26  A song of praise and confidence in God, for the blessings of righteousness, judgments on their enemies, and favour to his people: their chastisement, repentance, and hope, Isa 26:1-21.

26:21 Cometh - Cometh down from heaven. To punish - All the enemies of God, and of his people. Her slain - The innocent blood which hath been spilled upon the earth shall be brought to light, and severely revenged upon the murderers.

27  God's care over his vineyard, Isa 27:1-6.
His chastisements on them, Isa 27:7-9.
His severe judgments against them, Isa 27:10-11.
Their return, Isa 27:12-13.

27:1 Leviathan - By this leviathan, serpent and dragon (for all signify the same thing) be understands some powerful enemy or enemies of God, and of his church or people, which may well be called by these names, partly for their great might, and partly for the great terror and destruction which they cause upon the earth. The piercing - Which by its sting pierces deeply into mens bodies. Crooked serpent - Winding and turning itself with great variety and dexterity. Whereby he seems to signify the craftiness and activity of this enemy, whose strength makes it more formidable.

27:2 In that day - When this enemy shall be destroyed.A vineyard - My church and people, of red wine, of the choicest and best wine, which in those parts was red.

27:3 I keep it - I will protect my church from all her enemies, and supply her with all necessary provisions.

27:5 Or - Or if at any time fury seem to be in me against my people.Let him - My people. Take hold - Which he may by humble prayer not only restrain from doing him hurt, but engage to do him good.

27:6 Take root - To be firmly settled in their possessions.Fruit - Their posterity shall seek habitations in other countries, and replenish them with people. But this seems to be understood of the spiritual seed of Jacob.

27:7 Hath he - He hath not dealt so severely with his people, as he hath dealt with their enemies, whom he hath utterly destroyed.Of them - Of those who were slain by God on the behalf of Israel.

27:8 In measure - With moderation. When - When the vine shooteth forth its luxuriant branches, he cuts them off, but so as not to destroy the vine. Contend - God is said to contend with men, when he executes his judgments upon them, Amo 7:4.Stayeth - He mitigates the severity of the judgment. In the day - In the time when he sends forth his east - wind; which he mentions because that wind in those parts was most violent and most hurtful.

27:9 By this - By this manner of God's dealing with them.When - Which sin of Jacob's shall be purged, when he shall truly repent of all his sins, and especially of his idolatry. Altar - Their idolatrous altars. Possibly he may say the altar, with respect to that particular altar, which Ahaz had set upon the place of God's own altar; and this prophecy might be delivered in Ahaz's time, while that altar stood.Chalk - stones - When he shall break all those goodly altars in pieces.Not stand - Shall be thrown down with contempt.

9 In this chapter is,

1. The covenant of providence settled with Noah and his sons, Gen 9:1-11.
   In this covenant,
   1. God promiseth them to take care of their lives; so that,
      1. They should replenish the earth, Gen 9:1-7.
         
      2. They should be safe from the insults of the brute creatures, which should stand in awe of them, Gen 9:2.
         
      3. They should be allowed to eat flesh for the support of their lives, only they must not eat blood, Gen 9:3-4.
         
      4. The world should never be drowned again, Gen 9:8-11.
         
   2. God requires of them to take care of one another's lives, and of their own, Gen 9:5-6.
      
2. The seal of that covenant, viz. the rainbow, Gen 9:12-17.
   
3. A particular passage concerning Noah and his sons, which occasioned some prophecies that related to after - times.
   1. Noah's sin and shame, Gen 9:20-21.
      
   2. Ham's impudence and impiety, Gen 9:22.
      
   3. The pious modesty of Shem and Japheth, Gen 9:23.
      
   4. The curse of Canaan and the blessing of Shem and Japheth, Gen 9:24-27.
      
4. The age and death of Noah, Gen 9:28-29.
   

9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman - Heb. a man of the earth, a man dealing in the earth, that kept ground in his hand and occupied it.Sometime after his departure out of the ark he returned to his old employment, from which he had been diverted by the building of the ark first, and probably after by the building an house for himself and family.And he planted a vineyard - And when he had gathered his vintage, probably he appointed a day of mirth and feasting in his family, and had his sons and their children with him, to rejoice with him in the increase of his house, as well as in the increase of his vineyard; and we may suppose he prefaced his feast with a sacrifice to the honour of God. If that was omitted, 'twas just with God to leave him to himself, to end with the beasts that did not begin with God: but we charitably hope he did. And perhaps he appointed this feast with design in the close of it to bless his sons, as Isaac, Gen 27:3-4. That I may eat, and that my soul may bless thee.

9:21 And he drank of the wine and was drunk - 'Tis highly probable, he did not know the effect of it before. And he was uncovered in his tent - Made naked to his shame.

9:22 And Ham saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren - To have seen it accidentally and involuntarily would not have been a crime. But he pleased himself with the sight. And he told his two brethren without - In the street, as the word is, in a scornful deriding manner.

9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father - They not only would not see it themselves, but provided that no one else might see it; herein setting an example of charity, with reference to other men's sin and shame.

9:25 A servant of servants - That is, the meanest and most despicable servant shall he be, even to his brethren. Those who by birth were his equals, should by conquest be his lords. This certainly points at the victories obtained by Israel over the Canaanites, by which they were all either put to the sword, or put under tribute. Jos 9:23 Gen 9, Jdg 1:28, Jdg 1:30, Jdg 1:33, Jdg 1:35, which happened not 'till about eighthundred years after this. God often visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, especially when the children inherit the fathers wicked dispositions, and imitate the father's wicked practices.

9:26 The God of Shem - All blessings are included in this. This was the blessing conferred on Abraham and his seed, the God of heaven was not ashamed to be called their God, Heb 11:16.Shem is sufficiently recompensed for his respect to his father by this, that the Lord himself puts this honour upon him to be his God; which is a sufficient recompense for all our services and all our sufferings for his name.

9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem - His seed shall be so numerous and so victorious, that they shall be masters of the tents of Shem, which was fulfilled when the people of the Jews, the most eminent of Shem's race, were tributaries to the Grecians first, and after to the Romans, both of Japhet's seed.This also speaks the conversion of the Gentiles, and the bringing of them into the church; and then we should read it, God shall persuade Japheth; (for so the word signifies) and being so persuaded, he shall dwell in the tents of Shem - That is, Jews and Gentiles shall be united together in the gospel - fold: after many of the Gentiles shall have been proselyted to the Jewish religion, both shall be one in Christ, Eph 2:14-15. When Japheth joins with Shem, Canaan falls before them both: when strangers become friends, enemies become servants.

10 This chapter contains, the only certain account extant of the original of nations; and yet, perhaps, there is no nation, but that of the Jews, that can be confident from which of these seventy fountains (for many there are here) it derived its streams. Through the want of early records, the mixtures of people, the revolutions of nations, and distance of time, the knowledge of the lineal descent of the present inhabitants of the earth is lost: nor were any genealogies preserved but those of the Jews, for the sake of the Messiah.Only, in this chapter, we have a brief account,

1. Of the posterity of Japheth, Gen 10:2-5.
   
2. The posterity of Ham, Gen 10:6-20.
   and, in that particular notice taken of Nimrod, Gen 10:8-9.
   
3. The posterity of Shem, Gen 10:23-31.
   

12 

12:23 Concealeth - He does not unseasonably utter what he knows.Foolishness - Betrays his ignorance and folly.

12:25 A good word - A compassionate or encouraging word.

12:26 Neighbour - Than any other men. Seduceth - Heb. maketh them to err, to lose that excellency or happiness which they had promised themselves.

12:27 Resteth not - Does not enjoy the fruit of his labours.Precious - Yields him comfort and blessing with it.

13 

13:2 Shall eat - Shall receive comfort, and benefit by his wise and profitable discourses.

13:6 Keepeth him - From that over - throw which befal sinners.

13:7 Maketh rich - Some men who have little or nothing, pretend to have great riches. Maketh rich - Some rich men profess to be poor.

13:8 Riches - Riches enable a man to redeem his life when it is in greatest danger, and poverty preserves a man from many injuries. Because they are cautious, that they may not provoke others; and because they are esteemed objects of pity.

13:9 The light - The prosperity. Rejoiceth - Shines with a pleasant and constant brightness. Rejoicing is here ascribed to the light, as it is to the sun, Psa 19:5, metaphorically.Put out - Their felicity shall have a hidden end.