Isa. 30 The prophet threateneth the people for their confidence in Egypt, Isa. 30:1–7, and contempt of God’s word, Isa. 30:8–11; wherefore they shall be destroyed, Isa. 30:12–17. God’s mercies towards the church, Isa. 30:18–26. God’s wrath and his people’s joy in the destruction of Assyria, Isa.

The rebellious children; the Jews, who call themselves God’s children, though they are rebellious ones, as was said, Isa. 1:2. That take counsel; that consult together, and resolve to do what follows, Isa. 30:2.

That walk to go down into Egypt; that send ambassadors to Egypt for succour, as we read, Isa. 30:4, which the Jews were forward to do upon all occasions, and did now upon the invasion of the king of Assyria, as is evident from Isa. 20:5–6, and did the like against the king of Babylon, Jer.

As being not only unprofitable, but mischievous to you.

His princes; the princes of Judah, either sent by the king, or by the appointment of their brethren. Hanes; an eminent city of Egypt, called more largely Tahapanes, and Tahpanhes, Jer. 2:16, Jer. 43:8.

They; both the messengers, and they who sent them.

The burden; either 1. The prophecy; which if oft called the burden; or rather 2. The burden of riches or treasures, as it is explained in the latter part of the verse. Of the beasts of the south; which is carried upon asses or camels, as it follows, into Egypt, which lay southward from Judea.

Concerning this; concerning this counsel or practice. Or, to her; to Jerusalem or Judah. Their strength is to sit still; it is safer and better for them to sit quietly at home, seeking to me for help.

Write it; write this prophecy and warning which I have now delivered. Before them; in their presence, in the public assembly; for the prophets were many times commanded to do such actions, as well as to deliver their messages.

Lying children; which profess one thing, and practise another. The law of the Lord; the commands of God, either contained in Scripture, or delivered by my mouth, whereby these practices are expressly forbidden to them.

He speaks not of the words of their mouths; for none could be so mad of impudent as to have or profess a desire to be cheated, but of the language of their actions.

Out of the way in which you now walk, out of you present course of preaching unsavoury and frightful things to us. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us; do not trouble us with harsh and repeated messages from God, as you used to do.

In oppression; in the wealth which you have gotten by oppression, whereby you now think to procure Egyptian succours; of which See Poole “Isa. 30:6”. And perverseness; and in your perverse and rebellious course of sending to Egypt for help.

This iniquity, of sending and trusting to Egypt for succour. Whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant; like a wall which is high, and seems to be strong, but swelling forth in some parts, which upon the least accident falleth down suddenly to the ground.

He shall break it; he, either God, or he whom God shall send against them. Or, it shall be broken; for such phrases are oft taken indefinitely and passively; it, this iniquity last mentioned, Isa. 30:13, your carnal confidence and all the grounds of it, and you that lean upon it.

In returning, either from your present purpose of sending to Egypt, or unto God, as the LXX., and Syriac, and Arabic translators render it. Or, in quietness; for the verb from which this word come is elsewhere used in that sense, as Ps. 23:2, Jer. 30:10, Jer. 46:27.

We will flee out of this land from the king of Assyria; which is very probable divers of the richer sort did, having sent their treasures before them, as we read Isa. 30:6.

Shall flee; which words are fitly supplied out of the following clause. At the rebuke; either, 1. At his real rebuke, upon his assault or onset; or rather, 2. At his verbal rebuke, upon his mere threats, as fearing that he will proceed from words to blows.

Therefore; because of your general destruction and great misery; which is frequently mentioned in Scripture as a motive to God’s mercy, as Deut. 32:36, and in many other places, as hath been oft observed already.

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; for although the time is coming, when the people shall be banished from Jerusalem, and carried captives into Babylon; yet after a set time they shall return to Jerusalem, and have a fixed and comfortable abode there: which was in part accomplished…

And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction; and although in that time and state of the church you will be subject to many outward straits and afflictions. This phrase is borrowed from Deut. 16:3;1 Kings 22:27.

Thine ears shall hear a word; as oft as need requires thou shalt hear the voice of God’s word and Spirit directing thee in thy course. Hear a word behind thee; a metaphor borrowed either, 1. From the custom of shepherds, who use to follow their sheep, and to recall them when they go out of the way.

Ye shall defile, to show your contempt of it, and to make it unfit for your own or any other’s use. The covering; the leaves or plates wherewith their wooden images were frequently covered; of which see Ex. 38:17, Ex. 38:19, Num. 16:38–39. The ornament; or, the coat or covering. Heb.

The rain of thy seed; or rather, as others render it; to or for thy seed, when thou hast newly sown thy seed, which was called the former rain; or such as thy seed requires, which may include both the former and the latter rain.

Clean provender; or, as learned Mr. Gataker renders it, threshed, which agrees well with the following clause, corn being first threshed, and then winnowed.

Upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill; which are commonly dry and barren, and destitute of rivers. In the day of the great slaughter; when God shall destroy the enemies of his people, he will shower down his blessings upon his church.

As the light of the sun, for constancy and brightness; which, as also the following clause, is to be understood metaphorically, of the most glorious and comfortable condition of God’s church, far surpassing what it was in former ages.

Here begins the last part of the chapter, wherein he gives them an earnest of those greater mercies promised for times to come, by assuring them of the approaching destruction of the Assyrian forces.

His breath; either, 1. The breath of his nostrils, as it is called, Job 4:9; or the blast of the breath of his nostrils, as Ps. 18:15; in both which places it is mentioned as a sign and effect of God’s anger, and the cause of the destruction of those against whom it is directed.

Ye shall have a song; you shall have occasion of great joy and songs of praise for your stupendous deliverance from that formidable enemy. Are in the night when a holy solemnity is kept: he mentions the night, either because the Jewish feasts begun at the evening, and were celebrated with great joy…

His glorious voice; his thunder, which is Called God’s voice, and said to be full of majesty, Ps. 29:4. But then thunder is metaphorically taken for some terrible judgment, as it is in many places of Scripture.

The voice of the Lord; that voice mentioned in the last verse. Which smote with a rod; which was the rod wherewith God smote his and other people, Isa. 10:5–6. He who used to smite others shall now be smitten himself.

The grounded staff, Heb. the founded rod; the judgment of God, which is frequently called a rod in Scripture, and may be here called a founded rod, or the rod of foundation, either because it was firmly established, and certainly to come, by God’s immutable purpose and appointment; or because the…

Tophet was a place near Jerusalem, in which the idolatrous Israelites used cruelly to offer up their children to Moloch, 2 Chron. 28:3, 2 Chron. 33:6, Jer. 7:31, Jer.