Chapter XLII
Ver. 1-25. Messiah the Antitype of Cyrus.—God's description of His cliaracter (v. 1-4). God addn!sses Him directly (y. 5-7). Address to the people to attend to the subject (v. 8, 9).
i< (to lieart); iurn. (their attention) to it. " Tliey " refers to
all lands (v. I; Psalm 64.9; 40.3). The effect on the Gen-
' Call to all, and especially the exile Jews to rejoice in the coming deliverance (d. 10-25). 1. my servant—Tlie law of prophetic suggestion leads Isaiah from Cyrus to the far greater Deliverer, behind whom the former is lost siglit of. The express quotation in Matthew
tiles of God's open interposition hereafter In behalf of Israel shall be, they shall seek Israel's Ood (ch. 2. 3; Zechariah 8. 21-23). 21. A new challenge to the idolaters (see
V. 1, 7) to say, can their idolspredict future eventsm Jehova.h can (t). 22-25, &c.)7 your strong reasons—the reasons for idol-worship which you think especially strong, aa. -what sliall liappen—"Let them bring near and declare future contingencies." [Horsley.] former things . . . the latter end of tliem—show what former predictions the idols have given, tliat we may compare tlie event ("latter end ") with them; or give new prophecies ("declare tilings to come") (ch.42. 9). [Maurer.] Barnes explains it more reconditely, "Let them foretell tlie entire
12. 18-20, and the description can apply to Messiah alone (Psalm 40.6; with which cf. Exodus 21. 6; John 6. 38; Philipplans 2.7). Israel, also, in its highest ideal, is called the " servant " of God (ch. 49. 3). But this ideal Is realized only in the anti typical Israel, its representative-man and Head, Messiah (cf. Matthew 2. 15, with Hosea 11. 1). "Servant" was the position assumed by the Son of God throughout His humiliation, elect—chosen by Ood before the foundation of the world for an atonement (1 Peter
series of evont.s, showing, in their order, the things which shall first occur, as well as those which shall finally happen ;" the false prophets tried to predict Isolated events, having no mutual dependency; nota long .?erie« of events mutually and orderly connected, and stretching far into futurity. They did not even try to do this. None but God can do it (ch. 46. 10; 44. 7, 8). "Or . . . things to come" will. In this view, mean, Ijet ^em, If tliey cannot predict the nei-ie-s, even predict plainly any detached eventt.
1.20; Revelation 13. 8). Redcniption was no aftcrthouglit to remedy an unforeseen evil (Romans 16. 25, 26; Epheslans 3. 9, 11; 2 Timothy 1. 9, 1(1; Titus I. 2, 3). In Matthew
12. IS it is rendered "my beloved:" the only belored i'on, beloved In a sense distinct from all others. Election and theior'eof God are inseparably Joined, mysoul-a human phrase iipplied to God, because of the intended union of huinuuity with the Divinity: I myself, deligliteili—!
Qitd, Exhorlelh the Church ISAIAH XLII. to IVust in Him without Fear,
well pleased with, ami accepts, a.5 a pr<. pitialion. God could have " delighted " in no created Ijeing as a mediator
the Church was primarily formed were Gentiles of the countries bordering on the Mediterrati>;tin. 5. Previously God had spoken of Messiah; now (v. 5-7', He speaks to Him. To sliow to all that He i^ able to sustain the Messiah in His appointed work, and tliat all might accept Messiah as commissioned by such a mighty God, He commences by announcing Himself as the Almighty Creator and Preserver of all things, spread . . . cartli—(Ps,aiml36.
(cf. V. 21 ; cli. 63. 5; Matthew 8. 17). Spirit «ipon liim—(Ch.
II. i!; 61. 1 ; Luke 4. IS ; John 3. 34.) judgment—the gospel
ttisi>ensatlon, founded on justice, the canon of the Divine rale and principle ofjudgment called "the law " (ch. 2. 3;
cf. II. 4 ; 51. 4 ; 49. 6). The gospel lias a discriminating
Ctfii elfect : saving to penitents : condemnatory to Satan, the enemy (Joiin 12.31; 16. 11), and the wilfully impenitent (John 9. 39); Matthew 12. 18 has, " He shall show," for " He shall bring fortli," or "cause to go forth." Christ both producid and announced His "judgment." The Hebrew dwells most on His producing it; Matthew on His announcement, of it: tlie two are joined in Him. 3. Matthew marks the Itind of "cry" as that of altercation by quoting it, " He shall not strive " (ch. 53. 7). street—LXX.
6.) 6. in rigliteousness—rather, "for a rightiious purpose." [LowTH.] (See V. 21.) God "set forth" His Son " to be a propitiation (so as) to declare His (G->.','s) righteousness, that God might be just, and (yet) the justifler of him whicli believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3. 25, 5t , rf. Note, ch. 41.2; 45. 13; .50. 8, 9). hold . . . hand—cf. s,t to Israel, the type of Messiah, Hosea 11. 3. covenant medium
of the covenant, originally made between God ;ind Abraham (ch. 49. 8). " The mediator of abetter covenant" (Hebrews 8. 6) than the law (see ch. 49. 8; Jeremiah 31. ; 50.5). So the abstract " peace," for peace-maker (Micah 5. 5 ; Ephesians 2. 14). tlie people—Israel ; as ch. 49. 8, compared with V. 6, proves (Luke 2. 32). 7. blind-spiritually (v. 16,
translate, "outside." An image from an altercation in a
house;, loud enough to be heard in the street outside : appropriate of Him who " withdrew himself" from the public fame created by His miracles to privacy (Matthew 12. 15;
V, 34, there, shows another and sterner aspect of His character, which is also implied in the term "judgment"). 3. bruised—" It pleasf^d the Lord to 6rut.se Him." (ch. 63. 5, 10; Genesis 3. 15) ; so He can feel for the bruised. As v. 2 described His uuturbulent spirit towards His violent enemies (Matthew 12. 11-16), and His utter freedom from love of noloriety, so i'. 3, His tenderness in cherishing the first spark of grace in the penitent (ch. 40. 11). reed—fragile: easily "shaken witli tlie wind" (Matthew 11.7). Those who are at best feeble, and who besides are oppressed by calamity or by tlie sense of sin. break—entirely crush or condfuiin. Cf. " bind up tlie broken-hearted" (ch. 50. 4; 61.
18, 19; ch. 35. 5; John 9. 39). prison—(Ch. 61. 1, 2.) darkness—opposed to "light" {v. 6; Ephesians 5. 8; 1 Peter2.9).
8. God turns, from addressing Messiah to the people.
I.<orcl Jehovah: God's distinguishing and incommunicable name, indicating essential being and immutable faithfulness (cf. Exodus 6. 3; Psalm 8.3. 18; 90. 5; Hosea 12.
5). my—that is due to me, and to me alone. 9. former things—former predictions of God, wliich were now ful-
filled, are here adduced in proof that they ought to trust in Him alone as God, viz., the predictions as to Israel's restoration from Babylon, new viz., predictions as to Messiah, who is to bring all nations to the worship of Jehovah
1'; M.'itthew 11. 28). flax—put for the lamp-wick, formed of flax. Tlie believer is tlie lamp (so the Greek, Matthew 5.15; John .5. 35): his conscience enlightened by the Holy Ghost is the tvick. ".Smoking" means dimly - burning, smouldering, the ilame not quite extinct. This expresses the positive .side of the penitent's religion; as "bruised reed," the negative. Broken-hearted in himself, but not without some spark of flame: lit., from above. Christ will supply sucli a one with grace as with oil. Also, the light of nature smouldering in the Gentiles amidst the hurtful fumes of error. He not only did not quench, but cleared away the mists and superadded the light of revelation. See Jebome ad Alg. Q,u. 2. truth-Matthew 12. 20 quotes
{v. 1, 4, 0). spring forth—tlie same image from plants Just beginning to germinate occurs, ch. 43. 19; 58. 8. Belbre there
is the slightest indication to enable a sagacious observer to infer the coming event, God foretells \%. 10. new songsuch as has never before been sung, called for by a new manifestation of God's grace, to express which no hymn for former mercies would be appropriate. The new song shall be sung when the Lord shall reign in Jerusalem, and all "nations shall flow unto it" (ch. 2. 2; 26.1; Revelation
5. 9 ; 14. 3). ye that go down to tlie sea—whose conversion will be the means of dilTusing the gospel todii^tant lands, all . . . therein—all the living creatures that fill the sea (Psalm 96. 11). [Maurer.] Or, all sailors and voyagen. [GENE.sitrs.] But these were already mentioned In the previous clause: there he called on all who go upon the sea; in this clause all animals in the sea; so in v. 11, he calls on the inanimate wilderness to lift up its voice. External nature shall be so renovated as to be in unison with the moral renovation. 11. cities—in a region not wliolly waste, but mainly so, with an oasis here and thera Kedar—in Arabia Deserta (ch. 21. 16; Genesis 25. 13). The Kedarenians led a nomadic, wandering life. So Kedar is here put in general for that class of men. rock Sela, i. e. Petra, the meti-opolis of Idumea and the Nabathcean Ishmaelites. Or it may refer in general to those in Arabia Petrsea, who had their dwellings cut out of the rock, the mountains viz., of Paran, south of Sinai, in Arabia Petrsea. [Vitringa.] 13. glory . . . islands—(Ch. 24. 15.) 13-16. Jehovah will no longer restrain his wrath: He will go forth as a mighty warrior (Exo<lus 15. 3) to destroy His people's and His enemies, and to deliver Israel (cf. Psalm 45. 3). stir up jealousy—rouse His indignation, roar—image from the battle-cry of a warrior. 14. long time viz., during the desolation of Israel (ch. 32. 14). holden my peace—(Cf. Psalm 50. 21; Habalckuk I. 2.) cry like a woman, &c.—Like a woman in parturition, who, after having restrained her breathing for a time, at last, overcome with labour-pain, lets out her voice with a panting sigh; so Jehovah will give full vent to His long pent-up wrath. Translate, instead of "destroy . . . devour;" I will at once breatfie hard and pant, viz., giving loose to my wrath. 15. I will destroy all my foes, moun** tnij>«— in Palestine usually planted with vines and olives in terraces, up to their tops. Islands—rather, dry lands, God will destroy His foes, the heathen, and theii 477
it, "send forth judgment unto victory." Matthew, under the Spirit, gives the virtual sense, but varies the word. In order to bring out a fresh aspect of the same thing. Truth has In itself the elements of victory over all opposing forces. Truth is the victory of Him who is "the truth" (John 14. 6). The gospel judicial sifting ("judgment") of believers and unbelievers, begun already in part (John 3. 18, 19; 9. •39), will be consummated victoriouMy in truth only at His second coming; v. 13, 14, here, and Matthew 12.32, 36,
41, 42, show that there is reference to {\\ejudicial aspect of the gospel, especially finally: besides the mild triumph of Jesus coming in mercy to the penitent nmv (v. 2), there shall he finally the judgment on His enemies, when the
" truth" shall be perfectly developed. Cf. ch. 61. 1-3, where the twocomingsaresimilarlyjoined (Psalm 2. 4-6, 8 ; Revelation 1.5. 2, 4; 19.11-16). On "judgment," see Note, v.l. 4. fall—faint ; m«n in religion may become as the almost expiring flaxwick (v. 3), but not so He in His purposes of grace, discouraged— broken, i. e., checked in zeal by discouragements (cf. ch. 49.4, 5). Rosenmullbb not so well translates, " He .shall not be too slow on the one hand, nor run too hastily on the other." Judgment-His true religion, the canon of Ili.s judgments and righteous reign, isles . . . wait, &c.—The distant lands beyond sea shall put their trust in His gospel way of salvation. Matthew 12. 21 virtually gives the sense, with the inspired addition of another aspect of the same thing, "In his name shall the Gentiles trust" (as " wait for" here means, ch. 30. 18). " His law" is not something distinct from Himself, but is indeed Himself, the . manifestation of God's cliaracter ("name") in Christ, who is the embodiment of the law (ch.
42. 21; Jeremiah 23. 6; Romans 10.4). "Isles" here, and
V. 12, may refer to the fact, that the populations of which
The People Reproved for Incredulity. ISAIAH XLIII. Tke Church Comforted with Promt9e».
24. Who—Their calamity was not the work of cliance. but God's immediate act for their sins. Jacob . . . Israel . . . we—change from the third to the first person; Isaiah first speaking to them as a prophet, distinct from them; then identifying himself with them, and aclcnowledging His share in the nation's sins (cf. Joshua 5. 1). 25. him—Israel (i>. 24). strength of battle—violence of war. It—tlie bat^e or war (cf. cli. 10. 16). knew not—knew not the le.sson of repentance which tlie judgment was intended to teach (ch. 5. 13; 9. 13; Jeremiah 5. 3).
Idols, aud "dry up" the fountains of their oracles, their doctrines and institutions, the symbol of which is
water, aud their schools whicli promoted idolatry. [ViTKiNGA.] 16. blind -God;^i people, Israel, in captivity, needing a guide. In the ulterior sense the New Testament Cliurcli; wliicli was about to be led and enlightened by the Son of God as its leader and shepherd in the wilderness of the Roman empire, until it siiould reach a city of habitation. "A way . . . they knew not,"
refers to tlie various means employed by Providence for the establishment of the Churcii in the world, such as would never have occurred to the mind of mere man. "Blind," they are called, as not having heretofore seen God's ways in ordering His Church. "Make darkness