(9) He shall pass over to his strong hold for fear.--Most recent critics translate, His rock will pass away for terror, the "rock" (not the same word, however, as that elsewhere, e.g., Deuteronomy 32:31, used for God) being the symbol of Assyria's strength. The laws of parallelism point to our taking the noun as the subject of the sentence, corresponding to "princes" in the next clause, and so exclude the Authorised version. Whose fire is in Zion.--Fire, as the symbol of the Divine glory, giving light and warmth to the faithful, and burning up the evil. (Comp. Isaiah 10:16-17.) Verse 9. - And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear; rather, and his Rock shall pass away for fear (marginal rendering). It is generally agreed by recent commentators (Kay, Delitzsch, Cheyne), that the rock intended, which is contrasted with the "princes" of the next clause, is Assyria's king (see the contrast of the king, who is "a great rock," and his princes, in Isaiah 32:1, 2). (On the hurried flight of Sennacherib to Nineveh, see below, Isaiah 37:37.) His princes shall be afraid of the ensign. The word nes, ensign, seems to be here used collectively. The Assyrian princes would tremble at every signal that they saw displayed along their line of route, expecting some enemy to fall upon them. His furnace. Jehovah was at once a Light to his people, and "a consuming Fire" (Hebrews 12:29) to his enemies. His presence, indicated by the Shechinah in the holy of holies, was at once for blessing and for burning. "his princes shall flee for fear;'' though these are expressed in the next clause: and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign; any ensign or standard they saw, supposing it to be a detachment of the Jews in pursuit of them; or not daring afterwards to face any enemy with their banners displayed: or rather were terrified at the sight of the standard erected by the angel in the air, and at the slaughter of their companies under them in the camp: saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem; who keeps house there, and therefore will defend it. Some, as Aben Ezra and others, think reference is had to the altar of the Lord, where the fire was kept continually burning, and sacrifices were offered up to him, and therefore being the place of his worship, he would take care of it; but rather it seems to denote the fire of God's wrath, to defend his people, and destroy his enemies, Zechariah 2:5. The Targum is, "whose lustre is in Zion to them that do the law, and a burning furnace of fire to them that transgress his word.'' The Jews, in their Talmud (b), interpret the "fire" of hell, and the "furnace" of the gate of hell. (a) "et rupes ejus prae pavoro transibit", Forerius. So Cocceius and Ben Melech; with which the version of Junius and Tremellius agrees. (b) T. Bab. Erubim, fol. 19. 1. |