Isaiah 24:16. From the extremity of the land we hear songs, "To the righteous glory." These words contain the alleviation of the preceding judgment; and their reference to the history of the Maccabees is abundantly plain. The sum of them is this, "It shall come to pass, that while the whole land of Judaea, at this time part of Syria, shall be laid waste, its inhabitants in general being either killed or carried into captivity, or scattered by flight into the islands of the Mediterranean sea, or Egypt itself, and others lurking in dens and caves, in the extremities of southern Judaea,—Judas Maccabeus, with his brothers, shall arise, a captain and a leader, who, after having conquered, by the divine help, the enemies of his country in several battles, and purified the temple for three years deserted, and spread far and wide the same of his exploits, shall shine as an unexpected light upon the Jews, the lovers of their country and religion; who, whether they had fled to Cyprus, Cilicia, Egypt, or the isles of the Mediterranean sea, or whether they yet fearfully lurked in the dens and caves of Judaea, shall all unite to praise the supreme grace and power of God, and to acknowledge the virtues of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers." We have seen from former parts of the Jewish history, particularly that of David, an account of the remarkable caverns with which Judaea abounded; and which, we learn from the history of the Maccabees, were much frequented in those disastrous times.
Isaiah 24:16. But I said, My leanness, my leanness— But I said, Leanness to me, leanness to me! The latter part of the first section begins at this verse, which contains the prophet's introduction, together with the cause of a new judgment, which he was about to denounce. Having set forth, in the former verses, the pleasing appearances of restoration to the people of God, a new calamity presents itself before him, namely, the mournful death of Judas Maccabeus, with its melancholy consequences: upon which he bursts forth into words strongly expressive of the perturbation of his mind, Leanness to me, leanness to me: as much as to say, that upon the appearance of this new calamity, he was full of horror and trembling; whatever was florid in his flesh fell, and grew pale; his limbs became flaccid, and his former appearance was lost and changed (Comp. ch. Isaiah 10:16. Psalms 109:24.). The following words are so constructed, as to raise in us a sense of the highest perfidy and injustice with which that pious people, who had just now been raised to better hopes, should be oppressed. See Jeremiah 12:1. The history of the period here referred to will very much elucidate the prophet. See Genesis 7:1; Genesis 7:18; Genesis 9:20-27.