2<\/strong>. The mighty man, and the man of war<\/em> ] Hero and man of war.<\/strong> The profession of arms naturally stands first, Judah being still a military power of some pretensions. In ancient times, moreover, civil and military leadership were hardly separate.<\/p>\n The prophet<\/em> is the professional prophet, scarcely distinguishable from the diviner<\/strong> (wrongly rendered prudent<\/em> in A.V.), with whom he is bracketed. The word for ancient<\/em> is that usually translated elder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 2, 3<\/strong>. A list of the officials and prominent persons who form the “props” of society. No clear principle of arrangement can be traced, although the titles tend to fall into pairs, and those in Isa 3:3<\/em><\/span> are perhaps of less distinction than those in Isa 3:2<\/em><\/span>. The art. is better omitted throughout as in Heb.<\/p>\n The mighty man – <\/B>The hero, The idea expressed is not simply that of personal strength and prowess, but the higher one of military eminence or heroism. Prof. Alexander. This was fully accomplished in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; 2Ki 24:14<\/span>.<\/P> And the prudent – <\/B>This word in the original – <\/span> qosem<\/I> – means properly a diviner, or a soothsayer. But it is sometimes used in a good sense; see Pro 16:10<\/span>, margin. The Chaldee understands it of a man who is consulted, or whose opinion is asked, in times of perplexity or danger. The word was originally applied to false prophets, diviners, and soothsayers, who claimed the power of looking into futurity. It came, however, to denote also the man of sagacity, the statesman, the experienced counselor, who from the records of the past could judge of the future, and to whom, therefore, the nation could look in times of perplexity and danger. Vitringa supposes that it may refer here to the false prophets on whose advice the nation might be relying.<\/P> The ancient – <\/B>The old man. Such men, especially among the Hebrews, were deemed particularly qualified to give advice. They had experience; they kept the traditions of their fathers; they had conversed with the wise of the preceding generation; and in a land where there were few books, and knowledge was to be gained mainly by conversation and experience, great respect was shown them; see Lev 19:32<\/span>; 2Ch 31:17<\/span>; 1Ki 12:6<\/U><\/span>, 1Ki 12:8<\/span>.<\/P><\/p>\n The mighty man; <\/B>strong and valiant men. The judge; the civil magistrates. The prophet; either strictly so called, the want of whom is matter of grief; see Psa 74:9<\/span>; or largely, so as to include all skilful and faithful teachers. <\/P> The prudent; <\/B>whose wisdom and conduct was necessary to preserve them from ruin. The ancient; whose wisdom was increased by long experience. <\/P> <\/p>\n 2.<\/B> Fulfilled (2Ki24:14<\/span>). <\/P> prudent<\/B>the Hebrew<\/I>often means a “soothsayer” (De18:10-14<\/span>); thus it will mean, the diviners, on whom they rely,shall in that day fail. It is found in a good sense (Pr16:10<\/span>), from which passage the Jews interpret it a king;<\/I>“without” whom Israel long has been (Ho3:4<\/span>). <\/P> ancient<\/B>old andexperienced (1Ki 12:6-8<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n The mighty man, and man of war<\/strong>,…. The meaning is either that these should die in war, as thousands of them did; or that men fit to be generals of armies should be removed by death before this time, so that they should have none to go out with their armies, and meet the enemy:<\/p>\n the judge and the prophet<\/strong>; there should be none to sit upon the bench, and administer justice to the people in civil affairs, and to determine causes relating to life and death; and none to instruct them in religious matters, and deliver the mind and will of God to them; and before this time the Jews were under the Roman jurisdiction, and had a Roman governor over them, and had not power to judge in capital cases, in matters of life and death, as they suggest, Joh 18:31<\/span> and they say z, that forty years before the destruction of the temple this power was taken from them; and at the time that Jerusalem was besieged, and taken by the Romans, and before that, they had no prophets among them; for though there were prophets in the Christian churches, yet none among them; this shows that this prophecy cannot be understood of the Babylonish captivity, because there were prophets then, as Jeremy, Ezekiel, and Daniel, but of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Romans:<\/p>\n and the prudent and the ancient<\/strong>: with whom are wisdom, and who are fit to give advice and counsel in matters of difficulty; but these would be removed by famine or sword. The first of these words is used sometimes in an ill sense, for a diviner or soothsayer,<\/p>\n De 18:10<\/span>. The Jewish writers a interpret it of a king, according to Pr 16:10<\/span> and it is certain they were without one at this time, and have been ever since, Ho 3:4<\/span>.<\/p>\n z T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 15. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 41. 1. and Beracot, fol. 58. 1. a T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 14. 1. Jarchi in loc.<\/p>\n “Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, and soothsayer and elder; captains of fifty, and the highly distinguished, and counsellors, and masters in art, and those skilled in muttering.”<\/em> As the state had grown into a military state under Uzziah-Jotham, the prophet commences in both vv. with military officers, viz., the gibbor <\/em>, i.e., commanders whose bravery had been already tried; the “man of war”<\/em> ( ish <\/em> imlchamah <\/em>), i.e., private soldiers who had been equipped and well trained (see Eze 39:20<\/span>); and the “captain of fifty” ( sar <\/em> Chamisshim <\/em>), leaders of the smallest divisions of the army, consisting of only fifty men ( pentekontarchos <\/em>, 2Ki 1:9<\/span>, etc.). The prominent members of the state are all mixed up together; “the judge”<\/em> ( shophet <\/em>), i.e., the officers appointed by the government to administer justice; “the elder”<\/em> ( zaken <\/em>), i.e., the heads of families and the senators appointed by the town corporations; the “counsellor”<\/em> ( yoetz <\/em>), those nearest to the king; the “highly distinguished”<\/em> ( nesu <\/em> panim <\/em>), lit., those whose personal appearance ( panim <\/em>) was accepted, i.e., welcome and regarded with honour (Saad.: wa’gh <\/em>, from wa’gh <\/em>, the face of appearance), that is to say, persons of influence, not only on account of their office, but also on account of wealth, age, goodness, etc.; “masters in art”<\/em> ( C hacam <\/em> C harashim <\/em>: lxx ), or, as Jerome has very well rendered it, in artibus mechanicis exercitatus easque callide tractans <\/em> (persons well versed in mechanical arts, and carrying them out with skill). In the Chaldean captivities skilled artisans are particularly mentioned as having been carried away (2Ki 24:14<\/span>.; Jer 24:1<\/span>; Jer 29:2<\/span>); so that there can be no doubt whatever that C harashim <\/em> (from Cheresh <\/em>) is to be understood as signifying mechanical<\/em> and not magical<\/em> arts, as Gesenius, Hitzig, and Meier suppose, and therefore that C hacam <\/em> C harashim <\/em> does not mean “wizards,” as Ewald renders it ( C harashim <\/em> is a different word from C harashim <\/em>, fabri <\/em>, from C harash <\/em>, although in 1Ch 4:14<\/span>, cf., Neh 11:35<\/span>, the word is regularly pointed even in this personal sense). Moreover, the rendering “wizards” produces tautology, inasmuch as masters of the black art are cited as nebon <\/em> lachash <\/em>, “skilled in muttering.” Lachash <\/em> is the whispering or muttering of magical formulas; it is related both radically and in meaning to nachash <\/em>, enchantment (Arabic nachs <\/em>, misfortune); it is derived from lachash <\/em>, sibilare <\/em>, to hiss (a kindred word to nachash <\/em>; hence nachash <\/em>, a serpent). Beside this, the masters of the black art are also represented as kosem <\/em>, which, in accordance with the radical idea of making fast, swearing, conjuring, denoted a soothsayer following heathen superstitions, as distinguished from the nabi <\/em>, of false Jehovah prophet (we find this as early as Deu 18:10<\/span>, Deu 18:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n (Note: According to the primary meaning of the whole thema <\/em>, which is one of hardness, rigidity, firmness, aksama <\/em> ( hi<\/em>. of kasam <\/em>) signifies, strictly speaking, to make sure<\/em>, i.e., to swear<\/em>, either by swearing to the truth and certainty of a thing, or by making a person swear that he will do or not do a certain thing, by laying as it were a kasam <\/em> upon him. The kal<\/em>, on the other hand ( kasama <\/em>), gets its meaning to divide from the turn given to the radical idea in the substantive kism <\/em>, which signifies, according to the original lexicographers, something fixed (= nasb <\/em>), definite, i.e., a definite portion. There is just the same association of ideas in azama <\/em> as in aksama <\/em>, namely, literally to be firm or make firm, i.e., to direct one’s will firmly towards an object or place; also to direct one’s will firmly towards a person, to adjure him to do a thing or not to do it; sometimes with a softer meaning, to urge or invite a person to anything, at other times to recite conjuring formulas ( azaim <\/em>.)<\/p>\n These came next to bread and water, and were in a higher grade the props of the state. They are mixed together in this manner without regular order, because the powerful and splendid state was really a quodlibet <\/em> of things Jewish and heathen; and when the wrath of Jehovah broke out, the godless glory would soon become a mass of confusion.<\/p>\n 2. The strong man, and the man of war He mentions other ends which contribute to the safety and good order either of nations or of cities. Of these he threatens that the Jews will be wholly deprived, so that they will neither have wisdom or bravery at battle, nor military forces abroad. He is not careful to attend to order, but is satisfied with giving a short abridgement, and mixes one subject with another. He begins with men of war, into whose hands was committed the defense of the country. God sometimes takes them away by death, and sometimes by making them soft and effeminate. The latter is more frequent, so that posterity degenerates from the bravery of ancestors, and those who were formerly courageous become, in process of time, cowardly and unfit for war. But we see also that the former sometimes happens, in consequence of which the boldest men suddenly lose heart. <\/p>\n The judge and the prophet. We know that, in the Hebrew language, the word judge stands for every kind of governors; and it is certain that by prophets are meant every kind of teachers. Accordingly, he threatens that the civil government will be set aside, and that instruction will be at an end, and that thus the Jews will be destroyed; and, indeed magistrates and teachers hold the same place in the commonwealth that the two eyes do in the human body. <\/p>\n Aged diviners and old men (51) I consider the same rank as before to be denoted by old men, who are more fit for governing, because age brings along with it prudence, wisdom, and gravity. As to the word diviner, though it is used in a bad sense in Scripture, yet here it appears to be used in a good sense, when Isaiah enumerates those things which contribute to preserve the good order of a city and of a kingdoms. The term might, therefore, be applied to a soothsayer, who divines or penetrates into dark matters, not by omens or superstitious arts, but by extraordinary acuteness and skill. But as God forbade them to consult magicians, soothsayers, and diviners, (Deu 18:20<\/span>,) and as Balaam himself declares that there is no divination against Israel, (Num 23:23<\/span>,) I do not quarrel with those who would prefer to use the word diviner as denoting magical divinations; nor will there be any absurdity in enumerating among the punishments of the nation, that it would be deprived also of those aids which were sinful and criminal; for along with the altar and sacrifices Hosea mentions teraphim. (52) (Hos 3:4<\/span>.) <\/p>\n The captain of fifty. He employs this term agreeably to the custom which then prevailed; for as the Romans had centurions, or captains of hundreds, so the Jews had captains, or rulers of fifties, which the Greeks call πεντηκοντάρχους, but as that custom did not exist among the Latins, so the name was unknown among them. By persons of venerable aspect (53) he means those whose reputation for bravery gave then influence among the people. <\/p>\n The senator. (54) The word יועף ( yognetz,) for which I have put senator, may be applied to men in private life who are eminent for prudence; but as it is strictly applicable to counsellors, who discharge a public office, I resolved not to depart from the common opinion. <\/p>\n The sinful artificer. Because the mechanical arts are not less advantageous for upholding the prosperity of a nation, and for the support of animal life, Isaiah likewise mentions that, through the want of them, the destruction of the Jews is at hand. <\/p>\n And the eloquent. (55) he word which is placed last in the enumeration has been variously explained by commentators. Literally it means, “skilled in muttering, or in a subdued tone of speech. “Now since the heathen oracles give out their replies by whisperings or in mutterings, some think that the word denotes enchantments. A better exposition is given by those who interpret לחש ( lahash) to mean secret designs; but as a style which is both mysterious and weighty may be not inappropriately denoted by this word, I had no hesitation in rendering it by the word eloquent. Yet if it be thought preferable to view it as denoting wise and cautious men, who, though not qualified for public speaking, give private advices of what may profitably be done, I have no objection. <\/p>\n We must attend to this comprehensive description of a well-regulated state. For Isaiah has placed first corn and other things necessary for bodily support; secondly, military forces; thirdly, skill in governing a nation and the various parts of civil government; fourthly, the prophetical office; and fifthly, the mechanical arts. With these ornaments does God adorn the nations which he intends to render safe and sound; and, on the other hand, he takes them from those nations which he intends utterly to destroy. Let us, therefore, know that everything which we find to be profitable for the support of life flows from the undeserved goodness of God. Hence also there follows another instruction, namely, that we ought to beware lest, by our ingratitude, we deprive ourselves of those excellent gifts of God. <\/p>\n (51) And the prudent and the ancient. — Eng. Ver <\/p>\n (52) “The Prophet,” says Calvin, “seems to speak here of idols, for he afterwards adds teraphim; and teraphim were no doubt images, (Gen 31:19<\/span>) which the superstitious used while worshipping their fictitious gods, as we read in many places. The King of Babylon is said to have consulted the teraphim; and it is said that Rachel stole the teraphim, and shortly after Laban calls the teraphim his gods.” Com. on the Twelve Minor Prophets, vol 1, p. 130. <\/p>\n (53) The honourable man. — Eng. Ver <\/p>\n (54) The counsellor. — Eng. Ver. <\/p>\n (55) In a marginal reading of the text our author renders this phrase by skilled in mysterious discourse. “The powerful in persuasion.” — Lowth. “The expert dealer in charms.” — Bishop Stock. “ לחש is to whisper or mutter certain words, by which jugglers pretended to charm noxious creatures, and to deprive them of their power of hurting.” — Parkhurst. <\/p>\n (2) The mighty man, and the man of war.<\/strong>The first word points to the aristocracy of landed proprietors, the latter to those who, whether of that class or not, had been prominent as leaders in the kings armies.<\/p>\n The judge, and the prophet.<\/strong>Each is named as the representative of a class. The latter was that to which Isaiah himself belonged, but in which he found, as Jeremiah did afterwards, his chief opponents.<\/p>\n The prudent, and the ancient.<\/strong>The former word has the more definite meaning of diviners, those who had a real gift of wisdom, but who by their abuse of that gift had become as degenerate prophets. In the ancient we have the elders who were prominent in the municipal politics of the East, and formed at least the nucleus of the kings council (Rth. 4:4<\/span>; 2Sa. 19:11<\/span>; 1Ki. 20:7<\/span>; 1Ki. 21:8<\/span>; and elsewhere).<\/p>\n 2<\/strong>. 3. <\/strong> Mighty man man of war <\/strong> Besides men, martial armaments are included. Uzziah had a widespread military organization. 2Ch 26:11-15<\/span>. <\/p>\n Prudent <\/strong> About the same as prophet<\/strong>. Men on secular principles occupied in divining future events. <\/p>\n Ancient <\/strong> Elders, heads of families. <\/p>\n The captain of fifty <\/strong> A title near in rank to that of the people. <\/p>\n The honourable <\/strong> A favourite of the people; of dignified aspect. <\/p>\n Artificer <\/strong> A maker of war weapons. <\/p>\n Eloquent orator <\/strong> Not this in our modern sense, but rather, an enchanter; literally, whisperer. <\/em> Chapter Isa 8:19<\/span>. Akin to “prudent.”<\/p>\n The prophet plainly shows by these verses, that the sin is universal. All ranks and all orders of the people are involved in the same sin, and consequently the same punishment. It is a melancholy state of the church, in all ages, when sin like a disease, runs through all: and it may be said, Like priest like people. In such a state, men will look to anything, yea to nothing, for countenance; and having forsaken the Rock of ages, would take confidence in the reeds of Egypt. Blessed Jesus! give me to see, in the darkest hour, that thou alone canst be a defense for thy people.<\/p>\n Isa 3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,<\/p>\n Ver. 2. The mighty man, and the man of war.<\/strong> ] Such as were David’s mighties; Hannibal; Fabius Maximus, of whom the poet, Hic patria est, murique urbis stant pectore in uno; <\/em> Scipio Africanus, of whose death when Metellus heard, he ran out into the public forum and cried out, Concurrite cives, urbis vestrae moenia corruerunt; <\/em> Come forth and consult what is to be done, for your city is undone. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The judge and the prophet.<\/strong> ] When God gathereth such by clusters as it were, some evil is at hand; as when men pull up their hedges and fences, it is open tide. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the prudent.<\/strong> ] Heb., The diviner: such as have their eyes in their head, Ecc 2:14 their hearts at their right hands, Ecc 10:2 that judiciously pondering things past, can prudently order things present, and providently foresee to prevent dangers likely to ensue. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the ancient.<\/strong> ] With whom is wisdom and counsel. Job 32:4<\/span> ; <\/em> Job 32:6-7 <\/p>\n prudent = diviner: i.e. the king. Compare Pro 16:10. <\/p>\n ancient = elder. <\/p>\n mighty: Isa 2:13-15, 2Ki 24:14-16, Psa 74:9, Lam 5:12-14, Amo 2:3 <\/p>\n the ancient: Isa 9:15, Eze 8:12, Eze 9:5 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Isa 3:14 – the ancients Isa 9:14 – will cut Isa 24:2 – as with the people Isa 29:10 – rulers Lam 5:14 – elders<\/p>\n Isa 3:2-3. The mighty man, &c. Strong and valiant men. The judge The civil magistrates; and the prophet Either strictly so called, the want of whom is matter of grief, (Psa 74:9,) or more largely taken, so as to include all skilful and faithful teachers; and the prudent Whose wisdom and conduct were necessary to preserve them from ruin; and the ancient Whose wisdom was increased by long experience. This likewise relates to the same times, particularly to Jehoiachins captivity, when all the men of note were carried away captive with him, 2Ki 24:14. The captain of fifty There shall not be a man left able to command fifty soldiers, much less such as could command hundreds or thousands, who yet were necessary; and the honourable man Men of high birth, place, power, and reputation; and the counsellor Wise and learned statesmen; and the cunning artificer Who could make either ornaments for times of peace, or instruments for war, whom therefore conquerors were wont to take away from those nations whom they subdued, 1Sa 13:19-20; 2Ki 24:14; and the eloquent orator Hebrew, , literally, the skilful of charm, or the skilful charmer, or enchanter; whereby he understands either, 1st, Charmers, whom he threatens God would take away, not as if such persons were blessings to a people, or the removing of them a curse, but only because they made great use of them, and trusted to them. And so he signifies that God would remove all the grounds of their confidence, both right and wrong, and make their case desperate. Thus, for the same reason, God threatens the Israelites, (Hos 3:4,) that they should be, as without a sacrifice, so without an image and teraphim. Or, he may mean, 2d, Such as could persuade powerfully, and, as it were, charm people, by their eloquence, and induce them to do those things which were necessary for their safety; for the expression may be taken in a good sense, as , divination, is Pro 16:10. Accordingly, Bishop Lowth translates it, the powerful in persuasion.<\/p>\n 3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, {b} the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,<\/p>\n (b) The temporal governor and the minister.<\/p>\n The Lord would remove the leading men in the military, political, religious, and commercial spheres of life. These were people the Israelites depended on. This happened when the Babylonians conquered the city and the land (cf. 2Ki 24:14), and earlier when the Assyrians defeated Israel.<\/p>\n The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 2. The mighty man, and the man of war ] Hero and man of war. The profession of arms naturally stands first, Judah being still a military power of some pretensions. In ancient times, moreover, civil … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 3:2”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17720","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17720"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17720\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"