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Of the house of his father "Of his father's house" - For בית beith, the house, the ancient interpreters seem to have read מבית mibbeith, from the house; του οικειου του πατρος αυτου, Septuagint; domesticum patris sui, Vulgate; which gives no good sense. But the Septuagint MS. 1. D. 2: for οικειου has οικου . And, his brother, of his father's house, is little better than a tautology. The case seems to require that the man should apply to a person of some sort of rank and eminence; one that was the head of his father's house, (see Joshua 12:14;), whether of the house of him who applies to him, or of any other; אביו בית ראש rosh beith abaiu, the chief, or head of his father's house. I cannot help suspecting, therefore, that the word ראש rosh, head, chief, has been lost out of the text.
Saying - Before שמלה simlah, garment, two MSS., one ancient, and the Babylonish Talmud have the word לאמר lemor, saying; and so the Steptuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Chaldee. I place it with Houbigant, after שמלה simlah .
Thou hast clothing "Take by the garment" - That is, shall entreat him in an humble and supplicating manner. "Ten men shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, Let us go with you; for we have heard that God is with you," Zechariah 8:23. And so in Isaiah 4:1, the same gesture is used to express earnest and humble entreaty. The behavior of Saul towards Samuel was of the same kind, when he laid hold on the skirt of his raiment, 1 Samuel 15:27. The preceding and following verses show, that his whole deportment, in regard to the prophet, was full of submission and humility.
And let this ruin be under thy hand "And let thy hand support" - Before ידך תחת tachath yadecha, a MS. adds תהיה tihyeh, "let it be;" another MS. adds in the same place, בידך תקח takach beyadecha, which latter seems to be a various reading of the two preceding words, making a very good sense: "Take into thy hand our ruinous state." Twenty-one MSS. of Kennicott's, thirteen of De Rossi's, one of my own, ancient, and three editions of the Babylonish Talmud have ידיך yadeycha, plural, "thy hands."
When a man shall take hold … - In this verse, and the following verses, the prophet continues to describe the calamitous and ruined state that would come upon the Jews; when there would be such a want of wealth and people, that they would seize upon anyone that they thought able to defend them. The act of “taking hold” here denotes “supplication” and “entreaty,” as when one in danger or distress clings to that which is near, or which may be likely to aid him; compare Isaiah 4:1; 1 Samuel 15:27,
His brother - His kinsman, or one of the same tribe and family - claiming protection because they belonged to the same family.
Of the house of his father - Descended from the same paternal ancestors as himself. Probably this refers to one of an ancient and opulent family - a man who had kept himself from the civil broils and tumults of the nation, and who had retained his property safe in the midst of the surrounding desolation. In the previous verse, the prophet had said that one characteristic of the times would be a want of respect for “the aged” and “the honorable.” He here says that such would be the distress, that a man would be “compelled” to show respect to rank; he would look to the ancient and wealthy families for protection.
Thou hast clothing - In ancient times wealth consisted very much in changes of garments; and the expression, ‹thou hast clothing,‘ is the same as ‹you are rich, you are able to assist us;‘ see Exodus 12:34; Exodus 20:26; Genesis 45:22; 2 Kings 5:5.
And let this ruin … - This is an expression of entreaty. ‹Give us assistance, or defense. We commit our ruined and dilapidated affairs to thee, and implore thy help.‘ The Septuagint reads this, ‹and let my food,‘ that is, my support, ‹be under thee‘ - do thou furnish me food. There are some other unimportant variations in the ancient versions, but the sense is substantially given in our translation. It is expressive of great distress and anarchy - when there would be no ruler, and every man would seek one for himself. The whole deportment evinced here by the suppliant is one of submission, distress, and humility.