Isaiah 14:30

And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. THE FIRST-BORN OF THE POOR - Hebraism, for the most abject poor; the first-born being the foremost of the family. So "first-born of death" () for the most fatal death. The Jews, heretofore exposed to Philistine invasions and alarms, shall be in safety. Compare , "children of the needy," expressing those 'needy in condition.' SHALL FEED - image from a flock feeding in safety. I WILL KILL THY ROOT - radical destruction. AND HE SHALL SLAY THY REMNANT - Yahweh shall. The change of person, He after I, is a common Hebraism....

30._And the first-born of the poor shall feed. _The Prophet, as has been already said, has not so much in view the Philistines, to whom his threatenings were of no avail, as the Jews, whom he wished to comfort in their affliction; for they were so grievously afflicted that they were not far from despair. He therefore calls them _the first-born of the poor_, as being eminent for their wretchedness; for, being reduced to extremities, they held the first rank among the wretched. Now, he promises that the Lord will deliver them from such misery, and will again _feed _and nourish them. Hence we perceive that the Philistines were cut down and destroyed for the benefit of the people of God. In like manner, also, the Lord promised to Abraham and his posterity, _I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse them that curse thee_; for those who are hostile to the children of God must find th...

28-32 Assurance is given of the destruction of the Philistines and their power, by famine and war. Hezekiah would be more terrible to them than Uzziah had been. Instead of rejoicing, there would be lamentation, for the whole land would be ruined. Such destruction will come upon the proud and rebellious, but the Lord founded Zion for a refuge to poor sinners, who flee from the wrath to come, and trust in his mercy through Christ Jesus. Let us tell all around of our comforts and security, and exhort them to seek the same refuge and salvation....

Verse Isaiah 14:30. _AND THE FIRST-BORN OF THE POOR, C._] The _Targum_ goes on applying all to the _Messiah_. "And the poor of the people shall he feed, and the humble shall dwell securely in his days: and he shall kill thy children with famine, and the remnant of thy people shall he slay." _I WILL KILL _- "He will slay"] The _Septuagint_ reads המית _hemith,_ _in the third person_, ανελει and so the _Chaldee_. The _Vulgate_ remedies the confusion of persons in the present text, _by_ reading both the verbs in the first person....

AND THE FIRST-BORN OF THE POOR SHALL FEED - That is, there shall be safety to those parts of Judah which have long been exposed to the invasions of the Philistines. Philistia bordered on Judea, and was constantly making wars upon it, so that there was no safety felt. Isaiah now says, that Hezekiah would so effectually and completely subdue them that there should be no danger from their invasion. The phrase ‘the first-born of the poor’ is an Hebraism, a strong, emphatic expression, denoting those who are the most poor; the most abject sons of poverty; those who have an eminence or a double portion of need, as the first-born among the Hebrews were entitled to special distinctions and privileges. The idea is, that even the most poor and defenseless would be safe. SHALL FEED - That is, they shall be supplied with food; they shall feed safely as a flock does that is guarded from wild beasts....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 14:1 THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL, AND HER SONG OF TRIUMPH OVER BABYLON. The destruction of Babylon is to be followed by the restoration of Israel, with the good will of the nations, and by their exercising rule over their late oppressors (Isaiah 14:1, Isaiah 14:2). In this time of rest and refreshment they will sing a song of triumph over Babylon. The song extends from Isaiah 14:4 to...

AND THE FIRSTBORN OF THE POOR SHALL FEED,.... That is, the Jews, who were brought very low in the times of Ahaz, reduced to the greatest straits and difficulties; for so the word "firstborn" may signify the chief, or those who were of all the poorest, and in the greatest distress; these, in the times of Hezekiah, shall enjoy abundance of good things, and under his gentle government shall feed like a flock of sheep in good pastures; this signifying, that though he should be like a serpent, harmful to his enemies, yet should be kind and tender unto, and take great care of his own subjects, and under whom they should have great plenty and prosperity: AND THE NEEDY SHALL LIE DOWN IN SAFETY; like a flock of sheep, secure from beasts of prey, under the care of a faithful and vigilant shepherd; this shows that the Jews should not only have plenty of good things, but should live in the greatest...

Isaiah 14:1. _For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob._ This promise had a measure of fulfillment when Israel was brought back from Babylon; and still is it true that, when God's people come to their worst, there is always something better before them. On the other hand, it is equally sure that, when sinners come to their best, there is always something terrible awaiting them. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, «God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew;» and his declaration agrees with this prophecy, «The Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land.» I believe that there will be a far grander fulfillment of this prophecy in that day when God shall bring back his chosen people to

CHAPTER 14 Israel's Restoration and Blessing After Babylon is Fallen and the Burden of Philistia 1. _Israel's restoration and exaltation (Isaiah 14:1)_ 2. _The proverb against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:3)_ 3. _The triumph over Lucifer (Satan) (Isaiah 14:12)_ 4. _Babylon's destruction (Isaiah 14:21)_ 5. _The Assyrian broken (Isaiah 14:24)_ 6. _The burden of Philistia (Isaiah 14:28)_ When the last great Babylon is

PHILISTIA'S EXULTATION IS PREMATURE: WORSE CALAMITIES ARE AT HAND. The Philistines are warned not to rejoice that the rod which has oppressed them is broken, for the tyrant's successor will smite them with greater severity. At first sight it might seem, on account of the title, that the breaking of the rod referred to the death of Ahaz. But we do not know that the Philistines were at this time in any way subject to Judah, and it is likely that both Jews and Philistines were subject to Assyria. Nor does the prophecy favour this view, since it represents Judah as in poverty, while the description of the enemy that is coming upon Philistia points unmistakably to Assyria, if Isaiah is the author. Probably, then, the reference is to the death of an Assyrian king. We might think of Tiglath-Pileser's death in 727, or Shalmaneser's _in_ 722, or Sargon's in 705 (pp. 59, 70f.). Titles are often un...