Keep silence before me, O islands
The great controversy in the world after the coming of Christ,
which is expressly spoken of in the preceding chapter, was, as
Cocceius observes, whether he was a divine Person; this was first
objected to by the Jews, and afterwards by many that bore the
Christian name; some, in the times of the apostles, especially
the Apostle John; and others in later ages; some affirmed that he
was a mere man, as Ebion and Cerinthus; others that he was a
created God, as Arius; and others a God by office, as Socinus and
his followers; now these are called upon, wherever they were,
whether on the continent, or in the isles of the sea; and
especially all such places which were separated from Judea by the
sea, or which they went to by sea, were called islands, perhaps
the European nations and isles are more particularly intended;
and now, as when the judge is on the bench, and the court is set,
and a cause just going to be tried, silence is proclaimed; so
here, Jehovah himself being on the throne, and a cause depending
between him and men being about to be tried, they are commanded
silence; see ( Zechariah
2:13 ) : and let the people renew their
strength;
muster up all their force, collect the most powerful arguments
they had, and produce their strong reasons in favour of their
sentiments: let them come near, then let them
speak;
let them come into open court, and at the bar plead their cause,
and speak out freely and fully all they have to say; and let them
not pretend that they were deterred from speaking, and not
suffered to make their defence, or were condemned without
hearing: let us come near together in judgment:
and fairly try the cause; the issue of which is put upon this
single point that follows.