_THE WOE OF TYRANTS. ASSYRIA, THE ROD OF HYPOCRITES, FOR HIS PRIDE SHALL BE BROKEN. A REMNANT OF ISRAEL SHALL RETURN AFTER THE DETERMINED DESOLATION. ISRAEL IS COMFORTED WITH A PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE FROM ASSYRIA._ _Before Christ 713._... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO THEM THAT DECREE UNRIGHTEOUS DECREES, &C.— We have in the two first verses the fourth fault, and in the third and fourth the punishment. The fault complained of is, the injustice and the iniquity of the judges; and the punishment assigned is, that they should be absolutely deserted and depr... [ Continue Reading ]
O ASSYRIAN, &C.— We have here the fourth section of the fifth sermon, which reaches to the end of this chapter, and which is two-fold; containing, _first,_ a proposition in this verse, and _secondly,_ an unfolding of that proposition; which consists of five parts: the first contains an explanation b... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SEND HIM, &C.— The enarration follows the proposition; the first part of which, extending to the 13th verse, contains, _first,_ the hypothesis and the occasion of the design of this king; namely, that by the permission of God, he should subvert the Ephraimitish state, and succeed while thus e... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, HE MEANETH NOT SO, &C.— The prophet had taught the pious in what light they should consider the Assyrian, leading a large army with a splendid apparatus, and bringing under his power the people of God, so called, in the same manner as other nations; he shews that, though a great prince, he... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE IT SHALL COME TO PASS— We have in this verse the punishment which God decreed for the king of Assyria, after he had performed all that work for which God raised him up. Bishop Newton observes, that this verse intimates that the Assyrians should be severely punished for their pride, ambitio... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE SAITH, &C.— From these to the 20th verse we have a more full exposition and confirmation of what had gone before; particularly, the pride of the Assyrian, and his vain boasting joined with it—in these verses; a refutation thereof in the fifteenth verse; and the punishment ordained for him by... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL THE AXE BOAST ITSELF, &C.— The prophet here refutes the Assyrian, in a grave discourse, adapted to humble his pride. He teaches what he had before declared, that in all his counsels, motions, works, he was the minister of the divine providence; incapable of doing any thing without the divine w... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SHALL THE LORD, &C.— The punishment decreed for the Assyrian, and mentioned in the 12th verse, is here more fully set forth. This passage is easy to be understood, if the prophesy be compared with the completion: read only chap. Isaiah 37:36 and 2 Kings 19:35; Exodus 19:37 and you will fin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS— Here follows the third part of this enarration, which contains a description of the state of the church after the execution of this memorable judgment, and consists of two parts; in the first, a two-fold consequence of this judgment with respect to the church is described.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOUGH THY PEOPLE ISRAEL BE AS THE SAND— The prophet had said that a remnant only of Judah and Ephraim would be preserved, and would return in true repentance to God; which might justly cause the wonder of both Jews and Israelites at the time when the prophet spoke these things; for it implied t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD— We have here the fourth part of the enarration, in which the above prophecy is applied to the consolation of the people of God, and wherein is _first_ the proposition, Isaiah 10:24 and, _secondly,_ the reason of the proposition: Isaiah 10:25. Having digressed a little,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS COME TO AIATH— This is so minute a detail of the march of Sennacherib toward Jerusalem, the route of his army, and their several stations, that, though the description is a prophecy, Isaiah seems rather to speak like an historian, who is relating a fact already past, says Bishop Lowth. We have... [ Continue Reading ]
_ISAIAH 10:33_. _Behold, the Lord,_ &c. We have in these verses the consequence of the expedition before mentioned, Interpreters, however, vary greatly respecting their application; but Vitringa is clearly of opinion, from the whole scope and coherence of the prophesy, that the passage refers not, a... [ Continue Reading ]