Isaiah · Chapter 25

V. 1. O Lord-The prophet reflecting upon those great and glorious prophecies which he had delivered, interrupts the course of his prophecies, and breaks forth into a solemn celebration of God’s wonderful works. Thy counsels-From which all thy works proceed, and which thou hast from time to time revealed to thy prophets and people, which were of old, being conceived from all eternity, are true and firm, and shall certainly be accomplished.

Verse 1. Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.] That is, All thy past declarations by the prophets shall be fulfilled in their proper time.

Verse 1. O Lord — O Jehovah, thou art my God — In covenant with me: my friend, my father, my portion. The prophet speaks in the name of the whole church, and of every true member of it. I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name — Expressions these flowing from a deep and grateful sense of the divine goodness. Those that have Jehovah for their God are in duty bound to praise him. For thou hast done wonderful things — In different ages and nations from the beginning hitherto, especially for thy own people, and against their enemies. Thy counsels of old — Hebrew, qjrm, properly, from afar, signifying not only counsels long before taken, but which had been long before declared and published by the prophets; are faithfulness and truth — That is, thy counsels, from which all thy works proceed, and which thou hast from time to time revealed to thy prophets and people, which were of old, being conceived from all eternity, are true and firm, and shall certainly be accomplished.

1, 2. He sings in words familiar to him from Psalms 118:28

Psalm 118:28; 77:15;

72:12, etc.; also, from Exodus 15. 11. For — Sufficient occasion is it that Babylon (as the vision gives it) is destroyed. Palace of strangers — Either a place of traffickers from all regions, or of its own people alienated from Israel’s God, or both.

V. 2. A city-Which is put for cities: or of enemies of God and his people. And under the name cities he comprehends their countries and kingdoms. Strangers-The royal cities, in which were the palaces of strangers, of Gentiles. No city-Their cities and palaces have been or shall be utterly and irrecoverably destroyed.

Verse 2. A city— “The city”] Nineveh, Babylon, Ar, Moab, or any other strong fortress possessed by the enemies of the people of God. For the first מעיר meir, of a city, the Syriac and Vulgate read העיר hair, the city; the Septuagint and Chaldee read µyr[ arim, cities, in the plural, transposing the letters. After the second מעיר meir, a MS. adds lgl lagol, for a heap.

A palace of strangers— “The palace of the proud ones”] For זרים zarim, strangers, MS. Bodl. and another read זדים zedim, the proud: so likewise the Septuagint; for they render it asebwn here, and in Isaiah 25:5, as they do in some other places: see Deuteronomy 18:20, 22. Another MS. reads µyrx tsarim, adversaries; which also makes a good sense. But זרים zarim, strangers, and זדים zedim, the proud, are often confounded by the great similitude of the letters d daleth and r resh. See Malachi 3:15; 4:1; Psalm 19:14, in the Septuagint; and Psalm 54:5, where the Chaldee reads זדים zedim, compared with Psalm 86:16.

Verse 2. Thou hast made of a city a heap — Nineveh, Babylon, Ar of Moab, or any other strong city, or fortress, possessed by the enemies of the people of God. Vitringa has made it appear probable that Babylon is chiefly meant, “which was emphatically called the city; which was remarkably fortified, and which was inhabited by strangers, as the Assyrians and Babylonians are commonly called in prophetical language, and in the destruction of which the ancient believers rejoiced most especially, having therein a pledge and earnest of future deliverance, and particularly a type of the deliverance of the Christian Church from persecution, by the fall of spiritual Babylon.” See Revelation 18:20; and 19:1. A palace of strangers — A royal city, in which were the palaces of strangers, that is, of the kings of strange people, or of the Gentiles. Bishop Lowth on the authority of two MSS., instead of µyrz, strangers, reads µydz, proud ones: which reading, he thinks, the LXX. countenance, as they render the word asebwn, the ungodly. To be no city; it shall never be built — It has been, or shall be, utterly and irrecoverably destroyed.

Verse 2. A defenced city a ruin. This city, in the next words, is called a palace of strangers; therefore it was a great city. In the critics we find nothing but conjectures, as Samaria—Ar of Moab—Nineveh—Babylon. Memphis, the capital of Egypt, was a palace of strangers, ambassadors, &c.; but we have no certainty of its ruin, till the time of Nebuchadnezzar. It was destroyed by a blast of the terrible ones: ver. 4. There can scarcely be a doubt remaining, but the city alluded to was Nineveh, which the Babylonian army captured and rebuilt; for those cities stood many contests. See Isaiah 26:5. Nineveh was finally taken by the united armies of Babylon and Media, in the twenty ninth year of king Josiah. After this final overthrow, Nineveh was never rebuilt, The Turkish city of Mosul is on the opposite side of the river Tigris. See on Nahum.

1, 2. He sings in words familiar to him from Psalms 118:28

Psalm 118:28; 77:15;

72:12, etc.; also, from Exodus 15. 11. For — Sufficient occasion is it that Babylon (as the vision gives it) is destroyed. Palace of strangers — Either a place of traffickers from all regions, or of its own people alienated from Israel’s God, or both.

V. 3. Shall fear-Thy stoutest enemies observing thy wonderful works, shall be converted, or at least forced to tremble before thee.

Verses 3, 4. Therefore shall the strong people fear thee — Thy stoutest enemies, observing thy wonderful works, shall be converted, or at least, convinced, and forced to tremble before thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor — Hast defended thy poor and helpless people against the fiercest assaults of their enemies. When — Or rather, for, or therefore, as the particle yk, generally signifies; the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm — Of hail, rain, or wind, which makes a great noise, but without any effect; against the wall — Which stands firm in spite of it. It is probable the prophet, in these words, had a special respect to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the rage and attempt of Sennacherib; although the words be general, and include other deliverances of a like nature.

3. Strong people… terrible nations — People outside of Babylon, even wild, idolatrous tribes, seeing such divine judgments on that great city, and recognising Israel’s God as the avenger, shall fear Him.

V. 4. For-For thou hast defended thy poor and helpless people. As a storm-Makes a great noise, but without any effect.

Verse 4. As a storm against the wall— “Like a winter-storm.”] For ryq kir, read rwq kor: or, as ry[ ir from rr[ arar, so ryq kir from rrq karar.—Capellus.

Verses 3, 4. Therefore shall the strong people fear thee — Thy stoutest enemies, observing thy wonderful works, shall be converted, or at least, convinced, and forced to tremble before thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor — Hast defended thy poor and helpless people against the fiercest assaults of their enemies. When — Or rather, for, or therefore, as the particle yk, generally signifies; the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm — Of hail, rain, or wind, which makes a great noise, but without any effect; against the wall — Which stands firm in spite of it. It is probable the prophet, in these words, had a special respect to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the rage and attempt of Sennacherib; although the words be general, and include other deliverances of a like nature.

4. For — Another reason for a song of triumph is, that God came down to the low estate of his own suffering people. Of this, also, shall the nations take note. The people of God in captivity are the poor and the needy. The figures of heat and the storm are used to indicate persecutions which God’s people suffered. Blast of the terrible ones — These words express the violence of the persecutions from Chaldea’s tyrants.

V. 5. The noise-The tumultuous noise, as the word properly signifies; the rage and furious attempts of those Heathen nations that fought against God’s people. As the heat-With as much ease as thou dost allay the heat of a dry place, by the shadow of thy clouds, or by the rain which falls from black and shadowy clouds. The branch-The arm or power, as a branch is the arm of a tree.

Verse 5. Of strangers— “Of the proud”] The same mistake here as in Isaiah 25:2: see the note there. See Clarke “Isaiah 25:2”. Here זדים zedim, the proud, is parallel to µyxyr[ aritsim, the formidable: as in Psalm 54:5, and Psalm 86:14.

The heat with the shadow of a cloud— “As the heat by a thick cloud”] For brj choreb, the Syriac, Chaldee, Vulgate, and two MSS. read brjk kechoreb, which is a repetition of the beginning of the foregoing parallel line; and the verse taken out of the parallel form, and more fully expressed, would run thus: “As a thick cloud interposing tempers the heat of the sun on the burnt soil; so shalt thou, by the interposition of thy power, bring low and abate the tumult of the proud, and the triumph of the formidable.”

Verse 5. Thou shall bring down the wise of strangers — The tumultuous noise, as the word properly signifies; the rage and furious attempts of those heathen nations that fought against God’s people. As the heat in a dry place — With as much ease as thou dost allay the heat of a dry place, by the shadow of thy clouds, or by the rain which falls from black and shadowy clouds. Here again, as in verse 2, instead of strangers, Bishop Lowth reads, the proud. The branch of the terrible ones — Their arm or power, as a branch is the arm of a tree; shall be brought low — Shall be humbled and broken.

Ver. 5. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers. From this we learn that the city was not as yet destroyed; and that it was a gentile city, a city of strangers, which perfectly coincides with Nineveh.

5. Noise of strangers — The roar of a battle engagement. The “strangers” are the hostile ones, probably Chaldeans, the same as the “terrible ones.” The branch, etc., should read the song (strange, it was rendered “branch”) of the terrible ones — their triumphal song of the battle. The parallelism here is peculiarly inverted and difficult. We may properly read it thus: “As heat with natural stillness comes down into a dry place, so shalt thou, Jehovah, bring down, or make more quiet, the battle roar; as heat is lessened by an overshadowing cloud, so wilt thou lessen the boasting song of victory.”

V. 6. And-In mount Zion, in God’s church. All people-Both Jews and Gentiles. A feast-A feast made up of the most delicate provisions, which is manifestly meant of the ordinances, graces, and comforts given by God in his church. Of wines-Which have continued upon the lees a competent time, whereby they gain strength, and are afterwards drawn off, and refined.

Verse 6. In this mountain] Zion, at Jerusalem. In his Church. Shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast] Salvation by Jesus Christ. A feast is a proper and usual expression of joy in consequence of victory, or any other great success. The feast here spoken of is to be celebrated on Mount Sion; and all people, without distinction, are to be invited to it. This can be no other than the celebration of the establishment of Christ’s kingdom, which is frequently represented in the Gospel under the image of a feast; “where many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven;” Matthew 8:11. See also Luke 14:16; 24:29, 30. This sense is fully confirmed by the concomitants of this feast expressed in the next verse, the removing of the veil from the face of the nations, and the abolition of death: the first of which is obviously and clearly explained of the preaching of the Gospel; and the second must mean the blessing of immortality procured for us by Christ, “who hath abolished death, and through death hath destroyed him that had the power of death.” Of wines on the lees— “Of old wines”] Heb. lees; that is, of wines kept long on the lees. The word used to express the lees in the original signifies the preservers; because they preserve the strength and flavour of the wine. “All recent wines, after the fermentation has ceased, ought to be kept on their lees for a certain time, which greatly contributes to increase their strength and flavour. Whenever this first fermentation has been deficient, they will retain a more rich and sweet taste than is natural to them in a recent true vinous state; and unless farther fermentation is promoted by their lying longer on their own lees, they will never attain their genuine strength and flavour, but run into repeated and ineffectual fermentations, and soon degenerate into a liquor of an acetous kind. All wines of a light and austere kind, by a fermentation too great, or too long continued, certainly degenerate into a weak sort of vinegar; while the stronger not only require, but will safely bear a stronger and often-repeated fermentation; and are more apt to degenerate from a defect than excess of fermentation into a vapid, ropy, and at length into a putrescent state.” Sir Edward Barry, Observations on the Wines of the Ancients, p. 9, 10. Thevenot observes particularly of the Shiras wine, that, after it is refined from the lees, it is apt to grow sour. “Il a beaucoup de lie; c’est pourquoi il donne puissemment dans la teste; et pour le rendre plus traitable on le passe par un chausse d’hypocras; apres quoi il est fort clair, et moins fumeux. Ils mettent ce vin dans des grandes jarres de terres qui tiennent dix ou douze jusqu’a quatorze carabas: mais quand l’on a entame une jarre, il faut la vuider au plutost, et mettre le vin qu’on en tire dans des bouteilles ou carabas; car si l’on y manque en le laissant quelque tems apres que la jarre est entamee il se gate et s’aigrit.” Voyages, Tom. ii. p. 245.— “It has much sediment, and therefore is intoxicating. In order to make it more mellow, they strain it through a hypocrates’ sleeve, after which it is very clear and less heady. They lay up this wine in great earthen jars, which hold from ten to fourteen carabas: but when a jar is unstopped, it is necessary to empty it immediately, and put the wine into bottles, or carabas; for if it be left thus in the jar, it will spoil and become acid.”

The caraba, or girba, is a goat’s skin drawn off from the animal, having no apertures but those occasioned by the tail, the feet, and the neck. One opening is left, to pour in and draw off the liquor. This skin goes through a sort of tanning process, and is often beautifully ornamented, as is the case with one of these girbas now lying before me.

This clearly explains the very elegant comparison, or rather allegory, of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 48:11; where the reader will find a remarkable example of the mixture of the proper with the allegorical, not uncommon with the Hebrew poets:—

“Moab hath been at ease from his youth,

And he hath settled upon his lees;

Nor hath he been drawn off from vessel to vessel,

Neither hath he gone into captivity:

Wherefore his taste remaineth in him,

And his flavour is not changed.”

Sir John Chardin’s MS. note on this place of Jeremiah is as follows: “On change ainsi le vin de coupe en coupe en Orient; et quand on en entame une, il faut la vuider en petites coupes ou bouteilles, sans quoy il s’aigrit. “They change the wine from vessel to vessel in the east; and when they unstop a large one, it is necessary to empty it into small vessels, as otherwise it will grow sour.”

Verses 6, 7. And in this mountain — In mount Zion, namely, God’s church, very frequently meant by the names of Zion and Jerusalem, both in the Old and New Testaments; shall the Lord make unto all people — Both Jews and Gentiles, who shall then be admitted to a participation of the same privileges and ordinances; a feast of fat things — A feast made of the most delicate provisions: which is manifestly meant of the ordinances, graces, and comforts given by God in his church. Of wines on the lees — Which have continued upon the lees a competent time, whereby they gain strength, and are afterward drawn out and refined. He will destroy the face of the covering — The covering of the face, or the veil, as the next clause expounds it, namely, of ignorance of God, and of the true religion; cast over all people — Which then was upon the Gentiles and the Jews, 2 Corinthians 3:14-16. This is a manifest prophecy concerning the illumination and conversion of the Gentiles.

Ver. 6. In this mountain shall the Lord make a feast to all people. While the prophet is speaking of visitations on the wicked, and intervals of joy in Jerusalem, he does not forget to glance, and constantly to glance, on the superior glory of Zion in the latter day. Josiah’s feast was for the Jews, but the Lord’s feast is for all people of the gentile world. What can that be but the gospel feast, for the poor Jews in the streets and lanes of the city, and for the poor gentiles in the highways and hedges. Wisdom keeps open house for hungry souls; and “yet there is room.”

6. Will destroy… the face of the covering — The fulness of the Messianic times will remove the veil that rests on the Gentiles, hitherto living in darkness. Isaiah 9:2, 35; 42:6, 7; Luke 1:78, 79; Acts 26:17, 18.

V. 7. The face-The covering of the face. The veil-The ignorance of God, and of the true religion, which then was upon the Gentiles, and now is upon the Jews.

Verse 7. The face of the covering cast over all people— “The covering that covered the face of all the peoples”] MS. Bodl. reads lk ynp l[ al peney chol. The word ynp peney, face, has been removed from its right place into the line above, where it makes no sense; as Houbigant conjectured. “The face of the covering,” &c. He will unveil all the Mosaic ritual, and show by his apostles that it referred to, and was accomplished in, the sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ.

Verses 6, 7. And in this mountain — In mount Zion, namely, God’s church, very frequently meant by the names of Zion and Jerusalem, both in the Old and New Testaments; shall the Lord make unto all people — Both Jews and Gentiles, who shall then be admitted to a participation of the same privileges and ordinances; a feast of fat things — A feast made of the most delicate provisions: which is manifestly meant of the ordinances, graces, and comforts given by God in his church. Of wines on the lees — Which have continued upon the lees a competent time, whereby they gain strength, and are afterward drawn out and refined. He will destroy the face of the covering — The covering of the face, or the veil, as the next clause expounds it, namely, of ignorance of God, and of the true religion; cast over all people — Which then was upon the Gentiles and the Jews, 2 Corinthians 3:14-16. This is a manifest prophecy concerning the illumination and conversion of the Gentiles.

Ver. 7. He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering, which veiled the holy of holies from vulgar eyes. And what is this veil but the darkness of the gentile world, the gross darkness which covers the people. The Lord by the gospel promises to open their blind eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light. To remove the wall of partition, and give them full access to the holy place in Christ Jesus, and a perfect knowledge of all the mysteries of the great salvation. What is this but a translation out of darkness into marvellous light. It is the light of life opened; the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

V. 8. He-Christ will by his death destroy the power of death, take away the sting of the first death, and prevent the second. In victory-Heb. unto victory; so as to overcome it perfectly; which complete victory Christ hath already purchased for, and will in due time actually confer upon his people. Rebuke-The reproach and contempt cast upon his faithful people by the ungodly world.

Verse 8. He will swallow up death] He, by the grace of God, will taste death for every man. Hebrews 2:9. Probably, swallow up death, and taste death, in both these verses, refer to the same thing: Jesus dying instead of a guilty world. These forms of speech may refer to the punishment of certain criminals; they were obliged to drink a cup of poison. That cup which every criminal in the world must have drunk, Jesus Christ drank for them; and thus he swallowed up death: but as he rose again from the dead, complete victory was gained.

From these three verses we learn:—

I. That the Gospel is a plenteous provision: “I will make a feast for all people.”

II. That it is a source of light and salvation: “I will destroy the veil. I will abolish death. and bring life and immortality to light.” III. That it is a source of comfort and happiness: “I will wipe away all tears from off all faces.”

As in the Arabic countries a covering was put over the face of him who was condemned to suffer death, it is probable that the words in Isaiah 25:7 may refer to this. The whole world was condemned to death, and about to be led out to execution, when the gracious Lord interposed, and, by a glorious sacrifice, procured a general pardon.

Verse 8. He — The Lord, expressed both in the foregoing and following words, even the Messiah, who is both God and man; will swallow up death — Shall, by his death, destroy the power of death, (Hebrews 2:14,) take away the sting of the first death, and prevent the second death, and give eternal life to all that truly believe in him. In victory — Hebrew, jxnl, unto victory, that is, so as to overcome it perfectly; which complete victory Christ hath already purchased for, and will, in due time, actually confer upon his people. And will wipe away tears — Will take away from his people all sufferings and sorrows, with all the causes of them, which deliverance is begun here and perfected in heaven. The rebuke of his people — The reproach and contempt cast upon his faithful people by the ungodly world; shall he take, &c. — From all the church and people of God, wheresoever they shall be. For the Lord hath spoken it — Therefore doubt it not, though it seem incredible to you.

Ver. 8. He will swallow up death in victory, by a glorious resurrection from the dead, and by reversing the afflicted state of the church, in all the glory of the latter day. The serpent does not masticate his prey, but swallows it whole. In like manner, by the glorious resurrection of the dead, we shall be swallowed up of immortality and eternal joy. Then the church shall sing the advent of her Lord. Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him. He is come; he will save us with an everlasting salvation.

8. Swallow up death — Death, here, comprehends the various ills of this life, or sin and its consequences. These become, under gospel influences, of the smallest account in comparison with the glory that is, and is to be, revealed. In victory — This means glory, brightness, and the like, in the original; and it is to be eternal, as most versions render the word — a brightness that never ends. Will wipe away tears — Exegetical of the phrase preceding. (Note the comment thereon.) Rebuke of his people — Not rebuke deserved, but reproach undeserved, which the world casts on God’s people. In the fulness of gospel times the tables shall be turned. To the saints of the Most High all that can possibly be contained in the idea of death shall be utterly done away.

V. 9. Our God-Our Messiah, long since promised, and for whom we have waited long, is come into the world, bringing salvation with him.

Verse 9. It shall be said— “Shall they say”] So the Septuagint and Vulgate, in the plural number. They read wrmaw veameru, the Syriac reads trmaw veamarta, thou shalt say. They shall say, i.e., the Jews and the Gentiles—Lo, this [Jesus Christ] is our God: we have waited for him, according to the predictions of the prophets. We have expected him, and we have not been disappointed; therefore will we be glad, and rejoice in his salvation.

Verse 9. And it shall be said in that day — By God’s people, in the way of triumph and reply to their enemies; Lo, this is our God — Your gods are senseless and impotent idols; but our God is omnipotent, and hath done these great and glorious works which fill the world with admiration. We may well boast of him, for there is no god like him. We have waited for him — To appear in flesh; have waited for the coming of our Messiah, or Saviour, long since promised, and have waited a long time; and now at last he is come into the world, bringing salvation with him.

9. Lo, this is our God — All the ransomed from all the earth use this language. We have waited for him — Revelation has dawned slowly, but it comes in this prediction to its perfect and eternal clearness. The truth comes out that He alone can and will save, and everlasting rejoicing ensues thereat. This foreseen joy is that of the whole redeemed Church.

V. 10. Rest-The powerful and gracious presence, of God shall have its constant and settled abode. Moab-The Moabites are put for all the enemies of God’s church.

Verse 10. Shall the hand of the Lord rest— “The hand of JEHOVAH shall give rest”] Heb. jwnt tenuach, quiescet. Annon jynt taniach, quietem dabit, shall rest; shall give rest, ut Graeci, anapausin dwsei, et Copt.?-Mr. WOIDE. That is, “shall give peace and quiet to Sion, by destroying the enemy;” as it follows.

As straw is trodden down— “As the straw is threshed”] Hoc juxta ritum loquitur Palastinæ et multarum Orientis provinciarum, quæ ob pratorum et fœni penuriam paleas preparant esui animantium. Sunt autem carpenta ferrata rotis per medium in serrarum modum se volventibus, quæ stipulam conterunt; et comminuunt in paleas. Quomodo igitur plaustris ferratis paleæ conteruntur, sic conteretur Moab sub eo; sive sub Dei potentia, sive in semetipso, ut nihil in eo integri remaneat. “This is spoken in reference to the mode of threshing in Palestine, and various other Asiatic provinces. Because of the scarcity of meadow land and hay they make chopped straw for the cattle. They have large wheels studded over with iron teeth or nails, by which, on the out-of-door threshing-floors, they pound and reduce the straw into chaff. As, therefore, the straw is reduced to chaff by bringing the iron-shod wheel over it; so shall Moab be bruised by the power of God, that nothing whole shall remain.”—Hieron. in loc. See Clarke’s note on “Isaiah 28:27”.

For the dunghill— “Under the wheels of the car.”] For hnmdm madmenah, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read hbkrm mercabah, which I have followed. See Joshua 15:31, compared with Joshua 19:5, where there is a mistake very nearly the same. The keri, ymb bemi, is confirmed by twenty-eight MSS., seven ancient, and three editions.

Verse 10. For in this mountain — In the gospel church; (he alludes to mount Zion, which was a type of it;) shall the hand of the Lord rest — His powerful and gracious presence (which is often signified in Scripture by God’s hand) shall have its constant and settled abode: it shall not move from place to place, as it formerly did, with the tabernacle; nor shall it depart as it did from Jerusalem, but shall continue in his church, even to the end of the world, Matthew 28:20. And Moab shall be trodden down under him. — Under his feet, as appears by the following similitude. The Moabites, having been constant and implacable enemies to Israel, are here put for all the enemies of God’s church, as the Edomites upon the same account are, chap. 34:6, and 63:1. Even as straw is trodden down — Even as easily and effectually as the straw, left upon the ground, is trampled upon by the feet of men and beasts.

10. In this mountain — Zion, symbol again of God’s located presence and power, namely, his Church. Hand… rest — The term “hand” is usually employed as an emblem of active power; it is here used as the pledge of the Church’s security from hostility without a protection, and that hostility to Zion the Jews more readily and keenly apprehended when it was expressed in connexion with a “household” name of an ever bitter enemy to the Jews. Usually that name was Edom or Moab. Here it is Moab. Moab’s hostility is to have the fate of the refuse, dirt, and filth of each Palestinian town — removal to the dunghill, which to this day is everywhere in the villages a conspicuous object.

V. 11. He-The Lord, whose power they shall be no more able to resist, than the waters can resist a man that swims. Spread-To smite and destroy them. The spoils-With all their wealth which they have gained by rapine, and spoiling of God’s people.

Verse 11. As he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim— “As he that sinketh stretcheth out his hands to swim”] There is great obscurity in this place: some understand God as the agent; others, Moab. I have chosen the latter sense, as I cannot conceive that the stretching out of the hands of a swimmer in swimming can be any illustration of the action of God stretching out his hands over Moab to destroy it. I take hjvh hashshocheh, altering the point on the c sin. on the authority of the Septuagint, to be the participle of hjv shachah, the same with jwv shuach, and jjv shachach, to bow down, to be depressed; and that the prophet designed a paronomasia here, a figure which he frequently uses between the similar words hjv shachah, and twjv shechoth. As wytjt tachtaiv, in his place, or on the spot, as we say in the preceding verse, gives us an idea of the sudden and complete destruction of Moab; so wbrqb bekirbo, in the midst of him, means that this destruction shall be open, and exposed to the view of all: the neighbouring nations shall plainly see him struggling against it, as a man in the midst of the deep waters exerts all his efforts by swimming, to save himself from drowning.—L. ISAIAH

Verses 11, 12. And he — Either, 1st, Moab, who, being plunged into a sea of troubles, shall endeavour to swim out of it, but to no purpose; or, 2d, The Lord, (who is designed by this pronoun he, both in the latter clause of this verse, and in the following verse,) whose power they shall be no more able to resist than the waters can resist a man that swims, who, with great facility, divides them hither and thither. The former sense is adopted by Bishop Lowth, who says, “I cannot conceive that the stretching out the hands of a swimmer can be any illustration of the action of God stretching out his hands over Moab to destroy it.” The latter, however, is preferred by, most interpreters, as connecting best with the following clause. And they consider the comparison as implying, that God should extend his powerful hands on every side, to the utmost limits of Moab, to bring down his enemies, as a swimmer stretches out his hands to beat down with them the opposing waters.

11, 12. He shall spread forth his hands — The subject “he” is supposed by some to be Moab; by those especially who take wmb, b’mo, verse 10, (a poetic preposition,)as the incorrect reading for ymn, (in water.) I prefer to think the subject here is Jehovah. His hands are put forth as the swimmer puts out his hands both ways, and he sweeps Moab on the right and left and lays him sprawling. So the Chaldee Targum, also the Septuagint and the Vulgate. The figure is that of the complete prostration of the enemy. Moab, as seen from the hills of Judea, looks like a very high wall abutting on the Dead Sea and capped by a broad plateau beyond. And it is as if Jehovah extended his hands to level this wall to the lowest ground below, thus to accomplish its irrecoverable desolation. So shall all enemies of Zion go the way of the lost Moab. So shall all arrogance taking on the likeness of a fortress, and pride, that of a towering wall, be leveled forever.

V. 12. And-All thy fortifications, in which thou trustest.

Verses 11, 12. And he — Either, 1st, Moab, who, being plunged into a sea of troubles, shall endeavour to swim out of it, but to no purpose; or, 2d, The Lord, (who is designed by this pronoun he, both in the latter clause of this verse, and in the following verse,) whose power they shall be no more able to resist than the waters can resist a man that swims, who, with great facility, divides them hither and thither. The former sense is adopted by Bishop Lowth, who says, “I cannot conceive that the stretching out the hands of a swimmer can be any illustration of the action of God stretching out his hands over Moab to destroy it.” The latter, however, is preferred by, most interpreters, as connecting best with the following clause. And they consider the comparison as implying, that God should extend his powerful hands on every side, to the utmost limits of Moab, to bring down his enemies, as a swimmer stretches out his hands to beat down with them the opposing waters.

11, 12. He shall spread forth his hands — The subject “he” is supposed by some to be Moab; by those especially who take wmb, b’mo, verse 10, (a poetic preposition,)as the incorrect reading for ymn, (in water.) I prefer to think the subject here is Jehovah. His hands are put forth as the swimmer puts out his hands both ways, and he sweeps Moab on the right and left and lays him sprawling. So the Chaldee Targum, also the Septuagint and the Vulgate. The figure is that of the complete prostration of the enemy. Moab, as seen from the hills of Judea, looks like a very high wall abutting on the Dead Sea and capped by a broad plateau beyond. And it is as if Jehovah extended his hands to level this wall to the lowest ground below, thus to accomplish its irrecoverable desolation. So shall all enemies of Zion go the way of the lost Moab. So shall all arrogance taking on the likeness of a fortress, and pride, that of a towering wall, be leveled forever.