---
title: "Clarke"
description: "NOTES ON CHAP. XXVII Verse Isaiah 27:1. Leviathan — The animals here mentioned seem to be the crocodile, rigid by the stiffness of the backbone, so that h"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/isaiah/27"
---

NOTES ON CHAP. XXVII
Verse [Isaiah 27:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/1). ***Leviathan*** — The animals here mentioned seem to be the *crocodile*, rigid by the stiffness of the backbone, so that he cannot readily turn himself when he pursues his prey; hence the easiest way of escaping from him is by making frequent and short turnings: the *serpent* or *dragon*, flexible and winding, which coils himself up in a circular form: and the *sea-monster*, or *whale*. These are used allegorically, without doubt for great potentates, enemies and persecutors of the people of God: but to specify the particular persons or states designed by the prophet under these images, is a matter of great difficulty, and comes not necessarily with in the design of these notes. *R. D. Kimchi* says, *leviathan* is a parable concerning the kings of the Gentiles: it is the largest fish in the sea, called also תנין *tannin, the dragon*, or rather the *whale*. By these names the Grecian, Turkish, and Roman empires are intended. The *dragon of the sea* seems to mean some nation having a strong naval force and extensive commerce. See *Kimchi* on the place.

Verse [Isaiah 27:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/2). ***Sing ye unto her*** — אנו לה *anu lah*. Bishop *Lowth* translates this, *Sing ye a responsive song*; and says that ענה *anah, to answer*, signifies occasionally to sing responsively; and that this mode of singing was frequently practised among the ancient Hebrews. See *De Poes*. Sac. Heb. Prael. xix., at the beginning.
This, indeed, was the ancient method of singing in various nations. The song was divided into distinct portions, and the singers sang *alternately*. There is a fine specimen of this in the song of Deborah and Barak; and also in the Idyls of Theocritus, and the Eclogues of Virgil.
This kind of singing was properly a dialogue in verse, sung to a particular tune, or in the mode which is now termed *recitativo*. I have seen it often practiced on funeral occasions among the descendants of the aboriginal Irish. The poems of Ossian are of this kind.
The learned *Bishop* distinguishes the parts of this dialogue thus: -
Bishop *Lowth* translates, *To the beloved vineyard*. For חמר *chemer, red*, a multitude of MSS. and editions have חמד *chemed,* *desirable*. This is supported by the *Septuagint* and *Chaldee*.

Verse [Isaiah 27:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/3). ***Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day*** - "I will take care of her by night; and by day I will keep guard over her"] For פן יפקד *pen yiphkod, lest any visit it*, the *Syriac* read ואפקד *veephkod, and I will visit it*. Twenty MSS. of *Kennicott's*, fourteen of *De Rossi's*, and two of my own, and six editions read אפקד *ephkod, I will visit*, in the first person.

Verse [Isaiah 27:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/4). ***Fury*****is*****not in me*** - "I have no wall"] For חמה *chemah,* *anger*, the *Septuagint* and *Syriac* read חומה *chomah, wall*. An ancient MS. has חימה *cheimah*. For בה *bah, in her*, two MSS. read בם *bam, in them*, plural. The vineyard wishes for a wall and a fence of thorns - human strength and protection, (as the Jews were too apt to apply to their powerful neighbours for assistance, and to trust to the shadow of Egypt:) JEHOVAH replies, that this would not avail her, nor defend her against his wrath. He counsels her, therefore, to betake herself to his protection. On which she entreats him to make peace with her.
From the above note it appears that the bishop reads, חומה *chomah, wall*, for חמה *chemah, anger* or *fury*, in accordance with the *Syriac* and *Septuagint*. The letter ו *vau* makes the only difference, which letter is frequently absent from many words where its place is supplied by the point *cholem*: it might have been so here formerly; and in process of time both *vau* and *cholem* might have been lost. The *Syriac* supports the learned bishop's criticism, as the word [Syriac] *shora* is there used; which word in the plural is found, [Hebrews 11:30](../../../kjv/hebrews/11/30): "By faith the *walls* of Jericho." The bishop thinks the *Septuagint* is on his side: to me, it seems neither *for* nor *against* the criticism. The words in the *Vatican copy* are εγω πολις οχυρα, *I am a fortified* *city*; which the *Arabic* follows: but instead of οχυρα, the *Codex* *Alexandrinus* has ισχυρα, *I am a STRONG city*.
The word חומה *chomah, wall*, is not found in any MS. in the collections of *Kennicott* and *De Rossi*, nor in any of my own MSS.
However, one of Dr. *Kennicott's* MSS. has חימה *cheimah*; but probably that which now appears to be a י *yod* was formerly a ו *vau*, and now partially obliterated.
This song receives much light from being collated with that in chap. v.; and perhaps the bishop's criticism will find its best support from such a collation. In [Isaiah 5:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/5/5) of that chapter, God threatens to take away the *wall* of his vineyard: this was done; and here the vineyard complains, *I have no wall*, and wishes for any kind of defense rather than be thus naked. This is the only *natural* support of the above criticism.
"About Tripoli there are abundance of vineyards and gardens, inclosed, for the most part, with hedges, which chiefly consist of the rhamnus, paliurus, oxyacantha," c. *Rawolf*, p. 21, 22. A fence of thorns is esteemed equal to a wall for strength, being commonly represented as impenetrable. See [Micah 7:4](../../../kjv/micah/7/4) [Hosea 2:6](../../../kjv/hosea/2/6).
***Who would set the briers and thorns against me*** - "O that I had a fence of the thorn and brier"] *Seven* MSS., (*two* ancient,) and *one* edition, with the *Syriac, Vulgate*, and *Aquila*, read ושית *veshayith*, with the conjunction ו *vau* prefixed: *Who would set* *the briers and thorns*. מי יתנני שמיר שית mi yitteneni shamir *shayith, Who shall give me the brier and thorn*, i.e., for a defense: but hear *Kimchi*: "Who (the vineyard) *hath given me* (Jehovah) *the brier and the thorn* instead of good grapes."

Verse [Isaiah 27:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/5). ***Or***- "Ah"] For או *o* I read אוי *oi*, as it was at first in a MS. The י *yod* was easily lost, being followed by another י *yod*.

Verse [Isaiah 27:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/6). ***To take root***- "From the root"] For ישרש *yashresh*, I read, with the *Syriac*, משרש mishshoresh. And for יציץ ופרח *yatsits uparach*, יציצו פרח yatsitsu parach, joining the ו *vau* to the first word, and taking that into construction with the first part of the sentence, *Israel shall bud forth*. I suppose the dialogue to be continued in this verse, which pursues the same image of the allegory, but in the way of metaphor.

Verse [Isaiah 27:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/9). ***The groves***- "And if the groves"] ולא *velo*. *Four* MSS., *two* ancient, of *Kennicott's*, and *one* ancient of my own, with the *Septuagint*; this makes a fuller sense.

Verse [Isaiah 27:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/10). ***There shall the calf feed*** — That is, the king of Egypt, says *Kimchi*.

Verse [Isaiah 27:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/11). ***The boughs thereof*** - "Her boughs"] קציריה *ketsireyha*, MS. and Vulg.; that is, the boughs of the *vineyard*, referring still to the subject of the dialogue above.
The scarcity of fuel, especially wood, in most parts of the east is so great, that they supply it with every thing capable of burning; cow-dung dried, roots, parings of fruit, withered stalks of herbs and flowers; see [Matthew 6:21-30](../../../kjv/matthew/6/21-30). Vine-twigs are particularly mentioned as used for fuel in dressing their food, by D'Arvieux; *La Roque*, Palestine, p. 198. Ezekiel says, in his parable of the vine, used figuratively for the people of God, as the vineyard is here: "Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel;" [Ezekiel 15:3-4](../../../kjv/ezekiel/15/3-4). "If a man abide not in one," saith our Lord, "he is cast forth as a branch of the vine and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned;" [John 15:6](../../../kjv/john/15/6). They employed women and children to gather these things, and they laid them up in store for use. The dressing and pruning their vines afforded a good supply of the last sort of fuel; but the prophet says that the vines themselves of the beloved vineyard shall be blasted, withered, and broken, and the women shall come and gather them up, and carry away the whole of them to make their fires for domestic uses. See *Harmer's* Observations, vol. i., p. 254, &c.

Verse [Isaiah 27:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/12). ***The channel of the river*** — The river *Sabbation*, beyond which the Israelites were carried captive. - *Kimchi*.

Verse [Isaiah 27:13](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/13). ***The great trumpet shall be blown*** — Does not this refer to the time spoken of by our Lord, [Matthew 24:31](../../../kjv/matthew/24/31): *He shall send forth his angels* - the preachers of his Gospel *with* *a great sound of a trumpet* - the earnest invitation to be saved by Jesus Christ; *and shall gather his elect* - the Jews, his ancient *chosen* people, *from the four winds* - from all parts of the habitable globe in which they have been dispersed.
In this prophet there are several predictions relative to the conversion of Egypt to the true faith, which have not yet been fulfilled, and which *must* be fulfilled, for the truth of God cannot fail. Should Egypt ever succeed in casting off the *Ottoman* yoke, and fully establish its independence, it is most likely that the Gospel of Christ would have a speedy entrance into it; and, according to these prophecies, a wide and permanent diffusion. At present the Mohammedan power is a genuine antichrist. This also the Lord will remove in due time.

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