“Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. of the nations: or, populous”
Loaded. Theglathphalassar took away whole tribes, (2 Paralipomenon v. 26.) the year after this. Yet these people were the first enlightened with the rays of the gospel, (Matthew iv. 13.) though so much despised, John vii. 52. (Calmet) — Here Christ preached first. But after his passion, few Jews believed in him. (Worthington)
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Risen. The kingdom of Juda hoped for redress, when they saw the people of Israel humbled, (Haydock) or rather after the defeat of Sennacherib. (Calmet)
“Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. not: or, to him”
And hast. Parkhurst says it should be, “(whom) thou hast not brought up (the Gentiles) with joy they,” &c. (Symmachus) (Haydock) — The numerous forces of the Assyrians could not save them from the angel. Under Ezechias the people increased. Was not his reign a figure of the Church persecuted and increasing: but on that account, in danger from a relaxation of discipline? (Luke v. 7.) — Spoils. They shall return thanks to God for the unexpected liberation.
“For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For: or, When thou brakest”
Oppressor. Who levied taxes for Assyria, 4 Kings xviii. 7. Sennacherib made war, because Ezechias refused to pay them any longer, and his troops fell upon each other, (Calmet) as the Madianites had done, Judges vii. (Haydock)
“For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For: or, When the whole battle of the warrior was, etc but: or, and it was, etc fuel: Heb. meat”
Fire. Being cut and useless. See Diss. on the defeat of Sennacherib. (Calmet)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Child. The Messias, whom the son of Isaias prefigured. — Shoulder. Where the badges of royalty were worn. (Calmet) — Christ bore his cross. (Tertullian, &c.) — Wonderful. In his birth, &c. — Counsellor. From whom all good advice proceeds. Grotius falsely translates, “the consulter of the strong God,” meaning Ezechias. Though he deemed the Socinians unworthy of the Christian name, (Ep. ad Valleum.) he too often sides with them. Johets always means one who “gives counsel,” chap. xl. 13. Ezechias was at this time ten years old, and he did not always take advice, nor was his reign peaceful, &c. — God. The three Greek versions maliciously render El “the strong,” though it be uncertain that it ever has that meaning, as it certainly has not when joined with gibbor, “mighty.” Why should two terms of the same import be used? The Septuagint copies vary much. Some read only, “he shall be called the angel of the great council, for I will bring peace upon the princes and his health.” St. Jerome thinks they were afraid to style the child God. But this reason falls to the ground, as other copies have, (Calmet) after council, “Wonderful, Counsellor, God, the Mighty, the Potent, exousiaszes, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come, for, &c., (7.) His.” Grabe (de Vitiis lxx. p. 29.) asserts that the former is the genuine version, and that the inserted titles are a secondary one; so that there must have been two version before the days of Aquila, as the text is thus quoted at large by Clement and St. Iræneus, the year of the Lord 180; Kennicott adds also by St. Ignatius, the year of the Lord 110. (Haydock) — The omnipotent God became a little child, and without violence subdued the world, which he still governs. (Worthington)
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Peace. Christ gives it, and propagates his Church, Hebrews xii. 2.
“The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.”
Word. Septuagint, “death.” This also agrees with the Hebrew term, and with the context.
“And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,”
Cedars. They speak in a proverbial way, that they will shortly repair the injuries done by the Assyrians depending on king Osee.
“Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; join: Heb. mingle”
Him. Israel. Salmanasar came to ruin the kingdom. (Calmet)
“The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. open: Heb. whole”
Still. God punishes the impenitent throughout eternity, ver. 12., and chap. x. 4. (Worthington)
“Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.”
Him. Hebrew, “the branch and the rush.” (Calmet) — Septuagint, “the great and the small.”
“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. the leaders: or, they that call them blessed led of: or, called blessed of destroyed: Heb. swallowed up”
Headlong. If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch, Matthew xv. 14. (Haydock)
“Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. folly: or, villany”
Folly. Sin. They are all guilty. He will shew no compassion.
“For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.”
High. All shall witness the fall of Israel, (Calmet) like a forest on fire. (Haydock)
“Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother. fuel: Heb. meat”
Brother. Civil wars shall rage, 4 Kings xv. Josephus (Jewish Wars vii.) perhaps alluded to this passage, when he said, that an ancient prophecy announced ruin to the Jews, when they should turn their arms against each other. (Calmet)