the guilt of the people; the verse
under consideration describes, in contrast to it, the _removal_ of it
called forth by the grace of the Lord.--[Hebrew: la] may either be
connected with the noun, or it may be explained: not is darkness. It
cannot be objected to the latter view that, in that case, [Hebrew: aiN]
should rather have stood; while the analogy of the phrase: "Not didst
thou increase the joy," in chap. ix. 2 (3), seems to be in favour of
it. Here we have the negative, the ceasing of darkness; in chap. ix. 1
(2) the positive, the appearance of light. The suffix, in [Hebrew: lh]
refers, just as the suffix, in [Hebrew: bh] in ver. 21, to the omitted
[Hebrew: arC].--The [Hebrew: k] in [Hebrew: ket] is, by many
interpreters, asserted to stand in the signification of [Hebrew: kawr]:
"Just as the former time has brought disgrace," &c. But as it cannot be
proved that [Hebrew: k] has ever the meaning, "just as;" and as, on the
other hand, [Hebrew: ket] frequently occurs in the signification, "at
the time" (compare my remarks on Numb. xxiii. 13 in my work on Balaam),
we shall be obliged to take, here too, the [Hebrew: k] as a temporal
particle, and to supply, as the subject, Jehovah, who [Pg 72] always
stands before the Prophet's mind, and is often not mentioned when the
matter itself excludes another subject. Moreover, it is especially in
favour of this view that, in vers. 3 (4), the Lord himself is expressly
addressed.--As regards [Hebrew: aHrvN], either [Hebrew: ket] may be
supplied,--and this is simplest and most natural--or it may be taken as
an Accusative, "for the whole after-time."--[Hebrew: hql] means
properly to "make light," then "to make contemptible," "to cover with
disgrace," and [Hebrew: hkbid] properly then, "to make heavy," "to
honour,"--a signification which indeed is peculiar to _Piel_, but in
which the _Hiphil_, too, occurs in Jer. xxx. 19; the two verbs thus
form an antithesis. The [Hebrew: h] _locale_ in [Hebrew: arch] (the
word does not occur in Isaiah with the [Hebrew: h] _paragog._) shews
that a certain modification of the verbal notion must be assumed: "to
bring disgrace and honour." [Hebrew: arch] thus would mean "towards
the land." The scene of the disgrace and honour, which at first was
designated in general only, is afterwards _extended_. First, the land
of Zebulun and Naphtali only is mentioned, because it was upon it
that the disgrace had pre-eminently fallen, and it was, therefore,
pre-em