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people, and how much the state of things portrayed makes Him sorry for His people. The word ', oppressors, is used of those whom the people, for want of better, in consequence of that oppression mentioned in ver. 5, had been obliged to make chiefs. By this is intimated that these eyes supports of necessity shall themselves proper chiefs that merit the name, but rude oppressors. Comp. ix. 3; xiv. 2; They are so, not in spite of, but just betheir being children, boys.

effect. The anarchy is the symptom of the
outward decay; but the outward decay is the
consequence of that which is inward. With
DRECHSLER I translate by "insult the eyes
of his glory." It is evident, that the Prophet
would indicate a direct antithesis between the
glory of Jehovah, and the bad tongues and
works, as also an antithesis between the
of the loftiness of man ii. 11; v. 15 and "the
eyes of the glory of Jehovah." The eyes of God
who is God of light (lx. 19; Mich. vii. 8; 1Jno.
i. 5) are insulted just by this, that they must see
the works of darkness. It seems to me, on this
account, clear that the divine majesty is desig-
nated as glorious chiefly in respect to its purity
and holiness; therefore ethically. That, more
over, the eyes of the glory of God, are not some-
thing different from the eyes of God Himself is
just as clear as that the eyes of the glory must
themselves be glorious. They are here the organ
of the manifestation of His glory (comp. Rev.
ii. 18), as in other places it speaks of the arm of
His salvation (xl. 10), of His holiness, (lii. 10)
of His strength (lxii. 8). Besides the expression
is only found here, as may be said also of the de-
fective writing of it.

be no

only
cause of

Ix. 17.

is meant be a

qui rectâ ducit, comp. i. 17. The word ironically, for how else could the ND ? Our passage as already remarked stands in evident connection with ix. 15. There too the leaders are called misleaders; there, too, the word y is used of those who mislead, for they are called Dy. We see by this that the Prophet has not in mind the same persons in the second half of the verse that he has in the first. He speaks in the second clause of the false prophets, as in ix. 14 sq. Like flies in honey, this vermin is ever found where there are bad rulers. For they need false prophets to cover over their doings. These false prophets, however, devour the path of the people. DELITZSCH (like JEROME, THEODORET, LUTHER before him) understands by "the way of their paths" the right way, the way of the law. "The prophets, that ought to preach it, say mum, mum, and retain it swallowed. It has gone into oblivion by false prophetic, errorneous preaching."

But it seems to

the דין ארחתיך me as if then it must not read

way of thy paths. For this is just the way that Israel actually treads, the direction that its life path actually tends. It must then read way of Jehovah as Ps. xviii. 22, or 7, or

The Prophet had (ver. 8) assigned the badness of the words and work as the cause of the fall. But is this accusation well founded? Yes, it is. A double and unexceptionable witness testifies to its truth: 1.) the cognitio vultuum, knowledge of countenances. Thus we might translate: appearance testifies against thee." (See Text. and Gr.) 2.) Their own declaration, though not made with this intention. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." The godless.cannot lock up that of which his heart is full. The mouth, as it were, foams over involuntarily with it. The Sodomites, too, (comp. i. 9, 10) spoke out insolently the shameful purpose they had in mind (Gen. xix. 3). So the Israelites made no concealment of the evil they had in mind.", as Ps. cxix. 30, 32, or Therefore their ruin is merited (comp. Gen. 1. 15, 17) and just. The sentence: "woe to them, for they have hurt themselves" which, ver. 9 b, is especially applied to Israel, is established in what follows, by stating in its double aspect the fundamental and universal truth that underlies it, that a man must reap what he sows. First, the righteous is pronounced blessed because he shall eat the (good) fruits of his (good) works. As that universal truth of the causal connection between works and the fate of men is not expressed, but assumed, so that aspect of it that relates to the righteous is not expressed in doctrinal form, but, vigorous and life like, in the form of a summons to declare the righteous blessed.

The happiness of the righteous will consist in this, that he shall enjoy the fruit of his works (Prov. i. 31). To the wicked, on the other hand, a woe is proclaimed. The happiness of the pious is announced to every one; the vengence that shall overtake the wicked is announced to himself alone.

Ver. 12. Is a resumé. In these words the whole course of thought from vers. 1-11., is comprehended again. The two halves of ver. 12 begin with y "My people" put before absolutely, which shows how much the Lord loves His

as

Isa. xl. 14 or Das lix. 8, or such like. I therefore agree with the explanation of those that take in a metaphorical sense like that where this word is elsewhere used of the destruction of a city (2 Sam. xx. 19, 20) or of a wall (Lam. ii. 8); The expression only occurs in this place in relation to a way, but it must mean nothing else than to direct the path of one's life down into the depths of destruction in which the devourers themselves are. Comp. Job vi. 18.

6. The Lord standeth up-the Lord of Hosts.-Vers. 13-15. At first sight one might think these three verses bring the further explication of one matter of moment in vers. 1-12,

viz., the more particular laying down of the judgment against the chiefs of the nation which was only indicated in ver. 1, by DD "taking away" and in ver. 12 by the reproach uttered against them.

But we see from the solemnity of ver. 13, especially from the antithesis between D'y and by (py vers. 14, 15), “the people and His people" that we are introduced into quite another moment of time. For evidently vers. 13-15 depict again the judgment of the world. The world's judgment presents itself anew before his soul,"

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says DELITZSCH. "The people". ver. 13, recalls distinctly "the nations" and "many people" of ii. 2-4. However, it is not the judging of the nations generally that is portrayed, but only the judging of the people of God as a part of this universal judgment. Moreover, not of the nation in its totality, but of the destroyers of this totality, the princes and elders (ver. 14 a). These appear, therefore, as the chief agents of that inward and outward decay that has invaded the nation. If, according to ii. 3, all nations are to stream to the mountain of the Lord, because the law shall go forth out of Zion, then, evidently, Jerusalem itself must previously be cleansed and filled with the word of God. This cleansing, according to ix. 13 sqq., begins with this, that the Lord will cast off from Israel head and tail. The elders are the head, the false prophets are the tail. Here too, though a briefer, still a comprehensible, hint is given that indicates the sort of purifying that Israel itself must undergo in order to become what, according to ii. 3, it ought to become. This hint makes on me the impression that iii. 1-12 does, viz., that a word spoken on some other occasion has been applied to this purpose. Comp., the comment on ver. 16 sqq. Unmoved and unmovable (comp. Gen. xxxvii. 7) i. e., as one whom no one can crowd from this place, the Lord conducts the judgment; and that standing, not sitting, therefore ready and prepared for instant execution of the judgment, He exercises the magisterial function, Ps. lxxxii. 1, which so far resembles our passage that it also describes the judgment upon the magistrates of the people, represents too, the Lord as a judge in standing posture. Elsewhere He is represented as sitting in judgment: Ps. ix. 5; xxix. 10; Joel iv. 12, etc.

The discourse of the Lord begins with the second clause of ver. 14, with D, "but ye," thus with a conclusion to which the premise

The

must be supplied. It is the same construction as Ps. ii. 6. The premise to be supplied must be to this effect: "I have made you commanders that ye might administer justice. But ye," etc. princes have regarded the nation as their domain which they might use up as they pleased. They have, therefore, themselves become the cattle from which they ought to have protected the vineyard. The he-goat had become gardener (DELITZSCH). Comp. i. 23; Mich. iii. 1-3. The image of the devoured vineyard is at once explained; robbery, plunder wrested from the poor is found in their houses. To the "but you " of ver. 14 corresponds an equally emphatic "what mean ye" that begins ver. 15. The flow of words is so fast that even the for, that otherwise would follow the question (comp. xxii. 1, 16) is wanting (comp. Jon. i. 6, where, however, the construction is somewhat different). To grind to pieces the face of a man appears to me to be the expression for beating to pieces the face (1 Kings The expression is exactly the opposite of perxxii. 24; Mich. iv. 14) in the intensest degree. muclere faciem 'n Ps. xlv. 13; Prov. xix. 6. The high significance of the declaration is, in conclusion, evidenced by the reference of it to "the Lord Jehovah Sabaoth," concerning which see the comment at i. 9, 24.

[On ver. 13. "Nations here as often elsewhere means the tribes of Israel. See Gen. xlix. 10; Deut. xxxii. 8; xxxiii. 3, 19; 1 Kings xxii. 28;

Mich. i. 2."-J. A. A.

On ver. 15. "Grind the faces of the poor. The simplest and most natural interpretation is that which applies it to the act of grinding the face upon the ground by trampling on the body, thus giving the noun and verb their proper meaning and making the parallelism more exact."-J. A. A.]

16

B.-The judgment upon the godless women.

Moreover the LORD saith,

CHAP. IIL 16-IV. 1.

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
And walk with stretched forth necks

And 'wanton eyes,

Walking and mincing as they go,

And making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab
The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion,
And the LORD will 'discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the LORD will take away

The bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet. And their 'cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19 The 'chains, and the bracelets, and the "mufflers,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands,

And the 'tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings, and nose jewels,

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles,

And the wimples, and the crisping pins,

23 The glasses, and the fine linen,

And the hoods, and the veils.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell, there shall be stink; And instead of a girdle, a rent;

And instead of well set hair, baldness;

And instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth;

And burning, instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sword,

And thy mighty in the war.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn;

And she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

CHAP. IV. 1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying,

We will eat our own bread,

And wear our own apparel:

Only "let us be called by thy name,

12To take away our reproach.

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[For the different renderings of the commentator see the comment itself. On the importance of them see J. A. A.'s note on ver. 18 below.-TR.]

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL.

1. This section, too, has for its subject an event | Jehovah rise to the height which, according to that cannot possibly coincide with the last judg-ii. 2, it must attain, and only when Zion itself is ment to which ii., refers. For that great day, full of the Spirit of God can it become the emthe last of all, will not have to do with a mere bodied ideal for all nations. How this refining sinking down from the heights of luxury and is to take place in every respect and at different pride to the plane of poverty; it will not treat of times is described in what follows up to iv. 1. the exchange of a girdle for a rope, of a mantle In this description the Prophet makes use also for a sack, nor of a defeat in war, nor of mourn- of older utterances, which were perhaps too short ful sitting on the ruins of the city; there will be to appear independently, and that might more nothing said of wives wanting nothing beside the suitably be joined in just here than elsewhere. prop of a man. For in that day all will be Thus there was a section of this sort that referred over; the old world generally shall be out and to the men, iii. 1 sqq; so now, too, we have one out destroyed in order to make room for a new. that has the women for a theme The connectThus this section, too, makes the impression of ing formula, "and Jehovah said," favors the being some declaration, meant originally to serve view that this is a joined on piece. It would be some special object, but inserted here in order to quite superfluous if the discourse proceeded from complete the grand picture of the future in this one mould. Comp. on this the comment on ver. particular aspect. The Prophet had occasion 16. The order of thought is as follows: The once, and this may likely have been in the days luxurious pride of the women, too, shall be humof Uzziah or Jotham, to declare himself against bled (ver. 16, 17). In the day that this shall the irruption of pomp of dress and luxury. This happen all their splendid garments shall be declaration, or at least a part of it, he pieces in taken from them (vers. 18-23) and replaced by here to his comprehensive prophecy of judgment. wretched ones to correspond (ver. 24). Their And he may do this. For whenever this de- husbands, too, they shall lose in a brief space nunciation against the arrogance of woman may (ver. 25), lamenting and desolated, they shall have been fulfilled, such fulfilment always consti- sit in the gates (ver. 26); yea, their want tutes a part of the great whole of judgment which shall be so great that seven women shall atis to be completed with the judgment of the last tach themselves to one man, without demanding day. The Prophet assumes in the prophecy that support from him, only thereby to escape the stands at the head (ii. 2-4), that Israel itself, too, misfortune of being unmarried (iv. 1). must be subjected to a judgment. For only by a great process of refining can the mountain of

66

[On ver. 16 sqq. The Prophet here resumes the thread which had been dropped or broken at

the close of ver. 12, and recurs to the undue predominance of female influence, but particularly to the prevalent excess of female luxury, not only as sinful in itself but as a chief cause of the violence and social disorder previously mentioned, and therefore to be punished by disease, widowhood, and shameful exposure. These two verses (16. 17), like the sixth and seventh, form one continued sentence. And Jehovah said (in addition to what goes before, as if beginning a new section of the prophecy), because the daughters of Zion (the women of Jerusalem, with special reference to those connected with the leading men," etc.)-J. A. A.

On ver. 18. "As in other cases where a variety of detached particulars are enumerated simply by their names it is now very difficult to identify some of them. This is the less to be regretted, as the main design of the enumeration was to show the prevalent extravagance in dress, an effect not wholly dependent on an exact interpretation of the several items. The interest of the passage in its details is not exegetical but archæological."-J. A. A.

On ver. 26. "The gates of Ziou are said to mourn, by a rhetorical substitution of the place of action for the agent, or because a place filled with cries seems itself to utter them. She is described, not as lying, but as sitting on the ground. So on one of Vespasian's coins, a woman is represented in a sitting posture, leaning against a palm-tree, with the legend Judea Capta."-J. A. A.]

2. Moreover the Lord-secret parts Vers. 16, 17. The formula "and the LORD saith" occurs in Isaiah on the whole, relatively not often. It occurs in all thirty-two times; of these, sixteen times in the historical chapters xxxvi. xxxix., where it indicates the actual exchange of words in conversation. Beside that, it is only employed where the Lord appears actually speaking, and speaks of Himself in the first person (comp. xxiii. 12; xxix. 13; xlix. 3, 6; İxiii. 8). But in our passage Jehovah is immediately spoken of again in the third person. "The Lord will smite, the LORD will uncover" ver. 17. Moreover, in what follows, the Lord is not introduced again as speaker. It is thus seen that by this formula what follows is only marked as God's word so far as its contents are concerned, and not formally so. But as this is self-evident, it is further plain, that the formula is meant to serve as a transition, a link, a means of uniting. We recognize, therefore, in it a sign that here is a piece of an address, already on hand, that has been skilfully strung on here. As in ii. 11 it was said that all lofty looks shall be humbled and all haughtiness of men be bowed down, so the Prophet here with entire justice declares that also feminine arrogance must expect its share in this judgment. Are proud, etc., stands, therefore, in direct relation with the entire section ii. 6-17. What is said there in general of riches (ver. 7), of arrogance and haughtiness (vers. 11, 12, 17) of works of splendour (ver. 16), has its special application to the proud display of the women. But our passage stands in still closer connection with my supportress iii. 1. We showed there that this expression points

to the second half of this chapter where the women are spoken of. That these, too, are called "supports," staffs, refers evidently to the fact that women, even in the commonwealth of Israel, played a considerable part. Let it be remembered that the Book of Kings expressly names the mother of each king. Individual women are designated as enjoying political influence in a high degree; Deborah (Judg. iv.); Bathsheba (1 Kings i.); Jezebel (1 Kings xvi. 31 sqq.); Athaliah (2 Kings xi.). We are expressly informed that Solomon's wives had a bad influence over him (1 Kings xi. 3 sqq.). As long as a regular king ruled there must be a woman's court household. If there were none such, then there would be surely no king. How closely kingdom and harem hung together, may be seen from the fact that the possession of the harem obtained as a sign that the royal dignity had been received. Therefore Absalom lay publicly with the coucubines of his father (2 Sam. xvi. 21). David, too, inherited the wives of Saul, and this is related in a connection (2 Sam. xii. 8) that leads us to conclude that the fact must have been important to being a rightful one. Adonijah, after David's the recognition of David's succession to the throne death, begs for the hand of Abishag the Shunamite, and we see from Solomon's reply that he regarded this request as an attempt to use the possession of the concubine as a step to the throne (1 Kings ii. 22). Comp. MICHAELIS, Mos. Recht, İ. According to this the harem was, in some p. 207. SAALSCHUETS, Das Mos. Recht, p. 85. royalty as such, and in so far in a special sense measure, a political institution, an attribute of a support of the life of the state. Yet if Isaiah here has especially in mind the royal ladies, that women from a share in his reproachs. does not exclude the other noble and proud

In the imperfect with vav. consec. is not necessarily to be construed as aorist. The word is àñas hey.

שָׂקֵר The root

even does not again occur in all the Old Testament. The Aramaic may be most

suitable to compare here, which mean "intueri, conspicari." The Piel then may have the meaning "blinking, winking" Dry stands in the accusat., like . There is indeed a p that means to color, to paint, whence also, the CHALD., ABARBANEL and others express this idea (LUTHER: with painted faces). But the custom of painting the eye-brows black is so universal a custom of the Orient, that it has been justly objected, Isaiah would hardly have spoken out against it. Moreover the rest of the reproachful expressions relate to bodily gestures. BUXTORF in Lex. Chald., Talm, et Rabb., p. 1542 cites the talmudic dictum : "Non creavit deus mulierum ex capite Adami, ne caput suum nimium ornaret and efferret; negue ex oculo, ne esset, oculis omnia observans." HITZIG, justly cites Plaut. Aulul. 1. 1, 2: "circumspectatrix cum oculis tuis emissiciis," although this is spoken of an old tramp with thievish propensities. Also 24 (from which Toppler, Tripler, Child) is áñ. λey. The tripping short steps are the necessary

precede and follow, all of which designate metal ornaments. In as much as in the following list occur several expressions borrowed from the Arabic (comp. DRECHSLER on ii. 6), and this word in Hebrew is an λey., and even the root does not again occur, so that word and thing both appear to be of foreign origin, I prefer this view. The other view takes 5 in the sense and (Aram,) “plectere, to braid," and

consequences of the step-chains which were Tominutive of schems, the sun), the letters m and b fastened by means of a ring (Dy, ver. 18, again being interchanged, as is common between these only in Prov. vii. 22) surrounding the leg above two kindred letters: SCHROEDER proves, besides, the ankle joint. The little chains themselves from THEOPH, hist. pl. IX. 4 and PLIN. H. N. were called s ver. 20. The verb Day, which XII. 14, Eaßis to have been a name of the sun occurs only here, is denominative. According be little suns i. e., a metallic ornament shaped like among the Arabians. The meaning then would to the context the meaning can be nothing else a sun. than; rattling the rings to make a noise, to clink.ing, crescents, as generally to the words that That would suit very well to the followComp. HERZOG's R. Encycl. VII. p. 731. As chastisement for such arrogance the daughters of Zion shall be punished with disgraceful disorders. Their proud head shall become scurfy, covered with scabs, thus loathsomely unclean (Lev. xiri. 2, 6-8; xiv. 56). П, (which, written with W, occurs here only), is according to some a denominative from ,, scab. scurf (vid. Lev. xiii. xiv.) Still it is possible means, to make flow, suppurate, and thus deprive of the hair, and that, so derived, means the fluid scab or scurf. Comp., at xxxvii. 30. Their shame, to whose impure pleasure those luxurious gestures were meant to minister, shall be disgracefully exposed (xlvii. 3; Jer. xiii. 22, 26; Ezek. xvi. 37, etc.). The singular (from 9, pat-ere) occurs only here; the plural 1 Kings vii. 50 of the cardo femina from an obvious resemblance.-77 (from which and niny loca nuda (xix. 7) which does not occur in the Kal, means nudum esse, hence Piel to make bare, (in Isaiah again only xxii. 6); Hiphil, (because what has been hitherto concealed, when it is laid bare, is at the same time poured out) effundere, (liii. 12), Niphal, effundi (xxxii. 15).

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of

therefore, for opus reticulatum (LXX ¿μrλóKa) network. hair net: (DELITZSCH, "ribbons for the forehead worn underneath the hair net, and braided of gold or silver thread:" BUXTORF, Lex. Chald., p. 2315, “Ornamentum," etc., a peculiar ribbon ornament, extending in front from one ear to the other"). The D' are lunulæ, μŋviokoi, moonshaped, or rather half-moon shaped decorations. They are mentioned Judg. viii. 21, 26 as neck ornaments of camels. That they had a moon shape appears from this, that sahro in the Syriac, schahr in the Arabic mean the moon. Here, too, therefore word and thing are certainly of foreign origin. is a diminutive ending, comp. ; Ewald ? 167, a.—IDU) (Judg. viii. 26) from 2 to drop (comp. Ex. Without excluding the literal rendering of xxx. 34, dropping resin, and Job. xxxvi. 27) are ver. 17, we may still construe the language first a drop shaped ornament, as they were likely in an inexact sense and generalize it. In the day worn as pendants from the ears (ear drops). of judgment loathsome uncleanness shall take (n. 28,) from torquere, to twist, is torthe place of the splendor of Zion's daughters; disgrace and shame the place of their prond dis-ques, a collar, chain, not for the neck, however, play. The Prophet has in this expressed somebut an armlet. bracelet, as is to be seen from the thing in general which he proceeds to specify in dialects. ONKELOS, e. g., translates, Gen. xxiv. what follows. Feminine interest revolves chiefly 22, 30, 47, the Hebrew word T (the proper around two poles: the decking out of the body word for bracelet for the arm) by N. Comp., and the surrender of the body to the husband; therefore about dress and husbands. Therefore too, and chains Exod. xxviii. 14, the disgrace of the daughters of Zion in what 22.-nip (an. 2ey.), from to tremble, wave, follows is portrayed in these two respects. And are veils, and that, as appears, of a costly kind: first it is shown of what they shall be deprived viz. HERZOG, R. Encycl. VII. p. 728.-' in the way of dress (ver. 18-23), and what shall diadems, tiara, that are also elsewhere named as be given them instead (ver. 24). part of the head ornament of the priesthood (Exod. xxxix. 28; Ezek. xliv. 18), or of the dress of a bridegroom (Isaiah Ixi. 10). What part of the head covering or what sort, is not clear.- from, to march, pace, on account of the etymology seems most naturally to mean the step chains (comp. on, ver. 16). But 2 Sam. v. 24 and 1 Chr. xiv. 15, where "the stepping, the word occurs, it seems to mean walking along;" and Num. xxxi. 50; 2 Sam. i. 10 7 designates arm bands, arm clasps, as one sees clearly in 2 Sam. i. 10 from the y-y. Hence many expositors, both old and new, (among the last, EWALD), translate "arm clasps." yet it is only 7 that has this meaning. The occurs twice in the sense

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3. In that day-instead of beauty.Vers. 18-24 "In that day," refers back immediately to ver. 17. But we showed above that not the day of the last judgment is meant here, but only a prelude to it, which, of course, how ever, combines with the last judgment to make a unity of divine world-judgment. In that day, then, the Lord will take away the adornment (8). All that follows is summed up under this word. The word is found often in both parts of Isa. iv. 2; x. 12; xiii. 19; xliv. 13; lii. 1; lxii. 3; lxiii. 14, etc.). Concerning the Day comp., at ver. 16. Concerning the 'D' there are two views held. From SCHROEDER down a number of expositors (ROSENMUELLER, WINER, EWALD, KNOBEL, DRECHSLER) have taken the word for a kindred form of the Arabic schumeisa circumstance that

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