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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Bible

Isaiah 49:18-23

18-23 Zion is addressed as an afflicted widow, bereaved of her children. Numbers flock to her, and she is assured that they come to be a comfort to her. There are times when the church is desolate and few in number; yet its desolations shall not last for ever, and God will repair them. God can raise up friends for returning Israelites, even among Gentiles. They shall bring their children, and make them thy children. Let all deal tenderly and carefully with young converts and beginners in religion. Princes shall protect the church. It shall appear that God is the sovereign Lord of all. And those who in the exercise of faith, hope, and patience, wait on God for the fulfilment of his promises, shall never be confounded.

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See also Isaiah 49:18-23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 49:18. _BIND THEM_ ON THEE, _AS A BRIDE_ DOETH - "Bind them about thee, as a bride _her jewels_."] The end of the sentence is manifestly imperfect. Does a bride bind her children, or her...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    LIFT UP THINE EYES ROUND ABOUT - That is, see the multitudes that shall be converted to thee; see thy ruined city rise again in its former beauty; see the Gentiles come and yield themselves to the wor...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. THE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH, HIS SUFFERING AND HIS GLORY (49-57) CHAPTER 49 The Servant of Jehovah and His Mission 1. _The servant speaks of himself (Isaiah 49:1)_ 2. _He complains of failure (Isaiah...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JERUSALEM SHALL BE FORTHWITH REBUILT AND REPEOPLED. Zion has believed herself forgotten of Yahweh. But though a mother should forget her babe He will not forget Zion. His plan for rebuilding it He has...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BRIDE. First occurrence in this connection....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 49:14 to Isaiah 50:3. The Consolation of Zion (i) Isaiah 49:14. In an apostrophe to Jerusalem the prophet announces the speedy return of her population and the rebuilding of her waste places....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    As _I live, saith the Lord_ Jehovah's oath by Himself, ch. Isaiah 45:23. It introduces a new, though closely related, conception; the inhabitants being compared to the bridal attire with which Zion re...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Already in vision the prophet sees the return of the exiles and calls on Zion to welcome her sons. Instead of _Thy children_the chief ancient Versions, and the important Babylonian Codex have "Thy bu...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 953 PROMISED INCREASE OF THE CHURCH Isaiah 49:18. Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, Thou shall s...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THY CHILDREN SHALL MAKE HASTE— General promises comfort the afflicted less than particular ones: the prophet therefore proceeds to these, which are drawn from the future benefits to be conferred by Go...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    c. DEJECTED ZION TEXT: Isaiah 49:14-21 14 But Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bi...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The whole situation is changing very fast. The evidence is all round the city for people to see for themselves. The *Lord has carried out the things that he promised to do. • In the original language...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S SPECIAL SERVANT ISAIAH CHAPTER S 49 TO 57 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 49 ‘MY SPECIAL SERVANT’ In the Book of Isaiah, the meaning of ‘my (that is, the *Lord’s...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    LIFT UP THINE EYES. — The daughter of Zion is called on to gaze on the returning exiles. They shall be her gems and her girdle as the bride of her new espousals. A distant parallel is found in the sto...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    שְׂאִֽי ־סָבִ֤יב עֵינַ֨יִךְ֙ וּ רְאִ֔י כֻּלָּ֖ם...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XVI THE SERVANT OF THE LORD Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 42:18; Isaiah 43:5;...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXI DOUBTS IN THE WAY Isaiah 49:1 - Isaiah 52:12 Chapter S 49-53 are, as we have seen, a series of more or less closely joined passages, in which the prophet, having already made the politic...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE LORD CANNOT FORGET HIS OWN Isaiah 49:14-26 These assurances were given to the chosen race on the eve of their return from Babylon. They were timid and reluctant to quit the familiar scenes of the...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We now commence the section in which the Prince of Peace is most clearly seen. He is revealed first as sustained through suffering (Chapter s 49-53), and then as singing in triumph (Chapter s 54-57)....

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Lift up thy eyes around, and behold: all these gather themselves together, [and] come to thee. [As] I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely (z) clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bi...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The distress of Zion only makes way for the display of divine love; and if the people of God, in their several exercises (be they what they may) could but be brought to consider the unceasing and ever...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    18._Lift up thine eyes round about. _He arouses the Church to survey this magnificent work, as if it were actually before her eyes, and to behold the multitudes of men who shall flock into it from eve...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The Messiah is brought in, for it is He who delivers. But it is a question apart, so to say. The subject of Christ, and of the people's guilt with respect to Him, begins with chapter 49, which, with t...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    LIFT UP THINE EYES ROUND ABOUT, AND BEHOLD,.... Look east, west, north, and south, and behold the flocking converts from all parts; see on Isaiah 49:12. The words are spoken to the church, and for her...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, [and] come to thee. [As] I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Lift up thine eyes round about_ And behold numbers flocking unto thee from all quarters. _All these shall gather themselves unto thee,_ &c. Namely, the Gentiles. Thy church, O Zion, shall not only be...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Lift up thine eyes round about and behold, so the Lord's consoling admonition proclaims, all these, the people gained for the Lord by the proclamation of the Gospel, GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER AND COM...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Glorification of Zion by Jehovah's Servant...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    ALL THESE, to wit, the Gentiles, as sufficiently appeareth from what hath been already said, and from that which followeth. The sense is, Thy church shall not only be restored and established in Jerus...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 49:18 up H5375 (H8798) eyes H5869 around H5439 see H7200 (H8798) together H6908 (H8738) come...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DESPAIR OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR FINAL HOPE (ISAIAH 49:14). The picture now reverts. Yahweh's call to them was to be His Servant, but instead they are sitting moaning on the ground. Here the pictur...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 49:13. _Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted._ When God blesses hi...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 49:1. _Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye people from, far; The LORD hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 49:1. _Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Israel's coming Redeemer. Preservation and restoration of Israel and judgment on oppressors. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: God, of old, promised a Redeemer to His people who would al...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 49:1. _Listen, oh isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people from far._ The Hebrews reckoned among the isles, not only those of Greece, but the gentile nations generally, who are represented as wai...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Lift up thine eyes round about--_ PROMISES FOR THE CHURCH I. THE PROMISED INCREASE OF THE CHURCH. 1. In number. 2. In honour. 3. In triumph. II. THE ENCOURAGEMENT IT AFFORDS US FOR MISSIONARY E...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _They shall not hunger nor thirst_ PROMISE OF CHRIST TO HIS PEOPLE The people of God are represented as a flock of sheep travelling under the care of their good shepherd, in the heat of summer, thro...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE PROMISED INCREASE OF THE CHURCH Isaiah 49:18. _Lift up thine eyes round about, &c._ Two things are here promised, which were to be in part accomplished in the reviving of the Jewish church, afte...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    SECTION III. THE MISSION OF THE SERVANT OF THE LORD (CH. 49-53). EXPOSITION The connection of the present section is especially with Isaiah 42:1, where the mission of the Servant of Jehovah was f

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter 49, we have a fabulous prophecy of Jesus Christ in the first seven verses as God speaks of the Redeemer that He is sending. Listen, O coasts, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far;...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Galatians 3:28; Galatians 3:29; Genesis 13:14; Genesis 22:16;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    These — Gentiles. Thy church shall not only be restored, but vastly enlarged and adorned by the accession of the Gentiles....

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