65  The calling of the Gentiles: the Jews for their incredulity, idolatry, and hypocrisy, rejected, Isa 65:1-7.
A remnant shall be saved, Isa 65:8-10.
Judgments on the wicked, and blessings on the Godly, Isa 65:11-16.
The flourishing and peaceable state of the New Jerusalem, Isa 65:17-25.

65:8 Thus, etc - These word's may be conceived as a gracious answer from God to the prophet, pleading God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. To this God replies, that he intended no such severity.His threatening should be made good upon the generality of this people.Blessing - But yet, as in a vineyard, which is generally unfruitful, there may be some vine that brings forth fruit, and has the hopes of new wine in the cluster, and as to such, the gardener bids his servant destroy it not, for there is in them what speaks God's blessing.So - So (saith God) will I do for my servants sake, that I may not destroy them all, for the sake of my servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

65:9 Judah - God farther promises to bring out of Judah, an inheritor of his mountains which refers to the Jews return out of the captivity of Babylon to Jerusalem, to worship God in his temple, upon mount Zion. Mine elect - My chosen ones. The term signifies such as are dignified with some special favour. The whole nation of the Jews are called a chosen people.

65:10 A fold - Sharon was a place of great fruitfulness for pastures. It was become like a wilderness, God here promises that it should again be a place for the flocks.

65:11 Forget - To forget God's holy mountains, signifies not to regard the true worship of God. God calls Zion his holy mountain.That troop - The idols of the ten tribes, and of the Assyrians, were a troop, where as the God of Israel was one God.By preparing a table, here seems to be meant, the feasts they made upon their sacrifices in imitation of what the true God had commanded his people. Furnish - God had appointed drink offerings for his honour, but the people had paid their homage to idols. Number - The multitude of their idols.

65:12 To the sword - A great number of you shall perish by the sword; or possibly the term number may refer to all in the next phrase, so that none of them should escape. God saith he will number them, tell them out one by one to the sword. Bow down - As you have bowed down to idols. I called - By my prophets, you did not answer by doing the things which I enjoined. Chuse - You sinned deliberately chusing sinful courses, the things which I hated.

65:15 A curse - They shall use your names as examples, of the eminent wrath of God upon sinners. Another name - He will not suffer his own people to be called by a name by which idolaters are known.

65:16 God of truth - Because they shall see what God promised is fulfilled. Are hid - That is, they are at an end.

46 Jacob is here removing to Egypt in his old age.

1. God sends him thither, Gen 46:1-4.
   
2. All his family goes with him, Gen 46:5-27.
   
3. Joseph bids him welcome, Gen 46:28-34.
   

46:1 And Israel came to Beer - sheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac - He chose that place in remembrance of the communion which his father and grandfather had with God in that place. In his devotion he had an eye to God as the God of his father Isaac, that is, a God in covenant with him, for by Isaac the covenant was entailed upon him. He offered sacrifices, extraordinary sacrifices, besides those at his stated times. These sacrifices were offered,

1. By way of thanksgiving for the late blessed change of the face of hisfamily, for the good news he had received concerning Joseph, and the hopes he had of seeing him.
2. By way of petition for the presence of God with him in his intendedjourney.
3. By way of consultation. Jacob would not go on 'till he had askedGod's leave.

46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night - (Probably the next night after he had offered his sacrifices.) Those who desire to keep up communion with God, shall find that it never fails on his side. If we speak to him as we ought, he will not fail to speak to us. God called him by his name, by his old name, Jacob, Jacob, to mind him of his low estate. Jacob, like one well acquainted with the visions of the Almighty, answers, Here am I - Ready to receive orders. And what has God to say to him?

46:3 I am God, the God of thy father - That is, I am what thou ownest me to be: thou shalt find me a God of divine wisdom and power engaged for thee: and thou shalt find me the God of thy father, true to the covenant made with him. Fear not to go down into Egypt - It seems though Jacob, upon the first intelligence of Joseph's life and glory in Egypt, resolved without any hesitation I will go and see him, yet upon second thoughts he saw difficulties in it.

1. He was old, 130 years old; it was a long journey, and he was unfit totravel.
2. He feared lest his sons should be tainted with the idolatry of Egypt,and forget the God of their fathers.
3. Probably he thought of what God had said to Abraham concerning thebondage and affliction of his seed.
4. He could not think of laying his bones in Egypt. But whatever hisdiscouragements were, this was enough to answer them all, Fear not to go down into Egypt.

46:4 I will go down with thee into Egypt - Those that go where God sends them shall certainly have God with them. And I will surely bring thee up again - Tho' Jacob died in Egypt, yet this promise was fulfilled,

1. In the bringing up of his body to be buried in Canaan.
2. In the bringing up of his seed to be settled in Canaan. Whatever lowand darksome valley we are called into, we may be confident if God go down with us, he will surely bring us up again. If he go with us down to death, he will surely bring us up again to glory. And Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes - That is a promise that Joseph should live as long as he lived, that he should be with him at his death, and close his eyes with all possible tenderness. Probably Jacob, in the multitude of his thoughts within him, had been wishing that Joseph might do this last office of love for him; and God thus answered him in the letter of his desire. Thus God sometimes gratifies the innocent wishes of his people, and makes not only their death happy, but the very circumstances of it agreeable.

46:7 All his seed - 'Tis probable they continued to live together in common with their father, and therefore when he went they all went; which perhaps they were the more willing to do, because, tho' they had heard that the land of Canaan was promised them, yet to this day they had none of it in possession. We have here a particular account of the names of Jacob's family; his sons sons, most of which are afterwards mentioned, as heads of houses in the several tribes. See Num 26:5, etc Issachar called his eldest son Tola, which signifies a worm, probably because when he was born he was a little weak child, not likely to live, and yet there sprang from him a very numerous off - spring, Ch1 7:2. The whole number that went down intoEgypt were sixty - six, to which add Joseph and his two sons, who were there before, and Jacob himself, the head of the family, and you have the number of seventy. 'Twas now 215 years since God had promised Abraham to make of him a great nation, Gen 12:2, and yet that branch of his seed, on which the promise was entailed, was as yet increased but to seventy, of which this particular account is kept, that the power of God in multiplying these seventy to so vast a multitude, even in Egypt, may be the more illustrious. When he pleases, A little one shall become a thousand.

23 

23:16 My reins - I shall rejoice with all my soul.

23:18 An end - An expected and happy end for such as fear God.

23:19 Guide - Order the whole course of thine affections and actions.In the way - In God's way.

23:23 Buy - Purchase it upon any terms, spare no pains or cost.Truth - The true and saving knowledge of God's will. Sell it not - Do not forsake it for any worldly advantage.

23:26 Give me - Solomon here speaks in God's name.

23:30 Mixt wine - Either mixed with water, or with other ingredients to make it strong and delicious.

23:31 Red - Which was the colour of the best wines in that country.Aright - When it sparkles, and seems to smile upon a man.

23:34 Lieth down - To sleep. Sea - In a ship in the midst of the sea.

23:35 Sick - I was not sensible of it. Again - At present my condition requires sleep to settle myself, and when I am composed, I purpose to return to my former course.

24 

24:2 Destruction - How they may oppress and destroy others.

24:3 Through wisdom - There is no need that thou shouldest raise thy family by ruining others, which thou mayest more effectually do by wisdom.

24:4 By knowledge - Which in scripture phrase includes the love and practice of what we know.

24:5 Is strong - Is courageous and resolute, and able by wisdom to do greater things than others can accomplish by strength.