1._The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad. _Here the Prophet describes a wonderful change; for having in the former chapter described the destruction of Idumaea, and having said that it would be changed into a wilderness, he now promises, on the other hand, fertility to the wilderness,... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Flourishing it shall flourish. _He describes more fully how great, will be the effect of the grace of Christ, by whose power and might those places which had been overgrown with filthy and noxious weeds “flourish” exceedingly and regain their vigor. This repetition is used for the sake of amplifi... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Strengthen ye the weak hands. _We might explain this passage generally, as if he had said, “Let those who have feeble hands strengthen them, let; them whose knees tremble and totter compose and invigorate their hearts.” But the following verse shews that the whole of this passage relates to the m... [ Continue Reading ]
4._Say to them that are faint hearted. _That strength of which he spoke is breathed into our hearts by God through his word, as “by faith alone we stand” (2 Corinthians 1:24) and live; and therefore he adds the promise of grace yet to come. _Behold, your God will come. _First, it ought to be observ... [ Continue Reading ]
5._Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened. _(26) He continues the promise about the restoration of the Church, in order to encourage the hearts of the godly, who must have been grievously dismayed by the frightful calamities which he foretold. Since a true restoration is accomplished by Christ,... [ Continue Reading ]
6._For waters shall be dug. _He next adds other blessings with which believers shall be copiously supplied, as soon as the kingdom of Christ is set up; as if he had said, that there will be no reason to dread scarcity or want, when we have been reconciled to God through Christ, because perfect happi... [ Continue Reading ]
7._The dry place shall be changed into a pool. _He confirms the former statement, that Christ will come in order to enrich his people with all abundance of blessings; for waters shall flow out of “dry places.” (27) We must keep in remembrance what we mentioned a little before, that the Prophet delin... [ Continue Reading ]
8._And a path shall be there. _Here it is promised to the Jews that they shall be allowed to return to their native country, lest, when they were carried into Babylon, they should think that they were led into perpetual banishmerit. Yet this statement is, in my opinion, extended much farther by the... [ Continue Reading ]
9._There shall not be there a lion. _He adds another favor of God, that the people, though they travel through a wilderness, will be protected against every hostile attack. Formerly he mentioned it (Isaiah 34:14) as one of the curses of God, that wild beasts would meet the Jews wherever they went; b... [ Continue Reading ]
10._Therefore the redeemed of Jehovah shall return. _The Prophet confirms the former doctrine, that God hath determined to redeem his people, and therefore that nothing can resist his decree. He calls them “the redeemed of God,” that they may consider his power, and may not estimate by human means t... [ Continue Reading ]