And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee
Which may be said in reference to the backsliding and declining
state of the people, ( Isaiah 30:11
) and is thought by some to be an allusion to schoolmasters, who
stand behind their scholars, or at their backs, to guide, teach,
and instruct them; and by others to shepherds following their
flocks, who, when they observe any of the sheep going out of the
way, call them back; or to travellers, who, coming to a place
where are several ways, and being at a loss which way to take,
and inclining to turn to the right or left, are called to by
persons behind them, and directed in the right way. This "voice
behind" is by the Jews F5 interpreted of Bath Kol; and by
others of the voice of conscience; but it rather intends the
Spirit of God, and his grace; though it seems best to understand
it of the Scriptures of truth, the word of God, the only rule of
faith and practice; the language of which is,
saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it;
it directs to Christ the way, and who is the only way of life and
salvation to be walked in by faith, and to all the lesser paths
of duty and doctrine, which to walk in is both pleasant and
profitable, and which is the right way; so the Targum paraphrases
it,
``this is the right way;''to which agree the comments of Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi; though the Arabic and Syriac versions, following the Septuagint, represent them as the words of seducers, directing to a wrong way: but the words are a promise of being led right, and not a threatening of being led wrong:
when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the
left;
through ignorance or inadvertency, through the prevalence of
corruption, or force of temptation; and as it is promised there
should be such a voice, so they should have ears to hear, their
ears erect to attend to what is said, to observe it, and act
according to it.
F5 T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 32. 1.
