Isaiah 32

BEhold, a king b shall reign Therefore Hezekiah was not King when this Prophecy was delivered. And whereas some say, That he speaks of the good Government of Hezekiah, after the Destruction of Sennacherib; it is easy to observe, That his Government was as good before that time as afterward; and that in the very beginning of his Reign, he Ruled with Righteousness, and the fear of God as the History plainly declareth. in righteousness, and princes The Ministers of State, and Justice, and War, under the King. For a wise and good King will take care to have like Ministers. shall rule in judgment. a This seems to me to be a distinct Prophecy from the former, and delivered at another time, and probably before that which is related in the former Chapters. For this is certain, and confessed by all, That the Prophecies are not always set down in that order, in which the Prophets delivered them. The foregoing Prophecy seems to have been delivered, not in the time of Ahaz, for he sent to the Assyrian, and not to the Egyptian, for Help; but in the days of Hezekiah, who Rebelled against the King of Assyria, as is said, 2 Kings 18. 7. and was too prone to trust upon the staff of Egypt, as the Assyrian expressly chargeth him there, ver 21. To which Course it is likely he was drawn or tempted by some of his wicked Princes and Counsellours, whom the Prophet therefore severely censures and condemns in the two foregoing Chapters. And this seems to have been delivered in the time of Ahaz, and to speak of Hezekiah, and of his righteous and happy Government; but withal, as Hezekiah and his Reign, was an eminent Type of Christ, and of His Kingdom; so this Prophecy looks thorough Hezekiah unto Christ, as many other Scriptures in their literal Sense do unquestionably concern David, which yet have a mystical Sense, and are also meant of Christ, in whom those things were more f... lly and eminently accomplished. Hezekiah, a Type of Christ, and Christ Typified by him.

And a man Either 1. the Man or King spoken of. Or 2. each or every one, to wit, of his Princes. That King shall not patch up an old Garment with new Cloth, nor mingle good and bad together; but shall take care to purge out all the corrupt Magistrates, and, as far as he can, to settle good Ones in all places. A man is oft put for every or any man, as Isa. 2. 20. and 3. 5, 6. and elsewhere. shall be as an hiding place Unto the People under their Government, especially to such as are oppressed or injured, by those who are more Potent than they. from the wind From the rage and violence of evil Men., and a covert from the tempest: as rivers of water in a dry place No less refreshing and acceptable shall this King and his Princes be to their Subjects., as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land In a dry and scorched Country, which is called weary here, as also Psal. 63. 1. Metonymically, because it makes Travellers weary, as death is called pale in other Authors, because it makes men's Faces pale..

And the eyes of them that see, shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear, shall hearken This is meant, Either 1. of the Princes or Magistrates, who are instead of Eyes and Ears, both to the King, and to the People, who, by their office, are to see and observe all things, and to hear all Causes. These, says he, shall not shut their Eyes, nor suffer them to be blinded with Gifts, to favour a rich Man in an unjust Cause; they shall not shut their Ears against the Complaints of the poor oppressed Ones, as wicked Princes commonly do. Or 2. of the People, they shall not shut their Eyes and Ears against the good Counsels and Examples of their Religious King and Rulers, as they have done formerly: Both Princes and People shall be reformed. This was done in some poor measure in Hezekiah's time; but far more fully and eminently in the days of the Messiah, who, by his grace, changeth Men's Hearts, and cureth them of that wilful and obstinate Blindness, whereof they had been Guilty before. Which clearly shows, That this Prophecy looks through Hezekiah unto Christ. And the like may be said of the following Verse..

The heart also of the rash Who were hasty and heady in judging of Things; which is an Argument of Ignorance and Folly. shall understand knowledge Shall become more knowing and considerate in their Judgments and Actions., and the tongue of the stammerers That used to speak of the Things of God, darkly, and doubtfully, and unwillingly. As Men's Understandings shall then be enlightned, so their Speech shall be reformed. Which though it was in part fulfilled in Hezekiah; this Reformation being effected in some measure by his Counsel and Example, and by the powerful Preaching of the Levites, whom he excited and encouraged to Teach the good knowledge of the Lord, as is said, 2 Chron. 30. 22. yet was truly and fully accomplished only by Christ, who wrought this wonderful Change in an innumerable company both of Iews and Gentiles. shall be ready to speak plainly.

The vile person Base and worthless Men. Heb. the fool: which in Scripture-use commonly signifies a wicked Man. shall be no more called liberal Or, Noble, or a Prince, or Lord, as this word is used, Psal. 118. 9. and 146. 3. and elsewhere. The Sense of the place... s, Either 1. Unworthy Men shall not be advanced to places of Honour and Power, as the Seventy, and some others understand it; for, to be called, is oft put in Scripture for, to be, as has been frequently observed. Or 2. vicious and worthless Persons shall no longer be reputed Honourable and Vertuous, because of their high and honourable Places, as commonly they are under wicked Princes, by means of Flatterers; but Wickedness shall be discovered and punished wheresoever it is, and Virtue shall be manifested and rewarded; and all things shall be Managed with sincerity and simplicity: Which was eminently fulfilled under the Gospel; by the Preaching whereof, and by Christ's Spirit, Hypocrites are detected, and Men are enabled to discern between Good and Evil, both Persons and Things., nor the churl The fordid and covetous Man; which is a great Vice in any Man, but especially in Magistrates; who therefore must be Men hating covetousness, Exod. 18. 21. But under this one Vice, all Vices are understood by a Synecdoche, very frequent in Scripture, and in other Authors, as under the opposite Virtue of bountifulness, all Vices are comprehended. said to be bountiful.

For the vile person will speak villany So this is a reason of the Assertion, ver. 5. either thus, Such shal not be Advanced to Places of Trust and Dignity; for if they were, they would abuse them by unjust Sentences and Practises: Or thus, Men shall no longer be miscalled; for every one will discover what he is by his Words and Actions; which also shall be narrowly observed. But these and the following Words are, and may be otherwise rendred: But (as this Particle oft signifies) he shall be called or said to be (which words are easily understood out of the former Verse, as is very frequent in Scripture) a fool, who (which relative Particle is understood in very many places) shall speak villany, and whose heart shall work iniquity, &c., and his heart will work iniquity He will, from time to time, be devising Wickedness, that he may Execute it when he has opportunity., to practise hypocrisy To do bad things,... t with a pretence of Religion and Justice, which he shall use to keep himself from the dis-favour of his Prince, and from the lash of the Law. Or, to practise prophaneness or wickedness, as this Word, at least sometimes, seems to signify., and to utter errour against the LORD To pass un... ust Sentences, which is directly contrary to the Will and Command of God., to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail Whereby they take away the Bread and Drink of the Poor, and give it to their rich Oppressors..

The instruments also of the churl are evil Heb. The vessels, &c. which is a Word of a very general Signification among the Hebrews, and signifies any person or thing, which is employed in a Man's use and service. I say person, for the name of vessel is given to such Persons as are instrumental to another, as to the Babylonians, who were God's instruments in executing His Vengeance, Isa. 13. 5. to God's Ministers, Act. 9. 15. 2 Cor. 4. 5. and to useful Christians, 2 Tim. 2. 20. and to Wives, 1 Pet. 3. 7. And so it may here note, That such covetous or wicked Princes, most willingly choose, and employ wicked Men in their Affairs, because such Men will, without any regard to Conscience or Justice, serve all their exorbitant Desires or Lusts. But withal, it seems to include his Counsels, and Practices, and Arts, which are here declared to be generally Evil. But this Verse is, and may be otherwise rendred, as the former was; And (repeat, he shall be called) a churl (as indeed he is one) whose instruments are evil, and who deviseth, &c. Which agrees with the order of the Words in the Hebrew Text, and with the order of the foregoing Verses: For as he speaks of the vile person, and of the churl, ver. 5. So he gives a Description of the vile Person, ver. 6. and then of the churl, in this Verse., he deviseth wicked devices He useth all his Wit and Art to do Injury to others, without any inconvenience to himself. to destroy the poor with lying words With false and unrighteous Decrees., even when the needy speaketh right When their Cause is just and good..

But the liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand He who is truely Liberal and Vertuous, will show it by designing and practising liberal or vertuous Actions: And he who does so, will not destroy himself thereby, as wicked Men falsly suppose, but establish and advance himself. But this Verse also, as well as the former, is, and may be otherwise rendred: And (repeat, he shall be called, as before) liberal, who deviseth liberal things, and persisteth, or continueth in liberal things. If it be thought strange, That so many Verses should be spent in Affirming that which, in effect, was said, ver. 5. it must be considered, that these Verses do not only contain an Affirmation, that they should be called vile persons, or churles, or liberal, that were so; but also a Description of their Qualities and Practices, which was useful for their Conviction, and for the Instruction of others..

Rise up Bestir, and prepare your selves to hear, as it follows; and shake off Sloth and Carelessness. ye women that are at ease That indulge your selves in Idleness and Luxury., hear my voice ye careless daughters Heb. confident or secure, who are insensible of yo... sin and danger., give ear unto my speech. f The same before called women: Whom he here reproveth, and threatneth for their Sins, as he did the Men before, for seeking to Egypt for Help, and divers other Sins, whereof the Men were most Guilty.

Many days and years Heb. Days above a year, i. e. a year and some days: Which notes, Either 1. the time from this Prophecy to the beginning of this Judgment: Or rather 2. the time of the continuance of it; that it should last for above one Year; as indeed this did, and no longer: For Hezekiah Reigned in all but twenty nine Years, 2 Kings 18. 2. and Sennacherib came in his fourteenth Year; and after his defeat and departure, God promised, and added to him fifteen Years more, 2 Kings 20. 6. shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail During the time of the Assyrian Invasion. And this Commination is here added to qualify the foregoing Promise, and to warn them, that although God would give them so good a King, and there should be some Reformation of their former abuses under the Government of Ahaz; yet as there were many Sins among them, yet not repented of, so they should be severely chastised for them., the gathering To wit, of the other Fruits of the Earth; as that Feast, which was observed after the gathering of all the Fruits, was called the feast of in-gathering, Exod. 23. 16. shall not come.

Tremble ye women that are at ease, be troubled, ye careless ones: strip ye and make ye bare Put off your Ornaments, as God commanded upon a like occasion, Exod. 33. 5. that you may put on Sackcloth instead of them, as Mourners and Penitents used to do., and gird sackcloth upon your loyns.

They shall lament for the teats Either 1. properly, because, through Famine, your Teats are destitute of Milk for the nourishment of your poor Children. Or rather 2. Metaphorically, as the following Words explain it, for the pleasant and fruitful Fields, which like Teats yielded you plentiful and excellent Nourishment, for which the Land was said to flow with milk Ezek. 20. 6. And the Earth being compared to the Womb that bare us, Iob. 1. 21. it is not strange, if its fruitful Fields be compared to the Breasts which nourish us., for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers If any of you think th... e is no great cause for such Trembling and Lamentation, which shall last but for a year and some days; know that this Calamity, by the Assyrians, is but an earnest of further and sorer judgments: For the time is coming, when this Land shall be laid desolate; and instead of Vines and other Fruits, it shall yield nothing but Briers and Thorns: of which, see on Isa. 7. 23, 24., yea upon all the houses of joy Upon that Ground, where now your Houses stand, in which you delight, and take your fill of mirth and pleasure. in the joyous city:

Because the palaces Heb. the palace, the King's House, and other magnificent buildings in the City. shall be forsaken, the multitude of the city shall be left Or rather, shall be forsaken, to wit, of God, and given up into their Enemies hands. And the Verb in the foregoing Clause, may be rendred, shall be left., the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses Desolate places, in which wild Asses delight to be, Iob. 39. 5. Ier. 2. 24., a pasture of flocks.

Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high And this Calamity and Desolation shall, in a manner, continue until the time come, in which God will pour, or, as the Hebrew Word properly signifies, reveal, i. e. evidently and plentifully pour out his spirit from Heaven upon His people. Which was done in some sort upon the return of the People from Babylon, when God, by his Spirit, stirred up the Spirit, both of Cyrus to give them liberty of returning to Ierusalem, and of the people to return and build the City and People: But was far more clearly and fully accomplished in the days of the Messiah. And indeed the promises contained in these, and the following Words and Verses, were not fulfilled upon their coming out of Babylon, after which time they had but a little reviving in their bondage, as is said, Ezra. 9. 8. and continued in servitude and distress under the Pe... sian Emperours, Nehem. 9. 36, 37. and afterward suffered many and grievous Calamities, from the Kings of Syria, and Egypt, and from the Romans: which suits very ill with that glorious Promise here following, ver. 18. And therefore these promises concern the times of the Gospel, when God's Spirit was in a most evident and glorious Manner poured forth upon the Apostles, and other believing Iews, to the Astonishment of their very Adversaries; and when the following Promises were in a good Measure fulfilled, and are more fully to be accomplished in God's due time., and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forrest Which is Allegorically understood. The meaning may be this; God's people, who were desolate and destroyed, shall be Revived and Flourish, and their flourishing Enemies shall be brought to Desolation and Destruction. It may also signify, The Conversion of the barren and despised Gentiles, and the Rejection of the Iews, in the time of the Messiah..

Then judgment Just Judgment, as the next Clause explains it. shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field Justice shall be Executed in all the parts of the Land, both in the barren and fruitful Places, and shall be practised by all My People: Which agrees with that Promise, Isa. 60. 21. Thy people shall be all righteous, &c..

And the work of righteousness shall be peace The effect of this prevailing practice of Righteousness shall be Prosperity and outward Felicity., and the effect of righteousness, quietness Tranquility, both of Mind and outward Estate. and assurance Or, confidence. The observation of God's Precepts will beget in them a confidence, and assurance of God's Mercy, and the fulfilling of his Promises. for ever.

And my people Either the Gentiles, who then shall be My People: Or, the Iews, to whom this Promise shall be made good upon their Conversion to Christ in the latter times of the Gospel. shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places:

When it shall hail, coming down on the forrest Heb. And it shall hail, &c. As my Blessings shall be poured down upon my People, who, from a Wilderness, are turned into a fruitful Field, as it is said, ver. 15. So my Wrath and Judgments (which are signified by hail, Isa. 28. 2, 17. and elsewhere) shall fall upon them, who were a fruitful Field, but are turned into a Forrest, as was said, ver. 15. i. e. upon the unbelieving and rebellious Iews, who seem to be there designed under that Notion., and the city Either 1. Babylon, the great Enemy and Oppressour of Go... 's People. Or 2. Ierusalem, which, though now it was the Seat of God's Worship and People; yet he foresaw, by the Spirit of Prophecy, That it would be the great Enemy of the Messiah, and of God's People. shall be low in a low place Heb. Shall be humbled with humiliation: Which, by an ordinary Hebraisme signifies, Shall be greatly humbled, or brought very low..

Blessed are ye that sow As the barren Forrest shall be destroyed with hail, ver. 19. so the fruitful Field shall be improved, and bring forth much Fruit; which is signified by a Declaration of the blessedness of them that Sow in it. beside all waters In all moyst and fat Grounds, which are like to yield good Fruit. But this passage, as well as others in the foregoing Verses, is to be understood mystically, and seems to respect the times of the Gospel. The Prophet reflecting upon his own unsuccessful Labours, of which he complains, Isa. 49. 4. and elsewhere, and foreseeing by the Spirit, the great and happy Success of his Successors, the Ministers of the Gospel; tacitely bewails his own unhappiness, who sowed his Seed upon dry and barren Ground, by congratulating the happiness of the Apostles, who sowed their Seed more generally, upon all fit Grounds, without any distinction between Iews and Gentiles; and who found the Ground, to wit, the hearts of the people, more moistned and softned, and better prepared to receive the good Seed of God's Word., that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass Which Creatures they employed in plowing and sowing the Ground, Deut. 22. 10. Psal. 144. 14. Isa. 30. 24..