Chapter XLIX
Ver. 1-26. Similar to Chapter 42. 1-7 (v. 1-9). Jlessiali, as the ideal Israel (u. 3), states the object of His mission. His want of success for a time, yet His certainty of ultimate success. 1. O isles—Messiah is here regarded as having been rejected by the Jews (v. 4, 5), and as now turning to the Gentiles, to whom the EaMier hath gi»-en Him "for a liglit and salvation." "Isles" mean all regions beyond sea. from the womb—(C'li. 44. 2; Luke 1. 3i
iti; Jeremiah 33. 25.) But It is not their creation so much wliich is meant, as that, like ministers of God, the heavens and tlie earth are* prepared at His command to execute His decrees (Psalm 119. 91). [RosknjiuliiER.] 14. among thein —among llie gods and astrologers of the Chaldees (ch. 41. 22; 43.9; 41.7). Lord . . . loved him j he will, &c.—i.e., 'He whom the Lord hath loved will do," &c. [Lowth] : viz., Cyrus (ch. 44. 28 ; 45. 1, 13 ; 46. 11). However, Jehovah's language of love is too strong to apply to Cyrus, except as
John 10. 36.) from . . . bowels . . . mention of tuy name —His name "Jesus" (i. e., God-Saviour) was designated by God before His birtli (Matthew 1. 21). 2. my mouth . . . sword—(Ch. 11. 4; Revelation 19. 15.) The double office oj
Clirist Senl' to the UcnlUes. ISAIAH XLIX. God's Coiialant Love to His Church,
the Word of God, saving and damnalorj', is implied (cli.
salvation-when "the fulness of time" (Galatians 4. 4) shall have come. The day of salvation Is "to-day" (Hebrews 4. 7). lielped—given thee the help needed to enable thee, as man, to accomplisli man's salvation, preserve— from the assaults and efforts of Satan, to divert thee from thy voluntary death to save man. eoveiiant of tlie people—(A'o/e, ch. 42.6.) "The people," in tlie sim/nlar, ia al wa.ys applied exclusively to Israel, establish tlie earth —rather, "to restore the land," viz., Canaan to Israel. Spiritually, the restoration of the Chureh (the spiritjial Israi l) to the lieavcnly land forfeited by man's sin is also included, cause to inlierit . . . desolate heritages image from the desolate state of .uidea during the Babylonish captivity. Spiritually, the Gentile world, a moral waste, shall become a garden of the Lord. Lit., Judea
50. 4'; Joiiil 12. 48; HeiMCWS 4. 1'2). shaft— (P.salm 4.'). 5.) "Polished," i. e., free from all rust, implies Ills unsullied purity. In ... quiver ... hid me— Like a sword in its seabliard, or a slialt in the quiver, Messiah, before his appearing, was /(/(/ with God, ready to he drawn forth at the mouii^iit God saw fit [Hengstenbe:bo]; also, always /jro-
fr'ctfd by God, as tlie arrow by the quiver (eh. 61. 16). 3. Israel—applied to Messiah, according to the true import of tlie name, /?ie Pj ince who had power with <!ii,l in wrest-
)in<r in belialf of man, and who prevails (<;. iiesis iS; Tlosea Vl. S, J), lie is also the ideal Israel, the represi'iitative-inan of the nation (cf. Mattliew 2. 15 with Hosea 11.
1). in whom ... slorifiort—(John 14. 13; 17. l-o.) 4. X— Messiah, in -vain — comparatively in tlu! case of
yroiiter mimber of His own countrymen. " He came unio His own, and His own received Him not" (ch. r)3. 1-3; I-uke 19. U; Jolm 1.11; 7.5). Only 120 disciples met after His personal ministry was ended (.\cts 1. 15). yet . . . my jmls^meiit . . . with tlie I.ord—ultimately, God will do
I.ving desolate for ages .shall be possessed again by Israel
(cf. ch. 61. 7, "in their laiul"). jesics, the antitype of, and bearing the same nameas ./o.vAwa (Hebrews 4. 8y, shall, like him, divide the land among its true heirs (ch. 54. 3; 61. 4). 9. (Ch. 42. 7; Zechariah 9. 12.) prisoners—the Jews bouuil in legal bondage, tliem ... in darlcness—the Gentiles having no light as to the one true God. [Vitrinoa.] Sliow yourselves—not only see but be seen (Matthew 5.
.justice to my cause, and reward (^Margin for work, cf. cli. 40.
10; (12. 11) niy laJjours and sufferings. He was never "dis-
•oiiriiged" (ch. 42. 4 ; 50.7. 10). He calmly, in spite of seemiim ill-success for the time, left the result with God, confident of final triumph (ch. 10-12; 1 Peter 2.23). So the ministers of Christ ^1 Corinthians 4. 1-5; 1 Peter 4. 19). 5. The reason why He was confident that His work would be
16; Mark 5.19). Come forth from the darkness of your prison into the light of the Sun of righteousness, in tlie ways, &c.—In a desert there are no " ways," nor "high places," with "pastures;'' thus the sense is: "They shall have their pastures, not in deserts, but in cultivated and Inhabited places. Laying aside the figure, the churches of Christ at the first shall be gathered, not in obscure and unknown regions, but in the most populbus parts of the Roman empire, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, &c. [VitRiNfJA.] Another sense probably is the right one. Israel, on its way back to the Holy Land, shall not have to turn aside to devious paths in search of necessaries, but shall find them in allplaces wherever their route lies ; so RosknMULLER. God will supply them as if He should make the grass grow in the trodden iva>/s and on the barren hiqh places. 10. Messiah will abundantly satisfy all thew.ants, both of literal Israel on their way to Palestine, and of the spiritual on their way to heaven, as their Shepherd (eh.
accejited and rewarded, viz., liecause He is " glorious in the eyes of Jehovall," &c. to bring .Jacoh again to him (Matthew 15. 24; Acts 3. 26.) Tliongh Israel be not gathered—metaphor from a scattered flock which the shepherd gathers together again. Or a hen and her chickens (Matthew 23. 37). Instead of the text " not," the Ken has the similar ITebrew word, "to Him," which the parallelism favours : "And that Israel may be gathered to Him." yet rather, parenthetically, ''For I am glorious, &c., and my God is.rny strength." Then (?'. 6) resuming the words from the beginning of 5, "He saith" (I repeat), &o. Hoksley explains, "Notwithstanding the incredulity of the Jews, JTessiah sliall be gloritied in the conversion of the Gen-
files,"' reading as Eixgli.th Vc7-xion : but if the Keri be read, "Israel shall atone time or otlier be gatliered, notwitiistanding their incredulity during Messiah's sojourn on earth." 6. It is a light tiling—"It is too little that thou sl!Ouldest,"&c. fllENGSTEXBUKol, !'. e., It is not enough honour to thee to raise up .Tacnh and Israel, but I design for thee more, viz., that thou shouldest be the means of enlightening ihe Gentiles (ch. 42. 6, 7; HO. 3). the preserved—tv'z., those remaining atter tlie judgments of God on the nation—the
65. 13; Matthew 5. 6), also in heaven (Revelation 7. 16, 17). II. my—all things are God's, mountains a way— I will remove all obstructions out of the way (cli. 40. 4). exalted —i. (?., cast up (ch. 57. 14 ; 62. 10); for instance, over valleys. ViTRiNGA explains "mountains" as great kingdoms, Egypt, Syria, itc, subjected to Rome, to facilitate the spreading of the gospel; "highways," the Christian doc-
trine wherein those who join the Church walk, and which, at the time of Constantine, was to be raised into prominence before all, and publicly protected (ch. 35. S. 9). 1"3. Siiiim—The Arabians and other Asiatics called China
elect remnant of Israel reserved for mercy. Lowtit, with a sllglit but needless change of the Hebreiv, translates for "tribes" and "preserved," the scions—the (rranehes. 7, wUnm man despisetli Hebrew, the desjiiscd of sold, i. e., by every soul, by all men (ch. 52. 14, 15; 53. 3; 50. 6-9; Psalm
Sin, or Tchin; the Chinese had no special name for them-
selves, but either adopted that of the reigning dynasty or some high-sounding titles. 1'liis view of "Sinim" suits
22. 61. liOWTH trnnslatcs, " M'Uosc.pKrson is despised." abinnvrrth—lif., who is an abomination to the nation (Luke
tlie context which requires a people to be meant " from
2^. l;-i-23). The Jews contemptuously call Him always
far," and distinct from those "from the north and from the west.'' [Gesenius.] 13. So Revelation 12. 12. God
7'"/i'', "the crucified." I prefer, on account of Ooi, the Jlehrew term for nation being usually applied to the Gen-
will have merc.v on tlte afflicted, because of His comp;issiou ; on Ilii afflicted, because of His covenant. 14. Zlon —The litei-al Israel's complaint, as if God had forsaken her in the Babylonian captivity ; also in their dispersion previous to their future restoration; tliereb.y (rod's mercy
liles, and that for people to the Jews (Hosea 1. 1) ; so the
(Irecif terms respectively also Imos and Ethne, Iln.nans 9.
25), to take "nation" here eollecti vel.y for the Gentile
'.voi-hl, wliicli also spumi-d him (I'salni 2. 1-:!; Acts 4. '2.3-27).
shall be called forth (ch. 63. I-VHJ; Psalm 77. 9, 10; 102. 17). 15. (("h. 44. '21 ; Psalm 103. 13; .Mat thew 7. 11.) 16. Alluding
•K-vvnjit of mlers—(Matthew 17.27.) He wl'.o would not exert His power against tlie rulers (Matthew 26. 52,5.3). nhall see—^iv'z., the fulfilment of God's proinisi-s (i-. .3, (i),
to .the Jews' custom (perhaps drawn from Exodus 13. 9) of puncturing on their hands a representation of their
irhen I (e shall be (i lii/hl to the GenlHes. arise-to reverence thee (Psalm 72. 10,11; I'hilippians 2. lO). princes also^-
city and temple, in token of zeal for them [Lowrii] (Song of Solomon 8. 6). 17. tJiy eliihlren-Israel (i'. '20, 21 ; ch.
r:\ther, for the .liarallcllsm, supplj' the ellipsis, thus, " Princes shall, see wwiX shall worship." faltht'jil— t'/.^., tq His promises, clir.ose «!iee—as God's e.lret(e\\. 12. 1). 8. Messiah is represented as having asked for the grace of God 111 behalf of sinners; this verse coidaius God Ihe Father's favonralile answer, an aceeptnble time—" In a time of grace." [II.FCNfjSTKNliEitG.] A liiniled lime (ch.
43. 0). Jerome reads, for "Thy children," "7'/i.v builders;"
tlloy that destroycil thee shall hasten to buikl Vhee. Iias<« —to rebuild thy desolate capital, sliall go fortli—Thy
destroyel'S shall leave Judea to Israel in uu'Uisturhed pos-
sessi<m. 18. As Zion is often comp.-ired to a bride (ch.
5), so the accession of converts' is like bridal ornaments
("jewels," ch. 62. 3; Malachi 3. 17). Her literal chiUlreil
61. 2; 2 Corinthians 6. 2). The timejudged by God fobe the best lilted for efTecting the purposes of His grace by Mc*
are, however, more Immediately meant, as tne context
refers to their restoration; and only secondarily to Uoi
slab. beard tile©—(Psalm 2. 8; Hebrews 5. 7.) day of 486
77h' Ample Resturalion of the Church, ISAIAH L. JiuJamenls on Israel Provoked by Ihem.
ment, whom.ttc. ; jvoduee the creditors to \v)iom ye hav« been sold ; so it will be seen tliat it was not from any caprice of mine, but tlirough your own fault, your luolher has been put awa.v. and yuu sold " (ch. 52.3). HoiisryEY best explains (as the antithesis between " I " and ".yourselves" shows, lliough lyow rn traiislal.es, " Ye are sold ') / have never given your niotliera regular bill of divorcement, I have niHrel.v " iuit her away'' foi' a time, and can, therefore, by right as her husband still lake her buck on her submi.ssion ; I have not made you, tlie ctiililren, over
spiritual chiiareii by convprsiou to Christ. Israel shall be
the means of the linal complete conversion of the nations
(Mioali 0. 7; Kouimis II. 12, 15). ns a bride—nz., binds on her ornanieuls. 19. lnj»<l of *l»y destrueUou—thy laud once tlie scene of destruction, too ma,rrow—(Ch. 51. 1, 2; Zechariah 10. 10.) HQ. chliarcii . . . after . . . otlter—
rather, the children of Ihi/ widotcliood, i. e., the children of 'whom tlioji hast been bereft during their dispersion in other lands (Xolv, eh. 47. S). [Maukeii.] agmii—rather,
yet. give place—rather, slnnd close to me, viz.,'m order that we may be the more able to dwell in the narrow p!ac«. [HORSLEY.] Cf. as to Israel's spiritual children, and the extension of the gospe l sphere, Romans 15. 19, 21; 2 Corinthians 10. M-K!. liiU v. 22 (cf. ch. G6. 20) shows that her
to any "creditor" lo Siitisly a del)t ; I therefore still have the right of a father over you, and can take j'ou back on repen-tance, though as rebellious childieii j/oa have sold yourselves to sin and its penally (1 Kings 21. iS). bill . . . whom—rather, " the bill with which I have put her away." [MAUlljfR.] ii. I— Messiiih. no man—willing to believe
litieral children are primarily meant, Gesenius tranx-
ta<6«, "Make room." Wljol Ac—Zion's joyful wonder at the unexpected restoration of the ten tribes.
in and obey me (ch. 52. 1, 3). The same Divine Person had "con>e" by His prophets in tlie Old Testament (appealing to them, but in vain, .leremiah 7. 25, 20', wlio was about to come under the New Testament. Itand sliorlencrt—the Oriental emblem of weakness, as the long stretcluid-out hand is of power (ch. 59. li. Notwithstanding your sins, I can still " redeem" y<iu from your bondage and dispersion, dry up . . . sea—(Exoilus 14. 21.) Tiie second exodus shall exceed, whilst it resembles in, wonders, the first (ch.ll. 11,
.Secondarily, the awession of spiritual Israelites to the inother-Church of Jerusalem from t)ie Gentiles is meant. This created surprise at first (Acts 10.45; 14. 27; 15.3, 4). lost . . . am <Iesol!«fc, a capSivc, iviid removUig to iind ^•o—rather, "bereaved of . . . have been barren, an exile and outcast." [Houslev.] She had been "put away" by Jehovah, her husband (ch. 50. 1) ; hence her wonder at the
children, begotten to her. a j. lift . . . Iiand— t. e., beckon
15; 51. 15). make . . . rivers . . . wildernesa — tui'n the prosperity of Israel's fo<!s into adversity. foU stiuUeth —the very judgment inrtieted on their Egj-plian em-mies at the first exodus (Exodus 7. is, 21). 3. heavens . . . blackness—another of the juilgments on Egypt to be repeated hereafter on the last eiieni.y of God's people (Exodus 10.
to (Note, ch. li. 2). slandurd—((Jli. 11. 12.) bring . . . sons In . . . iij-iiis-The Gentiles shall aid in restoring Israel
to its own land (ch. (io. 4; tJ8. '20). Children able to support themselves are carried on the shoulders in the East; but
infants, in the arms, or astride on one haunch (ch. <j<). 12). "Thy sons" must be distinct from "the Gentiles," who carry {\\em: and ther(>f(>re cannot primarily refer to eonverts anion"; the Gentiles. 33. Hcls . . . dust^. e., ki.ss
21). KBCkclotli—(Revelation 6. 12.) 4:. Messiah, as "the servant of Jehovah" ^<:h. 4'2. 1), declares that the office has been assigned to Him of encouraging the "weary" exiles of Israel by " words in season" suited to their case; and
th.y feet in token of humble submission, for they . . . not . . . asliniued . . . wait for me—Tlie restoration of
tliat, whatever suffering it is to cost Himself, He does not shrink from it {v. 5, 0), for that He knows His cause will triumph at last (v. 7, 8). learned—not in mere hun>an learning, but in divinely-taught modes of instruction and eloquence (cli. 40.2; Exodus 4. 11; Matthew 7. 28, 29 ; 13.54) speak a word in season—(Proverbs 15. 23; 25. 11.) Lit., "to succour by words," viz., in their season of need, 'the " weary" dispersed ones of Israel (Deuteronomy 23. 65-()7). Also, the spiritual "weary" (ch. 42. 3; Matthew 11. 28). wakeiketSi [me] morning, &c.—Cf. "daily rising up early" (Jeremiah 7. 2-5; Mark 1.35). The image is drawn from a master ((.'((Aeiu'/if/ hispupHs early for instruction, wakenetii . . . ear—prepares me for receiving His Divine instructions, as tl»e learned—as one taught by Him. He "learned obedience," experimentally, "by the things which He suffered ;" thus gaining that practical learning which adapted Him for "speaking a word in seasoii" to sull'ering men (Hebrews 5. 8). 5. opened . . . ear—(see Note, ch. 42, 20; 48. 8j; t. e., hath made me obediently atten-
Israel shall be in answer to their prayerful waiting on the Lord (ch. 30. 18, 10; Psalm 102. 16, 17; Zechariah 12. 10; H. 3). a*, the pr<y—Israel, long a prey to mighty Gen-
tile nations, whose oppression of her shall reach its highest point under Antichrist (Daniel 11. 36, 37, 41,45). lawful captive—the Jews justly consigned for their sins
(ch. 50. Das captives to' the foe. Secondarily, Satan and Death are "the mighty" conquerors of man, upon whom
his sin gives theni their " lawful" claim.' Christ answers
that claim for the sinners, and so the captive is set free (Job 19. 2.5; 14. 14; Matthew 12. 29; Hosea 6. 2, where v. 4 shows the primary reference is to Israel's restoration, to which the resurrection corresponds; Isaiah 26. 19; Epliesians
4. 8 ; Heijrews 2. 14, 15). Others not so well translate, " the captives taken fi om among the Israelites." 35. (Cli.
53. 12; Psalm 68. 18; Colossians 2. 15.) contend wltli him, &c.—(Ch. ai. 17.) 20). feed . . . own flesh—A phrase for
internal strifes (ch. 0. 20). own blood—A just retribution
for their havins shed the blood of God's servants (Revelation 10. 0). sweet wine—i. e., must, or new wine, tiie pure juice which flows fiom the heap of grapes before they are pressed ; the ancients could preserve it for a long time, so as to retain its flavour. It was so mild that it required a large quantity to intoxicate; thus the idea here is that very much blood would be shed (Revelation 14. 10, -H)). all flesh shall, &c.—the efifect on the world of God's judgments (ch. 66. 15, 16, 18, 19; Revelation 15. 3, 4).
tive [hat Mauiip;r, "hath informed me of my duly"), as a servatU to his master (ef. Psalm 40. 6-8, witli Philippians 2. 7; ch. 42. 1 ; 40. 3, 6; 52. 13; .53. 11 ; Matthew 20. 28; Luke 22.
27). not rebellious—but, on the contrary, most willing to do the Father's will in proclaiming and procuring salvati(m f<nman, at the cost of His own sufferings (Plebrews
10. SplO). 6. sinlters—with scourges and with the open hand (eh. 52. 14; Mark 14. 65). Lit., fulfilled (Matthew 27.
2(); 26. 67; Luke 18. 33i. To "pluck the hair" is the highest insult that can be ofiered an Oriental (2 Samuel 10. 4; Lamentations 3. 30). " I gave" implies tlie voluntary nature of His sufferings ; His example corresponds to His precept (Matthew r>. 39). spitting—to spit in another's presence is an insult In .the East, much more on one; most of all in the face (J /b 30. 10 ; Matthew 27. 30 ; Luke 18. 32). 7. Sample of His not being "discouraged" (ch. 42. 4; 49. 5). set