INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 26 This chapter contains a song of praise for the safety and prosperity of the church, and the destruction of its enemies. The church is represented as a strong city, whose walls and bulwarks are salvation, Isaiah 26:1 it is said to have gates which are to be opened to a rig... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY SHALL THIS SONG BE SUNG IN THE LAND OF JUDAH,.... When great things shall be done: for the church and people of God; and when antichrist and all their enemies are destroyed, as mentioned in the preceding chapter Isaiah 25:1; then this song shall be sung expressed in this throughout; whic... [ Continue Reading ]
OPEN YE THE GATES,.... Not of Jerusalem, literally understood, nor of heaven; rather of the New Jerusalem, whose gates are described, Revelation 21:12 at least of the church in the latter day; the gates or door into which now should be, and then will be, open; Christ the door, and faith in him, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU WILT KEEP [HIM] IN PERFECT PEACE,.... Peace with God in Christ through his blood, in a way of believing, and as the fruit and effect of his righteousness being received by faith; this is not always felt, received, and enjoyed in the soul; yet the foundation of it always is, and is perfect; and... [ Continue Reading ]
TRUST YE IN THE LORD FOR EVER,.... In the Word of the Lord for ever and ever, as the Targum again; that is, at all times, in every state and condition, in times of affliction, temptation, and darkness; for he will support under, and in his own time deliver out of every trouble, and cause all things... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE BRINGETH DOWN THEM THAT DWELL ON HIGH, THE LOFTY CITY,.... That dwell on high in the high city, so the accents require the words to be rendered; and accordingly the Targum is, "for he will bring low the inhabitants of the high and strong city;'' such that dwell in a city built on high, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOOT SHALL TREAD IT DOWN,.... Trample upon it when brought down, laid low, and level with the ground, as mire is trodden in the streets, and straw for the dunghill; as grapes in the winepress, or grass by the feet of cattle: not the foot of a prince, as Aben Ezra observes, or of mighty men; but,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY OF THE JUST [IS] UPRIGHTNESS,.... Or, "the way for the just is uprightnesses" s, most upright; the way which is appointed for him, and which he is directed to walk in, is a way of righteousness and holiness, and in which he does walk; he walks uprightly, according to the rules of the word, b... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, IN THE WAY OF THY JUDGMENTS, O LORD, HAVE WE WAITED FOR THEE,.... Meaning by "judgments" either the ministration of the word and ordinances, called statutes and judgments, Psalms 147:19 an attendance on which is the right way of waiting upon God, and where it may be expected he will be found a... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH MY SOUL HAVE I DESIRED THEE IN THE NIGHT,.... Either literally, when others were asleep: or figuratively, in the captivity; which, as Jarchi says, was like unto the night; or in the time of Jewish and Gentile darkness, preceding the coming of Christ; or rather in the time of latter day darkness... [ Continue Reading ]
LET FAVOUR BE SHOWED TO THE WICKED,.... As it often is in a providential way; they have the good things of this life, and sometimes more than heart could wish for; nor are they in trouble as other men; they have many mercies, and many deliverances; they have their portion here, and are filled with h... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, [WHEN] THY HAND IS LIFTED UP, THEY WILL NOT SEE,.... Or, "thy high hand they will not see" y; when it is exalted, and become glorious in power, in punishing wicked men; though the punishment is visible, yet they will not consider that it comes from the hand of God, but attribute it to chance,... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, THOU WILT ORDAIN PEACE FOR US,.... Dispose, order, give it to us, outward and inward, spiritual and eternal: chiefly respect is had to that peace and prosperity the church will have in the latter day, which the zeal of the Lord of hosts, before mentioned, will perform for her, Psalms 72:8 and... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD OUR GOD, [OTHER] LORDS BESIDES THEE HAVE HAD DOMINION OVER US,.... Sin and Satan have the dominion over the Lord's people, in a state of unregeneracy; before the good work of grace is wrought in them, every lust is a lord, and is served and obeyed: and Satan is the god of this world by usurpa... [ Continue Reading ]
[THEY ARE] DEAD, THEY SHALL NOT LIVE; [THEY ARE] DECEASED, THEY SHALL NOT RISE,.... The above tyrannical lords, the kings of the earth and their mighty men, associates of the Romish antichrist, who shall be gathered together, and slain at the battle at Armageddon; these shall not live again in this... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST INCREASED THE NATION, O LORD, THOU HAST INCREASED THE NATION,.... The righteous nation, Isaiah 26:2 the church of God, by the numerous conversions of Jews and Gentiles; when the nation of the Jews shall be born at once, and the fulness and forces of the Gentiles are brought in; when the ki... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, IN TROUBLE HAVE THEY VISITED THEE,.... This, and the two following verses Isaiah 26:17, represent the troubles and disappointments of the church and people of God, before the destruction of antichrist; in which time of trouble they will visit the Lord, frequent the throne of grace, as saints i... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE AS A WOMAN WITH CHILD,.... By this simile are set forth the great distresses and afflictions the church of Christ will be in, before redemption and deliverance from the antichristian yoke comes: [THAT] DRAWETH NEAR THE TIME OF HER DELIVERY; when her burden is great and very troublesome: [IS]... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE BEEN WITH CHILD,.... Like women with child; we have been full of hopes and expectations of great things, of deliverance from our enemies, and of the kingdom of Christ being at hand: WE HAVE BEEN IN PAIN; in great distress and anxiety, and in fervent and frequent prayer, travailing in birth,... [ Continue Reading ]
THY DEAD [MEN] SHALL LIVE,.... These are the words of Christ to his church and people, promising great and good things to them after their troubles are over, thereby comforting them under all their trials and disappointments; as that such things should come to pass, which would be as life from the d... [ Continue Reading ]
COME, MY PEOPLE, ENTER THOU INTO THY CHAMBERS,.... These words are either to be connected with the preceding verse Isaiah 26:19, and considered as a part of the song; and then the design of them is, to let the people of God know that there would be times of great trouble and distress, previous to t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR, BEHOLD, THE LORD COMETH OUT OF HIS PLACE,.... God, as omnipresent, is everywhere, and cannot be properly said to quit one place, and go to another; but as heaven is the seat of his majesty, and where he more manifestly displays his glory, when he is said to do anything remarkable on earth, he i... [ Continue Reading ]