Where is the receiver?] Or he who was to have collected this tribute.

Where is he that counted the towers?] That is, the commander of the enemy's forces, who surveyed the fortifications of the city, and took an account of the height, strength, and situation of the walls and towers, that he might know where to make the assault with the greatest advantage; as Capaneus before Thebes is represented in a passage of the Phoenissae of Euripides, which Grotius has applied as an illustration of this place:- ekeinov epta prosbaseiv tekmairetai purgwn, anw te kai katw teich metrwn. Ver. 187.

"To these seven turrets each approach he marks; The walls from their proud summit to their base Measuring with eager eye." He that counted the towers "Those who were ordered to review the fortified places in Judea, that they might be manned and provisioned for the king of Assyria. So sure was he of gaining Jerusalem and subduing the whole of Judea, that he had already formed all these arrangements." - Dodd's notes.

Is. 33:1-14 Here we have the proud and false destroyer justly reckone with for all his fraud and violence. The righteous God often pay sinners in their own coin. Those who by faith humbly wait for God shall find him gracious to them; as the day, so let the strength be. I God leaves us to ourselves any morning, we are undone; we must ever morning commit ourselves to him, and go forth in his strength to do the work of the day. When God arises, his enemies are scattered. Tru wisdom and knowledge lead to strength of salvation, which renders u stedfast in the ways of God; and true piety is the only treasure whic can never be plundered or spent. The distress Jerusalem was brough into, is described. God's time to appear for his people, is, when all other helpers fail. Let all who hear what God has done, acknowledg that he can do every thing. Sinners in Zion will have much to answe for, above other sinners. And those that rebel against the commands of the word, cannot take its comforts in time of need. His wrath will bur those everlastingly who make themselves fuel for it. It is a fire tha shall never be quenched, nor ever go out of itself; it is the wrath of an ever-living God preying on the conscience of a never-dying soul.

Is. 33:15-24 The true believer watches against all occasions of sin The Divine power will keep him safe, and his faith in that power wil keep him easy. He shall want nothing needful for him. Every blessing of salvation is freely bestowed on all that ask with humble, believin prayer; and the believer is safe in time and for ever. Those that wal uprightly shall not only have bread given, and their water sure, but they shall, by faith, see the King of kings in his beauty, the beaut of holiness. The remembrance of the terror they were in, shall add to the pleasure of their deliverance. It is desirable to be quiet in ou own houses, but much more so to be quiet in God's house; and in ever age Christ will have a seed to serve him. Jerusalem had no large rive running by it, but the presence and power of God make up all wants. We have all in God, all we need, or can desire. By faith we take Chris for our Prince and Saviour; he reigns over his redeemed people. All that refuse to have Him to reign over them, make shipwreck of their souls. Sickness is taken away in mercy, when the fruit of it is the taking away of sin. If iniquity be taken away, we have little reason to complain of outward affliction. This last verse leads our thoughts, no only to the most glorious state of the gospel church on earth, but to heaven, where no sickness or trouble can enter. He that blotteth ou our transgressions, will heal our souls __________________________________________________________________

Original Hebrew