Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 29. ^*For they shall be confounded for the Oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens that ye have chosen.

Vers. 29. ^*For they shall be confounded for the Oakes which yee haue desired, and yee shall bee ashamed of the gardens that yee haue chosen.

1. *Or, to wit.

The particle, Ci, is put in the Hebrew, which shows the cause: but it is often also used for an exposition. Now because the Prophet adds no new matter here, but only manifests unto them the cause of the ruin, which hung over the heads of the wicked, the Hebrew word, which we have translated, to wit, hath seemed to agree very well; as if the Prophet should have said, There was no plague more hurtful to them then superstition; the idols, saith he, which you do so heap together to procure your welfare, shall rather turn to your ruin. Now whereas some have heretofore translated gods, for the word trees, is refuted by the text it self: for he by and by makes mention of gardens. Moreover he reproves all false, and new found services under the names of trees and gardens, by a figure called Synecdoche, when a part is taken for the whole. For howsoever there were all sorts of Idolatry among the Jews, yet this particular kind, namely, to choose woods and forests, to offer sacrifices, was specially the most usual amongst others. Now be it that one would read woods, or gardens in the second place, yet no doubt, but he meant to point at their Altars, and Chapels, where they performed their devilish worships: and although it was not their meaning, wholly to revolt from the true God, yet notwithstanding they forged new services: and as if one place had been more acceptable to God then another, they consecrated and dedicated them to their devotions, as we see it is come to pass in the Papacy. But by and by there follows a change of the person: for to the end the reproof might be the more sharp, he speaks even to the wicked themselves, of whom he spake before in the third person.