CHAPTER 2

1 On my watch-tower will I stand, And set myself on a citadel; And I will watch to see what he may say to me, And what I may answer to the reproof given me.

2 Then answer me did Jehovah and said, Write the vision, and make it plain on tables, That run may he who reads it;

3 For yet the vision shall be for an appointed time, And will speak at the end, and will not deceive: If it tarry, wait for it; (66) for coming it will come, and will not delay.

4 Behold the elated! not right is his soul within him; But the just, by his faith, shall he live.” (72)

5 Yea, truly! as by wine, transgress does the proud man, And he will not rest; (87) For he enlarges as the grave his soul, And is like to death, and is not satisfied; Yea, he collects to himself all nations, And heaps together for himself all the people.

6 Shall not all these take up against him a parable, And against him an enigmatical taunt, and say,—“Ho! he multiplies what is not his own! how long! And he accumulates on himself thick clay!

7 Shall they not suddenly rise up who shall bite thee, And awake, who shall torment thee? And shalt not thou become tramplings to them?

8 As thou has spoiled many nations, Spoil thee shall all the remnant of the people, On account of men’s blood, and of violence To the land, to the city and to all its inhabitants.

9 Ho! he covets an evil covetousness to his house, In order to set on high his nest, That he may keep himself from the hand of evil!

10 Thou hast provided shame for thine own house, By cutting off many nations, And thou hast sinned against thine own soul.”

11 For the stone from the wall shall cry, ¹⁵⁴¹⁵⁴     Calvin makes here a change in the discourse; but the whole to the end of the chapter may be viewed as the parable or the taunt mentioned in verse 6, and the particle Ho! may be retained instead of Wo. The taunt seems to have been formed so as to have been especially suitable to be used by the Jews.
   By regarding the passage in this light, we can understand the sudden change of person in verse 16, if the proposed emendation be disapproved; for we see the same in the former portions of the “taunt.” See 6 and 7, and also 9 and 10. That the reader may see the whole of this passage, containing the “taunt,” in the light in which I am now fully inclined to regard it, it shall be presented to him complete:—
   6. Will not these, every one of them, Raise up a proverb concerning him, And a taunt, enigmas for him, and say,—“Ho! He increases what is not his! how long! And he accumulates on himself thick clay!—
   7. Will they not suddenly rise up—thy biters, And awake—thy tormentors, And thou become booties to them?
   8. For thou hast spoiled many nation, And spoil thee shall all the remnant of the people, On account of men’s blood, and of violence To the land, to the city, and to all its inhabitants.”
   9. “Ho! he has coveted an evil covetousness to his house, To set on high his nest, In order to save himself from the hand of evil!—
   10. Thou hast consulted shame to thine house, By cutting off many nations And by sinning against thine own soul:
   11. For the stone—from the wall it cries, And the beam—from the woodwork it answers it,—
   12. ‘Ho! he builds a town by blood, And sets up a city by oppression!’—
   13. Shall nothing be, lo! From Jehovah of hosts? Yea, labor shall the people for the fire, And nations—for vanity shall they weary themselves:
   14. For filled shall be the earth With the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, Like the waters which spread over the sea.”
   15. “Ho! he gives drink to his neighbour!—Thou addest thy bottle and also strong drink, In order to look on their nakedness!
   16. Thou hast been filled with reproach rather than with glory: Drink thou also, and be uncovered; Come round to thee shall the cup of the right hand of Jehovah; And shameful spewing shall be on thy glory:
   17. For the violence done to Lebanon—it shall overwhelm thee, And the plunder of beasts—it shall rend thee; On account of men’s blood, and of violence To the land, to the city, and to all its inhabitants.”
   18. “What avails the graven image! For its graver—he forms it—Even the molten image and the teacher of falsehood: Yea, trust in it does the former of its form, After having made dumb idols!
   19. Ho! he saith to the wood, ‘Arise, Awake;’ To the dumb stone, ‘It will teach?’ Behold it! covered it is with gold and silver, Yet there is no spirit within it! But Jehovah is in his holy temple: Silent at his presence let the whole earth be.”
   The “taunt” may be deemed as terminating at the end of the 17th verse; but I regard it as continuing to the end of the chapter. The word “neighbour,” in the 15th verse, is a collective singular, meaning every neighbour: hence “their” at the end of the verse. The same may be said of “image” in verse 18, which means every image or images, as “idols” are mentioned afterwards. Such are common instances in the Prophets. “It will teach,” in verse 19, most evidently refers to “the dumb stone”—the idol; for it is expressly called “the teacher of falsehood” in verse 17.—Ed And the wood from the chamber shall answer it,—

12 “Ho! he builds a town by blood, And sets up a city by iniquity!”

13 Behold, shall nothing be from Jehovah of hosts? Hence labour shall the people in the fire, And weary themselves in vain;

14 For filled shall be earth with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, As the waters cover the sea.

15 Woe to him who gives his friend drink!—Uniting thy heat, thou makes them also to drink, That thou mayest look on their nakedness. (112)

16 Thou art filled with shame for the sake of glory; Drink thou also, and be thou uncovered: Poured forth to thee shall be the cup of Jehovah’s right hand, And shameful spewing shall be on thy glory:

17 For overwhelm thee shall the violence done to Lebanon, And the spoiling of beasts, which terrified them; On account of men’s blood, and of violence To the land, to the city, and to all its inhabitants.

18 What avails the graven image? For graven it hath its framer, Even the molten image and the teacher of falsehood; For trust does the framer in his own work, when he makes dumb idols. (122)

19 Woe to him who saith to wood, “Awake;” And “Arise,” to a dumb stone;—it will teach: Behold, it is covered with gold and silver; And there is no spirit in the midst of it. (124) But Jehovah is in his holy Temple: Silent at his presence let the whole earth be.