INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 49 This is a prophecy concerning Christ, and redemption by him; and of the enlargement of the church in the latter day, by the conversion of Jews and Gentiles; which the isles, and people afar off, are exhorted to listen and hearken to, delivered out by the prophet, in the pe... [ Continue Reading ]
LISTEN, O ISLES, UNTO ME,.... These are not the words of Cyrus, as Lyra mentions; nor of the Prophet Isaiah, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and other Jewish writers think; but of Christ, calling upon the inhabitants of the isles to hearken to him; by whom are meant the inhabitants of islands properly so call... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HATH MADE MY MOUTH LIKE A SHARP SWORD,.... Or, "he hath put his words in my mouth as a sharp sword,'' as the Targum; namely, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and is sharper than a twoedged sword, and is said to come out of the mouth of Christ, Ephesians 6:17, with which he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO ME,.... Both in the everlasting council, and when he made a covenant with him in eternity; when he found him and anointed him, and laid help on him; and also when he brought him, his first begotten, into the world, at his incarnation: THOU ART MY SERVANT; of his choosing, appointing,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I SAID,.... The Messiah said, by way of objection, in a view of what treatment he should meet with, or when entered on his work, and which he found by experience, what follows: I HAVE LABOURED IN VAIN; this is not to be understood of the travail of his soul, or of his sufferings and death, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW, SAITH THE LORD,.... Jehovah the Father, in confirmation of the call, office, and work of Christ, which he hath declared, Isaiah 49:1: THAT FORMED ME FROM THE WOMB TO BE HIS SERVANT; who preordained him to this service before the world began, and prepared him for it from the womb of his mot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID,.... Or "even he said"; namely, the Lord his God, that called, appointed, and strengthened him for his service: IT IS A LIGHT THING THAT THOU SHOULDEST BE MY SERVANT TO RAISE UP THE TRIBES OF JACOB, AND TO RESTORE THE PRESERVED OF ISRAEL; THE TRIBES OF JACOB AND THE PRESERVED OF ISRAEL... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, THE REDEEMER OF ISRAEL, AND HIS HOLY ONE,.... These are all the titles of the Father of Christ, who is the Jehovah, the self-existent Being, and from whom all have their Being; "the redeemer of Israel", being concerned with his Son in the redemption, of his people, in the contri... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... These are the words of God the Father to his Son continued; the Jews themselves interpret them of the Messiah z: IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME HAVE I HEARD THEE: this was the time when Christ was here on earth, when he became incarnate, and suffered and died for his people: this wa... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU MAYEST SAY TO THE PRISONERS, GO FORTH,.... God's covenant people, while unconverted, are prisoners; they are in the prison of sin, under the power and dominion of it, and under the guilt of it, and obligation to punishment for it; and they are in the prison of the law, they are transgresso... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL NOT HUNGER NOR THIRST,.... Being fed in the ways and high places of Gospel ordinances with the love of God, with covenant mercies and precious promises, with Christ, the bread of life, and his grace the water of life, and with the doctrines of the Gospel; they do not desire carnal things,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE ALL MY MOUNTAINS A WAY,.... Or "for", or "into a way" e; signifying that they should be dug through or levelled, and a way made through them, over them, or upon them, for his people to pass: very probably the allusion is to the mountains that lay between Babylon and Judea; and which... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THESE SHALL COME FROM FAR,.... This is a prophecy of the conversion of the Jews, or of the Gentiles, or of both, in the latter day, in the several parts of the world; who shall come to Christ, and to his churches, and join in fellowship with them: the allusion is to the return of the Jews fr... [ Continue Reading ]
SING, O HEAVENS, AND BE JOYFUL, O EARTH,.... Which may be understood of the heavens, and the earth by a personification, a figure usual in Scripture, to express the greatness of the benefit received, and to raise thankfulness and admiration in the hearts of God's people; see Psalms 90:11 or by the h... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ZION SAID,.... By way of objection, as some think, to the above prophecies of glorious and comfortable times; she being now in a very disconsolate condition, and could not tell how to take it in, how it should thus be, when the case was with her as it was; though I rather think the words should... [ Continue Reading ]
CAN A WOMAN FORGET HER SUCKING CHILD, THAT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE COMPASSION ON THE SON OF HER WOMB?.... This is the Lord's answer to the church's complaint, instancing in the care and affection of a mother to her child, thereby illustrating his love to his people; he instances in a "woman", the tender... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I HAVE GRAVEN THEE UPON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS,.... Not upon his thick clouds, the clouds of heaven under him, always in view, as R. Saadiah Gaon, mentioned by Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi: much better the Targum, "lo, as upon the hands thou art engraven before me;'' signifying that his pe... [ Continue Reading ]
THY CHILDREN SHALL MAKE HASTE,.... Regenerate persons, young converts, such as are born again of incorruptible seed by the word; these shall flock to the church, AS DOVES TO THE WINDOWS; join themselves to her, and submit to Gospel ordinances, and MAKE HASTE, AND DELAY NOT, TO KEEP THE LORD'S COMM... [ Continue Reading ]
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 comfort; and so the Targum, "lift up thine eyes round about, O Jerusalem, and see all the children... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THY WASTE AND THY DESOLATE PLACES, AND THE LAND OF THY DESTRUCTION,.... Or "thy land of destruction, or thy destroyed land" n; laid waste and desolate by the enemy, without inhabitants; such countries in which there were few professors of the true religion: SHALL EVEN NOW BE TOO NARROW, BY REAS... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN WHICH THOU SHALT HAVE, AFTER THOU HAST LOST THE OTHER,.... Which "other lost" are not the Jews, the broken branches, rejected and cut off for unbelief; and the "children after" them not the Gentiles converted, which took their place; but "the other" are such who have been destroyed by t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALT THOU SAY IN THINE HEART,.... In, a way of admiration, secretly within herself, astonished at the numerous crowds flocking in; WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME THESE? not their natural parents, nor they themselves; FOR THEY ARE NOT BORN OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH;... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... In answer to the questions, where had these children been? and from whence did they come? who begot them, and brought them up? and by what means was all this done, or would be done? I WILL LIFT UP MINE HAND TO THE GENTILES; beckoning them to come unto him, directing and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KINGS SHALL BE THY NURSING FATHERS, AND THEIR QUEENS THY NURSING MOTHERS,.... Who shall show favour and respect to the church and people of God, grant them liberty, and protect and defend them in their religious privileges: for this is to be understood not figuratively of apostles and apostolica... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL THE PREY BE TAKEN FROM THE MIGHTY,.... This is an objection to the accomplishment of what is predicted and promised above, taken from the power of the enemy, and his right to detain the people; and are either the words of the nations among whom the Jews were, according to Kimchi, boasting of,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... In answer to the above objection, being mightier than the mighty, and stronger than he by whom his people are detained, being the Almighty: EVEN THE CAPTIVES OF THE MIGHTY SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY, AND THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE SHALL BE DELIVERED; or, "the prey of the violent... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL FEED THEM THAT OPPRESS THEE WITH THEIR OWN FLESH,.... Not that they should feed upon their own flesh, because of famine, for this was not the case of Babylon when taken; but that they should destroy one another, as the Midianites did; and which was true of some of the Babylonians, who ass... [ Continue Reading ]