INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 33 This chapter contains an account of God's judgments upon the enemies of his people, and of the peaceable, comfortable, and happy state of the church in the latter day. The judgment denounced, Isaiah 33:1 a prayer of the church for safety and protection, which it promises i... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE TO THEE THAT SPOILEST, AND THOU [WAST] NOT SPOILED,.... Which some understand of Nebuchadnezzar; others of Sennacherib, which is more probable; it seems best to interpret it of the Romish antichrist. Kimchi thinks that, if it respects the times of Hezekiah, Sennacherib is meant; but if the times... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD, BE GRACIOUS UNTO US,.... This is a prayer of the church under the persecutions of antichrist, imploring the grace and favour of God in their miserable and distressed circumstances; desiring his gracious help, assistance, and deliverance; pleading not any merits of their own, but casting them... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE NOISE OF THE TUMULT THE PEOPLE FLED,.... The Vulgate Latin Version renders it, "at the voice of the angel"; and Jerom reports it as the opinion of the Jews, that it was Gabriel; and many interpret the words either of the noise the angel made in the air, or was made in the Assyrian camp, when... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YOUR SPOIL SHALL BE GATHERED [LIKE] THE GATHERING OF THE CATERPILLAR,.... This is the answer of the Lord to the prayer of his church, signifying that their enemies should flee, be scattered, and perish, and that they should be victorious, and enjoy the spoils of them; which they should gather as... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS EXALTED,.... These are the words of the church, or of true believers, setting the praise and glory of God, on account of the victory and spoil of their enemies; by which the Lord is exalted, magnified, and honoured, as he will be in the hearts and mouths of his people when these times sh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE THE STABILITY OF THY TIMES,.... Some take these words to be directed to Hezekiah; but rather they are an apostrophe to the Messiah, and respect the later times of Christ, when many shall run to and fro, and the knowledge of him shall be increased, and the earth shal... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THEIR VALIANT ONES SHALL CRY WITHOUT,.... Or, "in the street": this, and the two following verses Isaiah 33:8, describe the sad and desolate condition of the people of God, before the above happy times take place; "their valiant ones", such who have been valiant for the truth on earth; or "t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HIGHWAYS LIE WASTE,.... No man walking in them, for fear of the enemy; "the ways of Zion", which are said to "mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts", Lamentations 1:4 none daring to attend the ministry of the word and ordinances; see Isaiah 35:8: THE WAYFARING MAN CEASETH; or, "the trav... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH MOURNETH [AND] LANGUISHETH,.... All Christendom, being now under the power, dominion, and tyranny of antichrist, and the church's faithful witnesses slain, and a stop put to all Gospel ministrations; and therefore the church must be in a very languishing condition, and great reason for mou... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WILL I RISE, SAITH THE LORD,.... At the last extremity, when things are come to a crisis; his interest at the lowest, and the kingdom of antichrist at its highest pitch; the whore of Rome triumphing over the slain witnesses, and boasting she was a queen, and knew no sorrow: this will be God's fi... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL CONCEIVE CHAFF, YE SHALL BRING FORTH STUBBLE,.... Signifying that all the counsels, designs, and schemes, of the antichristian party, to continue themselves in their present state, and save themselves from ruin, as well as utterly to destroy the interest of Christ, would be weak, vain, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEOPLE SHALL BE [AS] THE BURNINGS OF LIME,.... Like chalk stones that are burnt to make lime of; which may denote not only their hardness and impenitency, which brought upon them and issued in the wrath of God; but the miserable condition into which they are brought, and the torture they sho... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR, YE [THAT ARE] FAR OFF, WHAT I HAVE DONE,.... Not meaning the destruction of the Assyrian, as it is commonly interpreted; but the ruin of antichrist, the beast, and false prophet, and the burning of the city and whore of Rome; for, whoever will be the instruments, the work is the Lord's, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SINNERS IN ZION ARE AFRAID, AND FEARFULNESS HATH SURPRISED THE HYPOCRITES,.... Meaning not persons of such a character that dwelt in Jerusalem, who had the guise and form of religion, and not the power of it, and were for fleeing to Egypt, and trusting in Pharaoh, and not in the Lord; who were s... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT WALKETH RIGHTEOUSLY,.... These are the words of the prophet, in answer to those of the hypocrites. So the Targum, "the prophet said, the righteous shall dwell in it;'' not in the devouring fire and everlasting burnings, but in Zion, in Jerusalem, on high, in the munition of rocks, safe fro... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL DWELL ON HIGH,.... And so in safety: this is opposed to the fears of hypocrites, the grovelling life of a worldling, and the low life of many professors, and is expressive of the security of good men. It may respect the state of the saints on earth, who dwell by faith on God, as their coven... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE EYES SHALL SEE THE KING IN HIS BEAUTY,.... Not merely Hezekiah in his royal robes, and with a cheerful countenance, having put off his sackcloth and his sadness, upon the breaking up of the siege; but a greater than he, even the King Messiah, in the glory of his person and office, especially a... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE HEART SHALL MEDITATE TERROR,.... shall recollect, and think of with pleasure and thankfulness, the terror they were formerly seized with, when surrounded and oppressed by their enemies, particularly at the time of the slaying of the witnesses, which will be a terrible time to the church and pe... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT SEE A FIERCE PEOPLE,.... A people of a fierce countenance, as in Daniel 8:23 fierce in their looks, furious in their temper, cruel and bloodthirsty in their practices, confirmed and hardened in their sins, whose consciences are seared as with a red hot iron; a character given of the P... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOK UPON ZION,.... Instead of such terrible objects as before described, a very amiable and lovely one is presented to view; even Zion, the church of God, beloved by him, chosen for his habitation, a strong city, a perfection of beauty, and the joy of the whole earth. The Targum is, "O Zion, thou... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THERE THE GLORIOUS LORD [WILL BE] UNTO US A PLACE OF BROAD RIVERS [AND] STREAMS,.... Egypt had its Nile, and Babylon its Euphrates, but Jerusalem had no such river for its convenience, commerce, and defence; but God promises to be that to his Jerusalem, his church and people, as will answer to,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD [IS] OUR JUDGE,.... The Lord Christ, who has all judgment committed to him by the Father, who will judge his people, right their wrongs, and avenge their injuries: THE LORD [IS] OUR LAWGIVER; who has enacted wholesome laws for his church, writes them on their hearts, and puts his Spiri... [ Continue Reading ]
THY TACKLINGS ARE LOOSED,.... Or "are left" h; forsaken by the mariners, as being of no use and service: THEY COULD NOT WELL STRENGTHEN THEIR MAST; with ropes to make it stand upright: THEY COULD NOT SPREAD THE SAIL; upon the mast, without which they could not proceed. This is spoken to and of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE INHABITANT SHALL NOT SAY, I AM SICK,.... That is, the inhabitant of Zion, or Jerusalem, the church of Christ, Isaiah 33:20 and such are they that are born again in Zion, and brought up there; who are made free thereof by Christ; are brought to dwell here by the Lord himself; and, under the... [ Continue Reading ]