Isaiah · Chapter 56

V. 1. My salvation-That eminent salvation by the Messiah, and in which, without this you shall have no share. Is near-So the scripture often speaks of things which are at a great distance, as if they were present or at hand, Habakkuk 2:3 James 5:8,9 Rev 22:20. My righteousness-The same thing which he called salvation.

Verse 1. Thus saith the Lord — This verse, and the rest of this chapter, until verse 9, seems to belong to the foregoing prophecy. From the consideration of God’s promises there made to the believing Jews and Gentiles, he here urges them to perform their duty to him. Keep ye judgment and do justice — This phrase elsewhere generally signifies the duties which one man owes to another; but here it seems rather to signify the duties which men owe to God, as it is explained in the following verses. Accordingly, it might with propriety have been rendered, practise righteousness. For my salvation is near to come — That eminent salvation by the Messiah, so largely promised and insisted upon in the foregoing chapters. The Scriptures, it must be observed, often speak of things that are at a great distance as if they were present or at hand, Habakkuk 2:3 Habakkuk

Verse 1. Keep ye judgment, as a preparation for the Messiah’s advent, who is here called, Salvation; and whose righteousness and mercy are the only ground of a sinner’s justification, adoption, and glory. For his coming Jacob when dying prayed, Oh Lord, I have waited for thy Salvation.

1. Keep… judgment — Apply due criticism on yourselves till conscience shall be the only ruling authority. Advice and comfort are here administered. Do justice — Let the same authority rule in all relations toward others. In other words, insist on thoroughly ethical lives. This is the first requisite to a preparation for the blessed Messianic kingdom now at hand. There were many in John Baptist’s time, silent and unseen, exemplifying this character; but the influential classes were sadly lacking.

V. 2. The man-Every man not only Jews but Gentiles, as it is explained in the following verses. The sabbath-The sabbath seems to be put here, as sacrifice is elsewhere, for the whole worship of God.

Verse 2. That keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it] Kimchi has an excellent note here. “The Sabbath is sanctified when it is distinguished in dignity; and separated from other days. 1. As to the body, in meat, drink, and clean clothing. 2. As to the soul, that it be empty of worldly occupations, and be busily employed in the words of the law and wisdom, and in meditation on the works of the Lord.” The rabbins say, “Jerusalem had never been destroyed, had not the Sabbaths been profaned in it.”

2:3; James 5:8, 9; Revelation 22:20. And my righteousness to be revealed — What in the former clause he called salvation, he here calls righteousness, as being an evident demonstration of God’s righteousness, both in the fulfilment of his promises, and in the punishment of sin, as also in the salvation of sinners, upon just and honourable terms. Verse 2. Blessed is the man — Any, or every man, not only Jews but Gentiles, or strangers, as it is explained in the following verses. That doeth this — That practiseth the judgment and justice, or the righteousness, mentioned verse 1. That layeth hold on it — Or, that holdeth it fast, as hb qyzjy may be rendered; that is, resolute and constant in so doing; that not only begins well, but perseveres in well-doing: that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it — That doth not profane or defile the sabbath, either by forbidden practices, or by the neglect of commanded duties. The sabbath seems to be here put, as sacrifice is elsewhere, for the whole worship of God. And keepeth his hand from doing any evil — That conscientiously abstains from all evil and immoral works.

2. Blessed is the man… the son of man — Terms meaning the same thing, used merely for the parallelism. The pronouncement of this blessing is for the consolation of those who “keep judgment and do justice.” Sabbath observance is claimed on grounds ethical and physical. It is a perpetual obligation. Priceless blessings attend sabbath keeping and conscientious right doing in all things.

V. 3. The stranger-The stranger, the Gentile, who by birth is a stranger to God, that hath turned from dumb idols to the living God. The eunuch-Who is here joined with the stranger, because he was forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:1. Under these two instances he understands all those, who either by birth, or by any ceremonial pollution, were excluded from church privileges, and so he throws open the door to all true believers. A dry tree-A fruitless tree, accursed by God with the curse of barrenness.

Verses 3-5. Neither let the son of the stranger — The Gentile, who by birth is a stranger to God, and to the commonwealth of Israel. That hath joined himself to the Lord — That hath turned from dumb idols to the living God, and to true religion; speak, saying, The Lord hath separated me, &c. — For such shall be as acceptable to me as the Israelites themselves, and the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles shall be taken down, and repentance and remission of sins shall be preached and offered to men of all nations. Neither let the eunuch say — Who is here joined with the stranger, because he was forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:1. Under these two instances he understands all those, who, either by birth, or by any ceremonial pollution, were excluded from church privileges, and so he throws open the door to all true believers. Behold, I am a dry tree — A fruitless tree, accursed by God with the curse of barrenness. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs, &c. — That observe my commands, not by custom, or through force or fear, but by free choice, with love to them, and delight in them. And take hold of my covenant — That steadfastly keep the conditions of my covenant. Even unto them will I give in my house, &c. — In my temple, an emblem of the Christian church; a place, &c., better than of sons and daughters — A far greater blessing and honour than that of having a posterity, even my favour, and my Spirit and eternal felicity.

Ver. 3. The stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord. In the second temple there were three courts: Atrium Gentrium, the court of the gentiles, which is the same as the court of Israel. The court of the women was divided by a wall from the great court. Next was the Chel, surrounded with a low wall of curious work, ascended by fourteen steps. At the entrance of this court there were on the pillars an inscription in Latin and Greek, announcing the Sanctity of the place, and that no stranger must enter, nor any Israelite, if he had touched a dead body. Deuteronomy 23:1. Dr. Lightfoot.

3. Son of… stranger — Any foreigner, or one not born of the race of Israel, yet desiring to embrace the true religion. Neither… eunuch — In Deuteronomy 23:1, the “eunuch” heads the list of those who are excluded from the congregation of the Lord. Why this? Because mutilation was in early ideas, essential disqualification. So was the proverbial dry tree, or childlessness, a condition to the oriental helplessly reproachful. Of course, for the new era now opening, such a system of ethics was worn-out narrowness, and required revision. The gospel age shuts off none who desire salvation.

V. 4. Take hold-That stedfastly keep the conditions of my covenant.

Verses 3-5. Neither let the son of the stranger — The Gentile, who by birth is a stranger to God, and to the commonwealth of Israel. That hath joined himself to the Lord — That hath turned from dumb idols to the living God, and to true religion; speak, saying, The Lord hath separated me, &c. — For such shall be as acceptable to me as the Israelites themselves, and the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles shall be taken down, and repentance and remission of sins shall be preached and offered to men of all nations. Neither let the eunuch say — Who is here joined with the stranger, because he was forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:1. Under these two instances he understands all those, who, either by birth, or by any ceremonial pollution, were excluded from church privileges, and so he throws open the door to all true believers. Behold, I am a dry tree — A fruitless tree, accursed by God with the curse of barrenness. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs, &c. — That observe my commands, not by custom, or through force or fear, but by free choice, with love to them, and delight in them. And take hold of my covenant — That steadfastly keep the conditions of my covenant. Even unto them will I give in my house, &c. — In my temple, an emblem of the Christian church; a place, &c., better than of sons and daughters — A far greater blessing and honour than that of having a posterity, even my favour, and my Spirit and eternal felicity.

4, 5. A name better than of sons — The same subject is continued, and is especially emphasized. If any are to be excluded from true Messianic blessings, it is to be the proud, aristocratic Israelite. Outcasts of the worst type, if duly humbled, are preferred to such. Matthew 21:31.

V. 5. In mine house-In my temple. Better-A far greater blessing and honour than that of having posterity, even my favour, and my spirit, and eternal felicity.

Verse 5. I will give them an everlasting name] For wl lo, him, in the singular, it is evident that we ought to read wml lamo, them, in the plural: so read the Septuagint, Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate.

Verses 3-5. Neither let the son of the stranger — The Gentile, who by birth is a stranger to God, and to the commonwealth of Israel. That hath joined himself to the Lord — That hath turned from dumb idols to the living God, and to true religion; speak, saying, The Lord hath separated me, &c. — For such shall be as acceptable to me as the Israelites themselves, and the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles shall be taken down, and repentance and remission of sins shall be preached and offered to men of all nations. Neither let the eunuch say — Who is here joined with the stranger, because he was forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:1. Under these two instances he understands all those, who, either by birth, or by any ceremonial pollution, were excluded from church privileges, and so he throws open the door to all true believers. Behold, I am a dry tree — A fruitless tree, accursed by God with the curse of barrenness. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs, &c. — That observe my commands, not by custom, or through force or fear, but by free choice, with love to them, and delight in them. And take hold of my covenant — That steadfastly keep the conditions of my covenant. Even unto them will I give in my house, &c. — In my temple, an emblem of the Christian church; a place, &c., better than of sons and daughters — A far greater blessing and honour than that of having a posterity, even my favour, and my Spirit and eternal felicity.

4, 5. A name better than of sons — The same subject is continued, and is especially emphasized. If any are to be excluded from true Messianic blessings, it is to be the proud, aristocratic Israelite. Outcasts of the worst type, if duly humbled, are preferred to such. Matthew 21:31.

Verse 6. The sons of the stranger] The Gentiles.

That join themselves to the Lord] Who shall enter into the Christian covenant by baptism and faith in Christ, as the Jews and proselytes did by circumcision.

To serve him] To live according to the Gospel, and ever do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

To love the name of the Lord] The name of JESUS, the Christ, the Saviour of sinners, the Anointed of God, and the Giver of the Holy Spirit to his followers.

To be his servants] To worship no other God but JEHOVAH, and to trust in none for salvation but his CHRIST.

That keepeth the Sabbath] That observes it as a type of the rest that remains for the people of God.

And taketh hold of my covenant] ytyrbb biberithi, “of my covenant sacrifice;” as without this he can do nothing good; and without it nothing can be acceptable to the infinite majesty of the Most High.

Verses 6, 7. The sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord — That with purpose of heart cleave unto him, as is said Acts 11:23. To love the Lord, to be his servants — To serve him out of love to him and to his worship. Them will I bring to my holy mountain — To my house which stood upon mount Zion, including mount Moriah; and make them joyful — By accepting their services, and comforting their hearts with the sense of my love; in my house of prayer — In my temple, in and toward which prayers are daily made unto me. Their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar — They shall have as free access to my house and altar as the Jews themselves, and their services shall be as acceptable to me. Evangelical worship is here described under such expressions as agreed to the worship of God which was then in use. My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people — Jews and Gentiles shall have equal freedom to my house, and shall there call upon my name. “The temple was originally designed for strangers as well as Jews, as a place to offer up their prayers to the Divine Majesty; which is sufficiently plain from the prayer of Solomon, at the dedication of it, though the number of proselytes was small till the time of the second temple. But there can be no doubt that this verse alludes particularly to the conversion of the Gentiles. This truth could not be told the Jewish people otherwise than by using terms taken from rites familiar to them, unless the nature of the Christian dispensation had been previously explained; a matter evidently unfit for their information, when they were yet to live so long under the Jewish law. For though the prophets speak of the little value of their regard to the ceremonial law, they easily make themselves understood, that they mean, when it was observed without the moral law; which they describe in the purity and perfection of the gospel. So admirable was this conduct, that while it hid the future dispensation it prepared men for it.” — Bishop Warburton’s Div. Leg. Upon the whole, the reader may observe, “that the principal scope of this paragraph is to teach that all the privileges of the covenant of grace should be common to all, without distinction of nation, state, or condition; that God would distribute to all believers, according to the measure of their grace, equal gifts, as our Lord hath taught in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, Matthew 20.”

6, 7. Stranger — Again, Gentiles throughout the world are more than urged and invited — they are made welcome with outstretched arms, if seen coming, even before invitation, “to the mountain of the Lord’s house.” Only a sense of penitence and spiritual want could influence their steps thitherward.

V. 7. Mountain-To my house, which stood upon mount Zion. Joyful-By accepting their services, and comforting their hearts with the sense of my love. Accepted-They shall have as free access to mine house and altar, as the Jews themselves, and their services shall be as acceptable to me. Evangelical worship is here described under such expressions as agreed to the worship of God which then was in use.

Verse 7. Shall be accepted] A word is here lost out of the text: it is supplied from the Septuagint, wyhy yihyu, esontai, “they shall be.”— Houbigant.

Verses 6, 7. The sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord — That with purpose of heart cleave unto him, as is said Acts 11:23. To love the Lord, to be his servants — To serve him out of love to him and to his worship. Them will I bring to my holy mountain — To my house which stood upon mount Zion, including mount Moriah; and make them joyful — By accepting their services, and comforting their hearts with the sense of my love; in my house of prayer — In my temple, in and toward which prayers are daily made unto me. Their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar — They shall have as free access to my house and altar as the Jews themselves, and their services shall be as acceptable to me. Evangelical worship is here described under such expressions as agreed to the worship of God which was then in use. My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people — Jews and Gentiles shall have equal freedom to my house, and shall there call upon my name. “The temple was originally designed for strangers as well as Jews, as a place to offer up their prayers to the Divine Majesty; which is sufficiently plain from the prayer of Solomon, at the dedication of it, though the number of proselytes was small till the time of the second temple. But there can be no doubt that this verse alludes particularly to the conversion of the Gentiles. This truth could not be told the Jewish people otherwise than by using terms taken from rites familiar to them, unless the nature of the Christian dispensation had been previously explained; a matter evidently unfit for their information, when they were yet to live so long under the Jewish law. For though the prophets speak of the little value of their regard to the ceremonial law, they easily make themselves understood, that they mean, when it was observed without the moral law; which they describe in the purity and perfection of the gospel. So admirable was this conduct, that while it hid the future dispensation it prepared men for it.” — Bishop Warburton’s Div. Leg. Upon the whole, the reader may observe, “that the principal scope of this paragraph is to teach that all the privileges of the covenant of grace should be common to all, without distinction of nation, state, or condition; that God would distribute to all believers, according to the measure of their grace, equal gifts, as our Lord hath taught in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, Matthew 20.”

6, 7. Stranger — Again, Gentiles throughout the world are more than urged and invited — they are made welcome with outstretched arms, if seen coming, even before invitation, “to the mountain of the Lord’s house.” Only a sense of penitence and spiritual want could influence their steps thitherward.

V. 8. The Lord-Who will gather to himself, and bring into their own land, those that are cast out of their own land. Yet-I will make a far more comprehensive gathering of the Gentiles.

Verse 8. The Lord which gathereth the outcasts — Who will gather to himself, and bring into their own land, those poor Israelites which are or shall be cast out of it, and dispersed in divers parts of the world; saith, Yet will I gather others to him — As there are some few Gentiles whom I have made proselytes and added to the Jewish Church, so I will make another and far more comprehensive gathering of the Gentiles, whom I will bring into the same church with the Jews, making both Jews and Gentiles one flock under one shepherd.

8. Outcasts — Equality thus declared, alike to Gentile and Jew, is no afterthought; not a new purpose sprung up from new exigencies in the course of history. It is found in the terms of the original covenant — “all the nations… shall be blessed in him.” Genesis 18:18, 19. Pursuant to this covenant Christ also said, (John 10:16,) “Other sheep I have,” referring to the original purpose that salvation shall be provided for all.

V. 9. Come-This is a prediction of Israel’s destruction by their cruel enemies. The prophet having largely discoursed concerning the Messiah, and his kingdom, and having encouraged the Gentiles with God’s gracious promises made to them, now proceeds to terrify the unbelieving Jews, and to shew that as the Gentiles would believe, and be saved, so they would reject their Messiah, and be destroyed.

Verse 9. All ye beasts of the field] Here manifestly begins a new section. The prophet in the foregoing chapters, having comforted the faithful Jews with many great promises of God’s favour to be extended to them, in the restoration of their ruined state, and in the enlargement of his Church by the admission of the Gentiles; here on a sudden makes a transition to the more disagreeable part of the prospect, and to a sharp reproof of the wicked and unbelievers; and especially of the negligent and faithless governors and teachers, of the idolaters and hypocrites, who would still draw down his judgments upon the nation. Probably having in view the destruction of their city and polity by the Chaldeans, and perhaps by the Romans. The same subject is continued in the next chapter; in which the charge of corruption and apostasy becomes more general against the whole Jewish Church. Some expositors have made great difficulties in the 9th verse of this chapter, where there seems to be none. It is perfectly well explained by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 12:7, 9, where, having introduced God declaring his purpose of punishing his people, by giving them up as a prey to their enemies the Chaldeans, a charge to these his agents is given in words very nearly the same with those of Isaiah in this place:— “I have forsaken my house; I have deserted my heritage;

I have given up the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies.— Come away, be gathered together, all ye beasts of the field; Come away to devour.”

All ye beasts in the forest— “All ye beasts of the forest.”] Instead of ביער baiyaar, three MSS. have יער yaar, without the preposition; which seems to be right, and is confirmed by ali the ancient Versions.

Verse 9. All ye beasts of the field, come to devour — “Here,” says Bishop Lowth, “manifestly begins a new section. The prophet, in the foregoing chapters, having comforted the faithful with many great promises of God’s favour to be extended to them, in the restoration of their ruined state, and of the enlargement of his church by the admission of the Gentiles, here, on a sudden, makes a transition to the more disagreeable part of the prospect, and to a sharp reproof of the wicked and unbelievers, and especially of the negligent and faithless governors and teachers, of the idolaters and hypocrites, who would still draw his judgments upon the nation; probably having in view the destruction of their city and polity by the Chaldeans, and perhaps by the Romans.” Vitringa, however, thinks the enemies of the Christian Church may be here pointed out, such as the Goths, Vandals, Turks, and others, who committed great devastations upon it after it declined from the first faith, and became extremely corrupt; as is particularly specified in the next verses. It seems very evident that this is a prediction, either of Israel’s destruction, or that of the fallen Christian Church, by their cruel enemies, who are often represented in Scripture under the emblem of ravenous beasts. Thus Jeremiah 12:7-9, I have forsaken my house, I have deserted my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. Come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

Ver. 9. All ye beasts of the field. Rather, as in the Hebrew, beasts of the forest; that is, beasts of prey; an apostrophe to the Chaldean army, swifter than leopards, and fiercer than the evening wolves. Habakkuk 1:8. A leading cause of the Hebrew ruin, the Lord by Isaiah imputes, in the next verses, to corrupt priests and false prophets; viz. blind watchmen, and dumb dogs that could not bark. A watchman, who eats the bread of a pastor, should have piercing eyes, and be like the wakeful dog in giving alarm of danger.

9. An abrupt change of the current of thought here occurs. The prophet’s bright prospect is checked, and he turns to things as they are in his own times. In the reign of Abaz, idolatry prevailed. Hezekiah, at the time of the great reform, caused the temple, which had been closed, (2 Chronicles 29:3-36,) to be opened, when an outward improvement among the people followed. But to the prophet’s eye evil continues; beginning with Manasseh, idolatry and national infidelity return with fearful power. There are other views held of this verse and what follows, founded on the Masoretic text, (one of which, that sustained by Birks, is exceeding fanciful;) but the majority of commentators agree on what is above stated. Beasts of the field — Some regard these expressions as denoting outside nations invited to make invasions on unfaithful Judah. More probably, they denote unspiritual teachers, irreligious guides, who, (excepting during the reign of Josiah,) disturbed Judah as long as its government lasted. Forest — This term is used simply to balance “field,” in the parallelism. Come to devour — Equivalent to, Ye beasts — meaning, the false prophets — do “come to devour” — this is your purpose, your mission — ye wolves in sheep’s clothing embrace every opportunity to devour the flock or people of the land. John, chap. 10, borrows its illustration hence.

V. 10. His-Israel’s. Watchmen-Priests and teachers; he mentions only the teachers, because ignorance was most shameful in them, but hereby he supposes the gross ignorance of the people. Bark-They are also slothful and negligent in instructing the people, and do not faithfully reprove them for their sins.

Verse 10. His watchmen are blind] Kimchi observes, “The flock is intrusted to the care of these watchmen. The wild beasts come; these dogs bark not; and the wild beasts devour the flock. Thus they do not profit the flock. Yea, they injure it; for the owner trusts in them, that they will watch and be faithful; but they are not. These are the false teachers and careless shepherds.”

Dumb dogs, they cannot bark] See Clarke’s note on “Isaiah 62:6”. Sleeping— “Dreamers”] הזים hozim, enupniazomenoi, Septuagint. This seems to be the best authority for the meaning of this word, which occurs only in this place: but it is to be observed, that eleven MSS. of Kennicott’s and Deuteronomy Rossi’s, and four editions, have חזים chazim, seers, or those who see; and so the Vulgate seems to have read, videntes vana, “seeing vain things.”

Loving to slumber.] לנום lanum: but six of Kennicott’s and seven of Deuteronomy Rossi’s MSS. read swnl lanus, to fly, “to change their residence:” but what connexion such reading can have with the sense of the passage, I cannot discern. What is taken for s samech here is, I have no doubt, a narrow formed final µ mem, which has been mistaken for the above. Many instances occur in my own MSS., where the final µ mem is similar to the samech; and yet no such change was intended by the scribe.

Verse 10. His — Israel’s, watchmen are blind — The priests, prophets, and other teachers; he mentions only the teachers, because ignorance was most shameful in them; but hereby he supposes the gross ignorance of the people. They are all ignorant — Of God’s word and will, and of their own and the people’s duty, and of the true Messiah, and the nature of his kingdom. They cannot bark — They are also slothful and negligent in instructing the people, and do not faithfully reprove them for their sins, nor warn them of their dangers, nor endeavour to keep them from errors and corruptions in doctrine, worship, and conversation, as they ought to do: sleeping, lying down, &c. — Minding their own ease and safety more than the people’s benefit.

Ver. 10, 11. His watchmen are blind, they are all dumb dogs. The Vulgate reads, speculatores ejus ceci omnes, all his speculators are blind; that is, the priests and doctors, says Poole, in the Synopsis, who sold themselves for false prophets. Compare Ezekiel 3:17. 33:2, 6, 7. Judges, princes, and kings were all the same. They were blind, and could not see the evils coming on their country. Dumb dogs, who saw Jerusalem full of sin, and held their peace. They imposed their own blind speculations on the people, as the hallowed revelations of the Lord. Oh pastor! see that no part of this portrait belongs to thee.— The Egyptians gave the name “dog” to Sirius, the brightest of our fixed stars in Orion, because when he was seen it was as the barking of a dog, warning to prepare for the inundation of the Nile.

10, 11. His watchmen — The people’s teachers. Are blind — Can see nothing with a spiritual eye. Dumb dogs — An image from shepherds’ bad watchdogs, which fail to give notice of danger. Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber — An exact description of the miserable, outcast curs to be observed, even to this day, in every Eastern town or city. They are nobody’s dogs, allowed to lounge about and greedily devour garbage thrown into the street. What a comparison! Such are the shepherds which the worldly and irreligious are willing to tolerate. Each of these “blind,” “ignorant,” “dumb” watchmen looks to worldly gain, careless as to results on the character of his flock.

V. 11. They look-They regard neither God’s glory, nor the peoples good, but only the satisfaction of their own base desires. Quarter-In their several stations.

Verse 11. Greedy dogs] Insatiably feeding themselves with the fat, and clothing themselves with the wool, while the flock is scattered, ravaged, and starved! O what an abundance of these dumb and greedy dogs are there found hanging on and prowling about the flock of Christ! How can any careless, avaricious, hireling minister read this without agitation and dismay?

Verse 11. Yea, they are greedy dogs — Insatiably covetous: shepherds that cannot understand — Hebrew, that know not to understand; that do not care, or love, or desire either to understand the word of God themselves, or to make the people understand it. They all look to their own way — They regard neither God’s glory nor the people’s good, but only the satisfaction of their own base desires. Every one for his gain from his quarter — In their several places and stations, as they have opportunity.

Ver. 10, 11. His watchmen are blind, they are all dumb dogs. The Vulgate reads, speculatores ejus ceci omnes, all his speculators are blind; that is, the priests and doctors, says Poole, in the Synopsis, who sold themselves for false prophets. Compare Ezekiel 3:17. 33:2, 6, 7. Judges, princes, and kings were all the same. They were blind, and could not see the evils coming on their country. Dumb dogs, who saw Jerusalem full of sin, and held their peace. They imposed their own blind speculations on the people, as the hallowed revelations of the Lord. Oh pastor! see that no part of this portrait belongs to thee.— The Egyptians gave the name “dog” to Sirius, the brightest of our fixed stars in Orion, because when he was seen it was as the barking of a dog, warning to prepare for the inundation of the Nile.

10, 11. His watchmen — The people’s teachers. Are blind — Can see nothing with a spiritual eye. Dumb dogs — An image from shepherds’ bad watchdogs, which fail to give notice of danger. Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber — An exact description of the miserable, outcast curs to be observed, even to this day, in every Eastern town or city. They are nobody’s dogs, allowed to lounge about and greedily devour garbage thrown into the street. What a comparison! Such are the shepherds which the worldly and irreligious are willing to tolerate. Each of these “blind,” “ignorant,” “dumb” watchmen looks to worldly gain, careless as to results on the character of his flock.

V. 12. Say they-Unto their brethren, fellow-priests, or other jolly companions. Fill ourselves-We will drink not only to delight, but even to drunkenness, as the word signifies, which shews their dreadful security and contempt of God, and their abandoning of all care of their own or peoples souls.

Verse 12. I will fetch wine— “Let us provide wine”] For hjqa ekchah, first person singular, an ancient MS. has hjqn nikchah, first person plural; and another ancient MS. has qa ak upon a rasure. So the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate render it. The spirit of this epicurean sentiment is this: Let us indulge ourselves in the present time to the utmost, and instead of any gloomy forebodings of the future, let us expect nothing but increasing hilarity for every day we shall live. Thus they,

“Counting on long years of pleasure here,

Are quite unfurnished for the world to come.”

ISAIAH

Verse 12. Come ye, say they — Unto their brethren, fellow-priests, or other jolly companions. We will fill ourselves — We will drink, not only to delight, but even to drunkenness, as the word signifies. And tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant — Which shows their dreadful security and contempt of God, and of his judgments, and their abandoning of all care of their own or the people’s souls.

Ver. 12. Fetch wine. The princes, priests and prophets, drunk in time of danger, like wicked men, and filled themselves with strong drink, as in chap. 28:7, 8.

12. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine — The canine figure is dropped, but the same sensual character in the religious teachers is kept up. Drunkenness is now the vice charged. Strong drink — On this, see note on Isaiah 5:11. The disgrace attending this vice among the clergy of this day and of this land is its rightful punishment. Any man who makes a beast of himself by habits of indulgence in intoxicating drinks, becomes a moral outcast in all good circles of society; but much more the religious teacher when caught in this vice. As respects such inebriates, it would seem from Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34; and Zechariah 11, that about the same estimate was anciently held respecting these characters as now. Objects of pity they are indeed, but of moral respectability, not at all. They are, however, worthy of all aid to secure their rescue.