Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Here the Lord doth more apparently deride the folly of this outrageous Assyrian, by which he promiseth unto himself mountains and wonders. For saith the Lord, it is all one, as if the axe or hammer should despise the hand that holds it, and should brag of their nimbleness: whereas it appears well enough that these are but dead instruments, without any proper moving. But before we further expound the sentence at large, I will touch something briefly as concerning the Prophets words. The second member of the verse is somewhat obscure. True it is that the sentence is plain, but there is some ambiguity in the manner of speech, which also causeth great diversity among the expositors. All things being well weighed then, me thinks the sense which I have given sorts best with the text. What? Were it not a monstrous spectacle, if the staff should exalt it self against him that takes it up, as if it were no wood? For the particle ••th often signifies as much as Against; and the Copulative Vau is also often superfluous. And thus we shall have a clear exposition, and such a one as agrees with the Prophets meaning. Heretofore he reproached the king of Ashur because he attributed the victories which he obtained to his counsels and forces: but now he saith, that herein this Tyrant exalted himself against God, neither more nor less then