Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 3. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man "He that slayeth an ox killeth a man"] These are instances of wickedness joined with hypocrisy; of the most flagitious crimes committed by those who at the same time affected great strictness in the performance of all the external services of religion. God, by the Prophet Ezekiel, upbraids the Jews with the same practices: "When they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it, "chap. xxiii. 39. Of the same kind was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in our saviour's time: "who devoured widows' houses, and for a pretense made long prayers, "Matt. xxiii. 14.
The generality of interpreters, by departing from the literal rendering of the text, have totally lost the true sense of it, and have substituted in its place what makes no good sense at all; for it is not easy to show how, in any circumstances, sacrifice and murder, the presenting of legal offerings and idolatrous worship, can possibly be of the same account in the sight of God.
He that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood "That maketh an oblation offereth swine's blood"] A word here likewise, necessary to complete the sense, is perhaps irrecoverably lost out of the text. The Vulgate and ChaIdee add the word offereth, to make out the sense; not, as I imagine, from any different reading, (for the word wanted seems to have been lost before the time of the oldest of them as the Septuagint had it not in their copy,; but from mere necessity.
Le Clerc thinks that hl[m maaleh is to be repeated from the beginning of this member; but that is not the case in the parallel members, which have another and a different verb in the second place, " µd dam, sic Versiones; putarem tamen legendum participium aliquod, et quidem jbz zabach, cum sequatur j cheth, nisi jam praecesserat." -SECKER. Houbigant supplies lka achal, eateth. After all, I think the most probable word is that which the Chaldee and Vulgate seem to have designed to represent; that is, byrqm makrib, offereth.
In their abominations.] µhyxwqbw ubeshikkutseyhem, "and in their abominations; " two copies of the Machazor, and one of Kennicott's MSS. have µhylwlgbw ubegilluleyhem, "and in their idols. " So the Vulgate and Syriac.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- The calling of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews. (Is 65:1-7) The Lord would preserve a remnant. (Is. 65:8-10) Judgments upo the wicked. (Is. 65:11-16) The future happy and flourishing state of the church. (Is. 65:17-25)
Is. 65:1-7 The Gentiles came to seek God, and find him, because the were first sought and found of him. Often he meets some thoughtles trifler or profligate opposer, and says to him, Behold me; and a speed change takes place. All the gospel day, Christ waited to be gracious The Jews were bidden, but would not come. It is not without cause the are rejected of God. They would do what most pleased them. The grieved, they vexed the Holy Spirit. They forsook God's temple, an sacrificed in groves. They cared not for the distinction between clea and unclean meats, before it was taken away by the gospel. Perhaps thi is put for all forbidden pleasures, and all that is thought to be gotten by sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates. Chris denounced many woes against the pride and hypocrisy of the Jews. The proof against them is plain. And let us watch against pride an self-preference, remembering that every sin, and the most secre thoughts of man's heart, are known and will be judged by God.
Is. 65:8-10 In the bunch of unripe grapes, at present of no value, the new wine is contained. The Jews have been kept a distinct people, tha all may witness the fulfilment of ancient prophecies and promises God's chosen, the spiritual seed of praying Jacob, shall inherit his mountains of bliss and joy, and be carried safe to them through the vale of tears. All things are for the display of God's glory in the redemption of sinners.
Is. 65:11-16 Here the different states of the godly and wicked, of the Jews who believed, and of those who persisted in unbelief, are se against one another. They prepared a table for that troop of deitie which the heathen worship, and poured out drink-offerings to tha countless number. Their worshippers spared no cost to honour them which should shame the worshippers of the true God. See the malignit of sin; it is doing by choice what we know will displease God. In ever age and nation, the Lord leaves those who persist in doing evil, an despise the call of the gospel. God's servants shall have the bread of life, and shall want nothing good for them. But those who forsake the Lord, shall be ashamed of vain confidence in their own righteousness and the hopes they built thereon. Wordly people bless themselves in the abundance of this world's goods; but God's servants bless themselves in him. He is their strength and portion. They shall honour him as the God of truth. And it was promised that in him should all the families of the earth be blessed. They shall think themselves happy in having his for their God, who made them forget their troubles.
Is. 65:17-25 In the grace and comfort believers have in and from Christ, we are to look for this new heaven and new earth. The forme confusions, sins and miseries of the human race, shall be no mor remembered or renewed. The approaching happy state of the church i described under a variety of images. He shall be thought to die in his youth, and for his sins, who only lives to the age of a hundred years The event alone can determine what is meant; but it is plain tha Christianity, if universal, would so do away violence and evil, a greatly to lengthen life. In those happy days, all God's people shal enjoy the fruit of their labours. Nor will children then be the troubl of their parents, or suffer trouble themselves. The evil disposition of sinners shall be completely moritified; all shall live in harmony Thus the church on earth shall be full of happiness, like heaven. Thi prophecy assures the servants of Christ, that the time approaches wherein they shall be blessed with the undisturbed enjoyment of all that is needful for their happiness. As workers together with God, le us attend his ordinances, and obey his commands _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew שׁוחט7819 השׁור7794 מכה5221 אישׁ376 זובח2076 השׂה7716 ערף6202 כלב3611 מעלה5927 מנחה4503 דם1818 חזיר2386 מזכיר2142 לבנה3828 מברך1288 און205 גם1571 המה1992 בחרו977 בדרכיהם1870 ובשׁקוציהם8251 נפשׁם5315 חפצה׃2654
