Isaia 30:33 Commento

The prophecy of this chapter seems to relate (as that in the foregoing chapter) to the approaching danger of Jerusalem and desolations of Judah by Sennacherib's invasion. Here is, I. A just reproof to those who, in that distress, trusted to the Egyptians for help, and were all in a hurry to fetch succors from Egypt (Isa 30:1-7). II. A terrible threatening against those who slighted the good advice which God by his prophets gave them for the repose of their minds in that distress, assuring them that whatever became of others the judgment would certainly overtake them (Isa 30:8-17). III. A gracious promise to those who trusted in God, that they should not only see through the trouble, but should see happy days after it, times of joy and reformation, plenty of the means of grace, and therewith plenty of outward good things and increasing joys and triumphs (Isa 30:18-26), and many of these promises are very applicable to gospel grace. IV. A prophecy of the total rout and ruin of the Assyrian army, which should be an occasion of great joy and an introduction to those happy times (Isa 30:27-33).

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 30 This chapter contains a complaint of the Jews for their sins and transgressions; a prophecy of their destruction for them; a promise of grace and mercy, and of happy times, to the saints; and a threatening of utter and dreadful ruin to the wicked. The Jews are complained of for their rebellion against God, their slighting his counsel and protection, their trust in Egypt, and application there for help; whither they went with their riches for safety, but in vain, it being contrary to the will and counsel of God, Isa 30:1 next follows a denunciation of ruin and destruction for these things, rebellion, and lying, and vain confidence, as well as for contempt of the word of God, which, that it might appear sure and certain, is ordered to be written in a book, Isa 30:8 and this ruin is signified by the sudden falling of a wall, and by the breaking of a potter's vessel into pieces, which can never be used more, Isa 30:13 and seeing they rejected the way of salvation proposed by the Lord, and took their own way, first destruction is threatened them, which should be very easily brought about, and become so general, that few should escape it, Isa 30:15 and then promises of grace and mercy are made to them that wait for the Lord, Isa 30:18 such as a dwelling place in Zion, hearing their prayers, granting them teachers to instruct them, and the riddance of idolatry from them, Isa 30:19 and also many outward blessings, as seasonable rain, good bread corn, fat pastures, good food for cattle, and fruitfulness of mountains and hills, Isa 30:23 likewise an amazing degree of spiritual light and glory, and healing of the Lord's people, Isa 30:26 and the chapter is concluded with a threatening Of God's wrath upon the Assyrian, expressed by various similes, as of an angry man, an overflowing torrent, a tempest of thunder, lightning, and hail, and the fire of Tophet, Isa 30:27.

For Tophet is ordained of old,.... The place long ago appointed for the ruin of the Assyrian army, which pitched here: this was a valley near Jerusalem, the valley of the son of Hinnom; so called, from the drums and tabrets beat upon here, to prevent parents hearing the cries of their infants offered to Molech: into it was brought the filth and dung of the city; here malefactors were buried, it is said; and such as were condemned to burning were burned here; and such as had no burial were cast here; so that it was an image and picture of hell itself: and the word "Gehenna", used for hell, comes from "Gehinnom", or the valley of Hinnom, the name of this place; and some think that is here meant, which from all eternity was appointed as the place of torment for wicked men, So the Targum, "for hell is ordained from the worlds (or before the worlds), because of their sins.'' It is in the original, "from yesterday": hence Jarchi interprets it of the second day of the creation, which had a yesterday; on which day the Jews suppose hell was made: and so it is interpreted in the Talmud (p), where it is said to be one of the seven things created before the world was, and is proved from this text; and said to be called Tophet, because whoever is deceived by his imagination (or evil concupiscence) falls into it; See Gill on Mat 25:41 with this compare Jde 1:4, yea, for the king it is prepared; for Sennacherib king of Assyria; that is, for his army, which perished here, though he did not; or for kings, the singular for the plural; for his princes, which, as he boastingly said, were "altogether kings", Isa 10:8 and particularly for Rabshakeh, the general of his army, who might be so called, and was eminently one of these kings. Understood of hell, it may not only be interpreted of Satan, the king and prince of devils, for whom and his angels the everlasting fire of hell is prepared, Mat 25:41 but also of antichrist, the king of the bottomless pit, and of all antichristian kings; see Rev 11:9. Some render it, "by the king it is prepared"; so the Vulgate Latin version; by whom may be meant either Hezekiah, who cleared it from idols and idolatrous worship, and so eventually prepared it to make room for the Assyrian army; or else the King of kings. So the Targum, "the King of worlds (of all worlds) prepared it;'' and he seems manifestly designed in the next clause: he hath made it deep and large; to hold the whole army alive, and to bury them when dead; and so hell is large and deep enough to hold Satan and all his angels, antichrist and all his followers; yea, all the wicked that have been from the beginning of the world, and will be to the end of it: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; alluding to the burning of bodies in this place, and particularly of infants sacrificed to Molech; and refers to the burning of the Assyrian army, either by lightning from heaven, or by the Jews when they found them dead the next morning. In hell, the "fire" is the wrath of God; the "wood" or fuel ungodly men: the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it; the pile of fire and wood. The Targum is, "the word of the Lord, like an overflowing torrent of brimstone, shall kindle it;'' it shall be done by his order, at his word of command. In hell, the wrath of God will be like a continual stream of brimstone, keeping up the fire of it, so that it shall ever burn, and never be quenched; hence it is called a lake burning with fire and brimstone; into which Satan, the beast, and false prophet, and the worshippers of antichrist, will be cast, Rev 14:10. The allusion is to the fire and brimstone rained by Jehovah, from Jehovah, upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 19:24. (p) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 54. 1. Nedarim, fol. 39. 2. & Erubim, fol. 19. 1. Next: Isaiah Chapter 31

(Verse 30 and following) And the Lord will cause the glory of His voice to be heard, and He will show the terror of His arm in the threat of His fury and the devouring flame of fire. He will strike with whirlwind and hailstones. At the voice of the Lord, Assyria will tremble, struck down like a virgin, and there will be a passage firmly established by the rod: which the Lord will cause to rest upon him with timbrels and harps, and in battles He will conquer them in principal places. For Topheth has been prepared since yesterday, prepared by the king, deep and wide. Its fire is nourished, and there are many trees: the breath of the Lord, like a stream of burning sulfur, will set it ablaze. LXX: And the Lord will cause the glory of his voice to be heard, and he will show the fury of his arm with wrath and anger, and with a devouring flame of fire, he will strike vehemently, and like water and hail descending with force. For at the voice of the Lord the Assyrians will be overcome, with the blow with which he will strike them, and it will be all around him, that is, the place where he had hope of help, in which he trusted. They themselves will fight against him with tambourines and harps, in exchange. For you will be deceived before many days: is a kingdom also prepared for you? A deep valley, with wood placed, fire and the wood of many; the fury of the Lord, like a valley set on fire with sulfur. I could, in accordance with the Hebrew text, indicate to those who are reading what seems to me to be happening; but what shall I do, when some declare that I will have an incomplete work unless I also discuss the edition of the 70 interpreters? Therefore, I will follow the intended order of discussion. The voice of the Lord and his precept will become known to all, and the strength of his arm will be revealed to all when the time of retribution comes, when the flame and whirlwind, the size of hailstones, and the weight of stones will be abandoned. Indeed, in the prophecy of Ezekiel, as we have said, he writes at length about Gog and Magog (Ezek. XXXVIII, and Xxvix). At the command of his voice, Assur will tremble, struck with a rod. Every impious person, every imitator of the enemy nation: not that only the Assyrian will be struck on the day of judgment, but by the Assyrian we understand the devil. Finally, it follows: And the passage of the rod will be established, which the Lord will make to rest upon him. And this is the meaning: He will not strike him with a rod, and then lift him up again, as those who punish do; but rather, as if firmly rooted and firmly fixed, will cause him to remain in his punishments. And if it is understood in this way, where will be the repentance of the devil, especially when it is said to sinners: Go into eternal fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). With timbrels and harps, and with principal weapons, the Lord will conquer them, namely the demons and all the wicked ones, with the joy of all. For from yesterday and from past time, Thopheth, that is, a broad and spacious hell, has been prepared by the Lord the King, which burns them with eternal fires. Its nourishment and fuel is fire, and many woods, that is, perpetual flame and the torments of sinners. And since, just as from a burning furnace and fire, the prophetic speech had foretold, it keeps the metaphor, so that by the breath and spirit and will of the Lord, we may know that it is set on fire, with mixed sulfur, which kindles the flames, to make the torments more fierce. Moreover, what is said in the Septuagint: 'At the voice of the Lord the Assyrians shall be overcome, when he shall strike them with the plague, and he shall be in a circle where he was before, and the hope of help, in which he trusted: they themselves with timbrels and harps shall fight against him out of sudden change,' signifies that they rise up against the devil, who had once been subject to him, and fight against him with joy and gladness out of sudden change, while understanding their own error, they destroy him by whom they had been deceived. And it is said to him, because he deceived himself from the beginning, thinking his kingdom to be eternal, for which hell and eternal punishments are prepared.

688. For Topheth is prepared. Here he describes the place of punishment. And first, its disposition: Topheth, the valley of the son of Ennom, Gehenna, for the fire for sacrifices was kept there on stones of tufa (Tophis); this is the same as the valley of Gethsemane, where the army of Sennacherib was destroyed. Or it signifies hell; hence the Jews conjecture that hell is there, because smoke is always emitted from two palm trees which are there. From yesterday, that is, from the beginning; or, according to the Jews, from the second day, which had only yesterday, and no day before. Jeremiah 7 and 19 discuss this valley. Prepared by the king, God, deep, and wide, above: therefore has hell enlarged her soul (Isa 5:14). Second, the variety of punishments: the nourishment thereof is fire and much wood, the impious, or the men of the army of Sennacherib; the breath of the Lord, that is, his will, metaphorically: fire and brimstone, and storms of winds, shall be the portion of their cup (Ps 10:7[11:6]). 691. Note on the words, is prepared by the king, deep, and wide (Isa 30:33), that hell is broad, first, because of its desire to retain, above: therefore has hell enlarged her soul (Isa 5:14); second, because of the multitude of the damned: strait is the way that leads to life; wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat (Matt 7:13–14); third, because of the variety of punishments: fire, hail, snow, ice (Ps 148:8) or: fire and brimstone, and storms of winds (Ps 10:7[11:6]); fourth, because of the eternity of the punishment: go, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matt 25:41).

This and the following chapter must relate to a still future restoration of the posterity of Jacob from their several dispersions, as no deliverance hitherto afforded them comes up to the terms of it; for, after the return from Babylon, they were again enslaved by the Greeks and Romans, contrary to the prediction in the eighth verse; in every papistical country they have labored under great civil disabilities, and in some of them have been horribly persecuted; upon the ancient people has this mystic Babylon very heavily laid her yoke; and in no place in the world are they at present their own masters; so that this prophecy remains to be fulfilled in the reign of David, i.e., the Messiah; the type, according to the general structure of the prophetical writings, being put for the antitype. The prophecy opens by an easy transition from the temporal deliverance spoken of before, and describes the mighty revolutions that shall precede the restoration of the descendants of Israel, Jer 30:1-9, who are encouraged to trust in the promises of God, Jer 30:10, Jer 30:11. They are, however, to expect corrections; which shall have a happy issue in future period, Jer 30:12-17. The great blessings of Messiah's reign are enumerated, Jer 30:18-22; and the wicked and impenitent declared to have no share in them, Jer 30:23, Jer 30:24.

For Tophet is ordained - Tophet is a valley very near to Jerusalem, to the southeast, called also the valley of Hinnom or Gehenna; where the Canaanites, and afterwards the Israelites, sacrificed their children, by making them pass through the fire, that is, by burning them in the fire, to Molech, as some suppose. It is therefore used for a place of punishment by fire; and by our blessed Savior in the Gospel for hell-fire, as the Jews themselves had applied it. See Chald. on Isa 33:14, where מוקדי עלם mokedey olam is rendered "the Gehenna of everlasting fire." Here the place where the Assyrian army was destroyed is called Tophet by a metonymy; for the Assyrian army was destroyed probably at a greater distance from Jerusalem, and quite on the opposite side of it: for Nob is mentioned as the last station, from which the king of Assyria should threaten Jerusalem, Isa 10:32, where the prophet seems to have given a very exact chorographical description of his march in order to attack the city; which however he never reached. - L.

THE THIRTIETH THROUGH THIRTY-SECOND CHAPTERS REFER PROBABLY TO THE SUMMER OF 714 B.C., AS THE TWENTY-NINTH CHAPTER TO THE PASSOVER OF THAT YEAR. (Isa. 30:1-32) take counsel--rather, as Isa 30:4, Isa 30:6 imply, "execute counsels." cover . . . covering--that is, wrap themselves in reliances disloyal towards Jehovah. "Cover" thus answers to "seek to hide deeply their counsel from the Lord" (Isa 29:15). But the Hebrew is literally, "who pour out libations"; as it was by these that leagues were made (Exo 24:8; Zac 9:11), translate, "who make a league." not of--not suggested by My Spirit" (Num 27:21; Jos 9:14). that they may add--The consequence is here spoken of as their intention, so reckless were they of sinning: one sin entails the commission of another (Deu 29:19).

Tophet--literally, "A place of abomination"; the valley of the sons of Hinnom, southeast of Jerusalem, where Israel offered human sacrifices to Moloch by fire; hence a place of burning (Kg2 23:10; Jer 7:31). Latterly Gehinnom or Gehenna, that is, valley of Hinnom, was the receptacle of the refuse of the city, to consume which fires were constantly burning. Hence it came to express hell, the place of torment. In the former sense it was a fit place to symbolize the funeral pyre of the Assyrian army (not that it actually perished there); the Hebrews did not burn, but buried their dead, but the heathen Assyrians are to be burnt as a mark of ignominy. In the latter sense Tophet is the receptacle "prepared for the devil (antitype to the king, Isa 14:12-15) and his angels," and unbelieving men (Mat 5:22; Mat 25:41; Mar 9:43-44). Next: Isaiah Chapter 31

The plan which, according to Isa 29:15, was already projected and prepared in the deepest secrecy, is now much further advanced. The negotiations by means of ambassadors have already been commenced; but the prophet condemns what he can no longer prevent. "Woe to the stubborn children, saith Jehovah, to drive plans, and not by my impulse, and to plait alliance, and not according to my Spirit, to heap sin upon sin: that go away to travel down to Egypt, without having asked my mouth, to fly to Pharaoh's shelter, and to conceal themselves under the shadow of Egypt. And Pharaoh's shelter becomes a shame to them, and the concealment under the shadow of Egypt a disgrace. For Judah's princes have appeared in Zoan, and his ambassadors arrive in Hanes. They will all have to be ashamed of a people useless to them, that brings no help and no use, but shame, and also reproach." Sōrerı̄m is followed by infinitives with Lamed (cf., Isa 5:22; Isa 3:8): who are bent upon it in their obstinacy. Massēkhâh designates the alliance as a plait (massēkheth). According to Cappellus and others, it designates it as formed with a libation (σπονδη, from σπένδεσθαι); but the former is certainly the more correct view, inasmuch as massēkhâh (from nâsakh, fundere) signifies a cast, and hence it is more natural here to take nâsakh as equivalent to sâkhakh, plectere (Jerome: ordiremini telam). The context leaves no doubt as to the meaning of the adverbial expressions ולא־מנּי and ולא־רוּחי, viz., without its having proceeded from me, and without my Spirit being there. "Sin upon sin:" inasmuch as they carry out further and further to perfect realization the thought which was already a sinful one in itself. The prophet now follows for himself the ambassadors, who are already on the road to the country of the Nile valley. He sees them arrive in Zoan, and watches them as they proceed thence into Hanes. He foresees and foretells what a disgraceful opening of their eyes will attend the reward of this untheocratical beginning. On lâ‛ōz b', see at Isa 10:31 : ‛ōz is the infinitive constr. of ‛ūz; mâ‛ōz, on the contrary, is a derivative of ‛âzaz, to be strong. The suffixes of שׂריו (his princes) and מלאכיו (his ambassadors) are supposed by Hitzig, Ewald, and Knobel, who take a different view of what is said, to refer to the princes and ambassadors of Pharaoh. But this is by no means warranted on the ground that the prophet cannot so immediately transfer to Zoan and Hanes the ambassadors of Judah, who were still on their journey according to Isa 30:2. The prophet's vision overleaps the existing stage of the desire for this alliance; he sees the great men of his nation already suing for the favour of Egypt, first of all in Zoan, and then still further in Hanes, and at once foretells the shameful termination of this self-desecration of the people of Jehovah. The lxx give for יגיעוּ חנּס, μάτην κοπιάσουσιν, i.e., ייגעוּ סהנּם, and Knobel approves this reading; but it is a misunderstanding, which only happens to have fallen out a little better this time than the rendering ὡς Δαυίδ given for כּדּוּר in Isa 29:3. If chinnâm had been the original reading, it would hardly have entered any one's mind to change it into chânēs. The latter was the name of a city on an island of the Nile in Central Egypt, the later Heracleopolis (Eg. Hnēs; Ehnēs), the Anysis of Herodotus (ii. 137). On Zoan, see at Isa 19:11. At that time the Tanitic dynasty was reigning, the dynasty preceding the Ethiopian. Tanis and Anysis were the two capitals. הבאישׁ (= היבשׁ =( ה, a metaplastic hiphil of יבשׁ = בּושׁ, a different word from יבשׁ) is incorrectly pointed for הבאישׁ, like ריאשׁנה (keri) for ראישׁנה in Jos 21:10. הבאישׁ signifies elsewhere, "to make stinking" (to calumniate, Pro 13:5), or "to come into ill odour" (Sa1 27:12); here, however, it means to be put to shame (בּאשׁ = בּושׁ).