Isa 48:1 | Clarke | e4.org | CHAPTER XLVIII The Jews reproved for their obstinate attachment to idols, notwithstanding their experience of the Divine providence over them; and of the Divine prescience that revealed by the prophets the most remarkable events which concerned them, that they should not have the least pretext for ascribing any portion of their success to their idols , 1-8. The Almighty, after bringing them to the furnace for their perverseness, asserts his glorious sovereignty, and repeats his gracious promises of deliverance and consolation , 9-11. Prophecy concerning that individual (Cyrus) who shall be an instrument in the hand of God of executing his will on Babylon, and his power on the Chaldeans; and the idols of the people are again challenged to give a like proof of their foreknowledge , 12-16. Tender and passionate exclamation of Jehovah respecting the hardened condition of the Jewish nation, to which the very pathetic exclamation of the Divine Saviour when he wept over Jerusalem may be considered a striking parallel , 17-19. Notwithstanding the repeated provocations of the house of Israel, Jehovah will again be merciful to them. They are commanded to escape from Babylon; and God's gracious favour towards them is beautifully represented by images borrowed from the exodus from Egypt , 20, 21. Certain perdition of the finally impenitent , 22. It will be proper here to remark that many passages in this chapter, and indeed the general strain of these prophecies, have a plain aspect to a restoration of the Church in the latter days upon a scale much greater than the world has yet witnessed, when the very violent fall of Babylon the Great, mentioned in the Revelation, of which the Chaldean capital was an expressive type, shall introduce by a most tremendous political convulsion , ( ,) that glorious epoch of the Gospel, which forms so conspicuous a part of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and has been a subject of the prayers of all saints in all ages . NOTES ON CHAP. XLVIII Verse 1. Are come forth out of the waters of Judah -"Ye that flow from the fountain of Judah"] mimmey , "from the waters." Perhaps mimmeey , "from the bowels," SO many others have conjectured, or meni yehudah , or meyhudah , "from Judah."- Secker . But see Michaelis in Praelect, not. 22. And we have eyn yaakob , "the fountain of Jacob," , and mimmekor yishrael , "from the fountain of Israel," . Twenty-seven MSS. of Kennicott's , six of De Rossi's and two of my own, with six editions, have meymey , "from the days;" which makes no good sense.

‏ Isaiah 48:1

CHAPTER XLVIII

The Jews reproved for their obstinate attachment to idols, notwithstanding their experience of the Divine providence over them; and of the Divine prescience that revealed by the prophets the most remarkable events which concerned them, that they should not have the least pretext for ascribing any portion of their success to their idols, 1-8.

The Almighty, after bringing them to the furnace for their perverseness, asserts his glorious sovereignty, and repeats his gracious promises of deliverance and consolation, 9-11.

Prophecy concerning that individual (Cyrus) who shall be an instrument in the hand of God of executing his will on Babylon, and his power on the Chaldeans; and the idols of the people are again challenged to give a like proof of their foreknowledge,

12-16.

Tender and passionate exclamation of Jehovah respecting the hardened condition of the Jewish nation, to which the very pathetic exclamation of the Divine Saviour when he wept over Jerusalem may be considered a striking parallel, 17-19.

Notwithstanding the repeated provocations of the house of Israel, Jehovah will again be merciful to them. They are commanded to escape from Babylon; and God's gracious favour towards them is beautifully represented by images borrowed from the exodus from Egypt, 20, 21.

Certain perdition of the finally impenitent, 22.

It will be proper here to remark that many passages in this chapter, and indeed the general strain of these prophecies, have a plain aspect to a restoration of the Church in the latter days upon a scale much greater than the world has yet witnessed, when the very violent fall of Babylon the Great, mentioned in the Revelation, of which the Chaldean capital was an expressive type, shall introduce by a most tremendous political convulsion, (Re 16:17-21,)

that glorious epoch of the Gospel, which forms so conspicuous a part of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and has been a subject of the prayers of all saints in all ages.

NOTES ON CHAP. XLVIII

Verse 1. Are come forth out of the waters of Judah-"Ye that flow from the fountain of Judah"] mimmey, "from the waters." Perhaps mimmeey, "from the bowels," SO many others have conjectured, or meni yehudah, or meyhudah, "from Judah."-Secker. But see Michaelis in Praelect, not. 22. And we have eyn yaakob, "the fountain of Jacob," De 33:28, and mimmekor yishrael, "from the fountain of Israel," Ps 68:27. Twenty-seven MSS. of Kennicott's, six of De Rossi's and two of my own, with six editions, have meymey, "from the days;" which makes no good sense.