Vers. 4. For the yoke of their bur∣then, and the staffe of their shoulder, and the rod of their oppression hast thou bro∣ken as in the day of Midian.
HE shewes the cause of this ioy; to wit, that the faithfull being deliuered from an horrible and cruell tyrannie, should esteeme of this benefit euen as much as if they had been drawne out of the iawes of death. Now to the end this fauour might bee the better illustrated, Isaiah sets forth the vile and in∣supportable slauery wherewith the Iewes were oppressed: and hereunto belongs this heaping vp of wordes, heauie yoke, rod of the shoulder, staffe of the oppressor, or, exactor. For although wee bee ouertender and delicate when afflictions presse vs; yet notwithstan∣ding as soone as the bitternesse is past, we by and by forget them. To the end then that this redeemed people might keepe the sin∣gular benefit of God in remembrance, and in a reuerend regard, the Prophet would haue them to consider how hard and lamentable this seruitude was, wherein they groned and bowed vnderneath heauy burthens, when as the staffe neuer moued from off their shoul∣ders, being pressed by a Tyrant which insul∣ted ouer them: for which cause they might well reioyce and bee glad of their deliue∣rance.
And hee yet extolles the excellency of this fauour by another circumstance, in regard that God did openly display his arme and power in their deliuerance, euen as it were from heauen it selfe. And therefore he brings in an antient and memorable example: that as God had in times past discomforted the host of the Midianites,* 1.1 by a wonderfull and incredible meanes, without the strength and succours of men: so now also he would display euen the very same power; to wit, that he will deliuer his people from vnder that tyrannie which shall oppresse them, without the helpe of any man: euen then, when none of the poore Iewes shall dare to lift vp their finger (as they say.) We must also obserue, that God so succours his, that sometimes hee serues himselfe of ordinary meanes:* 1.2 but when hee sees that these meanes will bee hurtfull vnto men, and hinder them from looking to the hand of their deliuerer; he then works alone and by miracles, lest any thing should ouer shadow or hinder men from the manifest be∣holding and knowledge of his power.* 1.3 Thus the arme of the Lord appeared from heauen in this victorie of Gedeon, where the enemies were cut off without any helpe of mans hand at all. For what had Gedeon but a noise of bro∣ken pitchers, with which hee should very hardly haue scarred a sort of poore mise: hee had a little handful of mē against a great host: and in stead of all sorts of weapons, they had vaine and ridiculous scarcrowes.
For this cause he compares the future de∣liuerance of the people to this other deliue∣rance, and sheweth that the manifest power and vertue of God shall bee knowne vnto all in this last, as well as in the victorie of Gede∣on. Some expound this place simply of the [ 1] Law; which may well be called a heauie yoke & a staffe burthening the shoulder. But this exposition agrees not with the text; for so it might seeme that the Prophet spake from the purpose, which were as much as to o••fer vio∣lence (as it were) to this place. Let vs hold the meane then whereof I haue spoken before; to wit, that God hauing brought his people out of Babylon, cōtinued on this benefit stil euen vnto the comming of Christ. This is the sense then; Thou hast taken off these burthens, vn∣der which thy people was vniustly and cruel∣ly oppressed.
Others apply this to the destruction of Ie∣rusalem, [ 2] which was vnder Ʋespasian. But they haue no ground for it. Almost all the Iewes [ 3] referre this to Hezechias,* 1.4 when the Lord deli∣uered the Citie from the siege of Senacherib, and did cut off his host. But this interpreta∣tion cannot agree,* 1.5 because Hezechias raigned not tyrannically ouer the Iewes. Moreouer, the Lord deliuered his people then out of the danger, and from the feare wherein they were, and not out of any seruitude. Whence it appeares, that the Prophet looked further off; and that our exposition is both true, and sutes best with the text.