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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Isaiah 2:2

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Gentiles;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Jesus, the Christ;   Temple;   Scofield Reference Index - Mountain;   Thompson Chain Reference - Days;   Last Days;   Missions, World-Wide;   The Topic Concordance - Jerusalem;   Last Days;   Law;   Teaching;   War/weapons;   Word of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Church, the;   Conversion;   Excellency and Glory of the Church, the;   Gentiles;   Heathen, the;   Jews, the;   Mountains;   Temple, the First;   Titles and Names of the Church;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Mountains;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Day of the lord;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Foreigner;   Israel;   King, Kingship;   Last Day(s), Latter Days, Last Times;   Micah, Theology of;   New Jerusalem;   Sexuality, Human;   War, Holy War;   Work;   Zechariah, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Jesus Christ;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Proselyte;   Temple;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Beast;   Changers of Money;   Gentiles;   Haggai;   Hermon;   Jerusalem;   Micah;   Mizar;   Noah;   Palestine;   Proselytes;   Regeneration;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Directions (Geographical);   Evangelism;   Gentiles;   Isaiah;   Jerusalem;   Salvation;   Word;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Deuteronomy;   Isaiah, Book of;   Joel, Book of;   Micah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Advent (2);   Eschatology (2);   Gentiles;   New Jerusalem;   Paul (2);   Peace;   Progress;   Quotations;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Temple, the;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount;   Mount zion;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of christ of heaven;   Kingdom of god;   Kingdom of heaven;   Micah;   World;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Christ, Offices of;   Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Day, Last;   Deuteronomy;   Eschatology of the Old Testament (with Apocryphal and Apocalyptic Writings);   Haggai;   Isaiah;   Jehoiakim;   Micah (2);   Promise;   Salvation;   Stranger and Sojourner (in the Old Testament);   Zephaniah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Baba ben Buá¹­a;   Eschatology;   Ethics;   God;   Judaism;   Messiah;   Micah, Book of;   Optimism and Pessimism;   Polemics and Polemical Literature;   Proselyte;   Samael;   Sarah (Sarai);   Satan;   Theology;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
In the last days the mountain of the Lord 's Temple will be the highest of all mountains. It will be raised higher than the hills. There will be a steady stream of people from all nations going there.
New Living Translation
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord 's house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
Update Bible Version
And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
New Century Version
In the last days the mountain on which the Lord 's Temple stands will become the most important of all mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and people from all nations will come streaming to it.
New English Translation
In the future the mountain of the Lord 's temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it,
Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mount of the LORD'S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
World English Bible
It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
Amplified Bible
Now it will come to pass that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains, And will be exalted above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
English Standard Version
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And in the laste daies the hil of the hous of the Lord schal be maad redi in the cop of hillis, and schal be reisid aboue litle hillis. And alle hethene men schulen flowe to hym;
English Revised Version
And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Berean Standard Bible
In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Contemporary English Version
In the future, the mountain with the Lord 's temple will be the highest of all. It will reach above the hills; every nation will rush to it.
American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Bible in Basic English
And it will come about in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord will be placed on the top of the mountains, and be lifted up over the hills; and all nations will come to it.
Complete Jewish Bible
In the acharit-hayamim the mountain of Adonai 's house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the Goyim will stream there.
Darby Translation
And it shall come to pass in the end of days, [that] the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow unto it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
King James Version (1611)
And it shall come to passe in the last dayes, that the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountaines, and shall be exalted aboue the hilles; and all nations shall flow vnto it.
New Life Bible
In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be the most important of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills. All the nations will come to it.
New Revised Standard
In days to come the mountain of the Lord 's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
It shall be in the last dayes, that the mountaine of the house of the Lorde shalbe prepared in the top of the mountaines, and shall be exalted aboue the hilles, and all nations shall flowe vnto it.
George Lamsa Translation
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORDS house shall be established above the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall look to it.
Good News Translation
In days to come the mountain where the Temple stands will be the highest one of all, towering above all the hills. Many nations will come streaming to it,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But it shall come to pass, in the afterpart of the days, That the mountain of the house of Yahweh Shall be, set up, as the head of the mountains, And be exalted above the hills, - And all the nations, shall stream thereunto;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
Revised Standard Version
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And [this] shall come to passe in the latter dayes: the hyll of the Lordes house shalbe prepared in the heyght of the mountaynes, and shalbe hygher then the hylles, and all nations shall preasse vnto hym.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be glorious, and the house of God shall be on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall come to it.
Christian Standard Bible®
In the last daysthe mountain of the Lord’s house will be establishedat the top of the mountainsand will be raised above the hills.All nations will stream to it,
Hebrew Names Version
It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
King James Version
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord 's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Lexham English Bible
And it shall happen in the future of the days the mountain of the house of Yahweh shall be established; it will be among the highest of the mountains, and it shall be raised from the hills. All of the nations shall travel to him;
Literal Translation
And it shall be in the last days, the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it.
Young's Literal Translation
And it hath come to pass, In the latter end of the days, Established is the mount of Jehovah's house, Above the top of the mounts, And it hath been lifted up above the heights, And flowed unto it have all the nations.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
It will be also in processe of tyme: That the hill where the the house of the LORDE is buylded, shal be ye chefe amoge hilles, and exalted aboue al litle hilles. And al heithe shal prease vnto him and the multitude of people shall go vnto him,
New American Standard Bible
Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it will be thatIn the last daysThe mountain of the house of YahwehWill be established as the head of the mountains,And will be lifted up above the hills;And all the nations will stream to it.

Contextual Overview

1 Micah 4:1-5">[xr] The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And it shall: Micah 4:1-3

in the last: Genesis 49:1, Numbers 24:14, Job 19:25, Jeremiah 23:20, Jeremiah 30:24, Jeremiah 48:47, Jeremiah 49:39, Ezekiel 38:16, Daniel 2:28, Daniel 10:14, Acts 2:17, 2 Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, 2 Peter 3:3

the mountain: Isaiah 30:29, Psalms 68:15, Psalms 68:16, Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:45, Zechariah 8:3, Revelation 20:4, Revelation 21:10-27

established: or, prepared

and all: Isaiah 11:10, Isaiah 27:13, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 60:11, Isaiah 60:12, Psalms 2:8, Psalms 22:27, Psalms 72:8, Psalms 72:17-19, Psalms 86:9, Jeremiah 3:17, Malachi 3:12, Revelation 11:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:10 - the gathering Numbers 24:7 - his kingdom 1 Kings 4:34 - General 2 Kings 6:27 - whence Psalms 48:1 - mountain Psalms 48:8 - God Psalms 66:4 - General Psalms 72:16 - upon Psalms 87:1 - the holy Psalms 102:16 - When Psalms 115:14 - Lord Song of Solomon 4:6 - the mountain Isaiah 10:32 - the mount Isaiah 14:13 - the mount Isaiah 25:6 - in this Isaiah 30:8 - the time to come Isaiah 42:4 - and the isles Isaiah 49:12 - these shall Isaiah 49:22 - Behold Isaiah 51:5 - my salvation Isaiah 54:3 - thou shalt Isaiah 56:7 - them will Isaiah 60:3 - the Gentiles Isaiah 65:1 - I am sought Isaiah 65:11 - my holy Isaiah 66:18 - that I Jeremiah 16:19 - Gentiles Jeremiah 17:3 - my Jeremiah 26:18 - the mountain Jeremiah 31:6 - Arise Jeremiah 31:12 - the height Jeremiah 51:44 - the nations Ezekiel 16:61 - when Ezekiel 17:22 - upon Ezekiel 17:23 - under Ezekiel 20:40 - in mine Ezekiel 34:26 - my hill Ezekiel 40:2 - a very Daniel 11:45 - in the Hosea 3:5 - in the Micah 3:12 - the mountain Zephaniah 2:11 - and men Zechariah 2:11 - many Zechariah 8:20 - there Zechariah 14:9 - the Lord Matthew 6:10 - Thy kingdom Matthew 8:11 - That Matthew 13:32 - the least Mark 4:31 - is less than Luke 11:2 - Thy kingdom Luke 13:19 - and it Acts 15:17 - the residue Galatians 4:26 - Jerusalem Ephesians 1:10 - in the 1 Timothy 4:1 - the latter Titus 2:11 - hath appeared Hebrews 9:26 - in James 5:3 - the last Revelation 7:9 - a great Revelation 21:24 - the nations

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 2:8
The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Exodus 23:12
Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
Exodus 31:17
It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."'
Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
Isaiah 58:13
"If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words,
John 5:17
But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."
Hebrews 4:4
For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; Genesis 2:2">[fn]

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall come to pass in the last days,.... The days of the Messiah, as Aben Ezra rightly interprets it; and it is a rule laid down by Kimchi and Ben Melech, that wherever the last days are mentioned, the days of the Messiah are intended. The days of the Messiah commenced in the latter part of the Old Testament dispensation, or Jewish world, towards the close of their civil and church state, at the end of which he was to come, Habakkuk 2:3 and accordingly did, which is called the end of the world, and the last days; that is, of that state, Hebrews 1:2 and ushered in the world to come, or Gospel dispensation, which is properly the days of the Messiah, reaching from his first to his second coming; the first of which were the times of John the Baptist, Christ and his apostles; the latter days of that dispensation take in the rise and reign of antichrist, 1 Timothy 4:1 the last days of it are those which bring in the perilous times, the spiritual reign of Christ, and the destruction of antichrist, and which will precede the personal coming of Christ, 2 Timothy 3:1 and these are the days here referred to.

[That] the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains; by "the mountain" of the Lord's house is meant, not Mount Moriah, on which the temple was built, as Kimchi interprets it; nor the temple itself, as the Targum; though in the last days of it, and at the first coming of the Messiah, that had a greater glory than ever it had before, through the personal presence of Christ in it; through the effusion of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles there, on the day of Pentecost; and through the Gospel being first preached here by Christ and his apostles, from whence it went forth into all the world, as is afterwards predicted it should; but the kingdom of Christ, which is his church, is here designed; called "the Lord's house", because of his building, and where he dwells, and which he will at this time beautify and glorify; the materials of it are lively stones, or true believers; laid on Christ the foundation, into which there is no right entrance but through faith in him, who is the door, and where is plenty of provisions; the pillars and beams of it are the ministers of the Gospel, and its windows are the ordinances: here Christ is as a Son over his own house; he is the Master of it, the High Priest and Prophet in it; and his servants are the stewards of it, to give to everyone their portion; and happy are they that have a name and a place in it: and it is called "the mountain", in allusion to Mount Zion, on which the temple stood; because of its immovableness, being secured in the everlasting and electing love of God, and in the unalterable covenant of grace, founded on the Rock Christ, and guarded by the mighty power of God. This is "established in the top of the mountains"; in Christ, who is higher than the kings of the earth, signified by mountains,

Revelation 17:9 who is the Head of all principality and power; not in their first head, or in themselves, is the establishment of the saints, but in Christ, 2 Corinthians 1:21 he is the stability of their persons, of their grace, and of their life, spiritual and eternal. Here it seems to denote the superiority of the kingdom and interest of Christ to all civil and religious states; the settlement and security of it; its standing above them, and continuance when they shall be no more, even all antichristian states, both Papal, Pagan, and Mahometan,

Revelation 16:19

and shall be exalted above the hills; Mount Zion is above Mount Sinai, or the Gospel dispensation is preferable to the legal one. It is an observation of Jarchi, that it shall be exalted by a greater sign or miracle that shall be done in it than was done in Sinai, Carmel, and Tabor; the law was given on Sinai, and many wonders wrought; but on Zion the Messiah himself appeared, and his Gospel was published, and miracles wrought by him. And in the latter day, when Christ, and he alone, shall be exalted, as he will at the time this prophecy refers to, Isaiah 2:11 the church will be exalted; the glory of the Lord will be risen upon her; the interest of Christ will exceed all other interests; his religion will be the prevailing one; the kingdoms of this world will become his; and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the end of the earth. This may also denote the visibility of the kingdom and church of Christ; it will be as a city on a hill; and however obscure the church is now, being in the wilderness, it will at this time be visible to all:

and all nations shall flow unto it; that is, many out of all nations shall be converted, and come freely and willingly to join themselves to the church of Christ; they shall come in great numbers, in company together, and that continually, like flowing streams; they shall first flow to the Lord, and to his goodness, and then to his church and ordinances; see Isaiah 60:4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the last days - הימים באחרית be'achărı̂yth hāyâmı̂ym. In the “after” days; in the “futurity” of days; that is, in the time to come. This is an expression that often occurs in the Old Testament. It does not of itself refer to any “particular” period, and especially not, as our translation would seem to indicate, to the end of the world. The expression properly denotes “only future time” in general. But the prophets were accustomed to concentrate all their hopes on the coming of the Messiah. They saw his advent as giving character, and sublimity, and happiness to all coming times. Hence, the expression came to denote, by way of eminence, the times of the Messiah, and is frequently used in the New Testament, as well as the Old, to designate those times; see Acts 2:17; compare Joel 2:28; Heb 1:2; 1 Peter 1:5, 1Pe 1:20; 1 John 2:18; Genesis 49:1; Micah 4:1; Deuteronomy 4:30; Jeremiah 48:47; Daniel 11:28.

The expressions which follow are figurative, and cannot well be interpreted as relating to any other events than the times of the Messiah. They refer to that future period, then remote, which would constitute the “last” dispensation of things in this world - the “last” time - the period, however long it might be, in which the affairs of the world would be closed. The patriarchal times had passed away; the dispensation under the Mosaic economy would pass away; the times of the Messiah would be the “last” times, or the last dispensation, under which the affairs of the world would be consummated. Thus the phrase is evidently used in the New Testament, as denoting the “last” time, though without implying that that time would be short. It might be longer than “all” the previous periods put together, but it would be the “last” economy, and under that economy, or “in” that time, the world would be destroyed, Christ would come to judgment, the dead would be raised, and the affairs of the world would be wound up. The apostles, by the use of this phrase, never intimate that the time would be short, or that the day of judgment was near, but only that “in” that time the great events of the world’s history would be consummated and closed; compare 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5. This prophecy occurs in Micah Micah 4:1-5 with scarcely any variation. It is not known whether Isaiah made use of Micah, or Micah of Isaiah, or both of an older and well-known prophecy. Hengstenberg (“Chris.” i., pp. 289, 290) supposes that Isaiah copied from Micah, and suggests the following reasons:

1. The prediction of Isaiah is disconnected with what goes before, and yet begins with the copulative ו (v), “and.” In Micah, on the contrary, it is connected with what precedes and follows.

2. In the discourses of the prophets, the promise usually follows the threatening. This order is observed by Micah; in Isaiah, on the contrary, the promise contained in the passage precedes the threatening, and another promise follows. Many of the older theologians supposed that the passages were communicated alike by the Holy Spirit to both writers. But there is no improbability in supposing that Isaiah may have availed himself of language used by Micah in describing the same event.

The mountain of the Lord’s house - The temple was built on mount Moriah, which was hence called the mountain of the Lord’s house. The temple, or the mountain on which it was reared, would be the object which would express the public worship of the true God. And hence, to say that that should be elevated higher than all other hills, or mountains, means, that the worship of the true God would become an object so conspicuous as to be seen by all nations; and so conspicuous that all nations would forsake other objects and places of worship, being attracted by the glory of the worship of the true God.

Shall be established - Shall be fixed, rendered permanent.

In the top of the mountains - To be in the top of the mountains, would be to be “conspicuous,” or seen from afar. In other words, the true religion would be made known to all people.

Shall flow unto it - This is a figurative expression, denoting that they would be converted to the true religion. It indicates that they would come in multitudes, like the flowing of a mighty river. The idea of the “flowing” of the nations, or of the movement of many people toward an object like a broad stream, is one that is very grand and sublime; compare Psalms 65:7. This cannot be understood of any period previous to the establishment of the gospel. At no time of the Jewish history did any events occur that would be a complete fulfillment of this prophecy. The expressions evidently refer to that period elsewhere often predicted by this prophet Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:22; Isaiah 54:3; Isaiah 60:3, Isaiah 60:5, Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 62:2; Isaiah 66:12, Isaiah 66:19, when “the Gentiles” would be brought to the knowledge of the true religion. In Isaiah 66:12, there occurs a passage remarkably similar, and which may serve to explain this:

‘Behold I will extend peace to her (to Zion) as a river;

And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.’

Under the Messiah, through the preaching of the apostles and by the spread of the gospel, this prophecy was to receive its full accomplishment.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 2:2. In the last days - "In the latter days"] "Wherever the latter times are mentioned in Scripture, the days of the Messiah are always meant," says Kimchi on this place: and, in regard to this place, nothing can be more clear and certain. And the mountain of the Lord's house, says the same author, is Mount Moriah, on which the temple was built. The prophet Micah, Micah 4:1-4, has repeated this prophecy of the establishment of the kingdom of Christ, and of its progress to universality and perfection, in the same words, with little and hardly any material variation: for as he did not begin to prophesy till Jotham's time, and this seems to be one of the first of Isaiah's prophecies, I suppose Micah to have taken it from hence. The variations, as I said, are of no great importance.

Isaiah 2:2. הוא hu, after ונשא venissa, a word of some emphasis, may be supplied from Micah, if dropped in Isaiah. An ancient MS. has it here in the margin. It has in like manner been lost in Isaiah 53:4, (see note on the place, Isaiah 53:4- :) and in Psalms 22:29, where it is supplied by the Syriac, and Septuagint. Instead of כל הגוים col haggoyim, all the nations, Micah has only עמים ammim, peoples; where the Syriac has כל עמים col ammim, all peoples, as probably it ought to be.

Isaiah 2:3. For the second אל el, read ואל veel, seventeen MSS., one of my own, ancient, two editions, the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, Chaldee, and so Micah, Micah 4:2.

Isaiah 2:4. Micah adds עד רחק ad rachok, afar off, which the Syriac also reads in this parallel place of Isaiah. It is also to be observed that Micah has improved the passage by adding a verse, or sentence, for imagery and expression worthy even of the elegance of Isaiah: -

"And they shall sit every man under his vine,

And under his fig tree, and none shall affright them:

For the mouth of JEHOVAH, God of hosts, hath spoken it."


The description of well established peace, by the image of "beating their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks," is very poetical. The Roman poets have employed the same image, Martial, xiv. 34. "Falx ex ense."


"Pax me certa ducis placidos curvavit in usus:

Agricolae nunc sum; militis ante fui."


"Sweet peace has transformed me. I was once the property of the soldier, and am now the property of the husbandman."

The prophet Joel, Joel 3:10, hath reversed it, and applied it to war prevailing over peace: -

"Beat your ploughshares into swords,

And your pruning-hooks into spears."

And so likewise the Roman poets: -

________________ Non ullus aratro

Dignus honos: squalent abductis arva colonis,

Et curvae rigidum falces conflantur in ensem.

Virg., Georg. i. 506.


"Agriculture has now no honour: the husbandmen being taken away to the wars, the fields are overgrown with weeds, and the crooked sickles are straightened into swords."

Bella diu tenuere viros: erat aptior ensis

Vomere: cedebat taurus arator equo

Sarcula cessabant; versique in pila ligones;

Factaque de rastri pondere cassis erat.

Ovid, Fast. i. 697.


"War has lasted long, and the sword is preferred to the plough. The bull has given place to the war-horse; the weeding-hooks to pikes; and the harrow-pins have been manufactured into helmets."

The prophet Ezekiel, Ezekiel 17:22-24, has presignified the same great event with equal clearness, though in a more abstruse form, in an allegory; from an image, suggested by the former part of the prophecy, happily introduced, and well pursued: -

"Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH:

I myself will take from the shoot of the lofty cedar,

Even a tender scion from the top of his scions will I

pluck off:

And I myself will plant it on a mountain high and

eminent.

On the lofty mountain of Israel will I plant it;

And it shall exalt its branch, and bring forth fruit,

And it shall become a majestic cedar:

And under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing;

In the shadow of its branches shall they dwell:

And all the trees of the field shall know,

That I JEHOVAH have brought low the high tree;

Have exalted the low tree;

Have dried up the green tree;

And have made the dry tree to flourish:

I JEHOVAH have spoken it, and will do it."


The word ונתתי venathatti, in this passage, Ezekiel 17:22, as the sentence now stands, appears incapable of being reduced to any proper construction or sense. None of the ancient versions acknowledge it, except Theodotion, and the Vulgate; and all but the latter vary very much from the present reading of this clause. Houbigant's correction of the passage, by reading instead of ונתתי venathatti, ויונקת veyoneketh, and a tender scion - which is not very unlike it, perhaps better ויונק veyonek, with which the adjective רך rach will agree without alteration - is ingenious and probable; and I have adopted it in the above translation. - L.


 
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