["As to the particular species of animals referred to in this whole passage, there is no need, as CALVIN well observes, of troubling ourselves much about them. (Non est cur in iis magnopere torqueamur). The general sense evidently is that a human population should be succeeded by wild and lonely animals-implying total and continued desolation."-J. A. ALEXANDER. For rich illustration of the subject from modern travellers see BARNES' Notes on Isaiah, in loc.—TR.]. 3. CONCLUDING REMARK: SUMMONS TO COMPARE THE PROPHECY WITH For my mouth it hath commanded, and 'his spirit it hath gathered them. 17 And he hath cast the lot for them, And his hand hath divided it unto them by line: They shall possess it for ever, From generation to generation shall they dwell therein. fails, Neither one nor the other does one miss. TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL. T bits breath. T Ver. 16. Comp. with by xxx.8; Jer. xxxvi. 29; | sense of desiderari, deesse.As in UN is said of Deut. xxvii. 3, 8, etc.- p comp. xxix. 11, 12.—The inanimate things (Exod. xxvi. 3, 5, 6, etc.) so the same is פקדו .15 .asyndeton lilie ver) אשה רעותה and refer the | possible of דִּרְשׁוּ instead of דָּרְשׁוּ LXX. reads ITT word to what goes before. Moreover it has some- is "to miss," (properly: to verify by inspection the how confounded with, and de- non-existence, comp. 1 Sam. xx. 6; xxv. 15). The 3d occurrere, for it reads thus: èxei pers. plur. denotes the impersonal subject “one.”— ἔλαφοι συνήντησαν καὶ ἴδον τὰ πρόσωπα ἀλλήλων· ἀριθμῷ ' occasions great dificulty. Some (as DEECHSLER) קְרָאוּ rived from קרָא παρῆλθον. In the παρῆλθον is doubtless a reference to would refer the suffix in 5 to the Prophet and in 1 over the explanation of GESENIUS, who would take I for the nomen regens belonging to '5 (comp. 'D' Nah. ii. 9), is not satisfactory. This construction is quite abnormal; for Nah. ii. 9 is not similar. With the exception of the clause "for my mouth-hath gathered them," not only the entire preceding part of the chapt. change to NT 5. Hence I think that we must simply translate "his mouth."—¡p (Piel, see list) is to be referred to the same objects as the fem. suffixes preceding. Ver. 17. only here in Isaiah; comp. Ps. but also verses 16, 17 are spoken only by the Prophet. xxii. 19; Ezek. xxiv. 6, etc. A corruption of the text was very possible, in as much as ', by reason of the N after in, could easily list. קו comp. on verse ישכנו בה and יירשוה and 11.-17717 see verse 11. EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL. DRECHSL., explain this to mean that the Prophet 1. The Prophet translates himself in spirit | calls "the book of the LORD." GESEN., and into the time when his prophecy shall have been fulfilled. As a pledge to his present readers of the reliability of his predictions he, so to speak, stakes his own and God's honor on the fulfilment, which must be compromised by the non-fulfilment. For what the mouth of the LORD has announced, that the Spirit of the LORD will bring to pass. Though the immediate reference of these words is to the prophecy against Edom, it lies in the nature of things that the present summons concerns in the same way all predictions of the Prophet. It is hard to see why only the prophecy against Edom should be provided with such a postscript as the present. It is therefore a natural conjecture that this postscript stands connected with the position, and general significance of this prophecy against Edom. The latter concludes part first: for with xxxvi. the historical pieces begin. We have found, too, this prophecy against Edom to be an exemplification in one nation of what is to happen to all (vers. 1-4). We may then take this postscript as pertaining to all the preceding threatening prophecies, because all of them are, so to speak, comprehended in this last one against Edom. Now as chap. xxxiv. is certainly more recent than most of the foregoing pieces, it is probable that this postscript was first added when the collection was made, to which perhaps the expression "Book of the LORD" refers. But, one may ask, why is this postscript put at the end of xxxv.? The verses 16, 17 are by their contents most intimately connected with xxxiv. 5-15. But why such an appeal to the written word only after a threatening prophecy? Christ, too, speaks the significant words "behold I have told you before (Matt. xxiv. 25; Mar. xiii. 23) after announcing judgments. God's salvation comes to the pious, and they know from whose hand it comes. the wicked will not hear of God's sending judgments. They ascribe them to accident or fatalistic necessity. Therefore it specially concerns p Mic. i. 7. The various beings or powers them to prove, that the judgment is something announced beforehand, and thus is something previously known and determined, that it is therefore the act of Him who knows all His works from the beginning of the world (Acts xv. 18). Added to this, xxxv., points forwards more than backwards. It is the bridge to chapters xl.lxvi., as it were, the morning twilight of the day of salvation, which dawns with chap. xl. But 2. Seek ye--dwell therein. Vers. 16, 17. The summons to read in the written book seems to me to indicate that the Prophet has just been busy with a book and finished it, which he The prophecy must be fulfilled because God is author of it. This is the general sense. But as to particulars occasions difficulty, on which see Text. and Gram. The Spirit of God, or perhaps more correctly the breath of God drives, or rather blows together, from all quarters what God needs in one place for the accomplishment of His counsel. Compare an analogous use of mentioned in vers. 5-15 are partly masculine, partly feminine. The Prophet repeats with emphasis that the total of them, i. e., the representatives of both genders are endowed with the land of Edom in eternal possession. He has similarly expressed the difference in gender by the different gender terminations, iii. 1. [On ver. 17. "An evident allusion to the division of the land of Canaan, both by lot and measuring line. (See Num. xxvi. 55, 56; Josh. xviii. 4-6). As Canaan was allotted to Israel, so Edom is allotted to these doleful creatures.”— J. A. ALEXANDER.]. 4. OBVERSE OF THE JUDGMENT: ISRAEL'S REDEMPTION AND RETURN HOME 1 CHAPTER XXXV. 1-10. THE wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; And the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, And rejoice even with joy and singing: The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, The excellency of Carmel and Sharon, 3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, Be strong, fear not: 1a fearful heart, Behold your God will come with vengeance, He will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, For in the wilderness shall waters break out, 7 And the 'parched ground shall become a pool, "In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, Shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, And it shall be called The way of holiness; The unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: 9 No lion shall be there, Nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, It shall not be found there; But the redeemed shall walk there: 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And everlasting joy upon their heads: 1 Heb. hasty. 2 Or, a court for recds, etc. * Or, for he shall be with them. Be glad desert-rejoice steppe, etc. h redeemed ones. TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL. Ver. 1. [The Author, like the LXX., translates the fu- | MAURER, DRECHSLER, who regard it as put for with reference to "the felicitous revolution of all things that is announced in the present chapter." Such a reference would be harsh, and a departure from the analogy of the construction of verbs of rejoicing. It is better (with ABEN EZRA, KIMCHI. EWALD, (2 91, b), KNOBEL, DE LITZSCH) to explain the form as an assimilation of the into the following : as in Numb. iii. 49 D`` stands for¡, and as, according to WETSTEIN (excursus in DELITZSCH, p. 688), at the present day even in Arabic n becomes m before a labial. In Greek also The nuтépа occurs for Thy μnrépa, On the recurrence of Ver. 7. אגם צמאון and (Eccl. xii. 6), see list.—18) again only Deut. viii. 15; Ps. cvii. 33.—Both as to sense and grammar it gives a harsh construction to take 737 in apposition with, and to refer the suffix to D'. What need is there of saying that the of the jackal is also its p? Nor would I, with DRECHSLEE .in Isaiah, see list ערבה ציה שוש גִילָה .2 .Ver is a place of רבן for : מים to רבצה again only Ps. | refer the sufix in רנן .see list. The inf exxxii. 16.1 and see list. Ver. 3. The words are manifestly borrowed from Job iv. 3, 4. By a comparison of the Hebrew original it is seen that the first clause quite agrees with the words of Job; but the second combines elements of the two following clauses in Job, and is substituted for . But the two expressions' pin and repose (comp. lxv. 10; Jer. 1. 6; Prov. xxiv. 15). T is manifestly to be referred to Israel. It is true that in occur only in these | It is in this case to be referred to some feminine notion אמץ ברכים (כרעות or) כשלות two places. Ver. 4. DRECHSLER, DELITZSCH, as some Rabbins before them, take Dp as acc. modalis (DRECHSLER: "Rüchens kommt er," i. e., as much to do vengeance, as also in vengeance, in exhibition of vengeance). But no example can be cited of designating the object of coming by the accusative, or of the use of Dp adverbially as denoting cur in any other than the passages named. But gramma יָגִיעַ כָּלֵט and פָלִיט .tically it is not impossible (comp | נוֹרָאוֹת the manner of appearance, like the use of 3 in this place as noa, py, an, etc. The parallel passages that are ניה ת' and in apposition with before Ver. 8. The might be taken in a causal But it seems to me more suitas the negative cor -and to translate | accord לא יעברנו טמא as first clause, which incontestibly is relative of הנה אלהיכם נקם יבוא and grammatically possible (comp. e. g. xvii. 14; Gen. xii. 19), נקס "the terror of God," Gen. xxxv. 5; Ps. lxxx. ingly by "but" (EWALD, 354, a, p. 843). Note here, too, מְסִלָּה to the notion ... מסלול חתת א' in execution. The expression therefore recalls " : " 11; Ver. 5., see list. EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL. 1. As in all sections of Isaiah's prophecies, so here the perspective closes with a glorious future (comp. xi. and xii.; xxiii. 15-18; xxvii.; xxxiii. 13-24). As exile is the sum of all terrors for the Israelite, so exile's end, return to Zion to everlasting, blessed residence there is the acme and sum of all felicity. Thus here the prospect of joyful return home is presented to Israel in con trast with the frightful judgments that (xxxiv.) The desert through which the way lies shall |