An exposition of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah by the endeavours of W. Day ...

15.

The ancient and honourable he is the head.] i. e. The Ancient and Honourable are they whom I mean by the head.

By the Ancient and Honourable he mean∣eth the Princes and chief Rulers of the om∣mon-wealth, as Cap. 3. v. 14. which were Honourable, as well by their birth, as by their places.

These he resembleth to the head, because as the head is the principal member of the natural body, and that by which the whole body is governed; so were these the prime and chief members of the Common-wealth, and they which by their places were to govern and rule the Kingdome of Israel.

And the Prophet that telleth lies, he is the tail.] By the Prophet that telleth lyes he meaneth, the false Prophets, who preached & prophesied to the people pleasing things,

and promised them peace (whereas the Lord denounced destruction against them for their wickednesse) for flattering them in their sinnes: These, he saith, he meaneth by the tail.

But why did he resemble these to the tail, whereas he should have resembled those to the tail, which were of the lowest and meanest condition in the whole Common-wealth of Israel?

Answ. He resembled these to the tail, because (it is most probable) that they were not onely of the lowest and meanest rank in the whole Common-wealth of Is∣rael, but the lowest and meanest of all the m••n of the lowest and meanest rank; for as the Priests were made of the lowest of the people, 1 King. 12. v. 31. so it is likely, that the lowest of the people, that is, the lowest of the lowest of all became Prophets too, but Pro∣phets which ran when God never sent them, onely for filthy lucre sake; yea, it may be, onely for a morsel of bread.

Again, these false Prophets were not onely the lowest and meanest of those which were the lowest and meanest, by their birth and condition; but the basest of all the men of Israel for their manners, and custome of life also: For they lived altogether by flattery, and whereas a flatterer is the basest fellow that liveth, they were the basest of all flatterers; and for this reason also might he compare these men to the tail; though he doth it principally, as I con∣ceive, for the first reason.

Again, many think that the Prophet re∣sembled these Prophets to the tail, because they did flatter, and fawn upon the Peo∣ple (the wealthiest especially) and did put a fair glosse upon their foul stinking sin. For the tail covereth the ill favoured and unsavory part of the beast: And the Dog, which is a fawning and flattering creature, sheweth his fawning and flattery most by the tail.

But I conceive, that the Prophet saith, that the Prophet which telleth lies is the tail, if not onely, yet chiefly, for the first reason.

The Prophet had rather say, And the Prophet that telleth lies, he is the tail, then and the lowest of the people they are the tail, that he might shew the basenesse of false Prophets, and make them despicable and contemptible to all men.

What he saith here of the head and the tail, the same may be understood of the branch and the rush, viz. that the Ancient and Honourable he is the branch, and the Prophet that tell••th lies he is the rush.