ISAIAH 33 COMMENTARY

EDITED BY GLENN PEASE

Distress and Help

1 Woe to you, destroyer,

you who have not been destroyed!

Woe to you, betrayer,

you who have not been betrayed!

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed;

when you stop betraying,

you will be betrayed.

1.BARNES, Wo to thee that spoilest - This description accords entirely with Sennacherib and his army, who had plundered the cities and countries which they had invaded, and who were about to advance to Jerusalem for the same purpose (compare Isa_29:7-8; Isa_37:11).

And thou wast not spoiled - That is, thou hadst not been plundered by the Jews against whom thou art coming. It was because the war was so unprovoked and unjust, that God would bring so signal vengeance on them.

And dealest treacherously - (See the note at Isa_21:2). The treachery of the Assyrians consisted in the fact that when their assistance was asked by the Jews, in order to aid them against the combined forces of Syria and Samaria (see Isa_7:1-2), they had taken occasion from

that invitation to bring desolation on Judah (see Isa_7:17, Isa_7:20; Isa_8:6-8, note; Isa_10:6, note). Hezekiah also gave to Sennacherib thirty talents of gold and three hundred talents of silver, evidently with an understanding that this was all that he demanded, and that if this was paid, he would leave the nation in peace. But this implied promise he perfidiously disregarded (see 2Ki_18:14-15).

When thou shalt cease to spoil - This does not relier to his having voluntarily ceased to plunder, but to the fact that God would put an end to it.

Thou shalt be spoiled - This was literally fulfilled. The Assyrian monarchy lost its splendor and power, and was finally merged in the more mighty empire of Babylon. The nation was, of course, subject to the depredation of the conquerors, and compelled to submit to them. When thou shalt make an end. The idea is, that there would be a completion, or a finishing of his acts of treachery toward the Jews, and that would be when God should overthrow him and his army.

They shall deal treacherously with thee - The words they shall, are here equivalent to, thou shalt be dealt With in a treacherous manner. The result was, that Sennacherib was treacherously slain by his own sons as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god Isa_37:38, and thus the prophecy was literally fulfilled. The sense of the whole is, that God would reward their desire of plundering a nation that had not injured them by the desolation of their own land; and would recompense the perfidiousness of the kings of Assyria that had sought to subject Jerusalem to their power, by perfidiousness in the royal family itself.

2. CLARKE, And deadest treacherously Thou plunderer - See note on Isa_21:2 (note).

When thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously When thou art weary of

plundering - cannelothecha, alibi non extat in s. s. nisi f. Job_15:29 - simplicius est

legere kechallothecha. Vid. Capell.; nec repugnat Vitringa. Vid. Dan_9:24. calah

hatim. - Secker.

3. GILL, Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled,.... Which some understand of Nebuchadnezzar; others of Sennacherib, which is more probable; it seems best to interpret it of the Romish antichrist. Kimchi thinks that, if it respects the times of Hezekiah, Sennacherib is meant; but if the times of the Messiah, then the king of nations that shall be in those days; and he adds, this is the kingdom of Persia, in the vision of Daniel. Vatringa applies this to Antiochus Epiphanes, and the whole prophecy to the times of the Maccabees; but it best agrees with the beast of Rome, to whom power has been given over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations, the Apollyon, the spoiler and destroyer of the earth, especially of the saints, whom he has made war with and overcome; see Rev_9:11 now this spoiler of man, of their substance by confiscation, of their bodies by imprisonment and death, and of their societies and families by his violent persecutions, and of the souls of others by his false doctrine; though he may continue long in prosperity and glory, and not be spoiled, or destroyed, yet not always. The Vulgate Latin version renders the last clause interrogatively, and perhaps not amiss, "shall thou not be spoiled?" verily thou shalt; the same measure he has meted to others shall be measured to him again; the spoiler of others shall be stripped of all himself; he that destroyed the earth shall be destroyed from off the earth; he that leads into captivity shall go into it; and he that kills with the sword shall be slain by it, Rev_11:18,

and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee; or, "shall they not deal treacherously with thee?" so the above version renders it with an interrogation; and both this and the preceding clause are thus paraphrased by the Targum, "woe to thee that comest to spoil, and shall they not spoil thee? and who comest to oppress, and shall they not oppress thee?'' truly they shall; the kings of the earth that were in confederacy with the beast, and gave their kingdoms to him, shall hate the whore, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire, Rev_17:16, when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shall be spoiled; when the time is come that antichrist shall be suffered no longer to ravage in the earth, and spoil the bodies, souls, and substance of men, then shall he himself be spoiled of his power and authority, riches and grandeur; his plagues shall come upon him at once, fire, famine, and death; for his cessation from spoiling will not be his own option, nor the fruit and effect of repentance and reformation, but will be owing to the sovereign power of God in restraining him: and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee; for the coming of antichrist was with lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness; he has the appearance of a lamb, but speaks like a dragon; has used many wiles, arts, and stratagems, and treacherous methods to deceive and impose on men, and to ensnare and entrap them; and when the time is come that he will not be permitted to proceed any further and longer in his deceitful practices, the kings of the earth, who have been deceived by him, and brought in subjection to him, will pay him in his own coin; see 2Th_2:9.

4. HENRY, I. The proud and false Assyrian justly reckoned with for all his fraud and violence,

and laid under a woe, Isa_33:1. Observe, 1. The sin which the enemy had been guilty of. He had

spoiled the people of God, and made a prey of them, and herein had broken his treaty of peace

with them, and dealt treacherously. Truth and mercy are two such sacred things, and have so

much of God in them, that those cannot but be under the wrath of God that make conscience of

neither, but are perfectly lost to both, that care not what mischief they do, what spoil they make,

what dissimulations they are guilty of, nor what solemn engagements they violate, to compass

their own wicked designs. Bloody and deceitful men are the worst of men. 2. The aggravation of

this sin. He spoiled those that had never done him any injury and that he had no pretence to

quarrel with, and dealt treacherously with those that had always dealt faithfully with him. Note,

The less provocation we have from men to do a wrong thing the more provocation we give to

God by doing it. 3. The punishment he should fall under for this sin. He that spoiled the cities of

Judah shall have his own army destroyed by an angel and his camp plundered by those whom he

had made a prey of. The Chaldeans shall deal treacherously with the Assyrians and revolt from

them. Two of Sennacherib's own sons shall deal treacherously with him and basely murder him

at his devotions. Note, The righteous God often pays sinners in their own coin. He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity, Rev_13:10; Rev_18:6. 4. The time when he shall be thus dealt with. When he shall make an end to spoil, and to deal treacherously, not by repentance and reformation, which might prevent his ruin (Dan_4:27), but when he shall have done his

worst, when he shall have gone as far as God would permit him to go, to the utmost of his tether,

then the cup of trembling shall be put into his hand. When he shall have arrived at his full

stature in impiety, shall have filled up the measure of his iniquity, then all shall be called over

again. When he has done God will begin, for his day is coming.

5. JAMISON, Isa_33:1-24. The last of Isaiahs prophecies as to Sennacheribs overthrow.

Isa_33:1, Isa_33:8, Isa_33:9, describe the Assyrian spoiler; strong as he is, he shall fall before Jehovah who is stronger (Isa_33:2-6, Isa_33:10-12). The time is the autumn of 713 b.c.

and thou that is, though thou wast not spoiled - though thou wast not dealt treacherously with (see on Isa_24:16), thy spoiling and treachery are therefore without excuse, being unprovoked.

cease When God has let thee do thy worst, in execution of His plans, thine own turn shall come (compare Isa_10:12; Isa_14:2; Hab_2:8; Rev_13:10).

6. K&D, We are now in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign. The threatenings of the first years, which the repentance of the people had delayed, are now so far in force again, and so far actually realized, that the Assyrians are already in Judah, and have not only devastated the land, but are threatening Jerusalem. The element of promise now gains the upper hand, the prophet places himself between Asshur and his own nation with the weapons of prophecy and prayer, and the woe turns from the latter to the former. Woe, devastator, and thyself not devastated; and thou spoiler, and still not spoiled! Hast thou done with devastating? thou shalt be devastated. Hast thou attained to rob? men rob thee. Asshur is described as not devastated

and not spoiled (which could not be expressed by a participle as with us, since bagad is construed with Beth, and not with the accusative of the person), because it had not yet been visited by any such misfortune as that which had fallen upon other lands and nations. But it would be repaid

with like for the like as soon as indicating simultaneousness, as in Isa_30:19 and Isa_18:5, for example) its devastating and spoiling had reached the point determined by Jehovah. Instead of

, we find in some codd. and editions the reading , which is equally admissible. In

(from !) the radical syllable is lengthened, instead of having dagesh. # is equivalent to

, a hiphil syncopated for the sake of rhythm (as in Isa_3:8; Deu_1:33, and many other

passages), written here with dagesh dirmens, from the verb nalah, which is attested also by

Job_15:29. The coincidence in meaning with the Arab. verb nal (fut. i and u), to acquire or attain (see Comm. on Job, at Job_15:29 and Job_30:24-27), has been admitted by the earliest of the

national grammarians, Ben-Koreish, Chayug, etc. The conjecture $ (in addition to which

Cappellus proposed ) is quite unnecessary. The play upon the sound sets forth the punishment of the hitherto unpunished one as the infallible echo of its sin.

7. CALVIN, 1.Wo to thee that spoilest. If these words shall be expounded as relating to the

Babylonians, the strain will flow easily enough; for, after having promised freedom to the prisoners,

(Isa_32:15,) he now appropriately taunts the conquerors. Besides, they needed to be peculiarly

confirmed, that they might give credit to a prediction which appeared to be incredible; for they could not

think it probable that such vast power would be destroyed and overthrown, and that, the wretched

prisoners who were now in a state of despair would speedily be permitted to return to their native country.

Amidst such distresses, therefore, they might have fainted and given up all hope of safety, if the Prophet

had not met them with these exhortations. Accordingly, he anticipates those doubts which might have

tormented their minds and tempted them to despair, after having been carried away by the Babylonians,

and reduced to slavery; for they saw none of those things which are here promised, but everything

entirely opposite.

Yet, as it is almost universally agreed that this is the beginning of a new discourse, and that it is

addressed to Sennacherib and his army, I am not unwilling to believe that the Prophet pronounces

against the Assyrians, who unjustly oppressed all their neighbors, a threatening which was intended to

alleviate the distresses and anxieties of the people. He therefore means that there will be a wonderful

revolution of affairs, which will overthrow the flourishing condition of Nineveh, though it appears to be

invincible; for the Babylonians will come in a hostile manner to punish them for that cruelty which they

exercised on other nations.

In order to impart greater energy to this discourse, he addresses the Assyrians themselves, to thee that

plunderest; you may now ravage with impunity; no one has power to resist you; but there will one day be

those who in their turn shall plunder you, as you have plundered others. He speaks to them in the

singular number, but in a collective sense, which is very customary. Others read it as a question, thou

not be spoiled? Dost thou think that thou wilt never be punished for that violence? There will one day be

those who will render to thee the like. But we may follow the ordinary exposition, according to which the

Prophet exhibits in a striking light the injustice of enemies, who were so eager for plunder that they

spared nobody, not even the innocent who had never injured them; for that is a demonstration of the

utmost cruelty. I am therefore the more disposed to adopt this exposition, according to which he

describes in this first clause what the Assyrians are, shews them to be base and cruel robbers, and gives

a strong exhibition of their cruelty in harassing and pillaging harmless and inoffensive persons; so that,

when the Jews beheld such unrestrained injustice, they might consider that God is just, and that such

proceedings will not always pass unpunished.

When thou shalt have ceased to plunder. This is the second clause of the sentence, by which the Prophet

declares that the Assyrians now plunder, because God has given loose reins to them, but that he will one

day check them, so that they will have no power to do injury. If we were to understand him to mean, they

would no longer wish to plunder, that would be a feeble interpretation; but the Prophet advances higher,

and declares that the time will come they shall make an end of plundering, because the Lord will

restrain and subdue them. The meaning is therefore the same as if he had said, thou shalt have

reached the height; for we see that tyrants have boundaries assigned to them which they cannot pass.

Their career is rapid, so long as they keep their course; but as soon as the goal, their utmost limit, has

been reached, they must stop.

Let us cheer our hearts with this consolation, when we see tyrants insolently and fiercely attack the

Church of God; for the Lord will at length compel them to stop, and the more cruel they have been, the

more severely will they be punished. The Lord will destroy them in a moment; for he will raise up against

them enemies who will instantly ruin and punish them for their iniquities.

Here we ought also to acknowledge the providence of God in the overthrow of kingdoms; for wicked men

imagine that everything moves at random and by the blind violence of fortune; but we ought to take quite

another view, for the Lord will repay their deserts, so that they shall be made to know that the cruelty

which they exercised against inoffensive persons does not remain unrevenged. And the event shewed

the truth of this prediction; for not long afterwards Nineveh was conquered by the Babylonians, and lost

the monarchy, and was even so completely destroyed that it lost its name. But as Babylon, who

succeeded in her room, was not. less a the Prophet justly foretells that there will be other robbers to rob

her, and that the Babylonians, when their monarchy shall be overthrown, will themselves be plundered of

those things which they seized and pillaged from others.

2 Lord, be gracious to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of distress.

1.BARNES, O Lord - This is a solemn prayer to Yahweh, made by the Jews in the apprehension of the invasion of the Assyrian. It is not meant that this prayer was actually offered, but it is a prophetic representation indicating the alarm of the Jews at his approach, and their disposition to throw themselves upon the mercy of God.

We have waited for thee - That is, we have looked for deliverance from this threatened invasion from thy hand (compare the note at Isa_26:8).

Be thou their arm - The arm is a symbol of strengh. It is used in the Scriptures as emblematic of the divine protection, or of the interposition of God in time of calamity and dancer Exo_15:16; Job_40:9; Psa_44:3; Psa_77:15; Psa_89:21; Psa_98:1. Lowth proposes to read our arm instead of their arm; and the connection would seem to demand such a reading. The Vugate and the Chaldee read it in this manner, but there is no authority from manuscripts for a change in the text. The truth seems to be, that Isaiah, impelled by prophetic inspiration, here interposes his own feelings as a Jew, and offers his own prayer that God would be the strength of the nation. The form, however, is immediately changed, and he presents the prayer of the people.

Every morning - Constantly; at all times.

In the time of trouble - Referring particularly to the trouble consequent on the invasion of the Assyrians.

2. CLARKE, Be thou their arm every morning Be thou our strength every

morning - For zeroam, their arm, the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate read zeroenu, our

arm, in the first person of the pronoun, not the third: the edition of Felix Pratensis has

zerootheynu in the margin.

The prophet is here praying against the enemies of Gods people; and yet this part of the prayer seems to be in their behalf: but from the above authorities it appears that Our arm is the true reading, though I do not find it confirmed by any of Kennicotts, De Rossis, or my own MSS. My old MS. Bible has, - Be thou oure arm in erly.

3. GILL, O Lord, be gracious unto us,.... This is a prayer of the church under the persecutions of antichrist, imploring the grace and favour of God in their miserable and distressed circumstances; desiring his gracious help, assistance, and deliverance; pleading not any merits of their own, but casting themselves upon the mercy and kindness of God: we have waited for thee; time after time, year after year, in the use of means; hoping for the manifestations of thyself, and kind appearance for us; expecting help and salvation, and still continue to wait, believing the time will come when favour will be shown: be thou their arm every morning; when they pray unto thee, the morning being the time of prayer; and also be their arm all the day long, to lean and depend upon, to support, protect, and defend them; there is a change of person from the first to the third, usual in prophetic and poetic writings: some take them to be the words of the Old Testament church, praying for the New Testament church; and others a prayer of the church for her children and members. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "our arm"; and the Syriac version, "our helper"; and the Targum, "our strength:'' some read the words in connection with the following clause, thus, "be thou", who wast "their arm every morning", referring to their forefathers, whose strength and support the Lord was, our salvation also in the time of trouble (s); the deliverer of us from the antichristian yoke of bondage, from all his persecutions and oppressions, from the last struggle of the beast, from that hour of trouble and temptation that shall come upon all the earth.

4. HENRY, The praying people of God earnest at the throne of grace for mercy for the land now in its distress (Isa_33:2): O Lord! be merciful to us. Men are cruel; be thou gracious. We have deserved thy wrath, but we entreat thy favour; and, if we may find the propitious to us, we are happy; the trouble we are in cannot hurt us, shall not ruin us. It is in vain to expect relief from creatures; we have no confidence in the Egyptians, but we have waited for thee only, resolving to submit to thee, whatever the issue of the trouble be, and hoping that it shall be a comfortable issue. Those that by faith humbly wait for God shall certainly find him gracious to them. They prayed, 1. For those that were employed in military services for them: Be thou their arm every morning. Hezekiah, and his princes, and all the men of war, need continual supplies of strength and courage from thee; supply their need therefore, and be to them a God all-sufficient. Every morning, when they go forth upon the business of the day, and perhaps have new work to do and new difficulties to encounter, let them be afresh animated and invigorated, and, as the day, so let the strength be. In our spiritual warfare our own hands are not sufficient

for us, nor can we bring any thing to pass unless God not only strengthen our arms (Gen_49:24), but be himself our arm; so entirely do we depend upon him as our arm every morning, so constantly do we depend upon his power, as well as his compassions, which are new every morning, Lam_3:23. If God leaves us to ourselves any morning, we are undone; we must therefore every morning commit ourselves to him, and go forth in his strength to do the work of the day in its day. 2. For the body of the people: Be thou our salvation also in the time of trouble, ours who sit still, and do not venture into the high places of the field. They depend upon God not only as their Saviour, to work deliverance for them, but as their salvation itself; for, whatever becomes of their secular interests, they will reckon themselves safe and saved if they have him for their God. If he undertake to be their Saviour, he will be their salvation; for as for God his work is perfect. Some read it thus: Thou who wast their arm every morning, who wast the continual strength and help of our fathers before us, be thou our salvation also in time of trouble. Help us as thou helpedst them; they looked unto thee and were lightened (Psa_34:5); let us then not walk in darkness.

5. JAMISON, us; we ... their ... our He speaks interceding for His people, separating himself in thought for a moment from them, and immediately returns to his natural identification with them in the word our.

every morning each day as it dawns, especially during our danger, as the parallel time of trouble shows.

6. K&D, In Isa_33:2 the prophet's word of command is changed into a believing prayer: Jehovah, be gracious to us; we wait for Thee: be their arm with every morning, yea, our salvation in time of need! Their arm, i.e., the power which shelters and defends them, viz.,

Thy people and my own. Yea, 'aph, is emphatic. Israel's arm every morning, because the danger is renewed every day; Israel's salvation, i.e., complete deliverance (Isa_25:9), because the culminating point of the trouble is still in prospect.

7. CALVIN, 2.O Jehovah, have pity upon us. This sentiment was added by the Prophet, in order to

remind the godly where they ought to go amidst such distresses, even when they shall appear to be

deprived of all hope of safety; that they ought to betake themselves to prayer, to supplicate from God the

fulfillment of these promises, even when they shall be most wretched, and when the power of the enemy

to oppress them cruelly shall be very formidable. And here we ought carefully to observe the order which

the Prophet has followed, in first exhibiting the promise of God and immediately exhorting to prayer. Not

only so, but he breaks off the stream of his discourse, and suddenly bursts out into prayer; for although

the Lord hastens to perform what he has promised, yet he delays for a time, in order to exercise our

patience. But when we ought to wait, there is found in us no steadfastness or perseverance; our hearts

immediately faint and. languish. We ought, therefore, to have recourse to prayer, which alone can support

and gladden our hearts, while we look earnestly towards God, by whose guidance alone we shall be

delivered from our distresses. Yet let us patiently, with unshaken hope and confidence, expect what he

has promised to us; for at length he will shew that he is faithful, and will not disappoint us.

At the same time the Prophet bids us not only consider in general the judgment of God against the

Assyrians, but God fatherly kindness towards his chosen people; as if he had said that the Assyrians will

be destroyed, not only that they may receive the just reward of their avarice and cruelty, but because in

this manner God will be pleased to provide for the safety of his Church. But while he exhorts us to pray

for mercy, he likewise declares that we shall be miserable.

In thee have we hoped. In order to cherish the hope of obtaining favor, believers next declare that they

hoped in God, on whom they now call; and indeed our prayers must be idle and useless, if they are not

founded on this principle.

thy mercy be upon us, saith David,

as we have hoped in thee. (Psa_33:22.)

For to go into the presence of God, if he did not open up the way by his word, would be excessively rash;

and, therefore, as he kindly and gently invites us, so we ought to embrace his word, whenever we

approach to him. Besides, patience must be added to faith; and, therefore, when faith is taken away, we

do not deserve that the Lord should hear us, for it is by faith that we call upon him. Now faith alone is the

mother of calling on God, as is frequently declared in many passages of Scripture; and if faith be wanting,

there can be nothing left in us but hypocrisy, than which nothing is more abhorred by God. (Rom_10:14.)

And hence it is evident that there is no Christianity in the whole of Popery; for if the chief part of the

worship of God consists of prayer, and if they know not what it is to pray, (for they bid us continually

doubt, and even accuse of rashness the faith of the godly,) what kind of worshippers of God are they?

Can that prayer be lawful which is perplexed by uncertainty, and which does not rely with firm confidence

on the promises of God? Do not those Rabbins, who wish to be reckoned theologians, shew that they are

mere babes? Certainly our children excel them in knowledge and in the true light of godliness. (1)

Let us also learn from these words that our faith is proved by adversity; for the actual trial of faith is when,

with unshaken patience in opposition to all dangers and assaults, we continue to rely on the word and the

promises. Thus we shall give practical evidence that we have sincerely believed.

Be what thou hast been, their arm in the morning. Others render it as if it were a continued prayer, our

arm in the morning, and our salvation in tribulation. As to believers speaking in the third person, they

consider it to be a change which is frequently employed by the Hebrews. But I think that the Prophet

meaning is different; for he intended to express that desire which is rendered more intense by benefits

formerly received; and, therefore, in my opinion, that clause is appropriately inserted, arm in the

morning, in which I supply the words hast been, in order to bring forward the ancient benefits bestowed

by God on the fathers. Lord, didst hearken to the prayers of our fathers; when they fled to thee, thou

gavest them assistance i now also be thou our salvation, and relieve us from our afflictions.

and differ in this respect, that denotes the power which the Lord exerted in defense of his Church,

and that before she was afflicted; while denotes the deliverance by which the Lord rescues the Church,

even when she appears to be ruined. He therefore places on record ancient benefits which the Lord

formerly bestowed on the fathers, that he may be moved to exercise the same compassion towards the

children. As if he had said, Lord, thou didst formerly turn away the dangers which threatened thy

Church; relying on thy favor she flourished and prospered. Thou didst also deliver her when oppressed. In

like manner wilt thou act on our own account, especially since it belongs to thy character to render

assistance when matters are desperate and at the worst. (2)

The particle , (aph,) even, is very emphatic for confirming our faith, that we may not doubt that God,

who always continues to be like himself, and never degenerates from his nature or swerves from his

purpose, will also be our deliverer; for, such have believers found him to be. We ought, therefore, to place

continually before our eyes the manner in which the Lord formerly assisted and delivered the fathers, that

we may be fully convinced that we also shall not fail to obtain from him assistance and deliverance.

(1) Certainement nos enfans sont plus savans et religieux qu.

our children are more learned and religious than they are.

(2) Puis que ton naturel est d aux tiens, quand tout est reduit au desespoir. thy disposition is to assist

thy people when all is reduced to despair.

3 At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;

when you rise up, the nations scatter.

1.BARNES, At the noise of the tumult - Lowth supposes that this is addressed by the prophet in the name of God, or rather by God himself to the Assyrian, and that it means that notwithstanding the terror which he had caused the invaded countries, he would himself fall and become an easy prey to those whom he intended to subdue. But probably it should be regarded

as a part of the address which the Jews made to Yahweh Isa_33:2, and the word tumult -

hamon, sound, noise, as of rain 1Ki_18:41, or of music Eze_26:13; Amo_5:23, or the bustle or tumult of a people 1Sa_4:11; 1Sa_14:19; Job_39:7 - refers here to the voice of God by which the army was overthrown. Yahweh is often represented as speaking to people in a voice suited to produce consternation and alarm. Thus it is said of the vision which Daniel saw of a man by the

side of the river Hiddekel, his words were like the voice of a multitude ( hamon), Dan_10:6. And thus, in Rev_1:10, the voice of Christ is said to have been like the voice of a trulupet; and in Isa_33:15, like the sound of many waters. It wilt be recollected also that it was said that God would send upon the Assyrian army thunder, and an earthquake, and a great noise, with storm and tempest, and a flame of devouring fire (Isa_29:6; compare Isa_30:30); and it is doubtless to this prediction that the prophet refers here. God would come forth with the voice of indignation, and would scatter the combined armies of the Assyrian.

The people fled - The people in the army of the Assyrian. A large part of them Were slain by the angel of the Lord in a single night, but a portion of them with Sennacherib escaped and fled to their own land (Isa_37:36-37.

At the lifting up of thyself - Of Yahweh; as when one rouses himself to strike.

The nations - The army of Sennacherib was doubtless made up of levies from the nations that had been subdued, and that composed the Assyrian empire.

2. CLARKE, At the noise of the tumult From thy terrible voice - For hamon,

multitude, the Septuagint and Syriac read amica, terrible, whom I follow.

3. GILL, At the noise of the tumult the people fled,.... The Vulgate Latin Version renders it, "at the voice of the angel"; and Jerom reports it as the opinion of the Jews, that it was Gabriel; and many interpret the words either of the noise the angel made in the air, or was made in the Assyrian camp, when the angel descended, and smote such a vast number of them, at which the remnant, being frightened, fled, 2Ki_19:35 but either this is to be understood as expressing what had been done in time past, and therefore the church took encouragement that it might and would be so again; or as a continuance of her prayer, thus, "at the noise of the tumult", or multitude (t), "let the people flee" (u); or as a prediction, "they shall flee" (w); that is, at the noise of the multitude of saints, the faithful, called, and chosen armies of heaven, that follow Christ on white horses, and clothed in white; when he shall go forth to battle with the kings of the earth, beast, and false prophet, let the people under them flee, or they shall flee, and not be able to stand before so puissant a General, and so powerful an army; see Rev_17:14, at the lifting up of thyself, the nations were scattered; so it has been in times past, when the Lord has lifted up himself, and appeared on behalf of his people, and has exerted himself, and displayed his power; and so it will be again; or so let it be: "let the nations be scattered"; the antichristian nations, as they will be, when the Lord shall lift up his hand, and pour out the vials of his wrath upon them.

4. HENRY, At the noise of the tumult - Lowth supposes that this is addressed by the prophet in the name of God, or rather by God himself to the Assyrian, and that it means that notwithstanding the terror which he had caused the invaded countries, he would himself fall and become an easy prey to those whom he intended to subdue. But probably it should be regarded

as a part of the address which the Jews made to Yahweh Isa_33:2, and the word tumult -

hamon, sound, noise, as of rain 1Ki_18:41, or of music Eze_26:13; Amo_5:23, or the bustle or tumult of a people 1Sa_4:11; 1Sa_14:19; Job_39:7 - refers here to the voice of God by which the army was overthrown. Yahweh is often represented as speaking to people in a voice suited to produce consternation and alarm. Thus it is said of the vision which Daniel saw of a man by the

side of the river Hiddekel, his words were like the voice of a multitude ( hamon), Dan_10:6. And thus, in Rev_1:10, the voice of Christ is said to have been like the voice of a trulupet; and in Isa_33:15, like the sound of many waters. It wilt be recollected also that it was said that God would send upon the Assyrian army thunder, and an earthquake, and a great noise, with storm and tempest, and a flame of devouring fire (Isa_29:6; compare Isa_30:30); and it is doubtless to this prediction that the prophet refers here. God would come forth with the voice of indignation, and would scatter the combined armies of the Assyrian.

The people fled - The people in the army of the Assyrian. A large part of them Were slain by the angel of the Lord in a single night, but a portion of them with Sennacherib escaped and fled to their own land (Isa_37:36-37.

At the lifting up of thyself - Of Yahweh; as when one rouses himself to strike.

The nations - The army of Sennacherib was doubtless made up of levies from the nations that had been subdued, and that composed the Assyrian empire.

5. JAMISON, the tumult the approach of Jehovah is likened to an advancing thunderstorm (Isa_29:6; Isa_30:27), which is His voice (Rev_1:15), causing the people to flee.

nation the Assyrian levies.

6. K&D, While the prophet is praying thus, he already sees the answer. At the sound of a noise peoples pass away; at Thy rising nations are scattered. And your booty is swept away as

a swarm of locusts sweeps away; as beetles run, they run upon it. The indeterminate hamo1n, which produces for that very reason the impression of something mysterious and terrible, is at once explained. The noise comes from Jehovah, who is raising Himself judicially above Assyria,

and thunders as a judge. Then the hostile army runs away ( = 5, from the niphal ,

1Sa_13:11, from 7 = , from 7 ); and your booty (the address returns to Assyria) is swept away, just as when a swarm of locusts settles on a field, it soon eats it utterly away. Jerome,

Cappellus, and others follow the Septuagint rendering, 8?H. The

figure is quite as appropriate, but the article in hechas l makes the other view the more natural

one; and Isa_33:4 places this beyond all doubt. Shaqaq, from which the participle sho1qe1q and

the substantive masshaq are derived, is sued here, as in Joe_2:9, to signify a busy running hither

and thither (discursitare). The syntactic use of sho1qe1q is the same as that of (they call) in

Isa_21:11, and so1phedm (they smite) in Isa_32:12. The inhabitants of Jerusalem swarm in the enemy's camp like beetles; they are all in motion, and carry off what they can.

7. CALVIN, 3.At the voice of the tumult the peoples fled. He now returns to the former doctrine, or

rather he continues it, after having inserted a short exclamation. He had already shewn that the Assyrians

would be defeated, though they appeared to be out of the reach of all danger; and now he bids the Jews

look upon it as having actually taken place; for their power was vast, and all men dreaded them and

reckoned them invincible. Isaiah therefore places before the eyes of the Jews the dreadful ruin of the

Assyrians, as if it had been already accomplished. He makes use of the plural number, saying that they

were peoples; for the kingdom of the Assyrians consisted of various and their army had been collected

out of various nations; and therefore he affirms that, although their number was prodigious and

boundless, yet they would miserably perish.

At thy exaltation. The word is explained by some to mean the by which the Lord illustriously displayed

what he was able to do. But I explain it in a more simple manner, that the Lord, who formerly seemed as it

were to remain at rest, when he permitted the Babylonians to ravage with impunity, now suddenly came

forth to public view; for his delay was undoubtedly treated with proud scorn by the enemies, as if the God

of Israel had been humbled and vanquished; but at length he arose and sat down on his judgmentseat,

and took vengeance on the crimes of the ungodly. There is therefore an implied contrast between the

and that kind of weakness which the Lord appeared to exhibit, when he permitted his people to be

afflicted and scattered. (3)

By voice of the tumult some suppose to be meant that the Lord will put the enemies to flight by merely

making a noise; but that interpretation, I fear, is more ingenious than solid. I therefore willingly interpret

the word to mean the loud noise which would be raised by the Medes and Persians.

(3) The rising meant is not the ascent of the Judge to the judgmentseat, (Piscator,) nor the exaltation of

the Assyrian power, (AbenEzra.) but the act of rising from a state of seeming inaction, as when one

rouses himself to strike, (Barnes.) Alexander.

4 Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young

locusts;

like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

1.BARNES, And your spoil - The booty that the Assyrian army bad gathered in their march toward Jerusalem, and which would now be left by them to be collected by the Jews.

Shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar - The grammatical construction here is such that this may admit of two interpretations. It may either mean, as the caterpillar or the locust is gathered; or it may mean, as the caterpillar gathers its spoil. It often occurred that in countries where the locust was an article of food, they were scraped together in large quantities, and thrown into ditches, or into reservoirs, and retained to be eaten. This is the custom in some parts of Africa. But the meaning here is, undoubtedly, that the plunder of the Assyrian army would be collected by the Jews, as the locust gathered its food. The sense is, that as locusts spread themselves out over a land, as they go to and fro without rule and without molestation, gathering whatever is in their way, and consuming everything, so the Jews in great numbers, and without regular military array, would run to and fro collecting the spoils of the Assyrian army. In a country where such devastation was made by the caterpillar and locust as in

Palestine, this was a very striking figure. The word rendered caterpillar here chaseyl from

chasal to cut off, consume), properly denotes the devourer, and is applied usually to a

species of locust. So it is understood here by most of the versions. The Septuagint renders it, As if one were gathering locusts, so will they insult you.

2. PULPIT, Your spoil shall be gathered. The "spoiling" of Assyria would commence with the

discomfiture of the great host. In the historical narrative (2Ki_19:35; Isa_37:36) nothing is said of it; but,

beyond a doubt, when the host was to a largo extent destroyed, and the remainder fled, there must have

been an enormous booty left behind, which the enemies of the Assyrians would naturally seize. A further

spoiling of the fugitives probably followed; and, the prestige of the great king being gone, marauding

bands would probably on all sides ravage the Assyrian territory. Like the gathering of the caterpillar.

The "caterpillar" (khasil) is probably the grub out of which the locust developsa very destructive

insect. Shall he run. It would be better to render, shall they run. The word, indeed, is in the singular; but it

is used distributively, of the various spoilers.

3. GILL, And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar,.... This is the answer of the Lord to the prayer of his church, signifying that their enemies should flee, be scattered, and perish, and that they should be victorious, and enjoy the spoils of them; which they should gather as easily as the caterpillar or locust, as some render it, gathers and consumes herbs, and every green thing; or as easily as they are gathered, and laid on heaps, being weak and unable to defend themselves: most understand it of the Jews going into the camp of the Assyrians, after the destruction of them by the angel, and gathering their spoil. The Targum is, "and the house of Israel shall gather the substance of the people, their enemies, as they gather a locust:'' the antichristian locusts or caterpillars are here meant, whose substance shall fall into the hands of the followers of Christ, when they shall have got the victory of them; this is the flesh of the whore, her worldly substance, which the kings of the earth, the Christian kings, shall eat or enjoy, Rev_17:16, as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them: or "upon it"; the spoil; as these locusts, of which see Rev_9:3 run to and fro, and pillaged them in times past, as the creatures, to whom they are compared, run to and fro and destroy the fruits of the earth, so now everyone of the followers of Christ shall run and seize upon the spoil of the antichristian states.

4. HENRY, The spoil of the Assyrian camp is seized, by way of reprisal, for all the desolations of the defenced cities of Judah (Isa_33:4): Your spoil shall be gathered by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, like the gathering of the caterpillar, and as the running to and fro of locusts, that is, the spoilers shall as easily and as quickly make themselves masters of the riches of the Assyrians as a host of caterpillars, or locusts, make a field, or a tree, bare. Thus the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just and Israel is enriched with the spoil of the Egyptians. Some make the Assyrians to be the caterpillars and locusts, which, when they are killed, are gathered together in heaps, as the frogs of Egypt, and are run upon, and trodden to dirt.

5. JAMISON, The invaders spoil shall be left behind by them in their flight, and the Jews shall gather it.

caterpillar rather, the wingless locust; as it gathers; the Hebrew word for gathers is properly used of the gathering of the fruits of harvest (Isa_32:10).

running to and fro namely, in gathering harvest fruits.

he rather, they.

them rather, it, that is, the prey.

6. CALVIN, 4.And your prey shall be gathered. Here he addresses the Assyrians, if it be not thought

preferable to refer it to the Jews, and to take the word in an active sense. But the former opinion is

moreappropriate; and this sudden turn of direct address imparts great vehemence to the prediction, when

he openly and expressly taunts the proud adversaries. Yet it is doubtful whether it denotes the final ruin of

the nation, or the defeat of King Sennacherib, when his army was destroyed by the hand of an angel

before the walls of Jerusalem. (2Kg_19:35.) The latter opinion has been adopted by almost all

commentators, but it appears to me to be too limited; for I think that the Prophet, from the beginning of the

chapter, intended to express something more, when he spoke of the destruction of that nation, The

prophecy might even be still farther extended, as I suggested a little ago, so as to include likewise the

Babylonians, who were the latest enemies of the Church; but, passing this, it is sufficiently evident that his

pen is directed against the monarchy of Nineveh.

By your gathering of caterpillars. He compares that warlike nation to because they will have no power

to resist, but will all tremble and faint, so that they shall be gathered into large heaps to be destroyed. The

comparison is highly appropriate, and is employed also by the Prophet Nahum, (Nah_3:15,) though in a

somewhat different sense; for that insect, we know, is exceedingly destructive to trees, and exceedingly

hurtful, so that it may justly be called The calamity of the earth. But as their vast number gives no power

to defend themselves, even children can easily shake off, and gather, and slay them in heaps wherever

they meet with them. This also, the Prophet declares, will befall those insatiable robbers; for, although

they did much injury by plundering for a long period, they will at length be slain and destroyed without the

smallest effort; because, deprived of manly vigor, and almost of life, they will fall into the power of their

enemies; and the wealth of Nineveh, amassed by robbery, shall be carried to Babylon.

According to the running of locusts. He now adds another comparison, that the Babylonians will like

locusts, to devour the whole country; for those creatures, being exceedingly voracious, and moving

forward without interruption, and leaping with astonishing rapidity, consume all the fruits of the earth.

Some refer it to the same Assyrians, as if the Prophet compared them to because they will be easily

dispersed; but that interpretation does not apply, for the Prophet draws up an army of so as completely

to cover in its march the whole land; and he beautifully draws a comparison between the and the on

account of their insatiable avarice and vast numbers.

5 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;

he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

1.BARNES, The Lord is exalted - (compare Psa_97:9). The prophet here introduces a chorus of the Jews, celebrating the praises of God for delivering them from the Assyrian.

He hath filled Zion with judgment - That is, the effect of his destroying his enemies will be to fill Jerusalem with reverence for his name. The deliverance would be so signal, and the manifestation of the divine mercy so great, that the effect would be that the nation would turn to God, and acknowledge his gracious interposition (see Isa_30:22-26, Isa_30:29; Isa_31:6; Isa_32:15-18).

2. Pulpit, The Lord is exalted. His destruction of the Assyrian host is an exaltation of God; i.e. it causes

him to be exalted in the thoughts of those who have cognizance of the fact (comp. Exo_15:14-

16; Psa_96:3-10, etc.). It is an indication to them that he has his dwelling on high, and is the true King of

heaven. He hath filled Zion with judgment, etc. (comp. Isa_32:15-17). The destruction is, in part, the

result, in part the cause, of the Jews once more turning to God, putting away their iniquities, and

establishing the reign of justice and righteousness in the land (see Isa_1:26).

3. GILL, The Lord is exalted,.... These are the words of the church, or of true believers, setting the praise and glory of God, on account of the victory and spoil of their enemies; by which the Lord is exalted, magnified, and honoured, as he will be in the hearts and mouths of his people when these times shall come; see Rev_11:15 this will be true of Christ, and indeed this will be the time when he, and he alone, shall be exalted, Isa_2:17, for he dwelleth on high; in the highest heaven, and is above his greatest enemies, and can, and will, pour down his wrath and vengeance on them: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness; the church of God, where Christ her King will reign in righteousness, and when all the administrations of his kingly power and government will appear to be just and true; where his word shall be faithfully preached, and his ordinances duly administered; and when all his subjects and people shall be righteous, and live soberly and righteously. The Targum is, "with those that do true judgment and righteousness.''

4. HENRY, God and his Israel glorified and exalted hereby. When the spoil of the enemy is

thus gathered, 1. God will have the praise of it (Isa_33:5): The Lord is exalted. It is his honour thus to abase proud men, and hide them in the dust, together; thus he magnifies his own name,

and his people give him the glory of it, as Israel when the Egyptians were drowned, Exo_15:1,

Exo_15:2, etc. He is exalted as one that dwells on high, out of the reach of their blasphemies,

and that has an over-ruling power over them, and wherein they deal proudly delights to show

himself above them - that does what he will, and they cannot resist him. 2. His people will have

the blessing of it. When God lifts up himself to scatter the nations that are in confederacy

against Jerusalem (Isa_33:3) then, as a preparative for that, or as the fruit and product of it, he has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness, not only with a sense of justice, but with a zeal for it and a universal care that it be duly administered. It shall again be called, The city of righteousness, Isa_1:26. In this the grace of God is exalted, as much as his providence was in the destruction of the Assyrian army. We may conclude God has mercy in store for a people when he

fills them with judgment and righteousness, when all sorts of people, and all their actions and

affairs, are governed by them, and they are so full of them that no other considerations can

crowd in to sway them against these.

5. MEYER, GOD EXALTED IN JUDGMENT

Isa_33:1-12

Here we have the final prediction against Sennacherib. He had dealt very treacherously by returning against Jerusalem, though he had taken a heavy ransom to leave it unmolested, 2Ki_18:16. In Isa_33:2 Isaiah recalls the daily prayer offered by the priests in the Temple, when they heard of the steady advance of the foe. It was quite true that nations had fled before the dreaded Assyrian, Isa_33:3; but in this case those precedents would be reversed, Isa_33:4, because the Lord would appear for His people, Isa_33:5. That was a sweet assurance that the prophet gave to Hezekiah in Isa_33:6 -to sustain his spirit through the strain of the invasion described in Isa_33:7-8. God always gives us a promise on the eve of trial. He victuals His ships ere He exposes them to the storm. Though God sometimes seems to sleep yet when the hour strikes for the deliverance of His people, He will not tarry for a single moment. Be of good cheer; He will ride upon the wings of the wind to succor you!

6. CALVIN, 5Jehovah is exalted. He explains more fully what we briefly noticed a little before, about

the exaltation of God, and follows out the subject which we formerly mentioned, that the destruction of a

monarchy so powerful will make it evident how highly God values the salvation of his Church, for whose

sake he will utterly ruin Nineveh, the queen of cities, and her inhabitants. This lesson is highly useful, that

God does not spare reprobate and irreligious men; for, by opposing their unlawful desires, his object is to

testify how much he loves his elect; and it is no ordinary consolation that the glory of God shines most

brightly in the salvation of the Church.

Who dwelleth on high. First, he declares that God is raised high, whereas wicked men imagine that he

was east down and humbled by the destruction of the people. Again, lest any one should think that God

has only recovered what he lost, as it frequently happens in the world that they who have been

vanquished, as soon as a favorable change takes place, again put forth fresh vigor, he expressly declares

that God is before the eyes of men, because this is due to him on account of his greatness, for he

inhabiteth the heavens. Hence it follows, that although he frequently conceals his power, yet he never

loses his right, but, whenever he thinks proper, openly displays his exalted rank; for to dwell the

heavens denotes, as we know, supreme authority, to which the whole world is subject. (Psa_115:3.) In

this manner he not only shews that God can easily and readily cast down all that is lofty in the world, but

argues from God eternal nature, that when God is despised by wicked men, he cannot, at length, do

otherwise than manifest his glory; for otherwise he would himself. (2Ti_2:13.)

He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. Thus he again confirms the statement, that it will be

a proof of God wonderful kindness, when the Jews shall be delivered from the tyranny of the

Babylonians. It was proper to place before their eyes the Author of so great a blessing; for we see how

basely his glory is obscured by our ingratitude. Now, fullness of righteousness and judgment means,

that God will largely and copiously pour forth his kindness in restoring the Church. Yet it will not be

unsuitable to view these words as referring to lawful order, when everything is justly and properly

administered; for without this the Church will never enjoy prosperity, though everything else may succeed

according to the wish. Holy and welladjusted order, therefore, and not corruptible riches, is the standard

by which our prosperity should be judged.

6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a]

1.BARNES, And wisdom and knowledge shall be - This verse contains evidently an address to Hezekiah, and asserts that his reign would be characterized by the prevalence of piety and knowledge. This chapter abounds in sudden transitions; and it accords with its general character that when Yahweh had been addressed Isa_33:5, there should then be a direct address to Hezekiah.

The stability - This word denotes firmness, steadiness, constancy; and means that in his times knowledge and the fear of the Lord would be settled on a firm foundation. The whole history of the virtuous reign of Hezekiah shows that this was fulfilled (see 2 Kings 18)

And strength of salvation - Or saving strength; that is, mighty or distinguished salvation. Thy times shah be distinguished for great reforms, and for the prevalence of the doctrines of salvation.

The fear of the Lord is his treasure - The principal riches of Hezekiah. His reign shall not be distinguished for wars and conquests, for commercial enterprise, or for external splendor, but for the prevalence of piety, and the fear of the Lord.

2. CLARKE, His treasure Thy treasure - S, Sym. He had in his copy

otsarcha, thy treasure, not otsaro, his treasure.

3. GILL, And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times,.... Some take these words to be directed to Hezekiah; but rather they are an apostrophe to the Messiah, and respect the later times of Christ, when many shall run to and fro, and the knowledge of him shall be increased, and the earth shall be covered with it, as the waters cover the sea; and which, as it will make these times comfortable and pleasant, so firm, durable, and lasting: or else they are the words of believers in those times, addressed to Zion the church, before spoken of, observing the great increase of spiritual wisdom and knowledge after the destruction of antichrist; by means of which there would be settled times of peace, joy, and comfort to the church: and strength of salvation; or "salvations" (x); or strong and lasting salvations; eternal salvation by Jesus Christ, and complete salvation from antichrist, and from every other enemy; which, together with spiritual wisdom, and experimental knowledge of Christ, and his Gospel, will be the stability of those happy times, which will make the spiritual reign of Christ. The whole may be rendered, according to the accents (y), and "he" (that is, the Lord, before spoken of) "shall be the stability of thy times; the strength of salvations shall be wisdom and knowledge": the fear of the Lord is his treasure; either Hezekiah's, as some, who esteemed the fear of the Lord above all his treasure; and was more zealous in settling and establishing the true worship of God than in amassing treasures to himself: or rather the Lord's treasure, from which he receives a tribute of honour, of more value than the greatest treasure: or, best of all, the church's treasure, and every true believer's; this being the beginning of wisdom, or true grace, the best of riches, and which secures the saints' final perseverance to glory, the better and more enduring substance.

4. HENRY, Hezekiah and his people are encouraged (Isa_33:6) with an assurance that God would stand by them in their distress. Here is, (1.) A gracious promise of God for them to stay themselves upon: Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation. Here is a desirable end proposed, and that is the stability of our times, that things be not disturbed and unhinged at home, and the strength of salvation, deliverance from, and success against, enemies abroad. The salvation that God ordains for his people has strength in it; it is a horn of salvation. And here are the way and means for obtaining this end - wisdom and knowledge, not only piety, but prudence. That is it which, by the blessing of God, will be the stability of our times and the strength of salvation, that wisdom which is first pure, then peaceable, and which sacrifices private interests to a public good; such prudence as this will establish truth and peace, and fortify the bulwarks in defence of them. (2.) A pious maxim of state for Hezekiah and his people to govern themselves by: The fear of the Lord is his treasure. It is God's treasure in the world, from which he receives his tribute; or, rather, it is the prince's treasure. A good prince accounts it so (that wisdom is better than gold) and he shall find it so. Note, True religion is the true treasure of any prince or people; it denominates them rich. Those places that have plenty of Bibles, and ministers, and serious good people, are really rich; and it contributes to that which makes a nation rich in this world. It is therefore the interest of a people to support religion among them and to take heed of every thing that threatens to hinder it.

5. JAMISON, wisdom sacred; that is, piety.

thy Hezekiahs; or rather, Judeas. His refers to the same; such changes from the pronoun possessive of the second person to that of the third are common in Hebrew poetry.

treasure Not so much material wealth as piety shall constitute the riches of the nation (Pro_10:22; Pro_15:16).

6. SBC, I. It is a pity, and a thing greatly to be regretted, that the tree of which Adam and Eve were ordered not to eat, and did eat, is so often called "the tree of knowledge." It is not its scriptural name. It was not knowledge at all, as we generally use the word "knowledge." It was moral or rather immoral knowledge,"the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." God would not have made "knowledge" a part of the prophecy of the future good and happiness of Jerusalem, if knowledge were not a great national as well as a great personal blessing.

II. But right knowledge may be put in wrong proportions, or knowledge may be separated from wisdom. If that divorce takes place between two things which God has joined together, no wonder if it brings a curse and not a blessing. Knowledge which has not the fear of the Lord is not knowledge at all. And here lies the error of the day, which says "knowledge," leaving out wisdom. "Knowledge is the stability of the times."

III. But what is wisdom? Either you must take it thus, which is the right application "to use knowledge;" or it is when a sound judgment sits at the helm of the feelings; or; better still, it is a great principle ruling the intellect,the Eternal in His proper place among the things of time; or, truer still, as we learn from the Proverbs, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, the fountain, the embodiment, the concentration, the essence of wisdom. The degree of a mans union with Christ is the real measure of his wisdom. Wisdom is the preparative; it is a state of mind preceding knowledge; therefore the order, wisdom first, knowledge next;"wisdom and knowledge."

J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 10th series, p. 197.

7. CALVIN, 6.And the stability of thy times shall be. He promises that the state of the kingdom under

the reign of Hezekiah will yet be happy and prosperous, especially when he contrasts it with the

wretched, destructive, and ruinous aspect which it exhibited under the reign of Ahaz; for, although the

enemy had been driven out, hardly any one would have expected that the Jews, who had been so heavily

oppressed, would be restored to their former order. As to the words, some translate them, and strength,

and salvation shall be in thy times; as if the Prophet described the prosperity which the nation should

enjoy under a pious king; and they think that each of those terms denotes so many of God benefits.

Others think that (emunath) denotes as if the Prophet said that it would be and strength. Others

draw from it a somewhat different sense, that salvation, and knowledge will be under the reign of

Hezekiah. But when I examine closely the words of the Prophet, I choose rather to make a different

distinction, that strength, and salvation will be established by wisdom, and knowledge, during the reign

of Hezekiah.

The fear of Jehovah is his treasure. When he says that fear of God is the treasure of a pious king, this

accords with the explanation which we have now given; for during peace all men wish to lead a safe and

easy life; but few care how they shall enjoy such distinguished benefits. Indeed the greater part of men

would desire to fatten like a herd of swine; and thus while all are eagerly directed by blind lust to seek

outward benefits, the light of heavenly doctrine, which is an invaluable blessing, is almost set at nought.

He therefore means that the prosperity of the Church will be (4) when and knowledge shall reign in it;

that its will be lasting, when the of God shall prevail; and that its salvation will be eternal, when men

shall be well instructed in the knowledge of God.

This is a very remarkable passage; and it teaches us that our ingratitude shuts the door against God

blessings, when we disregard the Author of them, and sink into gross and earfifty desires; and that all the

benefits which we can desire or imagine, even though we actually obtained them, would be of no avail for

our salvation, if they were not seasoned with the salt of faith and knowledge. Hence it follows that the

Church is not in a healthy condition unless when all its privileges have been preceded by the light of the

knowledge of God, and that it flourishes only when all the gifts which God has bestowed upon it are

ascribed to Him as their author. But when the knowledge of God has been taken away, and when just

views of God have been extinguished or buried, any kind of prosperity is worse than all calamities.

For these reasons I consider stability, strength, and salvations, to denote the same thing, that the

condition of the Church will be secure, when men shall have been cured of blindness and ignorance, and

shall begin to know God. And hence we see what kind of Church the Papists have, distinguished, indeed,

by pomp and splendor, but they want this and, therefore, it cannot be stable or secure, and is not a

Church of God. If, therefore, the Lord shall grant to us this blessing, that the brightness of faith shall

actually shine in the midst of us, other blessings will follow of their own accord, and if we are shaken and

tossed about by various tempests, we shall always be supported by the arm of God.

Of thy times. He addresses Hezekiah, not as a private individual, but as the head of the whole people;

and he includes the whole people in this description. But since the kingdom of Hezekiah was but a

slender shadow of the kingdom of Christ, as we formerly remarked, these words must be referred to

Christ, in whom is found true wisdom and knowledge. (Col_2:3.)

It is proper to observe the designations which are here employed in order to commend the word of God

and the gospel. They are likewise employed by Paul, when he speaks of in all wisdom and knowledge;

for by this commendation he extols the dignity of the gospel. (Col_1:9.) Hence also it ought to be inferred

that, where Christ is not known, men are destitute of true wisdom, even though they have received the

highest education in every branch of learning; for all their knowledge is useless till they truly God.

(Joh_17:3.)

The fear of Jehovah is his treasure. (5) I think that the expression, fear of Jehovah, was added by the

Prophet for the sake of explanation, in order to state more fully that the knowledge of which he spoke is

the teacher of piety, and is not cold or lifeless, but penetrates powerfully into our heart, to form us to fear

of God. Hence also, in other passages of Scripture, this is called or rather beginning of wisdom,

that is, the substance and chief part of it. (Pro_1:7, and 9:10.) It is a mistake to suppose that the word

denotes rudiments or elements, for Solomoil means by it the chief part and design; and the reason is,

that, as men are fools till they submit to the word of God, so the perfection of wisdom springs from the

docility or obedience of faith. fear of God is therefore called a without which all prosperity is

miserable; and this shews more fully the scope of the passage, that the full perfection of a happy life

consists in the knowledge of God, which we obtain by faith.

Thus, in the person of the king he shews that it is an invaluable blessing to worship God with due piety

and reverence. They who are destitute of fear of God are pronounced by him to be miserable and

ruined; and, on the other hand, they who the Lord are declared to be very happy, even though in other

respects they be reckoned in the judgment of men to be very miserable. He speaks of that which

contains within itself true obedience, and renews our hearts; for it is a different kind of fear which

influences even wicked men, and leads them to dread God as criminals dread a judge. That does not

deserve to be so highly applauded; for it springs neither from a true knowledge of God, nor from a

cheerful desire to worship him, and therefore differs widely from that wisdom which Isaiah describes.

These statements were made by him in reference to Hezekiah, but, as we have already said, they related

to the whole body of the people; and hence we infer that they apply both to men of ordinary rank and to

the king, but more especially to Christ, who was filled with Spirit of the fear of the Lord, as we formerly

saw, (6) (Isa_11:2,) that he might make us partakers of it.

(4) This word is rendered by Calvin and our own translators,

(5) Judah is spoken of in the third person, though mentioned in the second just before; an enallage

frequent in Hebrew poetry. Stock.

(6) See Commentary on Isaiah, vol. 1, p. 374.

7 Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;

the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

1.BARNES, Behold - This verse introduces a new subject by a very sudden transition. It is designed, with the two following, to exhibit the desolation of the land on the invasion of Sennacherib, and the consternation that would prevail. For this purpose, the prophet introduces Isa_33:7 the ambassadors who had been sent to sue for peace, as having sought it in vain, and as weeping now bitterly; he represents Isa_33:8 the desolation that abounded, and the fact that Sennacherib refused to come to any terms; and Isa_33:9 the extended desolations that had come upon the fairest portions of the land.

Their valiant ones - The valiant ones of the Jews who had been sent to Sennacherib to obtain conditions of pence, or to enter into a negotiation with him to spare the city and the

nation. The word which is rendered here valiant ones ( 'ere'elam) has given great perplexity to expositors. It occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. The Septuagint renders the verse, With the dread of you shall they be terrified; they, of whom you have been afraid, will, for fear of you, raise a grievous cry. Jerome renders it, Behold, they seeing, cry without, as if the

word was derived from ra'ah, to see. The Chaldee renders it, And when it shall be revealed to them, the messengers of the people who went to announce peace, shall cry bitterly. The Syriac, If he shall permit himself to be seen by them, they shall weep bitterly. Symmachus and

Theodotion render it, UVW[\ Idou ophthe1somai autois - Lo, I will appear to them.

So Aquila, S[\ Horathe1somai autois. Most or all the versions seem to have read it

as if it were compounded of 'ere'eh lm - I will appear to them. But probably the word is

formed from 'a_re'el, the same as 'a_r6y'el (Ariel), a hero (see the note at Isa_29:1), and means their hero in a collective sense, or their heroes; that is, their men who were distinguished as military leaders, and who were sent to propose terms of peace with Sennacherib. The most honorable and valiant men would be selected, of course, for this purpose (compare the note at Isa_30:4), but they had made the effort to obtain peace in vain, and were returning with consternation and alarm.

Shall cry without - They would lift up their voice with weeping as they returned, and publicly proclaim with bitter lamentation that their efforts to obtain peace had failed.

The ambassadors of peace - When Sennacherib invaded fife land, and had advanced as far as to Lachish, Hezekiah sent messengers to him with a rich present, having stripped the temple of its gold, and sent him all the silver which was in his treasury, for the purpose of propitiating his favor, and of inducing him to return to his own land 2Ki_18:14-16. But it was all in vain. Sennacherib sent his generals with a great host against Jerusalem, and was unmoved by all the treasures which Hezekiah had sent to him, and by his solicitations for peace 2Ki_18:17. It was to the failure of this embassy that Isaiah refers in the passage before us.

2. CLARKE, Behold - This verse introduces a new subject by a very sudden transition. It is designed, with the two following, to exhibit the desolation of the land on the invasion of Sennacherib, and the consternation that would prevail. For this purpose, the prophet introduces Isa_33:7 the ambassadors who had been sent to sue for peace, as having sought it in vain, and as weeping now bitterly; he represents Isa_33:8 the desolation that abounded, and the fact that Sennacherib refused to come to any terms; and Isa_33:9 the extended desolations that had come upon the fairest portions of the land.

Their valiant ones - The valiant ones of the Jews who had been sent to Sennacherib to obtain conditions of pence, or to enter into a negotiation with him to spare the city and the

nation. The word which is rendered here valiant ones ( 'ere'elam) has given great perplexity to expositors. It occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. The Septuagint renders the verse, With the dread of you shall they be terrified; they, of whom you have been afraid, will, for fear of you, raise a grievous cry. Jerome renders it, Behold, they seeing, cry without, as if the

word was derived from ra'ah, to see. The Chaldee renders it, And when it shall be revealed to them, the messengers of the people who went to announce peace, shall cry bitterly. The Syriac, If he shall permit himself to be seen by them, they shall weep bitterly. Symmachus and

Theodotion render it, UVW[\ Idou ophthe1somai autois - Lo, I will appear to them.

So Aquila, S[\ Horathe1somai autois. Most or all the versions seem to have read it

as if it were compounded of 'ere'eh lm - I will appear to them. But probably the word is

formed from 'a_re'el, the same as 'a_r6y'el (Ariel), a hero (see the note at Isa_29:1), and means their hero in a collective sense, or their heroes; that is, their men who were distinguished as military leaders, and who were sent to propose terms of peace with Sennacherib. The most honorable and valiant men would be selected, of course, for this purpose (compare the note at Isa_30:4), but they had made the effort to obtain peace in vain, and were returning with consternation and alarm.

Shall cry without - They would lift up their voice with weeping as they returned, and publicly proclaim with bitter lamentation that their efforts to obtain peace had failed.

The ambassadors of peace - When Sennacherib invaded fife land, and had advanced as far as to Lachish, Hezekiah sent messengers to him with a rich present, having stripped the temple of its gold, and sent him all the silver which was in his treasury, for the purpose of propitiating his favor, and of inducing him to return to his own land 2Ki_18:14-16. But it was all in vain. Sennacherib sent his generals with a great host against Jerusalem, and was unmoved by all the treasures which Hezekiah had sent to him, and by his solicitations for peace 2Ki_18:17. It was to the failure of this embassy that Isaiah refers in the passage before us.

3. GILL, Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without,.... Or, "in the street": this, and the two following verses Isa_33:8, describe the sad and desolate condition of the people of God, before the above happy times take place; "their valiant ones", such who have been valiant for the truth on earth; or "their angels", as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech interpret the word; these are the angels and pastors of the churches, the two witnesses that prophesy in sackcloth openly and publicly, and who will be slain, and their bodies lie unburied in the street of the great city, Rev_11:3, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly; most interpreters understand this of the ambassadors which Hezekiah sent to the king of Assyria to obtain peace, but could not succeed, on account of which they are said to weep bitterly; but the character of "ambassadors of peace" well agrees with the ministers of the Gospel, who are "ambassadors" in Christ's stead, and whose work it is to exhort men to "be reconciled to God", and to preach the Gospel of peace to sinful men; these now will "weep bitterly", when they are removed into corners, and are silenced, and not suffered to deliver their messages of peace, to the comfort of the Lord's people, and the glory of his name; which will be the case at the time of the slaying of the witnesses.

4. HENRY, The great distress that Jerusalem was brought into described, that those who believed the prophet might know beforehand what troubles were coming and might provide accordingly, and that when the foregoing promise of their deliverance should have its accomplishment the remembrance of the extremity of their case might help to magnify God in it and make them the more thankful, Isa_33:7-9. It is here foretold, 1. That the enemy would be very insolent and abusive and there would be no dealing with him, either by treaties of peace (for he has broken the covenant without any hesitation, as if it were below him to be a servant to his word), or by the preparations of war, for he has despised the cities; he scorns to take notice either of their appeals to justice or of their petitions for mercy. He makes himself master of them so easily (though they are called fenced cities), and meets with so little resistance, that he despises them, and has no relentings when he puts all to the sword; for he regards no man, has no pity or concern, no, not for those that he is under particular obligations to. He neither fears God nor regards man, but is haughty and imperious to every one. There are those that take a pride in trampling upon all mankind, and have neither veneration for the honourable nor compassion for the miserable. 2. That therefore he would not be brought to any terms of reconciliation: The valiant ones of Jerusalem, being unable to make their parts good with him, must be contentedly run down with noise and insolence, which will make them cry without, because they cannot serve their country as they might have done against a fair adversary. The ambassadors sent by Hezekiah to treat of peace, finding him so haughty and unmanageable, shall weep bitterly for vexation at the disappointment they had met with in their negotiations; they shall weep like children, as despairing to find out any expedient to pacify him. 3. That the country should be made quite desolate for a time by his army. (1.) No man durst travel the roads; so that a stop was put to trade and commerce, and (which was worse) no man could safely

go up to Jerusalem, to keep the solemn feasts: The highways lie waste. While the fields lie waste, trodden like the highways, the highways lie waste, untrodden like the fields, for the traveller ceases. (2.) No man had any profit from the grounds, Isa_33:9. The earth used to rejoice in its own productions for the service of God's Israel, but now the enemies of Israel eat them up, or tread them down: it mourns and languishes; the country looks melancholy and the country people have misery in their countenances, wanting necessary food for themselves and their families; the wonted joy of harvest is turned into lamentation, so withering and uncertain are all worldly joys. The desolation is universal. That part of the country which belonged to the ten tribes was already laid waste: Lebanon famed for cedars, Sharon for roses, Bashan for cattle, Carmel for corn, all very fruitful, have now become like wildernesses, are ashamed to be called by their old names, they are so unlike what they were. They shake off their fruits before their time into the hand of the spoiler, which used to be gathered seasonably by the hand of the owner.

VI. God appearing, at length, in his glory against his proud invader, Isa_33:10-12. When things are brought thus to the last extremity, 1. God will magnify himself. He had seemed to sit by as an unconcerned spectator: But now will I arise, saith the Lord; now will I appear and act, and therein I will be not only evidenced, but exalted. He will not only demonstrate that there is a God that judges in the earth, but that he is God over all, and higher than the highest. Now will I lift up myself, will prepare for action, will act vigorously, and will be glorified in it. God's time to appear for his people is when their affairs are reduced to the lowest ebb, when their strength is gone and there is none shut up nor left, Deu_32:36. When all other helpers fail, then is God's time to help. 2. He will bring down the Assyrian: You, O Assyrians! are big with hopes that you shall have all the wealth of Jerusalem for your own, and are in pain till it be so; but all your hopes shall come to nothing: You shall conceive chaff, and bring forth stubble, which is not only worthless and good for nothing, but combustible and proper fuel for the fire, which it cannot escape, when your own breath as fire shall devour you, that is, the breath of God's wrath, provoked against you by the breath of your sins - your malignant breath, the threatenings and slaughter you breathe out against the people of God, this shall devour you, and your blasphemous breath against God and his name. God would make their own tongues to fall upon them, and their own breath to blow the fire that should consume them; and then no wonder that the people are as the burnings of lime in a lime-kiln, all on fire together, and as thorns cut up, which are dried and withered, and therefore easily take fire and are soon burnt up. Such was the destruction of the Assyrian army; it was like the burning up of thorns, which can well be spared, or the burning of lime, which makes it good for something. The burning of that army enlightened the world with the knowledge of God's power and made his name shine brightly.

5. JAMISON, From the vision of future glory Isaiah returns to the disastrous present; the grief of the valiant ones (parallel to, and identical with, the ambassadors of peace), men of rank, sent with presents to sue for peace, but standing without the enemys camp, their suit being rejected (2Ki_18:14, 2Ki_18:18, 2Ki_18:37). The highways deserted through fear, the cities insulted, the lands devastated.

cry (Isa_15:4).

6. K&D, The prophet sees this as he prays, and now feasts himself on the consequences of this victory of Jehovah, prophesying in Isa_33:5, Isa_33:6 : Jehovah is exalted; for, dwelling on high, He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And there will be security of thy

times, riches of salvation, of wisdom, and knowledge. Fear of Jehovah is then the treasure of Judah. Exalted: for though highly exalted in Himself, He has performed an act of justice and righteousness, with the sight and remembrance of which Zion is filled as with an overflowing rich supply of instruction and praise. A new time has dawned for the people of Judah. The prophet addresses them in Isa_33:6; for there is nothing to warrant us in regarding the words as

addressed to Hezekiah. To the times succeeding this great achievement there would belong 'emu1

nah, i.e., (durability (Exo_17:12) - a uniform and therefore trustworthy state of things (compare

Isa_39:8, peace and truth). Secondly, there would also belong to them , a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge (compare the verb in Isa_23:18). We regard these three ideas

as all connected with cho1sen. The prophet makes a certain advance towards the unfolding of the seven gifts in Isa_11:2, which are implied in salvation; but he hurries at once to the lowest of them, which forms the groundwork of all the rest, when he says, thirdly, that the fear of Jehovah

will be the people's treasure. The construct form, chokhmath, instead of chokhmah, is a favourite one, which Isaiah employs, even apart from the genitive relation of the words, for the purpose of

securing a closer connection, as Isa_35:2; Isa_51:21 (compare parash in Eze_26:10), clearly show. In the case before us, it has the further advantage of consonance in the closing sound.

7. CALVIN, 7.Behold, their messengers (7) shall cry without. It is difficult to determine whether Isaiah

relates historically the fearful perplexity and imminent danger to which the Jews were reduced, in order to

exhibit more strikingly the favor of deliverance, or predicteda future calamity, that the hearts of the godly

might not soon afterwards faint under it. For my own part, I think it probable that this is not the history of,

a past transaction, but that, as a heavy and sore temptation was at hand, it was intended to fortify the

hearts of believers to wait patiently for the assistance of God when their affairs were at the worst.

However that may be, the sad and lamentable desolation of the Church is here described, that believers

may not cease to entertain good hope even in the midst of their perplexity, and that, when they have been

rescued from danger; they may know that it was accomplished by the wonderful power of God.

The ambassadors of peace wept bitterly. It is given as a token of despair, that the ambassadors who had

been sent to appease the tyrant were unsuccessful; for every way and method of obtaining peace was

attempted by Hezekiah, but without any success. Accordingly, ambassadors returned sad and

disconsolate, and even on the road could not dissemble their grief, which it was difficult to conceal in their

hearts, when matters were in so wretched a condition. He undoubtedly means that Sennacherib has

haughtily and disdainfully refused to make peace, so that ambassadors, as; if they had forgotten their

rank, are constrained to pour out in public their grief and lamentations, and, ere they have returned to

their king and given account of their embassy, openly to proclaim what kind of answer they have obtained

from the cruel tyrant, (8) Others think, that by ambassadors of peace are meant those who were wont to

announce peace; but that interpretation appears to me to be feeble and farfetched. By ambassadors of

peace, therefore, I understand to be meant those who had been sent to pacify the king, that they might

purchase peace on some condition.

(7) valiant ones, or messengers. (Eng. Ver.) Targum and some other ancient versions seem to

treat , (erellam,) as a contraction of , (ereh lam, or eraeh lam.) Thus Aquila has

Symmachus, ; the Vulgate, videntes But there is no example of the form (lam)

for (lahaem). Alexander.

(8) with the rest, who returned to Hezekiah, with their clothes rent, in despair at the rejection of all

conditions of peace. Isa_36:2. Stock.

8 The highways are deserted,

no travelers are on the roads.

The treaty is broken,

its witnesses[b] are despised,

no one is respected.

1.BARNES, The highways lie waste - This verse contains a description of the desolations that had been caused by the invasion of Sennacherib. Some have understood it as containing the account which the ambassadors sent by Hezekiah gave of the effects of the invasion. Thus Grotius interprets it. But it is probably a description made by the prophet himself, and is designed to state one cause why the messengers that had been sent out wept bitterly. They had not only failed of inducing Sennacherib to abandon his purpose of attacking Jerusalem, but they had witnessed the effects o