_Behold, a king_ Hezekiah, a type of Christ, and Christ typified by him, _shall reign in righteousness_ Therefore Hezekiah was not king when this prophecy was delivered. And whereas some say that he speaks of the good government of Hezekiah, after the destruction of Sennacherib, it is easy to observ... [ Continue Reading ]
_And a man_ Either the man or king spoken of, or each of his princes, _shall be a hiding-place_ A protection to the people under their government, especially to such as are oppressed or injured by those that are more powerful than they; _from the wind_ From the rage and violence of evil men. _As riv... [ Continue Reading ]
_The vile person_ Base and worthless men; _shall be no more called liberal_ Shall no longer be reputed honourable, because of their high and honourable places, but wickedness shall be discovered wherever it is, and virtue manifested and rewarded. _Nor the churl said to be bountiful _ The sordid and... [ Continue Reading ]
_The instruments also of the churl are evil_ Hebrew, כלי, _the vessels._ It is a word of a very general signification among the Hebrews, and signifies any person or thing which is employed in a man's service. The sense is, that such covetous or wicked princes most willingly choose and employ wicked... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rise up_, &c. The prophet, to show _the sinners_ and _hypocrites in Zion_, (Isaiah 33:14,) that they must not expect to receive blessings from God, such as he had just now predicted, while they remained in a state of impenitence, denounces against them the calamities which should come upon them; 1s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Upon the land, &c., shall come up thorns and briers_ If any of you think there is no great cause for such trembling and lamentation, on account of a calamity which shall last but for a year and some days, know that this affliction by the Assyrians is but an earnest of further and sorer judgments. F... [ Continue Reading ]
_Until the Spirit be poured upon us_, &c. And this calamity shall, in a manner, continue until the time come in which God will pour, or, as יערה, properly signifies, _reveal_, that is, evidently and plentifully confer his Spirit upon his people. Which was done, in some sort, upon their return from B... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then judgment_ Just judgment, as the next clause explains it, _shall dwell in the wilderness_ In what had formerly been a wilderness, namely, among the Gentiles, now supposed to be converted to Christianity; by whom righteousness also shall be practised, and among whom it shall _remain. And the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
_When_ Or, rather, _And it shall hail_ As my blessings shall be poured down upon my people, who, from a wilderness, are turned into a fruitful field, so my judgments (which are signified by _hail, Isaiah 28:2_; Isaiah 28:17, and elsewhere) shall fall upon them who were a fruitful field, but are turn... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed are ye that sow_, &c. As the barren forest shall be destroyed, so the fruitful field shall be improved and bring forth much fruit, which is signified by a declaration of the blessedness of them that sow in it; _beside all waters_ In all moist and flat grounds which are likely to yield good... [ Continue Reading ]