17 I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen!'
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
This is an explanation of the last verse, yet not simply so; for the Prophet by a similitude aggravates the obstinacy of the people, who were not only deaf to the Prophet's admonitions, but would not be roused by the sound of the trumpet, nor even attend to it. The sound of the trumpet ought to have penetrated into their minds more than anything else for two reasons, -- because it was louder than any voice of man, -- and also, because we do not usually hear the trumpet sounding, except when war is at hand, or when there is the fear of war. We hence see why the Prophet, after having announced his message, mentions the sound of the trumpet; as though he had said, that not only the prophets were despised, while teaching the people, but that the sound of the trumpet, announcing the approach of war, was not attended to by them. The stupidity of the people, and not only their stupidity, but as I have said, their perverseness also, was more fully proved, than if the Prophet had simply said, that they had resolved not to hear. It now follows --
Watchmen - The prophets Isaiah 52:8.
The second of the trumpet - This was the signal for flight Jeremiah 6:1; Amos 3:6. Similarly the prophet's warning was to move men to escape from God's judgments.
I set watchmen - I have sent prophets to warn you.
Also I set (p) watchmen over you, [saying], Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
(p) Prophets who would warn you of the dangers that were at hand.
Also I set watchmen over you,.... That is, prophets, as Jarchi; true prophets, as Kimchi; such an one was Ezekiel, Jeremiah 3:17. The Targum interprets it teachers; such were the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel; and all faithful preachers of it, who teach men good doctrine and watch for their souls, give them warning of their danger, and exhort them to flee to Christ for rest and safety; and these are of the Lord's appointing, constituting, and setting in his churches; see 1-Corinthians 12:28.
Saying, hearken to the sound of the trumpet; to their voice, lifted up like a trumpet, Isaiah 58:1, to the word preached by them; to the law, which lays before them their sin and danger; and to the Gospel, which is a joyful sound, and gives a certain one, and proclaims peace, pardon, and salvation, by Christ:
but they said, we will not hearken; so the Jews, in the times of Christ and his apostles, turned a deaf ear to their ministry, contradicted and blasphemed the Gospel, and judged themselves unworthy of it, and of eternal life, brought to light by it. Perhaps here it may regard the punishments threatened the Jews by the prophets, which they would not believe were coming upon them, but put away the evil day far from them.
watchmen--prophets, whose duty it was to announce impending calamities, so as to lead the people to repentance (Isaiah 21:11; Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 3:17; Habakkuk 2:1).
But God does not let the matter end here. He caused prophets to rise up amongst them, who called their attention to the threatening evil. Watchers are prophets, Ezekiel 3:17, who stand upon the watch-tower to keep a lookout, Habakkuk 2:1, and to give the people warning, by proclaiming what they have seen in spirit. "Hearken to the sound," etc., are not the words of the watchmen (prophets), for it is they who blow the trumpet, but the words of God; so that we have to supply, "and I said." The comparison of the prophets to watchmen, who give the alarm of the imminent danger by means of the sound of the trumpet, involves the comparison of the prophets' utterances to the clang of the signal-horn-suggested besides by Amos 3:6.
Trumpet - The voice of his prophet, intimating his loud crying upon the account of eminent danger.
*More commentary available at chapter level.