selves as a people they say "our dead shall rise ;" those that appertain to our nation shall rise from the dust, and be restored to their own privileges, and land. ¶ Awake and sing. In view of the cheering and consolatory fact just stated that the dead shall rise, the chorus calls on the people to awake, and rejoice. This is an address made directly to the dejected and oppressed people as if the choir were with them. Ye that dwell in dust. To sit in dust, or to dwell in the dust is emblematic of a state of dejection, want, oppression, or poverty. Isa. xlvii. 1, Ps. xliv. 25, cxix. 25, Isa. xxv. 12, xxvi. 5. Here it is - supposed to be addressed to the captives in Babylon, as oppressed, enslaved, dejected. The language is derived from the doctrine of the resurrection of the body-and proves that that doctrine was understood and believed ;-the sense is, that those who were thus dejected and humbled should be restored to their former elevated privileges. For thy dew. This is evidently an address to JEHOVAH. His dew is that which he sends down from heaven, and which is under his direction and control. Dew is the emblem of that which refreshes, and vivifies. In countries where it rains but seldom, as it does in the East, the copious dews at night supply in some sense the want of rain. Thence dew is used in Scripture as an emblem of the graces and influences of the spirit of God by which his people are visited, and by which they are cheered and comforted, as the parched earth and the withered herbs are refreshed by the gentle falling, and copious dews at night. Thus in Hos. xiv. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel; He shall grow as the lily, And cast forth his roots as Lebanon. The prophet here speaks of the captivity in Babylon. Their state is represented as a state of death-illustrated by the parched earth, and the decayed and withered herbs. But his grace and favor would visit them, and they would be revived. As the dew of herbs. As the dew that falls on herbs. This phrase has, however, been rendered very variously. The Vulgate renders it, "thy dew is as the dew of light." The LXX, "thy dew shall be healing apa unto them." The Chaldee, "thy dew shall be the dew of light." But the most correct and consistent translation is undoubtedly that which renders the word i herbs or vegetables. Comp. 2 Kings ix. 19. T And the earth shall cast out the dead. This is language which is derived VOL. II.* 23 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. g Jade 14, 15. 21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.. 4 bloods. New Translation. 20. "Come, O my people, enter thou into thy chambers, "Until the indignation be overpast. 21. "For lo! JEHOVAH Cometh forth from his place, "To punish the inhabitant of the earth for his iniquity; "And shall no more cover her slain." from the doctrine of the resurrection of the body; and shows also that that doctrine was understood by the Hebrews in the time of Isaiah. The sense is, that as the earth shall cast forth its dead in the resurrection, so the people of God in Babylon should be restored to life, and to their former privileges in their own land. 20. Come, my people. This is an Epilogue (Rosenmüller), in which the choir addresses the people and entreats them to be quiet and tranquil during that convulsion and agitation of things by which their oppressors should be punished, and the way made for their deliverance. The image is taken from seeking a shelter when a storm rages, until its fury is spent. The address is to the captive Jews in Babylon. The tempest that would rage would be the wars and commotions by which Babylon was to be overthrown. While that storm raged, they were exhorted to be calm, serene, and tranquil. Enter thou into thy chambers. Into places of retirement, where the storm of indignation on your enemies shall not reach or affect you. ¶ Hide thyself as it were, &c. Do not expose yourselves to the storms of war. Be calm, and quiet; and do not mingle in the scenes of battle, lest you should partake of the general calamity. For a little moment. Implying that the war would not rage long. Babylon was taken in a single night (see Notes on ch. xiii. xiv), and the call here is for the people of God to be calm, and quiet while this battle should rage in which the city should be taken. Until the indignation, &c. Not as Lowth supposes the indignation of God against his people, but the storm of his indignation against their enemies the Babylonians. That would be soon "overpast," the city would be taken, the storms of war would cease to rage, and then they would be delivered, and might safely return to their own land. 21. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place. That is, from heaven; which is the dwelling-place, or residence of God. Micah i. 3, Ps. cxv. 3, Eze. iii. 12. When God executes vengeance, he is represented as coming from his abode, his dwelling place, his capitolas a monarch goes forth to war to destroy his foes. ¶To punish the inhabitants of the earth. The land of Chaldea, or of Babylon. The earth also shall disclose her blood. Blood, in the Scriptures, often denotes guilt. The sense here is, that the land of Chaldea should reveal its guilt; that is, the punishment which God would inflict would be a revelation to all of the crimes of the nation. There is a resemblance here to the language which was used respecting the blood of Abel, Gen iv. 10: "The voice of thy brother's blood (Heb. as here, bloods), crieth unto me from the ground." ¶ And shall no man cover her slain. Shall no more be able to conceal its guilt in slaying the people of God. By these hopes, the Jews were to be comforted in their calamity; and no doubt this song was penned by Isaiah long before that captivity in order that in the midst of their protracted and severe trials, they might be consoled with the hope of deliverance, and might know what to do when the storms of war should rage around Babylon the place of their captivity, and when the proud city was to fall. They were not to mingle in the strife; were to take no part with either their foes or their deliverers; but were to be calm, gentle, peaceful, and to remember that all this was to effect their deliverance. Comp. Ex. xiv. 13, 14, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvatiou of JEHOVAH; JEHOVAH shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." There are times when the children of God should be calm, and quiet, and look calmly on the conflicts of the men of this world. They should mingle with neither party; for they should remember that JEHOVAH presides over these agitations, and that their ultimate end is to bring deliverance to his church, and to advance the interests of his kingdom on the earth. Then they should be calm, gentle, prayerful, and should look up to God to make all these agitations and strifes the means of advancing the interests of his kingdom. CHAPTER XXVII. ANALYSIS. FOR the general purport and design of this chapter, see the analysis of ch. xxiv. A great many different expositions have been given of the design of this chapter. Indeed almost every commentator has had his own peculiar theory, and has differed from almost every other. Some of the different views which have been taken may be seen in the Notes on ver. 1, and may be examined at length in Vitringa. I regard the most simple and obvious interpretation as the correct one; and that is, that it is a continuation of the vision commenced in ch. xxiv., and referring to the same great event-the captivity at Babylon, and the deliverance from that captivity. This subject has been pursued through the xxivth, the xxvth, and the xxvith chapters. In the xxvth and the xxvith chapters the main design was to shew the joy which would be evinced on their rescue from that land-a joy that would be celebrated by songs of praise. The main purpose of this is, to show the effect of that captivity and deliverance in purifying the Jews themselves, and in overcoming their propensity to idolatry, on account of which that captivity had been suffered to take place. The design of the chapter is like that of many others in Isaiah to comfort the people when they should be oppressed during their long and painful exile. The general plan of the chapter is, (1.) a statement that their great enemy-the Leviathan (See Note on ver. 1.) should be destroyed (ver. 1,); and (2.) a song, in alternate responses, respecting the people of God under the image of a vineyard yielding rich wines, (vs. 2-13,). In this song JEHOVAH's protection over the vineyard is shown (ver.3,); he declares that he is not actuated by fury (ver. 4,); his people are exhorted to trust in him (ver. 5,); a full promise that the Jews shall yet flourish is given (ver. 6.); JEHOVAH says that his judgments are mild on them (ver. 7, 8,), and that the design is to purify his people (ver. 9,); for their sins they should be punished (ver. 10, 11,); yet they should be completely recovered, and should be restored to their own land, and worship him in the holy mount at Jerusalem. v. 12, 13. 1 In that day the LORD, with his sore, and great, and strong sword, shall punish leviathan * the 5 piercing k Pa. 74. 14. serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. New Translation. 5 or, crossing like a bar. 1. In that day shall JEHOVAH punish with his sword, His well-tempered, and great, and strong sword; Leviathan, that fleet serpent, Even Leviathan the winding serpent; Yea, he will slay the monster that is in the sea. 1. In that day. In that future time when the Jews would be captive in Babylon; and when they would sigh for deliverance. See Note ch. xxvi. 1. This verse might have been connected with the previous chapter as it refers to the same event, and then this chapter would have commenced with the poem or song which begins in ver. 2. ¶ With his sore. . Hard. Septuagint, diav—holy. The Hebrew means a sword whose edge is hard; a sword that is well-tempered, and trusty. And great, and strong sword. The sword is an emblem of war; and is often used among the Hebrews to denote war. See Lev. xxvi. 25, Gen. xxvii. 40. It is also an emblem of justice or punishment, as punishment was often inflicted by the sword. Deut. iii. 41, 42, Ps. vii. 12, Heb. xi. 37. Here, if it refers, as I suppose it does, to the overthrow of Babylon and its tyranical king, it means that God would punish them by the armies of the Medes employed as his sword, or instrument. Thus in Ps. xvii. 13, David prays, "Deliver my soul from the wicked which is thy sword." Comp. Notes Isa. x. 5, 6. ¶ Leviathan, 77. The LXX render this, rov ogáxovra. The Dragon. The word Leviathan is probably derived from in Arabic to weave, to twist (Gesenius); and liter. ally means the twisted animal. The word occurs in six places in the Old Testament, and is translated (Job iii. 8,) " their mourning," Marg. Leviathan; Job xli. 1, leviathan—in which chapter is an extended description of the animal ; Ps. lxxiv. 14, where it is rendered leviathan, and seems to be applied to Pharaoh; Ps. civ. 26, and in the passage before us where it is rendered also leviathan. Bochart (Hieroz. Part ii. B. v. ch. 16-18), has gone into an extended argument to shew that by the leviathan the crocodile is intended; and his argument is in my view conclusive. On this subject, Bochart; Dr. Good on Job xli, and Robinson's Calmet, may be consulted. The crocodile is a natural inhabitant of the Nile and of other Asiatic and African rivers; is of enormous voracity and strength as well as of fleetness in swimming; attacks mankind and all animals with prodigious impetuosity; and is furnished with a coat of mail so scaly and callous that it will resist the force of a musket ball in every part except under the belly. It is, therefore, an appropriate image by which to describe a fierce, and cruel tyrant. The sacred writers were accustomed to describe kings, and tyrants by an allusion to strong and fierce animals. Thus in Ezek. xxix. 3-5, the dragon, or the crocodile of the Nile is put for Pharaoh; in Ezek. xxii. 2, Pharaoh is compared to a young lion, and to a whale in the seas. In Ps. lxxiv. 13, 14, Pharaoh is compared to the Dragon, and to the Leviathan. In Dan. vii. the four monarchs that should arise are likened to four great beasts. In Rev. xii. Rome, |