LVI. (1) THUS SAITH THE LORD. — Isaiah 56:1 form a distinct section, and obviously had an historical starting. point. It has been said (Cheyne, following many other critics) that “the writer of this section presupposes the circumstances of a period long subsequent to the reign of Hessekiah.” It wil... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT KEEPETH THE SABBATH FROM POLLUTING IT... — It lies in the nature of the case that a devout king like Hezekiah would be an observer of the Sabbath. It is almost certain that the counsellors of the young Manasseh (probably the Shebna party), abandoning the religion of Israel in other things, woul... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER LET THE SON OF THE STRANGER... — Two classes of persons were likely to suffer specially from Manasseh’s policy — (1) the heathen proselytes, who, as in Psalms 87, had been admitted as citizens of Zion under Hezekiah’s special protection; and (2) in the highest degree, those of that body who... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN UNTO THEM WILL I GIVE... — The words may refer simply to the spiritual blessedness of the faithful (Revelation 2:17; Revelation 3:5), but the customs of Eastern temples and of the later synagogues suggest that they may refer primarily to the memorial tablets which were put up in such places in... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO THE SONS OF THE STRANGER... — Proselytes also were to share in the blessings of the wider covenant. The words “to serve him” have been referred to some menial offices like that of the Nethinim, “hewers of wood and drawers of water” (Joshua 9:27; Ezra 8:20). The usage of the word, however, limit... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THEM WILL I BRING... — The words foreshadow the breaking down of the “middle wall of partition” (Ephesians 2:14). Every privilege of the Israelite worshipper is to belong also to the proselyte. It is perhaps assumed that the proselyte is circumcised. The development of truth is in such cases gr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD GOD... SAITH. — The phrase is the normal one for introducing an oracle of special importance. This, so to speak, was to be one of the “faithful sayings” of Isaiah. We can hardly fail to find in John 10:16 a deliberate reproduction of Isaiah’s thought. The first clause refers clearly to the... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL YE BEASTS OF THE FIELD... — The sudden change of tone indicates that we enter on an entirely new section, which extends to the close of Isaiah 57. The contents of that section fit in with the assumption of its having been written early in the reign of Manasseh, better than With that of a date af... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS WATCHMEN ARE BLIND. — These are the guides of the people, and specially the self-styled prophets, who are “blind” to the signs of the times, who are “dumb,” and give no warning to the people of the real dangers that threaten them, who prophesy for the rewards of divination (Numbers 22:7 :1 Samue... [ Continue Reading ]
SHEPHERDS THAT CANNOT UNDERSTAND... — Better, _and such are shepherds; they cannot understand._ There is no confusion or change of metaphors. What is implied is that the prophets who are not fit to be watch-dogs of the flock, assume the office of its shepherds. FROM HIS QUARTER — _i.e.,_ in modern... [ Continue Reading ]
COME YE, SAY THEY... — The words in italics are necessary to complete the sense; but their absence from the Hebrew is noticeable, and noteworthy as an example of the prophet’s bold use of a dramatic form. He represents the false prophet as giving a feast to his friends, and promising a yet more sple... [ Continue Reading ]