“Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! overcome: Heb. broken”
Ephraim. That is, the kingdom of the ten tribes. (Challoner) — Flower. The pride of the kingdom shall thus decay. (Menochius) — Head. Samaria, situated on a hill, having under it a most fertile valley. (Challoner) — See Amos ii. 6., and iv. 2. Samaria was taken in the sixth year of Ezechias.
“Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.”
The Lord. By his instrument, Salmanasar. (Haydock) — Hebrew, “behold the strong one, and the mighty to the Lord, as,” &c. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “behold the Lord’s fury….as.” (Haydock)
“And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. eateth: Heb. swalloweth”
Up. Theglathphalassar was captivated with the beauty of the country, and made it tributary. But Salmanasar, fearing a revolt, destroyed it, 4 Kings xvii. 4.
“In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,”
People, who returned to the service of God; or it refers to the kingdom of Juda.
“And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.”
Gate. Ezechias reunited the divided kingdoms, and inspired his troops with courage, bringing them back victorious, 2 Paralipomenon xxx. 1., and 4 Kings xviii. 7. (Calmet)
“But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.”
These also. The kingdom of Juda. (Challoner) — Ezechias could not correct every abuse; though what is here specified, regards rather the reigns of his successors.
“For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.”
Place. All was defiled: they gloried in their shame.
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. doctrine: Heb. the hearing?”
Breasts? St. Paul seems to allude to this text, 1 Corinthians iii. 2. (Calmet) — The abandoned Jews ask contemptuously, if they be to be taught like children? (Haydock)
“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: must be: or, hath been”
Command, &c. This is said in the person of the Jews, resisting the repeated commands of God, and still putting him off. (Challoner) — They deride the prophets, speaking words of no meaning, as if their predictions were no better. (St. Jerome) — Think they that we have to learn the first elements, or to join syllables together? (Calmet) — Hebrew Tsav latsav, &c. (Haydock) — The Nicholaites abused these words. (St. Epiphanius 25.) — Why do they not speak plain? Sometimes terrible things are denounced, then subjects of joy! Isaias answers, that since they pretend not to understand, God will lead them into a country where they shall indeed have to learn the language, like children, chap. xxix. 11. (Calmet) — Protestants, “for precept must be upon precept….line upon line….here a little, and there a little. For with stammering lips,” &c. (Haydock)
“To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
Hear. To leave off their wicked practices, and cruelty. The Jews would not understand: therefore Christ spoke to them in parables, chap. vi. 9., and Matthew xiii. 14., &c.
“But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
Taken. God will make his prophets speak, notwithstanding your repugnance; or he will reduce you to the necessity of learning an unknown language. (Calmet)
“Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.”
Men, who make a parade of your knowledge, (Haydock) to turn the most sacred things into ridicule.
“Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through , it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:”
Protected. Their conduct spoke this language. They would not fail to make alliances with Egypt, and to trust in idols, whatever the prophets might say to dissuade them. (Calmet)
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
Stone. Christ. (Challoner) — The Jews and Grotius would apply it to Ezechias. But he was already on the throne, and never could realize these glorious promises. The people were not to believe in him, &c. (Calmet) — Hasten. Let him expect his coming with patience. (Challoner) — It would be delayed some time. Hebrew may also signify “stagger;” (Calmet) in which sense the Septuagint and the authors of the New Testament seem to have taken it. “Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded.” See Romans ix. 33. (Haydock) — Isaias promises a Redeemer, though these people were unworthy; and then returns to his own times. (Menochius)
“Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.”
Measure. In the days of the Redeemer, they shall lead a virtuous life, (Calmet) or the scorners shall be treated with rigour. — Protection. The wall, (Menochius) or lies, (ver. 15.; Calmet) on which you depend, shall turn to your confusion. (Haydock)
“From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. to: or, when he shall make you to understand doctrine”
Hear. Under the last kings of Juda, the misery was continual. Captivity opened the eyes of the people, and they were afterwards more docile. The murder of Christ, and the subsequent evils which befell the nation, seem to have had a quite different effect. They will at last submit to his yoke. (Calmet)
“For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.”
Straitened. It is too narrow to hold two: God will have the bed of our heart all to himself. (Challoner) (1 Corinthians x. 20., and 2 Corinthians vi. 14.) (St. Jerome, &c.) — The Jews explain it of the utmost distress, to which the people would be reduced, so that they would not be able to assist a friend, Amos iii. 12. (Forcr.[Forerius?]) (Calmet)
“For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.”
As in, &c. As the Lord fought against the Philistines in Baal Pharasim, (2 Kings v.) and against the Chanaanites, in the valley of Gabaon, Josue x. (Challoner) — Strange. He punished unwillingly. (Calmet) — “It is not God’s work to ruin what he has created.” (St. Jerome) — He will punish in an extraordinary manner those scoffers, ver. 15., and Numbers xvi. 29. (Piscator)
“Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.”
Earth. Nabuchodonosor will take a complete and speedy vengeance, chap. x. 22.
“Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?”
Sow. The works of the husbandman vary, so will God’s punishments be inflicted with measure, according to each one’s deserts, ver. 27., and Wisdom vi. 7. (Calmet)
“When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place? the principal: or, the wheat in the principal place, and barley in the appointed place rie: or, spelt place: Heb. border?”
Gith. Heberw ketsach. Septuagint, melanthion. (Haydock) (Pliny, [Natural History?] xx. 17.) (Menochius) — Septuagint have not expressed all the terms of the original, (Haydock) being perhaps ignorant of their meaning. (St. Jerome)
“For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. For: or, And he bindeth it in such sort as his God doth teach him”
God. From him proceeds every useful invention. The pagans attributed the discovery of corn, &c., to their idols.
“For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.”
Saws, or heavy instruments. It would be thus crushed too much. (Calmet)
“Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.”
But. Septuagint, “it shall be eaten with bread. For I will not be angry with you for ever, nor shall the sounds of my bitter wrath trample upon you.” (Haydock)
“This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.”
This also, &c. Such also is the proceeding of the Lord with his land, and the diverse seeds he sows therein. (Challoner)