Isaiah 31

WO to them that go down to Egypt for help As the Iews did contrary to God's Command, Deut. 17. 16. and 28. 68., and stay on horses For Egypt had many and choice Horses., and trust in chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they are very strong: but they look not unto the holy one of Israel, neither seek the LORD Their confidence in the Creature was accompanied with, and did produce a distrust of God, and a neglect of seeking to Him by Prayer for His help..

Yet he also is wise You think you are wise, and act wisely in ingaging the Egyptians, who are a wise and warlike People, to help you; but God is not inferiour to them in Wisdome nor in Strength, but much their Superior; and therefore you have done foolishly, and wickedly in preferring them before Him., and will bring evil Will execute His Judgments upon you, notwithstanding all that you, or your Allies the Egyptians, can do to hinder it, and will not call back his words His Threatnings denounced against you, but will infallibly Execute them.: but will arise Though at present He sit still, yet He will bestir himself and Fight. against the house of evil doers Against this wicked and rebellious People of the Iews., and against the help The helpers, as it is explained in the next Verse: The Abstract being put for the Concrete. of them that work iniquity.

Now the Egyptians are men and not God And therefore utterly unable to defend you, either without or against my Will., and their horses flesh Weak and frail, as that word signifies, Psal. 78. 39. Heb. 5. 7. and elsewhere., and not spirit Not like spiritual Substances, such as the Angels, who are immortal, and invisible by Men; whereof we have Instances, Exod. 12. 29, 30. Isa. 37. 36., when the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

For Or, But: or, Nevertheless, as this particle is elsewhere used, as has been proved before. Although you have done evil in sending to Egypt for help, and they shall not be able to help you; yet the Lord himself will, of His own Grace, and for the Glory of His own Name, give you that Help and Deliverance which you do not deserve, and have no reason to expect from Him. And therefore desist from those evil Counsels and Courses as those which are both unnecessary and pernicious. thus has the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey When He is ready to seize upon it, and devour it., when a multitude of shepheards is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself It has been observed of Lions, That when they are pursued, they do not run away with all speed, as other Creatures do, but march away slowly, and make an honourable Retreat. for the noise of them, so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for Although this Hebrew particle might be rendred against; and so this place might be understood of God's fighting against the Iews and Egyptians, of which He speaks, ver. 3. yet it is better rendred, for, as it is taken in many other places, as is manifest from the following similitude and verse. mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

As birds flying Which come from above, and so cannot be kept off, which fly swiftly, and ingage themselves valiantly and resolutely, when they perceive, that their young Ones are in eminent danger.... e seems to allude, and to oppose this to those boasting Expressions of the Assyrian, Isa. 10. 14. compare Deut. 32. 11, 12. Mat. 23. 37. so will the LORD of hosts defend Ierusalem, defending also he will deliver it, and passing over The destroying Angel shall pass over Ierusalem untouched, and shall fall upon the Assyrians. He seems to allude to the History of God's passing over, and sparing the Houses of the Israelites, when He slew the Egyptians, in which this Word is constantly used, Exod. 12. 12, 22, 26. he will preserve it.

Turn ye unto him Let the consideration of this gracious Promise ingage you to repent of your carnal Policies, in seeking and trusting to Egypt for Help, and sincerely to return to God. from whom the children of Israel Either 1. the Israelites, strictly so called, who are now utterly Destroyed for their Apostacy; and therefore take heed that you do not follow their Example. Or 2. you Iews, who are the Children of Israel: which Title, he here gives them, partly to admonish them of their great and many Obligations to God; and partly to aggravate the Sin of their Apostacy. have deeply revolted In neglecting and forsaking Him, and seeking to Egypt for Help; which he calls a deep revolt, partly because it was an hainous Sin, being contrary to God's express Command, and highly dishonourable to God: And partly because it was carried on with deep Dissimulation, and with a publick Profession of cleaving to God, and with a design of Seeking deep to hide this their counsel from the Lord, wherewith He charged this People, Isa. 29. 15..

For in that day every Man shall cast away his idols For when the Assyrian shall invade your Land, you shall find the vanity of those Idols, to which you have trusted; and therefore shall cast them away with indignation, and be forced to seek to Me for Help. So this is added, as an Argument to persuade them to practise his Counsel of turning to God. of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin Which you have made as Instruments of your sin of Idolatry. Or, Which your sinful hands (by a common Hebraisme, called hands of sin) have made for you. Or, the sin (as an Idol is called, Deut, 9. 21:) which your hands have made for you. So there is only a Transposition of one Word, which is very usual in the Hebrew Text..

Then When you have cast away your Idols, and seriously sought to Me for Help; both which things were performed by Hezekiah. shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man, and the sword, not of a mean man By the Sword, not of any Man, either mean or mighty, but of an Angel. shall devour him, but he shall flee from the sword From, or for fear of, that Plague which so strangely and suddenly destroyed his Army., and his young men Heb. his choice young men, his Guards, and valiant Commanders and Souldiers. shall be discomfited. e Heb. shall melt away, a great part of them being Destroyed by the Angel; and the Hearts of the rest melting for fear.

And he shall pass over to his strong hold Sennacherib shall flee away, with all speed, from Ierusalem, to his strong City of Nineveh, Isa. 37. 37. Or, as it is in the Margent, and as the Words lie in the Hebrew Text, his rock (i. e. his Strength, the greatest Champions of his Army, to whom he trusted) shall pass away (shall flee with all speed from Ierusalem) for fear, lest the Sword of the destroying Angel should overtake them. for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign Either 1. of any Ensign. This dreadful Judgment shall strike them with such a Terror, that they shall not dare to look any Enemy in the Face. Or 2. of the Lord's Ensign, which He has lifted up against them., says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion So the Sense is, Either 1. whose Fire is continually burning upon the Altar in Zion; which signifies his Presence and Residence there. Or rather 2. who is, and will appear to be in Zion, like a Fire to defend his People, and to consume their Enemies; for which end God promiseth, That He would be u... o Ierusalem a wall of fire round about, Zech. 2. 5. And that He would make the Governours of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a Torch of fire in a sheaf; and that they should devour all the people round about. Possibly these, and the following Words, may be thus rendred, and that very agreeable to the Hebrew words, Who will be a fire (to wit, a consuming Fire) to him (to the King of Assyria, of whom he is here speaking) in Zion (from whence he will send forth that Fire which shall consume his Army: Or, for Zion, for Zion's sake; for the Prefix here rendred in, frequently signifies for, as has been proved) and a furnace to him in or for Ierusalem. But this I only propose, leaving it to the Judgment of the intelligent Reader., and his furnace in Ierusalem The same thing repeated in other Words..