Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. Every battle of the warrior "The greaves of the armed warrior"] as was seon soen. This word, occurring only in this place, is oaf very doubtful signification. Schindler fairly tells us that we may guess at it by the context. The Jews have explained it, by guess I believe, as signifying battle, conflict: the Vulgate renders it violenta praedatio. But it seems as if something was rather meant which was capable of becoming fuel for the fire, together with the garments mentioned in the same sentence. In Syriac the word, as a noun, signifies a shoe, or a sandal, as a learned friend suggested to me some years ago. See Luke xv. 22; Acts xii. 8. I take it, therefore, to mean that part of the armour which covered the legs and feet, and I would render the two words in Latin by caliga caligati. The burning of heaps of armour, gathered from the field of battle, as an offering made to the god supposed to be the giver of victory, was a custom that prevailed among some heathen nations; and the Romans used it as an emblem of peace, which perfectly well suits with the design of the prophet in this place. A medal struck by Vespasian on finishing his wars both at home and abroad represents the goddess Peace holding an olive branch in one hand, and, with a lighted torch in the other, setting fire to a heap of armour.
Virgil mentions the custom:- "-Cum primam aciem Praeneste sub ipsa Stravi, scutorumque incendi victor acervos." AEn. lib. viii., ver. 561.
"Would heaven, (said he,) my strength and youth recall, Such as I was beneath Praeneste's wall - Then when I made the foremost foes retire And set whole heaps of conquered shields on fire." DRYDEN. See Addison on Medals, Series ii. 18. And there are notices of some such practice among the Israelites, and other nations of the most early times.
God promises to Josh. victory over the kings of Canaan. "To- morrow I will deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire," Josh. xi. 6. See also Nahum ii. 13. And the psalmist employs this image to express complete victory, and the perfect establishment of peace:- "He maketh wars to cease, even to the end of the land: He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; And burneth the chariots in the fire." - Psa. xlvi. 9.
twlg[ agaloth, properly plausira, impedimenta, the baggage- wagons: which however the Septuagint and Vulgate render scuta, "shields;" and the Chaldee, "round shields," to show the propriety of that sense of the word from the etymology; which, if admitted, makes the image the same with that used by the Romans.
Ezekiel, chap. xxxix. 8-10, in his bold manner has carried this image to a degree of amplification which I think hardly any other of the Hebrew poets would have attempted. He describes the burning of the arms of the enemy, in consequence of the complete victory to be obtained by the Israelites over Gog and Magog:- "Behold, it is come to pass, and it is done, Saith the Lord JEHOVAH.
This is the day of which I spoke: And the inhabitants of the cities of Israel shall go forth.
And shall set on fire the armour, and the shield, And the buckler, and the bow, and the arrows, And the clubs and the lances; And they shail set them on fire for seven years.
And they shall not bear wood from the field; Neither shall they hew from the forest: For of the armour shall they make their fires; And they shall spoil their spoilers, And they shall plunder their plunderers." R. D. Kimchi, on this verse says this refers simply to the destruction of the Assyrians. Other battles are fought man against man, and spear against spear; and the garments are rolled in blood through the wounds given and received: but this was with burning, for the angel of the Lord smote them by night, and there was neither sword nor violent commotion, nor blood; they were food for the fire, for the angel of the Lord consumed them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Exhortations and warnings. (Is. 8:1-8) Comfort for those who fear God (Is. 8:9-16) Afflictions to idolaters. (Is. 8:17-22)
Is. 8:1-8 The prophet is to write on a large roll, or on a meta tablet, words which meant, "Make speed to spoil, hasten to the prey: pointing out that the Assyrian army should come with speed, and make great spoil. Very soon the riches of Damascus and of Samaria, citie then secure and formidable, shall be taken away by the king of Assyria The prophet pleads with the promised Messiah, who should appear in tha land in the fulness of time, and, therefore, as God, would preserve it in the mean time. As a gentle brook is an apt emblem of a mil government, so an overflowing torrent represents a conqueror an tyrant. The invader's success was also described by a bird of prey stretching its wings over the whole land. Those who reject Christ, wil find that what they call liberty is the basest slavery. But no enem shall pluck the believer out of Emmanuel's hand, or deprive him of his heavenly inheritance.
Is. 8:9-16 The prophet challenges the enemies of the Jews. Their efforts would be vain, and themselves broken to pieces. It concerns us in time of trouble, to watch against all such fears as put us upo crooked courses for our own security. The believing fear of God preserves against the disquieting fear of man. If we thought rightly of the greatness and glory of God, we should see all the power of ou enemies restrained. The Lord, who will be a Sanctuary to those wh trust in him, will be a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those who make the creature their fear and their hope. If the things of God be an offence to us, they will undo us. The apostle quotes this a to all who persisted in unbelief of the gospel of Christ, I Pet. 2:8 The crucified Emmanuel, who was and is a Stumbling-stone and Rock of offence to unbelieving Jews, is no less so to thousands who are calle Christians. The preaching of the cross is foolishness in their esteem his doctrines and precepts offend them.
Is. 8:17-22 The prophet foresaw that the Lord would hide his face; but he would look for his return in favour to them again. Though no miraculous signs, the children's names were memorials from God, suite to excite attention. The unbelieving Jews were prone to seek counsel i difficulties, from diviners of different descriptions, whose foolis and sinful ceremonies are alluded to. Would we know how we may seek to our God, and come to the knowledge of his mind? To the law and to the testimony; for there you will see what is good, and what the Lor requires. We must speak of the things of God in the words which the Holy Ghost teaches, and be ruled by them. To those that seek to familiar spirits, and regard not God's law and testimony, there shal be horror and misery. Those that go away from God, go out of the way of all good; for fretfulness is a sin that is its own punishment. The shall despair, and see no way of relief, when they curse God. And their fears will represent every thing as frightful. Those that shut their eyes against the light of God's word, will justly be left to darkness All the miseries that ever were felt or witnessed on earth, are a nothing, compared with what will overwhelm those who leave the words of Christ, to follow delusions _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew כי3588 כל3605 סאון5430 סאן5431 ברעשׁ7494 ושׂמלה8071 מגוללה1556 בדמים1818 והיתה1961 לשׂרפה8316 מאכלת3980 אשׁ׃784
