Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Now the Lord shows that he will let these wicked ones see what they are: as if he should say; You rock your selves asleep in your pride; but I will wake you ere it be long. For men are wont to take liberty to themselves to do evil, till they feel the heavy hand of God: for which cause, the Prophet threatens that his judgements are ready to seize upon so brutish a boldness. Under the names of Lebanon and Carmel, he meant to express a renewing of the world as it were, and a change of things therein. But the doubt is, to what end: in which regard, the expositors disagree much one from another: §1for mount Libanus being replenished with trees and forests, and Carmel being a fat §2and fruitful soil: many think that the Jews are compared to Carmel, because they should become barren: and the Christians to Lebanon, because they should bring forth great plenty of fruit. This opinion hath a goodly show,¹ and men are usually very much tickled and delighted with the like devices: but we find a like place to this in the end of 32. Chapter, verse 5. which will make it manifest, that the Prophet doth here by way of comparison, set forth the greatness of Gods favour: for when he shall begin to bless his people, the abundance of all benefits shall be such, that Mount Carmel shall lose the report that it had for fruitfulness. He saith then, that he will make Lebanon to be like Carmel: that is to say, of a woodland, it should be made pasturage to sow corn in: so as they should gather as much fruit of ploughed land, as if their present estate being compared with that which it should be afterwards, it might well be esteemed barren and desert. But this manner of speech shall be more fully expounded when we come to the 32. Chapter.