15 There shall the great owl make | er under her shadow; there shall the her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gath- vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate; New Translation. 15. There shall the arrow-snake make her nest, and lay her eggs; She shall hatch there, and nourish [her young] under her shadow: Each one with her mate. eternal ruin around him." Incidents of Travel in Egypt, &c., vol. ii. p. 76. There is in the original here conveyed in a translation. 14. The wild beasts of the desert. a paronamasia, or pun, which cannot be The word rendered "wild beasts of the desert" () is rendered by the LXX daóvia, demons. On the meaning of the word, see Note ch. xiii. 21. The wild beasts of the island. Marg. Ijim, Heb. ". See Note ch. xiii. 22. Probably the term denotes the jackal. Gesenius supposes it is so called from its howl, or nocturnal cry-from an Arabic word signifying to howl. ¶ And the satyr. See Note ch. xiii. 21. Shall cry to his fellow. A most shocking description of the desolation, when all that is heard among the ruins shall be the doleful cry of the wild beasts. The screech-owl, &c. Marg. night-monster. The word (from 33 night) properly denotes a night-spectre, a ghost-a creature of Jewish superstition. The Rabbins describe it in the form of a female elegantly dressed that lay in wait for children by night-either to carry them off, or to murder them. The Greeks had a similar idea respecting the female 'Euróvoa, and this idea corresponds to the Roman fables respecting the Lamia, and Striges, and to the Arabic notions of the Ghûles, whom they described as female monsters that dwell in deserts, and tear men to pieces. See Gesenius Comm. in loco; and Bochart Hieroz. t. ii. p. 831. The margin in our version expresses the correct idea. All this is descriptive of utter and perpetual desolation-of a land that should be full of old ruins, and inhabited by the animals that usually make such ruins their abode. 15. There shall the great owl (rip). Gesenius supposes that this is the arrow-snake, so called from its darting, or springing, in the manner of the rattle-snake-from an obsolete root to draw one's self together, to contract. Bochart in Hieroz. t. ii. lib. iii. c. xi. pp. 408 16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read; no one of these fls. 8. 20. Jno. 5. 39. 2 Pe. 1. 19. g Mat. 5. 18. Lu. 21. 33. shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. New Translation. 16. Search ye from the book of JEHOVAH, and read: Not one of these shall fail; No one shall lack her mate: For His mouth it hath commanded, And His Spirit it shall assemble them. 419, has examined the meaning of the word at length, and comes to the conclusion that it means the serpent which the Greeks called acontias, and the Latins jaculus :-the arrow-snake. The serpent is oviparous, and nourishes its young. The ancient versions, however, understand it in the same sense as the kippod in ver. 11-the hedgehog, or porcupine. Under her shadow. Shall nourish, or cherish her young. This might be done by the serpent that should coil up and cherish her young. ¶ The vultures, &c. The black vulture, according to Bochart; according to Gesenius, the kite, or falcon; so called from its swift flight. Either of them will suit the connexion. ¶ Also be gathered. Be gathered together; shall be found in great numbers. Every one with her mate. They shall make their nests there; that is, this shall be their home-their secure, undisturbed retreat. 16. Seek ye out. Look carefully at the prediction, and its fulfilment. This seems to be addressed to the inhabitants of that land, or to any who might doubt, or be disposed to examine. They were invited to compare the prediction with the fulfilment, and to see how literally all would be fulfilled-an examination which may be made now, and the prediction will be seen to have been accomplished with most surprising particularity and accuracy. The book of the LORD. The book of JEHOVAH, which he has caused to be written, referring perhaps especially to what Isaiah has here recorded; including also what had been uttered by the other prophets in regard to Edom. The main reference is, however, doubtless, to what Isaiah has written; and the invitation is to compare his predictions with the certain and remarkable evidence of the fulfilment. "The prophet evidently contemplated the insertion of his prophecy among the sacred books of the Jews, from which those that followed him might judge of the correctness of the 17 And he hath them, and his hand cast the lot for hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein. New Translation. 17. And He hath cast the lot for them, And His hand shall divide it unto them by line : For ever shall they possess it, From generation to generation shall they dwell therein. prophecy." Noyes. That a collection of the various prophetic books was made, constituting one book or volume, and regarded as the work of inspiration, is well known, and is referred to during the captivity in Babylon by Daniel, Dan. ix. 2. The direction to search that book accords with the command of the Saviour, John v. 39, and the direction of Nicodemus, John vii. 32, to search the Scriptures. No one of these shall fail. Not one of these predictions, or these things which have been spoken. ¶ None shall want her mate. That is, none of the things which I have spoken shall want a fulfilment as its com. panion; none shall fail. The language is here evidently taken from the pairing of animals; and is language which denotes that all that is spoken shall be complete, or shall be entirely fulfilled. Some have understood this as referring to the wild animals of which he had spoken, and as meaning that in desolate Idumea they should be appropriately paired, and should breed and increase in abundance. But perhaps the more natural interpretation is to refer it to the predictions of the prophet, as meaning that no one thing which he had uttered should want a complete fulfilment. ¶ For my mouth. the Hebrew. The Hebrew phrase is or that hath commanded.' The word hovah, and the phrase means the same as his mouth, that is, the mouth of God. The LXX render it," for the Lord hath commanded them." Lowth renders it, "for the mouth of JEHOVAH," &c., changing into in accordance with five MSS. and the translation of the LXX. And his Spirit. The Spirit of God; that is, JEHOVAH himself. Hath gathered them. Will collect, or assemble; i. e. the wild beasts spoken of in the previous verses that shall occupy desolate Idumea. It shall be the agency of God that shall bring them up upon the land to occupy it for ever. The word "my" is not in "For the mouth, he, n stands for He, that is Je. 17. And he hath cast the lot for them. He hath assigned to them the land of Edom to be occupied by them as their portion. This language is taken from the fact that countries were commonly divided, particularly among conquerors, by the lot. In this way Judea was divided among the tribes of Israel. Num. xxvi. 55, 56. ¶ His hand hath divided it unto them by line. He has marked out, as a surveyor does, the land of Edom as the dwelling-place of the beasts of the forest. A land was usually surveyed and divided into proper parts or portions before the lot was cast. Josh. xviii. 4, 5, 6. ¶ They shall possess it, &c. The wild beasts mentioned in the previous verses. It shall be given up to perpetual desolation. The testimony of all tra vellers demonstrate that thus far this prediction has been strikingly fulfilled. CHAPTER XXXV. ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. THIS chapter is a continuation of the prophecy commenced in the previous chapter. See the Analysis of ch. xxxiv. for a general view of the design of the prophecy. The object of the whole prophecy is, to show that all the enemies of the people of God, and particularly Edom, which had so peculiarly and grievously offended them, should be destroyed; and that the destruction of their foes should be followed by times of security, prosperity, and joy. That this chapter refers to the times of the Messiah is apparent from the slightest inspection of it. It so clearly describes the times of the gospel; so distinctly speaks of the very works which the Redeemer in fact performed; and is so full, and rich, and beautifu), that it cannot be regarded as referring to any other period. It has in many respects a strong resemblance to the predictions in ch. xi. and xii., and is incontestably among the most beautiful of the prophecies of Isaiah. The chapter may be divided into the following portions: I. The consolations which would follow the destruction of all their enemies, and the flourishing state which would succeed; as great a change as if the wilderness were to blossom like the rose, and the glory and beauty of Lebanon and Carmel should be given to the desert. vs. 1, 2. II. The exhortation addressed to those in office and authority to comfort the feeble, and strengthen the weak with the assurance that those blissful times would come. vs. 3, 4. III. The description of the actual condition of the future period of happiness which is foretold. (a.) The eyes of the blind would be opened, and the deaf made to hear, and the lame man be cured. There would be a display of miraculous power in restoring the blind, the deaf and the lame, &c.; and in connexion with this there would be joy and happiness, abundance, represented by streams bursting forth in the desert. vs. 5, 6, 7. (b.) There would be purity. It would be a time of holiness. The (c.) It would be a time of safety. There would be no enemy that 1 The wilderness, and the solitary | desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the place, shall be glad for them; and the rose. d ch. 55. 12, 13. New Translation. 1. The wilderness and the parched land shall be glad on account of these things; And the desert shall blossom as the rose. 66 This is evidently figu 1. The wilderness and the solitary place. rative language, such as is often employed by the prophets. The word rendered ❝ solitary place" () denotes properly a dry place; a place without springs and streams of water; and as such places produce no verdure, and nothing to sustain life, the word comes to mean a desert. Such expressions are often used in the Scriptures to express moral or spiritual desolation; and in this sense evidently the phrase is used here. It does not refer to the wastes or desolations of Judea, but to all places that might be properly called a moral wilderness, or a spiritual desert; and thus aptly expresses the condition of the heathen world that was to be benefited by the blessings foretold in this chapter. The parallel expressions in ch. xli. 17-19, xliv. 3, 4, show that this is the sense in which the phrase is here used; and that the meaning is, that every situation which might be appropriately called a moral wilderness—that is, the whole heathen world-would ultimately be made glad. The sense is, that as great and happy changes would take place in regard to those desolations as if the wilderness should become a vast field producing the lily and the rose; or as if (ver. 2) there should be imparted to such places the glory of Lebanon, and the beauty and fertility of Sharon and Carmel. ¶ Shall be glad for them. This is evidently a personification, a beautiful poetic figure by which the wilderness is represented as expressing joy. The sense is, the |