ISAIAH CHAPTER 56 Blessedness of the godly, without any respect of persons, ISAIAH 56:1. Blind watchmen shall be destroyed, ISAIAH 56:9. This verse and the rest of this chapter, until verse 9, seems to belong to the foregoing prophecy. From the consideration of God's promises made to them he moveth... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED IS THE MAN; every man, not only Jews, but Gentiles, or strangers, as it is explained in the following verses. _That were this_; judgment and justice, mentioned ISAIAH 56:1. THAT LAYETH HOLD ON IT; or, _that holdeth it fast_; that is resolute and constant in so doing; that not only begins wel... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON OF THE STRANGER; the stranger, as _the son of man_ is the same with _the man_, ISAIAH 56:2; the Gentile, who by birth is a stranger to God, and to the commonwealth of Israel. THAT HATH JOINED HIMSELF TO THE LORD; that hath turned from dumb idols to the living God, and to the true religion; f... [ Continue Reading ]
CHOOSE THE THINGS THAT PLEASE ME; that observe my commands, not by custom, or force, or fear, but by free choice, and full consent, with love to them and delight in them. TAKE HOLD OF MY COVENANT; that resolvedly and stedfastly keep the conditions of my covenant.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN MINE HOUSE; in my temple, to serve me there as priests, which eunuchs were not allowed to do, LEVITICUS 21:17, &c.; DEUTERONOMY 23:1. WITHIN MY WALLS; in the courts of my temple, which were encompassed with walls. This seems to be added with respect to the people, who were admitted into the court... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT JOIN THEMSELVES TO THE LORD; that with purpose of heart cleave unto him, as is said, ACTS 11:23. TO SERVE HIM, AND TO LOVE THE NAME OF THE LORD; to serve him out of love to him, and to his worship.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO MY HOLY MOUNTAIN; to my house, as it is explained in the following clause, which stood upon Mount Zion, largely so called, including Mount Moriah. Formerly the Gentiles neither had any desire to come thither, nor were admitted there; but now I will incline their hearts to come, and I will give th... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH GATHERETH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL; which will gather to himself, and bring into their own land, those poor Israelites which are, or shall be, cast out of their own land, and from God's presence, and dispersed in divers parts of the world. YET WILL I GATHER OTHERS TO HIM, BESIDE THOSE THAT ARE G... [ Continue Reading ]
This invitation or proclamation is a prediction of Israel's destruction by their cruel enemies, which are oft expressed in Scripture under the names of ravenous beasts. But the great question is, What connexion this part of the chapter hath with the former? Which may be thus conceived: The prophet h... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS; Israel s, as is evident from the following verses; the pronoun relative being put without and instead of the antecedent; of which I have given divers instances before. WATCHMEN; priests and prophets, or other teachers, who are commonly called _watchmen_, as EZEKIEL 3:17, EZEKIEL 33:2 HOSEA 9:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
GREEDY DOGS WHICH CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH; insatiably covetous. THAT CANNOT UNDERSTAND, Heb. _that know not to understand_; that do not care, or love, or desire (as _knowing_ is frequently taken) either to understand the law or word of God themselves, or to make the people to understand it. THEY ALL L... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY THEY, unto their brethren, by office and in iniquity; unto their fellow priests, or other jolly companions. WE WILL FILL OURSELVES; we will drink not only to delight, but even to drunkenness, as the word signifies, NAHUM 1:10, and elsewhere. TO-MORROW SHALL BE AS THIS DAY, AND MUCH MORE ABUNDANT... [ Continue Reading ]