We are therefore of opinion, that the author here inserted a passage, which appeared to him to be suitable, from an older book where really a single martyr was spoken of.--It is not likely that the modern controversy on chap. liii. will ever cease as long as this truth is not acknowledged;--a truth which quite spontaneously suggested itself, and impressed itself more and more strongly upon my mind." These are, no doubt, assertions which cannot be maintained, and are yet of interest, in so far as they show, how much even those who refuse to acknowledge it are annoyed by a two-fold truth, viz., that Isaiah is the author of the prophecy, and that it refers to a personal Messiah. At all times, however, that explanation which refers the prophecy to Christ has found able defenders; and at no period has the anti-Messianic explanation obtained absolute sway. Among the authors of complete Commentaries on Isaiah, the Messianic explanation was defended by _Dathe_, _Doederlein_ (who, however, wavers in the last edition of his translation), _Hensler_, _Lowth_, _Kocher_, _Koppe_, _J. D. Michaelis_, _v. d. Palm_, _Schmieder_. In addition to these we may mention: _Storr_, _dissertatio qua Jes. liii. illustratur_, Tübingen, 1790; _Hansi Comment. in Jes. liii._, Rostock 1791 (this work has considerably promoted the interpretation, although its author often shows himself to be biassed by the views of the time, and especially, in the interest of Neology, seeks to do away with the doctrine of satisfaction); _Krüger_, _Comment. de Jes. liii., interpret_; _Jahn_, _Append. ad Hermen. fasc ii._; _Steudel_, [Pg 327] _Observ. ad Jes. liii._, _Tübingen_ 1825, 26; _Sack_, in the _Apologetik_; _Reinke_, _exegesis in Jes. liii._, Münster 1836; _Tholuck_, in his work: _Das A. T. in N. T._; _Hävernick_, in the lectures on the Theology of the Old Testament; _Stier_, in the Comment. on the second part of Isaiah. [Footnote 1: The author of the article: _Ueber die Mess. Zeiten_ in _Eichhorn's Bibliothek d. bibl. Literatur_, Bd. 6, p. 655, confesses quite candidly, that the Messianic interpretation would soon find general approbation among Bible expositors, had they not, in recent times, obtained the conviction, "that the prophets do not foretel any thing of future things, except what they know and anticipate without special divine inspiration."] * * * * * * * * * * II. THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE MESSIANIC INTERPRETATION.