29. This also cometh, &c. That is, this skill, or wisdom in gathering his harvest; these various devices for threshing his grain come from the Lord no less than the skill with which he tills his land. See ver. 26. ¶ Which is wonderful in counsel. Who is so wise in his plans as to excite our admiration. And excellent in working.

.תּוּשִׁיָּה his wisdom הגדיל Or rather who magnifies or makes great

This word properly means wisdom, or understanding. Job xi. 6, xii. 16, xxvi. 3, Prov. iii. 21, viii. 14, xviii. 1. The idea of the prophet is, that God who had so wisely taught the husbandman, and who had instructed him to use such various methods in his husbandry, would also be himself wise, and would pursue similar methods with his people. He would not always pursue the same unvarying course, but would vary his dispensations as they should need, and as would best secure their holiness and happiness. We sce (1.) The reason of afflictions. It is for the same reason which induces the farmer to employ various methods on his farm. (2.) We are not to expect the same unvarying course in God's dealings with us. It would be as unreasonable as to expect that the farmer would be always ploughing, or always threshing. (3.) We are not to expect always the same kind of afflictions. The farmer uses different machines and modes to thresh his grain; and adapts them to the nature of the grain. So God uses different modes and adapts them to the nature, character and disposition of his people. One man requires one mode of discipline, and another another. At one time we need one mode of correction to call us from one kind of sin and temptation; at another another. We may lay it down as a general rule that the divine judgments are usually in the line of our offences; and by the nature of the judgment we may usually ascertain the nature of the sin. If a man's besetting sin is pride, the judgment will usually be something that is fitted to humble his pride; if it be covetousness, his property may be removed, or it may be made a curse; if it be undue attachment to children or friends, those friends may be removed. (4.) God will not crush, or destroy his people. The farmer does not crush or destroy his grain. In all the various methods which he uses, he takes care not to pursue it too far, and not to injure the grain. The straw is cut fine; but the grain is not crushed or destroyed. So with God's dealings with his people. It is not to destroy them; but it is to separate the chaff from the wheat; and he will afflict them only so much as may be necessary to accomplish this. He will not be always

bruising his people; but will in due time remit his strokes-just as the thresher does. (5.) We should, therefore, bear afflictions and chastisements with patience. God is good, and wise. He deals with us in mercy and the design of all his dealings with us in prosperity and adversity; in sickness and in health; in success and disappointment is, to produce the richest and most abundant fruits of righteousness, and to prepare us to enter into his kingdom above.

CHAPTER XXIX.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.

THIS chaptér relates solely to Jerusalem-here called Ariel. See Note on ver. 1. It is not immediately connected with the preceding, or the following chapters, though it is not improbable they were delivered about the same time. At what time this was delivered is not known, though it is evident that it was before the invasion by Sennacherib, and probably before the time of Hezekiah. The prophecy in the chapter consists of two parts. 1. The invasion of Judea by Sennacherib, and its sudden deliverance, ver. 1-8; and II. A reproof of the Jews for their prevalent infidelity and impiety.

1. The invasion of Judea, and the distress that would be brought upon Jerusalem, and its sudden deliverance. v. 1-8.

vs. 1, 2.

(a.) Ariel would be filled with grief and distress. (b.) JEHOVAH Would encamp against it and besiege it, and it would be greatly straitened and humbled vs. 3, 4.

(c.) Yet the besieging army would be visited with sudden calamity and destruction-represented here by thunder and tempest and flame. vs. 5, 6. (d.) The enemy would vanish as a dream, and all his hopes would be disappointed, as the hopes of a hungry and thirsty man are disappointed who dreams of having satisfied his hunger and thirst. vs. 7, 8.

There can be no doubt, I think, that this portion of the prophecy refers to the invasion, and the sudden and dreadful overthrow of Sennacherib; and the design of this portion of the prophecy is to give the assurance that though Jerusalem would be attacked, and in imminent danger, yet it would be suddenly delivered.

II. The second part consists of reproofs of the inhabitants of Jerusalem for their infidelity and impiety.

ver. 9.

(a.) They were full of error, and all classes of people were wandering from God-reeling under error like a drunken man. (b.) A spirit of blindness and stupidity every where prevailed among the people. vs. 10-12.

(c.) Formality and external regard for the institutions of religion prevailed, but without its life and power.

v. 13.

(d.) They attempted to lay deep and skilful plans to hide their wickedness from JEHOVAH. ver. 15.

(e.) They were unjust in their judgments; making a man an offender for a word, and perverting just judgment. ver. 21.

(f.) For all this they should be punished. (1.) The wisdom of their wise men should fail. ver. 14. (2.) The scorner would be consumed.

ver. 20.

(g.) There would be an overturning, and the people would be made acquainted with the law of God, and the truly pious would be comforted. vs. 16-19. Those who had erred would be reformed, and would come to the true knowledge of God. vs. 22-24.

1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, 2 the city | where David dwelt! add ye year to 1 or, O Ariel, i. e. the lion of God. 2 or, of the city. year; let them 3 kill sacrifices.

f2 Sam. 5. 9.

3 cut off the heads.

New Translation.

VISION XXIV, CHAP. XXIX. Jerusalem.

1. Wo to Ariel, to Ariel,

The city where David dwelt!

Add year to year;

Let the festivals go round.

1. Wo. Comp. Note ch. xviii. 1. ¶ To Ariel. There can be no doubt that Jerusalem is here intended. The declaration that it was the city where David dwelt, as well as the entire scope of the prophecy proves this. But still, it is not quite clear why the city is here called Ariel. The margin reads, "O Ariel, i. e. the lion of God." The word Ariel is evidently compounded of two words, and is usually supposed to be made up of a lion, and God; and if this interpretation is the true one, it is equivalent to a strong, mighty, fierce lion-where the word "God" is used to denote greatness in the same way as the lofty cedars of Lebanon are called cedars of God; i. e. lofty cedars. The lion is an emblem of strength; and a strong lion is an emblem of a mighty warrior or hero. 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. "He slew two lion-like (7) men of Moab." 1 Chron. xi. 22. This use of the word to denote a hero is common in Arabic. See Bochart Hieroz. P. i. Lib. iii. c. i. If this be the sense in which it is used here, then it is applied to Jerusalem under the image of a hero, and particularly as the place which was distinguished under David as the capital of a kingdom that was so celebrated for its triumphs in war. The word" Ariel" is however used in another sense in the Scriptures, to denote the altar-meaning the altar of God. Ezek. xliii. 15, 16. In the Heb. the word is Ariel. This name is given to the altar, Bochart supposes (Hieroz. P. i. Lib. iii. c. i.), because the altar of burnt-offering devours as it were the sacrifices as a lion devours its prey. Gesenius, however, has suggested

another reason why the word is given to the altar, since he says that the word is the same as one used in Arabic to denote a fire-hearth, and that the altar was so called because it was the place of perpetual burnt-offering. The name Ariel, is, doubtless, given in Ezekiel to an altar; and it may be given here to Jerusalem because it was the place of the altar, or of the public worship of God. The Chaldee renders it," Wo to the altar, the altar which was constructed in the city where David dwelt." It seems to me that this view better suits the connection, and particularly ver. 2, (see Note) than to suppose that the name is given because Jerusalem was like a lion. If this be the true interpretation, then it is so called because Jerusalem was the place of the burnt-offering, and of the public worship of God; the place where the fire, as on an hearth, continually burned on the altar. The city where David dwelt. David took the hill of Zion from the Jebusites, and made it his dwelling place, and the capital of his kingdom. 2 Sam. v. 6-9. Lowth renders this, "the city which David besieged." So the LXX (moλéunds), and so the Vulgate (expugnavit). The word properly means to encamp, to pitch one's tent (Gen. xxvi. 17,) to station one's self. It is also used in the sense of encamping against any one, that is, to make war upon or to attack (see ver. 3, and Ps. xxvii. 3, 2 Sam. xii. 28); and Jerome and others have supposed that it has this meaning here in accordance with the interpretation of the LXX and the Vulgate. But the more correct idea is probably that in our translation, that David pitched his tent there; that is, that he made it his dwelling place. Add ye year to year. That is, 'go on year after year, suffer one year to glide on after another in the course which you are pursuing.' This seems to be used ironically, and to denote that they were going on one year after another in the observance of the feasts; walking the round of external ceremonies as if all were safe, and as if the fact that David had dwelt there, and that that was the place of the great altar of worship, constituted perfect security. One of the sins charged on them in this chapter was formality and heartlessness in their devotions (ver. 13), and this seems to be referred to here. Let them kill sacrifices. Marg. "cut off the heads." The word here used, and rendered “kill,” may mean to smite; to hew; to cut down (Isa. x. 34, Job xix. 26). But it has also another signification which better accords with this place. It denotes to make a circle, to revolve; to go round a place (Josh. vi. 3, 11); to surround (1 Kings vii. 24, Ps. xxii. 17, VOL. II.*

29

2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there | shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

New Translation.

2. Yet I will bring distress upon Ariel,

And there shall be mourning and sorrow;

And it shall be unto me as the hearth of the great altar.

6

2 Kings vi. 14, Ps. xvii. 9, lxxxviii. 18). The word rendered sac. rifices may mean a sacrifice (Ps. cxviii. 27, Ex. xxiii. 18, Mal. ii. 3), but it more commonly and properly denotes feasts or festivals. Ex. x. 9, xii. 14, Lev. xxiii. 39, Deut. xvi. 10, 16, 1 Kings viii. 2, 65, 2 Chron. vii. 8, 9, Neh. viii. 14, Hos. ii. 11, 13. Here the sense is, let the festivals go round;' that is, let them revolve as it were in a perpetual, unmeaning circle-as if all were acceptable to God, and you were safe, until the judgments due to such heartless service shall come upon you. The whole address is evidently ironical and sarcastic, and designed to denote that all their service was an unvarying repetition of heartless forms.

2. Yet I will distress Ariel. The reference is doubtless to the siege which God says (ver. 3.) he would bring upon the guilty and formal city. And there shall be heaviness and sorrow. This was true of the city in the siege of Sennacherib, to which this probably refers. Though the city was delivered in a sudden and remarkable manner (sce Note on ver. 7, 8), yet it was also true that it was reduced to great distress by the siege. See ch. xxxvi. xxxvii. ¶ And it shall be unto me as Ariel. This phrase shows that in ver. 1, Jerusalem is called "Ariel," probably because it contained the great altar, and was the place of sacrifice, and of public worship. The word Ariel here is to be understood in the sense of the hearth of the great altar; and the meaning is, I will indeed make Jerusalem like the great altar; I will make it the burning place of wrath where my enemies shall be consumed as if they were on the altar of burnt sacrifice.' Thus in ch. xxx. 9, it is said of JEHOVAH that his "fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem." This is a strong expression denoting the calamity that should come upon them; and though the main reference in this whole passage is to the distress that would come upon them in the invasion of Sennacherib, yet there is no impropriety in supposing that there was presented to the mind of the prophet in vision the image of the total ruin that would come yet upon the city by the Chaldeans—