3 All ye inhabitants of the world, | when he lifteth up an ensigne on the and dwellers on the earth, see ye, mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. c ch. 5. 26. New Translation. 3. All ye inhabitants of the world, And ye dwellers upon the earth, When they lift up a standard on the mountains, behold ye! ly encompass a large region of country called MEROE, once supposed to be a large island, and frequently called such. The whole description, therefore, leads us to the conclusion that a region is mentioned in that country called in general Cush; that it was a people living on rivers, and employing reed boats or skiffs; that they were a fierce and warlike people; and that the country was one that was continually washed by streams, and whose soil was carried down by the floods. All these circumstances apply to Nubia or Abyssinia, and there can be little doubt that this is the country intended. 3. All ye inhabitants of the world. The events which are here predicted shall not be known to the people only who are principally intended, but shall be of so public a nature as to attract the attention of all the world. The prophet calls on all the world to attend; and to be a witness of the great events which were to take place in regard to that people. These are to be regarded as the words of the prophet summoning all nations to attend to that which was about to occur. Grotius, however, and some others, suppose that they are the words of the Ethiopians. When he. Vitringa supposes that this means the Assyrians lifting up a standard on the mountains of Judea. But the better interpretation is that which refers it to the people of Nubia, mustering their forces for war. 'All nations behold when that people lifts up a standard collects an army; sounds the trumpet for war; and arrays its military forces for battle. See then the judgments that God will inflict on them-their discomfiture (ver. 4—7), and their turning to JEHOVAH, and sending an offering to him (ver. 7).' According to this interpretation it will refer to the people making preparation for battle; and perhaps it may mean that they were preparing to join the enemies of Judea-not improbably I think preparing to join the forces of Sennacherib, and to invade Judea. For this purpose it may have been that the messengers were sent, to negociate the terms of alliance with 4 VOL. II.* 4 For so the LORD said unto me, I in my dwelling-place like a clear heat will take my rest, and I will consider 6 upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest: 5 or, regard my set dwelling. 6 or, after rain. New Translation. 4. For thus saith JEHOVAH unto me; I will be calm, and will look on from my habitation, Sennacherib; and the object of the prophecy is, to assure the Jews that this people, as well as Sennacherib, would be discomfited, and that this people would yet bring an offering to God. Ver. 7. ¶ Lifteth up an ensign. A military standard. See Note ch. v. 26. when he bloweth a trumpet. Also a signal for an army to assemble. Note ch. xiii. 2. And 4. For so the LORD said unto me. SO JEHOVAH has revealed his purpose, that is, to send judgment and execute punishment on the people who have been described in the previous verses. Their state as there described is that of a fierce people making ready for war, and probably designing an alliance with the enemies of Judea, and marshalling their armies for that purpose. JEHOVAH here reveals to the prophet that they shall be discomfited, and shows the manner in which it will be done. He says he will wait until the proper time; he will sit calm while these preparations are going on-as the sun shines serenely on the earth while the harvest is growing, and the dew falls gently on the herb-but that before their plans are completed he will interpose and destroy them, as if one should appear suddenly before the harvest is ripe and cut it down. The design, therefore, of this part of the prophecy is to comfort the Jews, and to assure them that there is no danger to them from the preparations which were made against them, and from the alliance which they were about to form-for JEHOVAH calmly beholds the proud rage of the enemy. ¶ 1 will take my rest. I will sit still-I will not interpose. I will remain calm--not appearing to oppose them, but keeping so calm, and so still, as if I seemed to favor their plansas the sun shines on the herb, and the gentle dew falls on the grass. I will sit still until the proper time for me to interpose and defeat them shall arise. Ver. 5, 6. I will consider. I will look on; I will sit by and contemplate what is doing; that is, I will not now interpose and disarrange their plans before they are complete. We learn here (1) that God sees the plans of the wicked; (2) that he sits by and sees them mature them without attempting then to interpose to disarrange them; (3) that he is calm and still because he designs that those plans shall be developed; and (4) that the wicked should not indulge in any dreams of security and success because God does not interpose to thwart their plans while they are forming them. He will do it in the proper time. In my dwelling-place. In heaven. I will sit in heaven and contemplate leisurely the plans that are going forward. Like a clear heat. A serene, calm, bright shining of the sun-the calm and steady sunshine by which plants and herbs are made to grow. There seem to be two ideas blended here; the first, that of the stillness with which the sun shines upon the herbs; and the other, that of the fact that the sun shines that the herbs may grow. So God sits calmly; he does not disturb their plans; and this fact seems to favor their plans. Upon herbs. Margin, After rain. Tile ōr. The word is or usually signifies light, or fire. The plural form ninis sōrōth is used to denote herbs or vegetables in two places, in 2 Kings iv. 39, and Isa. xxvi. 19. For in the Shemitic languages the ideas of sprouting, being grown, growing, &c., are connected with that of the shining of the sun, or of light; that which grows in the light; that is, vegetables. But in the singular form the word is not thus used, unless it be in this place. That it may have this signification cannot be doubted; and this interpretation makes good sense, and suits the connection. The Rabbins generally interpret this word as it is in the margin, by rain. In proof of this they appeal to Job xxxvi. 30, and xxxvii. 11-but the word in these passages more properly denotes a bright cloud, a cloud of light or of lightning, than of rain. The common interpretation is probably correct, which regards the word i Nor here as the same as i xorâ herbs. See Vitringa. The parallelism seems here to require the sense of herb, or something that shall answer to "harvest" in the corresponding member. And like a cloud of dew. A gentle, yet dense fog-like a cloud. Such a dew was still-and promoted the growth of vegetables. The idea is that of stillness and rest; when there is no storm; no tempest; nothing to dissipate the gently falling dew. This is an emblem of the perfect quietness with which God would regard the preparations for war until the proper time would come for him to interpose. The whole passage is similar to Ps. ii. 4, 5. 5 For afore the harvest, when the cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, bud is perfect, and the sour grape is and take away and cut down the ripening in the flower, he shall both branches. New Translation. 5. But before the harvest, when the bud is perfect, And when the flower is becoming a ripening grape, He shall cut off the shoots with pruning-hooks, And the branches he shall take off, and shall cut them away. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; JEHOVAH shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, The idea is, that he would sit calmly by; he would not interpose to disturb their plans; he would be as calm as the sun is upon the herb, or the dew upon the harvest, field, until the time should come when it would be proper for him to interpose, and disconcert their counsels. When and how this would be done is stated in the following verses; and the whole passage is a most striking illustration of the calmness with which God contemplates the machinations and evil designs of the wicked. 5. For afore the harvest. This verse is evidently figurative, and the image is drawn from that which is commenced in the previous verse. There, God is represented as calmly regarding the plans of the people here referred to as the sun shines serenely on the herb, or the dew falls on the grass. That figure supposes that they had formed plans-that they were just commenced-and that they were advancing to maturity, like a growing harvest, while God surveyed them without interposition-as the sun looks down on the tender herb. This verse continues the figure, and affirms that those plans shall not be mature, that God will interpose and defeat them before they are ripe, and while they are maturing—as if a man should enter the harvest field and cut it down after it had been sown, or into the vine. yard and cut down the vines while the green grape was beginning to ripen. It is, therefore, a most beautiful and expressive figure, intimating that all their plans should be foiled even when they had the prospect of a certain accomplishment. When the bud is perfect. The word bud here p pêrahh denotes a blossom, or a sprout, shoot, 6 They shall be left together unto j shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls New Translation. 6. They shall be left together to the bird of the mountains, And to the beast of the field: And the bird shall spend the summer thereon, And every beast of the field there winter. branch. Here it denotes probably the blossom of the grain; or it may be the grain when it is set, and when it promises an abundant harvest. Its meaning is, when their plans are maturing, and there is every human prospect that they will be successful. And the sour grape. The unripe grape. Is ripening. Begins to turn; or is becoming mature. ¶ In the flower. nitzza. The blossom. This should be read rather "and the flower is becoming a ripening grape." Our translation does not make sense; but with this translation the idea is clear. The sense is the same as in the former phrase--when their plans are maturing. ¶ He shall cut off the sprigs, &c. The shoots; the small limbs; those on which the grape is hanging. As if a man should enter a vineyard, and, while the grape is ripening, should not only cut off the grape, but the small branches that bore it-thus preventing it from bearing again. And the idea is, not only that God would disconcert their present plans, but that he would prevent them from forming any in future. Before their plans were matured, and they obtained the anticipated triumph, he would defeat them, and effectually prevent them from forming such plans again. 6. They shall be left together, &c. The figure here is dropped ; and the literal narration is resumed. The sense is, that the army shall be slain and left unburied. Perhaps the branches and twigs in the previous verse denoted military leaders, and the captains of the armies, now dead, and which become food for beasts of the field and for birds of prey. To the fowls of the mountains. Their dead bodies shall be unburied, and shall be a prey to the birds—the vultures, &c., that prey upon flesh. And to the beasts of the earth. The wild animals; the beasts of the forest. And the fowls shall summer Shall pass the summer-i. e. they shall continue to be And the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. They shall be unburied through the winter; probably indicating upon them. unburied. |