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22

b. The judgment against the falsely eminent things in the human sphere.

CHAP. II. 22—IV. 1.

a. THE JUDGMENT AGAINST GODLESS MEN.

CHAP. II. 22-III. 15.

Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils:

For wherein is he to be accounted of?

1 For, behold, the LORD, the LORD of hosts,

Doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah
The stay and the staff,

The whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

2 The mighty man, and the man of war,

The judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

3 The captain of fifty, and the honorable man,

And the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the "eloquent orator.

4 And I will give children to be their princes,

And babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people "shall be oppressed,

Every one by another, and every one by his neighbour:

The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient,

And the base against the honourable.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler,

And let this ruin be under thy hand:

7 In that day shall he "swear, saying,

I will not be a 'healer;

For in my house is neither bread nor clothing:
Make me not a ruler of the people.

8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen :

Because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD,

To provoke the eyes of his glory.

9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them;

And they declare their sins as Sodom, they hide it not.

Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him:

For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; For the reward of his hands shall be 'given him.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors,
And women rule over them.

O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err,
And 'destroy the way of thy paths.

13 The LORD standeth up to plead,

And standeth to judge the people.

14 The LORD will enter into judgment

With the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof:

For ye have eaten up the vineyard;

The spoil of the poor is in your houses.

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Ver. 22. The verb

ז'

b every supporter.
expert enchanter.
lift up (his voice).

Or, skilful in speech.

4 Heb. binder up.

8

Or, they which call thee blessed. burnt.

Or,

TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL.

occurs several times in Isa. i. 16; xxiv. 8, coll. liii. 3. The construction with the dative of the person addressed (Dat. ethicus) has here the meaning that this ceasing is in the interest of the person addressed himself. with : Exod. xiv. 15; xxiii. 5; Job vii. 16; Prov. xxiii. 4; 1 Sam. ix. 5; 2 Chr. xxxv. 21.

CHAP. III. Ver. 1.: logically considered there can be no difference between these two words, which moreover occur only here. But the Prophet designs by the words only a rhetorical effect. With sententious brevity he sketches thus the contents of the chapter whose first half treats of the male supports, whose second half of the female.-Examples are not few of concrete nouns which, placed along side of one another, designate the totality by the masculine and feminine endings: xi. 12; xliii. 6; Jer. xlviii. 19; Nah. ii. 13; Zech. ix. 17. It is doubtful about 1 Samuel xv. 9. But abstract nouns are very few that at the same time differentiate the idea as to gender by the gender endings. The most likely

case

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the הַצְאֲצָאִים וְהַצְפְעוֹת of comparison is

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male and female branches (xxii. 24). It is doubtful about Mich. ii. 4 (comp. CASPARI, Micah, p. found elsewhere only 2 Sam. xxii. 19 (Ps.

xviii. 19). The feminine forin occurs more frequently : Num. xxi. 19; Ps. xxiii. 4; Isa. xxxvi. 6, etc. occurs only here and lxvi. 4. The

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Ver. 5. (Faustrecht.) Such is the sense of . The word is used of the violent oppression of the Egyptian taskmakers (Exod. iii. 7; v. 6 sqq.), of the creditor (Deut. xv. 2, 3), of a superior military force of an enemy (1 Sam. xiii. 6), also of overpowering fatigue (1 Sam. xiv. 24) or of an unsparingly strict judicial process (Isa. liii. 7). In our passage the Niphal, as one may see from following 111 'N 'N, appears intended in a reciprocal sense. Moreover Isaiah uses the word often: ver. 12; ix. 3; xiv. 2; lviii. 3; lx. 17. 7 tumultuari, insolenter tractare: comp. xxx. 7; li. 9.— xvi. 14; 1 Sam. xviii. 23.

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Ver. 6. is rendered by many expositors "when": VITRINGA, HITZIG, EWALD, DRECHSLER, DELITZSCH. They therefore take the phrase as protasis to ver. 7. The consideration that vers. 6 and 7 evidently portray, not the reason, but rather the consequence of ver. 4, determines me also to adopt this view. By, then, a possibility is signified that may often ensue. occurs again

only in the plural, Zeph. i. 3, where it means offendicu lum, oxárdalov. Besides it is synonym of . The present situation therefore is manifestly designated as a scandalous one, as a subject of offence. Ver. 7.

part. occurs only here. Other forms of the verb occur in Isaiah in the sense of binding and

healing wounds: i. 6; xxx. 26; lxi. 1. He repels the allegation that he still has clothing and bread, and declines therefore the honor of becoming judge of his

העלולים .4 .ver

is principally a poetic word. It occurs קָצִין .etc. The plural can people תַּחֲנוּנִים תַּעֲנוּנִים form is like

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signify the abstract, and this abstract may possibly stand pro concreto; the plural may also have a simple concrete meaning. All these constructions are grammatically possible and have found their defenders. regards the meaning of the word, the questions arise, whether the word contains the notion of "child" (comp. or the notion, inflict, bring upon, mishandle," (comp.ynn, Judg. xix. 25; 1 Sam. xxxi. 4, etc., hy, Shyp, baby, lxvi. 4), or both notions, and whether it is to be taken as subject or as acc. adverbialis to designate the manner and means. That the notion "child" lies in the word appears very conclusively from the preceding and from ver. 12. But it is not at all necessary to exclude the notion vexatio which is decidedly demanded, lxvi. 4. One may easily unite both by translating as DELITZSCH does, "childish appetites," or "childish tricks, childish follies." But the personifying of this idea, or construing it as abstr. pro concreto (puerilia · pueri, GESENIUS) though grammatically possible, is still hard. I agree therefore with HITZIG, who translates by "with tyranny,

,מְעוֹלֵל

arbitrariness." Comp. ''D, DINȚI), D'YE, etc.

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Ver. 8., stumble, totter, fall, Isaiah uses often: v. 27; viii. 15; xxviii. 13; xl. 30; lix. 10, 14, etc.—' Isaiah uses only i. 16 and iii. 8, 10.sense, as ii. 4; Gen. iv. 8, etc.—The form nih is syncopated from (EWALD, § 244 b). Comp. i. 12; Ps. lxxviii. 17. and Hiph. occur very often with: Num. xx. 24; xxvii. 14; Deut. i. 26, 43, etc. Once the Hiph. occurs with the following Ps. cvi. 33, with following Ps. cv. 28 Ps. cvii. 11; once with " Ezek. v. 6. And so here, too, with following. In Isaiah the construction with the accusative does not again occur: alone with the meaning “rebellem, contumacem esse," occurs again i. 20; 1.5; lxiii. 10. Ver. 9. 7, which only occurs here, can, in union have no other meaning than the adverbial

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form of speech '17 (Deut. i. 17; xvi. 19; Prov. xxiv. 23; xxviii. 21), which means 'dignoscere facies, distinguish the countenances, i. e, make a partial distinction" (comp. D'N). The notion of partiality indeed does not suit here, although not a few Jewish and Christian expositors understand the words in this sense. The context constrains us rather to go hack to the simple fundamental meaning of close observance, particular notice, which is the preliminary of partial distinction. We are the more justified in this as elsewhere too (lxi. 9; lxiii. 16; Gen. xxxi. 32, etc.) is used in a sense that proceeds from this funda

mental meaning. is therefore the magiste

rial, so to speak, the juristic, exact observance and investigation of countenances., which is likewise a legal term, also favors this view. For it is used as much

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no passage we can cite in which means infelix, as we can for meating felix For Ps. cvi. 32, and Gen. xlvii. 9 is both times not used of personal subjects. And there are no other places to cite. One must therefore say, that the prophet in respect of the meaning of y has in ver. 11a imitated the corresponding part of ver. 10.—— Sapa is performance, product, desert. Comp. Judg. ix. 16; Prov. xii. 14. The word is found in Isaiah again xxxv. 4; lix. 18; lxvi. 6. What the hands of the wicked have themselves produced shall be joined to, put on them.

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Ver. 12. The singular ip has general significance and hence represents an ideal plural. Comp. nyh Gen. xlvii. 3. As regards the form of the word, which occurs here only, hy is the root form for of the judge that takes cognizance (Exod. xxiii. 2) as of hip (1 Sam. xv. 3; Isa. xiii. 16, etc.) or the witness that deposes to the interrogation of the judge: Deut. xix. 16; 2 Sam. i. 16: "thy mouth hath testified (7) against thee." occurs in Isaiah

11; ix. 20). Ver. 13.

.Jer. vi) עוֹלָל

דִּין

(in Isaiah only again xxi. 8) expresses the opposite of movement. and Ty along side of each other occur 1 Sam. xix. 20.—' and though not seldom interchanged (comp. i. 17), still stand here side by side. But comp. Jer. xv. 10; Heb. i. 3.The expression “enter into judgment" occurs only here in Isaiah. Comp. beside Job ix. 32; xiv. 3; xxii. 4; Ps. cxliii. 2; Eccl. xi. 9; xii. 14.

again only lxiii. 7. The form of sentence in ver. 10 a is owing to the well known attraction, common also in Greek, by means of which the subject of the dependent phrase becomes the object of the principal verb. There is no need, therefore, of taking in the sense of prædicare. But it is simply "say, speak out loud, be not silent, that the righteous is well off." There is, thus, no need of referring to passages as Ps. xl. 11; cxlv. Ver. 14. The Piel occurs in this sense in Isaiah 11. That may mean not only bonus, but also bene only again v. 5; comp. Exod. xxii. 4. It is depascere, habens, well off, is shown beyond contradiction by pas-grazing of cattle. Elsewhere it is used of fire (vi. 13; sages like Am. vi. 2; Jer. xliv. 17; Ps. cxii. 5. xl. 16; xliv. 15; 1. 11). only here in Isaiah, Ixi. 8.

Ver. 11. According to our remarks at i. 4 concerning ix, it is agreeable to usus loquendi to connect it with . Besides in the best editions they are so bound (Comp. DELITZSCH in loc.). Therefore y is to be taken in the same way as ver. 10. To be sure, there is

Ver. 15. No to stamp, trample (xix. 10; liii. 5, 10) is intensified by yn is to grind, pound fine, xlvii. 2.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL.

1. Chap. iii. connects quite easily and simply with chap. ii. so far as it continues the idea of the judgment, and to this effect, that it is now extended to the sphere of human existence. Chap. ii. 22 makes the appropriate transition. For therein the Prophet warns against trusting in men, who are only weak transitory creatures. Chap. iii., also, with this fundamental idea, subdivides into two parts, of which the first (1-15) treats of the men, the second (16-iv. 1) of the Women. And yet we at once receive the impression that in chap. iii. he is treading ground dominated by other sentiments. For while chap. ii. discourses quite evidently of the judgment that in the last time, the great day of Jehovah, shall be passed on sub-human and superhuman creatures, chap. iii. seems only to speak of acts of judgment that do not bring the continuation of human kind into question. Moreover, in as much as an ordered government is essential to the very exisence of such continuance, the removal of those power enumerated in vers. 2, 3 does not appear to be a punishment of these themselves for their loftiness, but of the people. Those authorities appear as a benefit that is withdrawn from the sinful nation, and in their stead they are abandoned to the miseries of anarchy, or of a boy and Wo Jin government. If now the removal of

in

these pillars, the great and mighty (vers. 2, 3), is because they on their part share the blame, still that is not the principal thought. But the chief matter is that from the nation, which (ver. 8) had "provoked the eyes of the glory" of the Lord, shall be taken away the indispensable support of its customary and natural rulers. In connection with chap. ii. one expects a specifying of the contents, that as the sub-human and superhuman magnates must be humbled so, too, must the human magnates be. But this thought comes up only at vers. 13-15. Hence vers. 1-21 make on me the impression of a discourse that originally did not belong in this connection, but which was inserted here because it still in some measure suits the context. It is possible that originally these words were directed against the bad government of Ahaz, who came to the throne as a young man of 20 years (2 Kings xvi. 2), although, taken strictly, they portray conditions that really never occurred either under Ahaz or in any other stadium of Jewish history.

Because iii. 1., presupposes the destruction of human magnates, that were for themselves and others an object of unjustifiable confidence (ii. 22), the discourse as regards its matter fits the context (comp. ii. 11). But it fits in also in chronological respects, so far as all acts of divine

judgment constitute a unity; consequently all visitations that precede the last judgment belong essentially to it as precursors. But that the Prophet notwithstanding makes a distinction appears from vers. 13-15.

here (ver. 8) it is said "Jerusalem and Judah." This is not without meaning, and we are perhaps justified in finding therein a support for the conjecture expressed above, that our passage did not originate at the same time with what precedes The order of thought in our passage, then, is and what follows it, but is inserted here. The as follows: After the Prophet had signified by ii. following words: "the whole stay of bread and 22, that now he would proceed to the judgment the whole stay of water" appear to interrupt the against every high thing among men, he classi- connection. For when, vers. 2, 3, the different fies in advance iii. 1 the contents of what he has categories of kinds of human callings are enumto say, in that he announces that Judah and Jeru-erated, and ver. 16 sqq., the proud, aristocratic, salem shall be deprived of every support, male and female. The male supports he then enumerates vers. 2, 3. If these are removed, of course only children and women remain as supports of the commonwealth. The misery of boy rule, that gradually degenerates into anarchy, is portrayed vers. 4-7 in vigorous lines. This misery is the symptom of prevalent ruin in Judah and Jerusalem, and the consequence of those crimes committed against the Lord (ver. 8), that are public and not at all denied. These, therefore, are the self-meriting cause of that misery (ver. 9); for as the righteous reap salvation as fruit of their works (ver. 10), so the wicked destruction (ver. 11). Thus it comes that children and women rule over the nation and that these bad guides lead it into destruction (ver. 12). But this selfmerited temporal misfortune is only the prelude of that still higher judgment that Jehovah shall conduct in proper person which, according to chap. ii., shall take place at the end of days, and by which the Lord shall finally rescue the pith of the people, but will drag their destroyers to a merited accountability.

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2. Cease ye-accounted of ?-ii. 22. As, in what precedes, the trust in things falsely eminent, in money, in power, in idolatry, was demonstrated as vanity, so the same occurs here in regard to men. Cease from men," says the Prophet. How shall man be an object of trust, how shall he be a support, seeing the principle of his life is the air that he breathes in and out of his nostrils, thus the fugitive quickly disappearing breath? Thence man himself is called so often breath; Ps. xxxix. 6, 7, 12; lxii. 10, etc., comp. Gen. iv. 2.-The expression "whose breath is in his nostrils" calls to mind Gen. ii. 7; vii. 22; Job xxvii. 3.—“For wherein is he to be accounted of?" Man as such, i. e., as bearer of the divine image in earthly form (D) is of course of great value before God. Comp. Ps. viii. 5 sqq.; Job vii. 17. In these passages the inquiry "what is man" reminds one very much of the inquiry of our Prophet. But as helper, saviour, defender, support, man counts for little, yea less than nothing, according to Ps. lxii. 10. For as one knows at once from iii. 1 sqq., human props may in a twinkling all of them be taken away. The preposition stands here as elsewhere (comp. vii. 2) as sign of the price that is regarded as the means for purchasing the wares or work.

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3. For behold-eloquent orator.-Ch. iii. 1-3. The solemn accumulation of the names of God that occurs here, occurs in like manner i. 24; x. 16, 33; xix. 4. The subject addressed appears here also the chief city and the chief tribe of the people of Israel. But while, i. and ii., it is always said "Judah and Jerusalem,"

decked out ladies are portrayed, is that not the specification of the ideas and ʊn, stay and staff? And what have bread and water to do here, seeing everything impersonal has already been noticed above ii. 13-16? It is conceivable that a reader, who did not understand the relation of the two words to what follows, had made a gloss of them in this sense, and that this gloss then had crept into the text. Such is the conjecture of HITZIG, KNOBEL, MEIER, and-though afterwards retracted- - of GESENIUS and UMBREIT. The expression "stay" might call to mind the expression "comfort your hearts with a morsel of bread" (Gen. xviii. 5; Judg. xix. 5, 8; Ps. civ. 15) and the expression "staff of bread" (Lev. xxvi. 26; Ezek. iv. 16; 5, 16). That just bread and water are named as corresponding to and ny might have its reason in this, that they recognized in bread the female principle and in water the male. But it is always doubtful to assume an interpolation only on internal grounds. EWALD and DRECHSLER understand the words in a figurative sense. The stay of bread and of water signify the supports that are necessary as bread and water. KNOBEL justly remarks that this were an unheard of trope. May not all those be called "staffs of bread and water" that provide the state with bread and water, i. e., with all that pertains to daily bread? Call to mind the explanation of the fourth petition in LUTHER's catechism, wherein "pious and faithful rulers" and "good government" are reckoned as daily bread too. Staff of bread, etc., would be therefore, not the bread and water themselves as supports for preserving life (Genitive of the subject), but the supports on which bread and water, i. c., the necessities and nourishment of life depend (genitive of the object).

But

In the following enumeration, as DRECHSLER remarks, the instructors and military profession are especially represented. Even the entire apparatus of state machinery of that day is mentioned. But as all that are named are designated as those that the Lord takes away, it is seen that they are all regarded as false supports. They may even be that per se in so far as they ought not to exist at all among the people of God; as e. g., the DDP, diviner and the 2, expert enchanter, (Deut. xviii. 10-14). n is the murmuratio (magia murmurata Apul.), the muttered repetition of the magic formulas (xxvi. 16); occurs again v. 21; xxix. 14.

Even the may, according to the context and the kindred passage ix. 14, be only prophets that prophesy falsely in the name of Jehovah. The use of the rest of the callings named is

indeed legally justified, but nevertheless they are|
subject to abuse. One may indeed cast a doubt
on the legality of the D' (comp. ix. 14)
the amicus regis, the preferred favorite, but not on
that of the others. Especially the men of war
appear to be indispensable, whence each of the
verses 2 and 3 begins with the naming of such.
1 seems to mean 'the warrior proved by
deeds; the man of war in general;
'nŋ the rank of captain; while the
= state officer and ¡pt
officer of the congrega-
tion. Ahithophel and Hushai (2 Sam. xvii.) are
practical illustrations of counsellor. The
is the engineer, master of the pre-
paration of warlike weapons and military ma-
chines (comp. on Jer. xxiv. 1).

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=

4. And I will give a ruler of the people.-Vers. 4-7.

When a state trusts to an arm of flesh, and puts its trust solely in its princes and men of might, in its diplomats and generals, in a word, in the strength of its men, and the Lord takes away these strong ones as false supports, then, of course, a condition must ensue in which weak hands manage the rudder of state. No earthly state has continuously maintained a position strong and flourishing. One need only call to mind the world-monarchies. That gradual weakening of the world-power indicated in Daniel's inage of the monarchies (Dan. ii.), takes place also within each individual kingdom. Call to mind the vigorous Assyrian rulers, a Tiglath Pileser, Sargon, Sennacherib, and the inglorious end of the last of their successors, whatever may have been his name: think of Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar, of Cyrus and Darius Codomannus, of Augustus and Romulus Augustulus, etc. In Judah, too, it was not different. Zedekiah was a weakling that perpetually wavered between a fear of Jehovah's prophet and of his own powerful subjects. It may, therefore, be said that not some quite definite historical fact is prophesied here, but a condition of punishment is threatened such as always and everywhere must ensue where the strength of a national life is exhausted, and the end approaches (comp. Eccl. x. 16).

geon," he says, by which he calls the state life sick. ["The sick man," as modern designation for the Turkish Empire.-TR.].

[On ver. 4. "I will give children." "Some apply this, in a strict sense, to the weak and wicked reign of Ahaz, others in a wider sense to the series of weak kings after Isaiah. But there is no need of restricting it to kings at all. The most probable opinion is that incompetent rulers are called boys or children not in respect to age but character.-J. A. A. Similarly BARNES.

way

On ver. 6. "The government shall go a begging. It is taken for granted that there is no of redressing all these grievances, and bringing things into order again, but by good magistrates, who shall be invested with power by common consent, and shall exert that power for the good of the community. And it is probable that this was in many places the true origin of government; men found it necessary to unite in a subjection to one who was thought fit for such a trust,-being aware that they must be ruled or ruined."."-M. HENRY.

On ver. 7. "The last clause does not simply mean do not make me, but you must not or you shall not make me a ruler."-J. Ă. A.

"The meaning is, that the state of affairs was so ruinous and calamitous that he would not attempt to restore them-as if in the body, disease should have so far progressed that he would not undertake to restore the person, and have him die under his hands, so as to expose himself to the reproach of being an unsuccessful and unskilful physician."-BARNES.

On ver. 9. "The sense is not that their looks betray them, but that they make no effort at concealment, as appears from the reference to Sodom. The expression of the same idea first in a positive and then in a negative form is not uncommon in Scripture, and is a natural if not an English idiom. MADAME D. ARBLAY, in her memoirs of DR. BURNEY, speaks of ОMIAH, the Tahitian, brought home by Capt. Cook, as uttering first affirmatively, etc., then negatively all the little sentences that he attempted to utter."J. A. A.

On ver. 10. "The righteous are encouraged not be indiscriminate.--The object of address by the assurance that the judgments of God shall but the people at large or men indefinitely.”—J. seems to be not the prophets or ministers of God, A. A.

When weak hands hold the reins of government a condition of lawlessness ensues, and of defencelessness for the weak. The strong then do as they wish. They exercise club law. A further consequence of that anarchical condition "Whatever becomes of the unrighteous nation, is that those of lower rank no longer submit to let the righteous man know that he shall not be the higher ranks, but, in wicked abuse of their lost in the crowd of sinners: the Judge of all the physical strength, lift themselves above them. earth will not slay the righteous with the wicked (Gen. The misery of that anarchical condition, how-xviii. 25); no, assure him, in God's name, that ever, stands out in strongest relief when at last it shall be well with him. The property of the no one will tolerate any government. Although trouble shall be altered to him, and he shall be the inhabitants would gladly make a ruler hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. of any one that rises in any degree above the HENRY.] universal wretchedness (say any one that has still a good coat), yet every one on whom they would put this honor will resist it with all his might. "Under thy hand," comp. Gen. xli. 35; 2 Kings viii. 20. With loud voice will the chosen man emphatically protest. This is indicated by the expression N, to which p must be supplied (xlii. 2, 11). "I will not be sur

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- M.

Such a condition of anarchy is only a symptom 5. For Jerusalem-thy paths.—Ver. 8-12. of the outward and inward decay. It is never blameless, but always blameworthy misfortune. As the second hemistich of ver. 8, evidently describes the inward decay, the first must consequently be referred to the outward. But hemistich 2 is strung on with '? with a chain-like

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