Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Ver. 1. _Awake, awake._] Pluck up thy best heart, as we say, and rouse up thyself to receive the sweet promises;... [ Continue Reading ]
Shake thyself from the dust; arise, [and] sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. Ver. 2. _Shake thyself from the dust._] Wherein thou layest along when trampled on. Isa 51:23 _ Arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem._] Rather, Arise, sit up, O Jerusa... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. Ver. 3. _For thus saith the Lord._] Thus he pleadeth the cause of his people. Isa 51:22 _ Ye have sold yourselves for nought._] Heb., Ye were sold for nought. I had not so much as thanks for you fr... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Ver. 4. _And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause._] _Nulla iniuria lacessitus._ So did the primitive persecutors, the Christians of those times, though they w... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day [is] blasphemed. Ver. 5. _Now, therefore, what have I here?_] _Cui bono?_ To what purpose or profit? For what wealt... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore [they shall know] in that day that I [am] he that doth speak: behold, [it is] I. Ver. 6. _Therefore my people shall know my name,_] _sc., _ That I am Jehovah; _as _ Exo 6:3 the God of Amen, Isa 65:16 who "will not suffer my faithfulness to fail, nor... [ Continue Reading ]
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Ver. 7. _How beautiful!_] _Quam amaeni,_ _i.e., _ _amabiles!_ How amiable or desirable. _Int... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Ver. 8. _Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice._] Heb., The voice of thy watchmen - _sc., _ " Thy God reigneth"; or, as in the following verse, "Break f... [ Continue Reading ]
_Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem._ Ver. 9. _Break forth into joy._] This is the subject matter of gospel ministers' discourses: they shall call upon God's people to rejoice, Isa 52:9-10 and to repe... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Ver. 10. _The Lord hath made bare his holy arm._] _Nudavit, id est, exeruit,_ in answer to your prayer. Isa 51:9 God oft answereth his praying people _ad cardinem d... [ Continue Reading ]
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean [thing]; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. Ver. 11. _Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out, &c._] Here we have a double repetition redoubled, and all little enough to bring them out of Babylon (not... [ Continue Reading ]
For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel [will be] your rereward. Ver. 12. _For ye shall not go out with haste._] Neither with fright nor flight shall ye depart, as once ye did out of Egypt. And this spiritually denoteth the mature... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. Ver. 13. _Behold, my servant shall deal prudently._] Or, Shall prosper. Isa 53:10 Here some, _a_ and not unfitly, begin the next chapter, which hath Christ also for its subject, as the Chaldee paraphrast an... [ Continue Reading ]
_As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:_ Ver. 14. _As many were astonied at thee,_] viz., At thine abasement first, and then at thine advancement thereupon. All things in Christ are admirable; well, therefore, might he be c... [ Continue Reading ]
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for [that] which had not been told them shall they see; and [that] which they had not heard shall they consider. Ver. 15. _So shall he sprinkle many nations._] With his doctrine, Eze 20:46 Amo 7:16 or with his blood, that... [ Continue Reading ]