Chapter L
Ver. 1-11. The Judgments on Israel were provoked BY THEIR Crimes, yet they are not finally cast off BY God. 1. 'Where . . . mother's divorcement—Ziou is "the mother;" the Jews afe the children; and Go<l the Husband and Father (ch. 54. 5; 62. 5; Jeremiah 3. 14). GbSENI0S thinks, God means by the question to deny that
. . . face like . . . flint—set myself resolutely, not to be daunted from my work of love; by shame or sulfering (Ezekiel 3. 8, 9). 8. (Ch. 49. 4.) The believer, by virtue of his oneness with Christ, uses the same language (Psalm
He had given "a bill of divorcement" to her, as was often done on slight pretexts by a husband (Deuteropomy 24. 1), or that He had "sold " His and her "children," as a poor
138. 8 ; Romans 8. 32-34). But "justify" i n Ilia case, is God's judicial aceev)tance and vindication of Him on the ground of His own righteousness (Luke 23. 41—17; Romans 1. 4; I Timothy 3. 16, with which cf. 1 Peter 3. 18), in their case, ou 487 .
parent sometimes did (Exodus 21.7; 2 Kings 4. 1; Nehemiaii 5. 5) under pressure of his "creditors;" that it was they who sold themselves through their own sins. MauEEK explains, "f)7iow the bill of your mother's divorce-
Encoura(jmicnt to Irusl in God. ISAIAH LI. Christ Dcjendelh His Peoj.lt.
the ground of His rigliteousness and meritorious death imputed to tiiem (Romans 5. 19). stand together—in Judgment, to try. the issue, adversary lit., master of my cause,
the first preaching of the gospel, as in tne final age tc come, it was from Jerusalem that the gospel law was, and
is,, to go forth (ch. 2. 3). law . . . judgment—the go,spel dispensation and institutions (ch. 42. 1, "judgment"), make . . . to rest—est.alilish firmly; found, light, &c, (Ch. 42. §.) 5. righteousness . . . near i.e., faithful fulfilment of tliepromised deliverance, aiiswerint^to "salvation" in the parallel clause (ch. 46. 13; 5G. 1 ; Romans 10. 8,
i, c, wlio lia-s real ground of accusation against me, so tliat he can demand judgment to be given in liis favour (of. Zechariah 3. 1, &c. ; Revelation 12. 10). 9. (Cf. ch. 52. 13, Margin ; ch. 53. 10 ; Psalm 118. 6 ; Jeremiah ,23. 5.) as a garment—(Ch. 51. 6, 8; Psalm 102.28.) A leading constituent of wealth in the East is change of raiment, which is always liable to the inroads of tlie moth; hence the frequency of the image in Scripture. 10. Messiah exliorts the godly after His example (ch. 49. 4,5; 42. 4) when in circumstances of trial (" darkness," ch. 47. 5), to trust in the wcm of Jehovah alone. Who Is there i. e.. Whosoever (Judges 7. 3). obeyeth . , . servant—viz., Messiah. The godly "honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5. 23). darkness—(Micah 7. 8, 9.) God never had a son who was not sometimes in the dark. For even Christ, His only .Son, cried out, "My G(5d, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" JigUt—rather, sp^eradowT-,- bright sunshine
9). Ye follow after " righteousne.ss;" seek it, therefore, from me, and you will not have far to go for it (v. 1). arma —put for Himself; I by my might, judge—(Ch. 2. 3, 4; Psalm 98. 9.) isles, &c.—(Ch. CO. 9.) arm-(Romans 1. 16), "the pf)wer of God unto (the Gentiles iis'well as the Jews) salvation." 6. (Ch. 40. 6, 8; Psalm 102. 20; Hebrews 1. U,
12.) vanisli away lit., shall be torn asunder, as a garment [Maurer]; which accords with the context, in like manner—But Gesenius, " Like a gnat;" like the smallest and vilest insect. Jerome translates, as English Version, and infers that "in like manner" a.s man, the heavens (!.
e., the sky) and earth are not to be annihilated, but changed for the better (ch. 65. 17). righteousness—my faithfully-
tor the servant of God is never wholly without " light." [ViTRiNGA.] A godly man's way may be dark, but his end shall be peace and light. A wicked man"s way may be bright, but his end shall be utter darkness (Psalm 112. 4; 97, 11; 37. 21). let him trust, &c.—as Messiah did (t). 8, 91 11. In contrast to the godly (u. 10), the wicked, in times of darkness, instead of trusting in God, trust in themselves (kindle a light for themselves to walk by) (Ecclesiastes 11. 9). The image is continued from v. 10, "darkness ;" human devices for salvation (cli. 19. 21 ; 16.9,25) are like the sparli that goes out in an instant in darkness (cf. Job
fulfilled ))romise {note, v. 5). 7. know rigliteousness
(Note, V. 1.) 8. (Kote, ch. .50. 9; Job 4. 18-20.) Not that the moth eats men up, but they shall be destroyed by as insignificant instrumentality as the moth that eats a garment. 9. Impassioned prayer of the exiled Jews, ancient days —{Psalm 44. 1.) Rahah—poetical name for Egypt (note, ch.
30. 7). dragon Hebrew, taymin. The crocodile, an emblem of Egypt, as represented on coins struck after the conquest of Egypt by Augustus; or rather here, its king, Pharaoh {vote, ch. 27. 1; Psalm 74. 13, 14; Ezekiel 32.2, Margin; 20.3). 10. it—the arm. Art not thou the same Almighty power that, &c. ? dried the sea—the Red Sea
18. 6 : 21. 17, with Psalm 18. 28). sparfes—not a steady light, but blazing sparks extinguished in a moment, walk not a command, but Implj'ing that as surely as they would do so, they should lie down in sorrow (Jeremiah 3. 25). In exact proportion to mystic Babylon's previous "glorifying" of herself shall be her sorrow (Matthew 25. 30 ; 8. 12; Revelation 18. 7).
(ch. 43. IG; Exodus 14. 21). 11. (Ch. 35. 10.) therefore—assurance of faith ; or else the answer of Jehovah corresponding to their praj'er. As surely as God redeemed Israel out of Egypt, He shall redeem them from Babylon, both the literal in the age following, and mystical in the last ages (Revelation 18. 20, 21). There shall be a second exodus (ch. 11. 11-16; 27. 12, 13). singing-image from the custom of singing on a journey when a caravan is passing along the extended plains in the East, everlasting joy (Jude 24.) sorrow . . . flee away—(Revelation 21. 4.) Vi. comforteth— (t). 3; ch. 40. 1.) thou—Zion. son of man
CHAPTEE LI.
Ver. 1-23. Encouragement to the Faithftii, remnant OF I.SRAEI> TO TRUST IN GOD FOR DELIVERANCE, BOTJI FROM THEIR LONG BABYLONIAN EXILE, AND FROM THB [R PRESENT Di.srERSioN. 1. me—the God of your fathers, ye . . . follow after righteousness—the godly portion of the nation; d. 7 shows this (Proverbs 15.9; 1 Timothy 6. 11). "Ye follow rigliteousness," seek it therefore I'l onj me, who "bring it near," and that a righteousness " not about to be abolished" (v. 6, 7); look to Abraham, your father (v. 2), as a sample of how rigliteousness before me is to be obtained; 1, the same God who blessed him, will bless you at last (v. 3) ; theref ore trust in me, and fear not man's opposition (v. 7, 8, 12, 13). The mistake of the Jews, heretofore, has been, not in that tliey "followed after righteousness," but in that they followed it "by the works of the law," instead of "by faith," as Abraliam {Romans 0.31, .32; 10.3,4; 4.2-5). hole of . . . pit—The idea is not, as it is often quoted, the inculcation of humility, by reminding men of the fallen state from whicli they have been taken, but that as Abraham, the quarry, as it were (cf. ch. 48. 1), wlience their nation was hewn, had been called out of a strange land to the inheritance of Canaan, and blessed by God, tlie same God is able to deliver and restore them also (cf. Matthew .3. 9). /J. alone —<mnsto/(?, " I called him when he was but one" (Ezekiel
frail and d.ying as his parent Adam, he made as grass wither as grass (ch. 40. 6, 7). 13. (Cli. 40. 12, 2ii, 28), the same argument of comfort drawn from the omnipotence of tlie Creator, as if . . . ready, &v.—lit., "when lie directs," D12., his arrow, to destroy tl'salm 21. 12; 7. 13; U.
2). [Maurek.] 14. captive exile— ^(7., one bowed dcnvn as a captive (ch. 10. 4). [Maurek.] The scene is primarily Babylon, and the time near the close of the captivity. Secondarily, and antitypkall.v, the mystical Babylon, the
last enemy of Israel and the Church, in which Ihey have long suffered, but from which they are to be gloriously delivered, pit—such as were many of the ancient dungeons (cf. Jeremiah 38. 6, 11, 13; G(>iicsis 37. 20). nor . . . bread . . . fail-(Ch. m. 10; Jeremiali 37. 21.) 15. divided
. . . sea-The Red Sea. The same Hebrew word as "make to rest" {V. 4). Rather, "that terrify the S(^a," 1. e., restrain
it by my lebuUe, "when its waves roar."' [Oe.seniu's.] The Hebrew favours M.\ui{EU, "that terrify the sea so that the waves roar." The sense favours Gesenius (Jeremiah 5. 22; 81. ;35), or English Version {v. 9, 10, wliicli favours the special reference lo the exoiius from Egypt). 16. Address(^d to Israel, enih(Hli<'d in "the servant of Jeliovah''
33. 21 ). Tlie argument is, the same God who had so blessed "one" individual, as to become a mighty nation (Genesis
(ch. 42. 1), Messiah, its ideal and representative Head, througli whom the elect remnant is to bo restored, put my v.«jrds in thy nioufh—true of Israel, the depository of true religion, hut fully realized only in Israel's Head and aiilily pe, Messiali (cii. -SO. 2; 50. 4, 5; 59. 21 ; Deuteronomy 18. IS; John 3. 31). covered . , , in . . . sliadow of
12. 1; 22. 7j, can also increase and bless tlie small remnant
<if Israel, both tliatleft in the Babylonish captivity, and that left in the present and latter days (Zecliariah 14. 2); " the residue" (ch. 13. 8, 9). 3. For—See for the argument,
last 7}ot('. the gartlen of the Lord—restoration of tlie primeval par;ulise (Genesis 2. 8; Ezekiel 28. 13; Revelation
. . . hand—prot-ect(Ml thee (do/c, eh. 49. 2). plantratlicr, "fix" as a talieinacle; so it ought to be rendered (Daniel
2.7). nivimly—JIebreui, psabUi God's praises sliall again Ijelu ard. 4. my people—the Jews. This reading is better
11.45). The " new creation, '." now going on in tlie spiritual world by the gospel (Epiiesians 2. JO), and hereafter to be extended to (lie visilile world, is meant (ch. (J5. 17; 60. 22;
Hiaii tliat of (iESENius: "O peoples . . . nations," in'z., the Oeiililcs. The Jews are called on to hear and rejojce in
Cf. ch. 13. 13; 2 Peter S. 10-13). Zion—Its restoration is a
tile extension of the true religion to the nations; for, at 488
Chi-viCs Free Redemption. ISAIAH LII. Hia Kiwjdom shall be Exalted,
sion, v. i; also V. 3, where see note) demands my interposition, they that rvile—or tyrannize, viz., Babylon, literal and mystical, make ... to liowl—or, raise a cry of exultation over them. [Mauber.] blasphemed— viz., in Babylon: God's reason for delivering his people, not their goodness, but for the sake of His holy name (lizekiel 20. 9,
leading part in tlie new creation to come (ch. 65. 17-19). 17.
(Cli.i)2. 1.) drunk—Jehovah's wrath is compared to an intoxicatiijg clrauglit; becaiise it confounds tlie suflferer under it, and mali,es liim fall (Job 21. 20; Psalm 60. 3; 75. 8; Jeremiah 25. 15, 16; 4i). 12; Zechariali 12. 2; Revelation 14.
10); i" poured out witliout mixture;" rather, the pure winejuice mixed with inloxicating drugs), of trembliug—which j)roduced ti'einbling or intoxication, wriuig . . . out drained the last dropout; the dregs were the sediments I'rom various substances, as honey, dates, and drugs, put Into the wine to increase the strength and sweetness. 18. Following up the image in v. 17, intoxicated and confused by the cup of God's anger, she has none to guide her in her Ivelpless state ; she has not yet awakened out of the sleep caused by that draugld. This cannot apply to the Babylonish captivity; for in It they had Ezekiel and Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, as " guides," and soon awoke out of lliat sleep; but it applies to the Jews now, and will be still more applicable in their coming oppression by Antichrist. 19. two classes of evils, for he enumerates four, viz., desolation and destruction to the land and state
14). 6. shall know in that day—when Christ shall reveal Himself to Israel sensibly ; the only means whereby their obstinate unbelief shall be overcome (Psalm 102.16; Zecharialr 12. 10; 14. 5). 7. beautiful . . . feet—t. e.. The advent of such a herald seen on the distant "mountains" (Notes, ch. 40. 9 ; 41. 27 ; 25. 6, 7 ; Song of Solomon 2. 17j running in haste with the long-expected good tidings, is most grateful to the desolated city (Nahum 1. 15). good tidings-only partially applying to the return from Babylon. Fully, and auti typically, the gospel (Luke 2. 10, 11), "beginning at Jerusalem'' (Luke 21.47;, " tlie city of the great King" (Matthew 5. 35;, where Messiah shall, at the final restoration of Israel, "reigu" as peculiarly Zion's God (" 2'hy God reignelh ;" cf. Psalm 2. 6). 8. watchmen —set on towers separated by intervals to give the earliest notice of the approach of any messenger with tidings (cf. ch. 21. 6-8). The Hebrew is more forcible than English Version, "The voice of thy watchmen" . (exclamatory as id Song of Solomon 2. 8) ! "They lift up their voice ! together they sing." eye to eye i. e., close at hand, and so clearly [Gesenius]; Numbers 14.14, "face to face;" Numbers 12.
famine and the sword to the people, who shall be sorry for thee—so as to give thee efTectual relief: as the paral-
lel clause, " By whom shall I comfort thee?" shows (Lamentations 2. 11-13). 'M. head of all . . . streets—(Lamentations 2. 19; 4. 1.) wild bull—rather, the oryx [Jekome], or a gazelle [Gesenius], or wild goat [Bochakt] ; commonly in the East taken in a net, of a wide sweep, whereInto the beasts were hunted together. The streets of
8, "mouth to iqouth." Cf. 1 Corinthians 13. 12; Revelation 22. 4, of which Simeon's sight of tlie Saviour was a pretiguration (Luke 2.30). The watchmen, spiritually, are ministers and others who pray fw th-e peace of Jerusalem
cities in the East often have gates, which are closed at night; a person wishing to escape would be stopped by them and caught, as a wild animal in a net. ai. druuUeu
(ch. 62. 6, 7). bring again i.e., restore. Or else, "return to." [Maukek.] 9. (Ch. 14. 7, 8; 42. 11.) redeemed—spiri tually and nationally (ch. 48. 20). 10. made bare . . . arm —metaphor from warriors wlio bare their arm for battle (Ezekiel 4. 7). all . . . earth . . . see . . . salvation of
. . . ijot with wine—(Ch. 29. 9 ; cf. v. 17, 20, here ; Lamentations 15.) 3^. pleadetU . . . caiise—(Psalm 35. 1 ; Jeremiah 50. 31; Micah 7. 9.) no more drink it-(Ch. 54. 7-9.)
Tliis cannot apply to Israel after the return from Babylon, but only to them after their final restoration. ii3. (Ch. 49.26; Jeremiah 25. 15-29; Zechariah 12.2.) Bowdown that . . . go over—Conquerors often literally trod on the necks of conquered kings, as Sapor of Persia did to the Roman emperor Valerian (Joshua 10. 24; Psalm 18. 40; 66.
. . . God—The deliverance wrought by God for Israel will cause all nations' to acknowledge the Lord (oh. 66. 18-20). The partial fulfilment (Luke 3. 6) is a forerunner of the future comiJlete fulfilment. 11. (Ch. 48.20; Zechariah 2.
6, 7.) Long ' residence in Babylon made many loath to leave it: so as to mystical Babylon (Revelation 18. 4). ye
11, 12j. CHAPTER LII.
. . . tliat bear . . . vessels of tlie Lord—the priests and Levites, whose office it was to carry the vessels of the temple (Jeremiah 27. 18). Nebuchadnezzar had carried them to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36. IS).' 'Cyrus restored them (Ezra 1. 7-11). be . . . clean—by separating yourselves wholly froju Babylonian idolaters, mystical and literal. 13. not . . . with haste—as when ye left Egypt (Exodus 12. 33, 39 ; Deuteronomy IG. 3 ; cf. iVote, ch. 28. 16). Ye shall have time to cleanse yourselves and make deliberate preparation for departure. Lord—Jehovah, as your Leader in front (ch. 40.3; Exodus 23. 20; .Micah 2.13). rereward—ft;., gather tip, i. e., to bring up tlie rear of your host. The transiti(m is frequent from the glory of Messiah in His advent to reign, to His humiliation in His advent to sutt'er. Indeed, so are both advents accounted one, that He is not said, in His second coming, to be about to return, but to come. 13. Here cli. 58. ought to begin, and ch. 52. end with v. 12. This section, from here to end of ch. 53., settles the controversy with the Jews,
Ver. 1-15. Verses 1-13 connected with Chap. 51. Zion long in bondage (ch. 51. 17-20) is called to put on beautiful garments appropriate to its future prosperity. 1. strength —as thy adornment; answering to "beautiful garments'" in the parallel clause. Arouse thyself from dejection and assume confidence, the lioly city — (Nehemiah 11.1; Revelation 21. 2.) no more . . . unclean— (Ch. 35. 8; GO. 21; Joel 3. 17; Revelation 21.27). A prophecy never yet fulfiUed. unrircuiiicised—spiritually (Ezekiel 44. 9 ; Acts.
7. 51). 3. from the dust—the seat of mourners (Job 2. 12,
13). arise, and sit— c/z., in a more dignified place: on a divan or a throne [LowthJ, after having shaken olT the dust gathered up by the flowing dress when seated on the ground; or simply, "Arise, and sit erect." [Maurek.] bands of . . . neck—the yoke of thy captivity. 3. As you became your foes' servants, without their paying any price for you (.Jeremiah 15. 13), so they shall release you without demanding any price or reward (ch. 45. 13), (where Cyrus is represented as doing so : a type of their final restoration gratuitously in like manner). So the spiritual Israel, "suld undersin," gratuitously (Romans 7.14), shall be redeemed also gratuitously (ch. .55. 1). 4. My peopleJacob and his sons, went do^vii—Judea was an elevated country compared with Egypt, sojourn— They went there to stay only till the famine in Canaan should have ceased. Assyrian—Sennacherib. Remember how I delivered you from Egypt and the Assyrian; what, then, is to prevent me from delivering you out of Babylon (and the mystical ISabylon and the Antichrist in the last days)? without cause—answering to "for nauglit" in v. 5; itwas au act of gratuitou.i oppression in the present case, as in that case. 5. what have I here i. e., what am 1 called on to do. The fact"tl)at my people is taken away (into cttptivily ; ch. 49. 24, 25) for naught" (by gratuitous oppres-
if Messiah be the person meant; and with infidels, if written by Isaiah, or at any time before Christ. The correspondence with the life and death of Jesu.? Christ
is so minute, that it could not have resulted from conjecture or accident. An impostor could not have shaped the course of events tio as to have made his character and
life appear to be a fulfilment of it. The writing is, moreover, declaredly prophetic. Tlje quotations of it in the New Testament show (1.) that it was, before the time of Jesus, a recognized part of the Old Testament:
(2.) that it refers to Messiah (Matthew 8.17'; Mark 15. 28; Luke 22.37; John 12. 3S; Acts 8. 2S-&5; Romans 10. 16; 1 l^eter 2. 21-25). The indirect allusions to it still more clearly prove the Messianic interpretation; so universal was tliat interpretation, tliat it is simply referred to in connection with tlie atoning virt ue of His death, without being formally quoted (Mark 0. 12; Romans 4.25; 1 Co489
Chiist's Kingdom shall be Exalted. ISAIAH LIII. His Vicarious Sufferings Fwetold.
them, wonders such as they had never heard or seen par-
rlntblans 15. 3 ; 2 Corinthians 5. 21 ; 1 Peter 1. 19 ; 2. 21-2.3
allelled.(ch. ai. 1; Romans 15. 21; 16. 25, 20).
1 Jolin 3. 5). Tliegenuineness of tlie passage is certain ; for the Jews tfotiM not have forged it, since it is opposed to
CHAPTER LIU.
Oieir notion of Messiah, as a triumphant temporal prince. The Christians could not have forged it; for the Jews, the enemies of Christianity, are "our librarians." [Paley.] The Jews try to evade its force by the figment of two Mes-
Ver. 1-12. Man's Unbelief: Messiah's Vicarious SUFFEKINGK, AND FINAL TKIUMPII FOR ]MAN. The speaker, according to Hoksley, personates the repenting Jews in the latter ages of the world coming over to the
siahs, one a suffering Messiah (Ben Josepli), the other a
triumphant Mossiali (Ben David). Hillel maintained that Messiah has already come In the person ot Ilezekiah. liUXTORF states, tliat many of the modern Rabbins be-
faith of the Redeemer; the whole is their penitent con-
fession. This view suits the context (ch. 52. 7-9), which is
lieve that Ife lias been come a good while, but will not manifest Himself because of thesins of the Jews. But tlie ancient Jews, as tlie Clialdee paraphrast Jouatlian, refer
not to be fully realized until Israel is restored. However, primarily, it is tlie abrupt exclamation of the prophet: "Who lialli believed our report," lliat of Isaiah and the other prophets, as to Messiah? The infidel's objectiou from the unbelief of tlie Jews is anticipated and hereby answered; that unbelief and the cause of it (Messiah's humiliation, whereas they looked for One coming to reign) were foreseen and foretold. 1. report lit., tlie thing lit ard: referring to which sense Paul saith, "So, then, faith cometh by hearing" (Romans 10.16,17). arm—power (ch. 40.
It to Messiali ; so the Medrasch Tauchuma (a commentai y on the Pentateuch); also Rabbi Moses Haddarschan (see llEMGSTEXBERG, Christol). Some explain it of the Jew-
ish people, either in the Babylonish exile, or.lu their present suflerings and dispersion. Others, the pious por-
tion of the nation taken collectively, whose sutJerings made a vicarious satisfaction for the ungodly. Others,
10); exercised in miracles and in saving men (Romans 1.
Isaiah, or Jeremiah [Gesenius], the prophets coUeetiveli/. But an individual is plainly described: he sutlers vuliui-
10 ; 1 Corinthians 1. 18). The prophet, as if present during Messiah s ministry on earth, is deeply moved to see how Jew believed on Hi:n (ch. 49. 4; Mark 6. 6; 9. 19; Acts 1. 15).
}arily, innocent, patiently, and as the efficient cause of tlie
ri;;hteousnoss of His people, which holds good of none
7\vo reasons are given why all ought to have believed. (1.) The "report" of the "ancient prophets." (2.) "The arm
otlier but Messiah (ch. 53. 4-C, 9, 11; contrast Jeremiah 20.
7; 15. 10--1; Psalm 137. fi, 9); cli. 53. 9, can hold good of none
otlier. The objection that the suflerings (oil. 53. 1-10) re-
ofJehovah" exhibited in Messiah whilst on earth. In HoiisLEY's view, this will be the i^enitent confession of the Jews, "How few of our nation, in Messiah's days, lielieved in Him !" 3. tender plant—Messiah grew silently and insensibly, as a sucker from an ancient stock, seemingly dead {viz., the house of David, then in a deciiyed
ft rreU to are represented as past, the glorification alone as future (ch.52. 13-15; 53. ll, 12) arises from not seeing tli;\t
tlie prophet takes his stand in the midst of the scenes which he describes as future. The greater nearness of the
firsi advent, and the interval between it and the second, are implied by the use of the past tense as to the first, the
state) (Note, ch. 11. 1). sUall grow . . . Ikatli—rather,
/i(/it)e as to the second. Bcliold—Awakening attention
greir up . . . had. before \\im—before Jehovah. Though unknown to the world (John 1. 11), IMessiah was ol)served by God, who .ordered the most minute circumstances attenciing His growth, root—i. e., sprout from a root, form —beautiful form: sorrow had marred His once beau-
to the striking picture of Messiah that follows (cf. John
lU. 5, 1!). my servant—Messiah (ch. 42. 1). deal prutlently—r-Mier, prosper [Gesenius] as the parallel clause favours (ch. 53. 10). Or, uniting both meanings, sliall reiya
tiful form, and when we shall st«-—rather, joined with the previous words, "Nor comeliness (attractiveness)
well. [Hengstenbekg.] This verse sets forth in the beginning the ultimate issue of His sufferings, the description
tliat we should look (witli delight) on Him." there Is rather, ivas. The studied reticence of the New Testament as to His form, stature, colour, <fee., was designed to prevent our dwelling on Die bodily, rather than on His moral beauty, holiness, love, &c. ; also a providential protest against the making and veneration of images of Him. The letter of P. Lentulus to the emperor Tiberius, describing His person, is spurious; so also the story of His sending His portrait to Abgar, king of Kdessa; and the nlli ged impression of His countenance on the handkerchief of Veronica. The former part of this verse re-
of .which follows: the conclusion (ch. 63. 12) corresponds; the section (ch. 52. 13; 53. 12) begins as it ends will) His
final glory, extolled—elevated (Mark 16. 19; Ephesians 1.
20-22; 1 Peter 3. 22). 14, 15. Summary of Messiah's history, which is set forth more in detail in ch. 53. "Just as many were astonished (accompanied with aversion, Jeremiah 18.16; 11). 8),<fec.; his visage,'&c.; .so sliall He sprinkle," &c. Israel in tliis answers to its antitype Messiah, now "an (isioni,shinent and by-word" (Deuteionomy
2S. 37j, liereafter about to be a blessing and means of salvation to many nations (ch. 2. 2, 3 ; Mlcali 5. 7). thee ; I.is —sucli changes of persons are common in Hebrew poetiy. marred Hebrew,, dixfir/urement ; abstract for concrete; not only ilisfiiiared, but disflyuremcnt itself, luore tliait any i»i«n—Castklio translates, "so that it was no longer that of ' a man"(cf. Psalm 22.6). The more perfect wo may suppose the " botly prepared " (Hebrew 10.5) for Him by God, the sadder by contrast was the "marring" of His visage and form. 15., sprinkle lunny—GksI'^nius,
fers to His birth and childhood; the latter to His first
pulilic appearance. [Vitringa.] 3. rejected—"/orjia/.-er. of men." (Gksilnius.] " Most abject of men." Lit., "He who ceasrs from men," i.e., is no longer regarded as a man. [Hkngstenberg.] (JS'ote, ch. 52.14; 49.7.) man of sorrows i. e., whose distinguishing characteristic was sorrows, aeqiialnted with—familiar by constant contact with, f^rivf— lit., disease; Jig. for all kinds of
for the antithesis to "be astonished," translates, "shall cause ... to exult." But tlie word universally in the Old Testament means either to sprinkle with IHooU, as the high priest makes an expiation (Leviticus i. 6; 16. IH, 19); or with ivatei', to purify (Kzekiel 36. 25; cf. as to the .spirit. Acts 2. 33), Ijoth appropriate to Messiah (Jolui 13. S; Hebrews 9. 13, H; 10.22; 12.21; 1 Peter 1.2). The antithesis
cr//am(7^i/ (Jeremiah 6.14); Z(7»'04.(/ especially reinesented
this, being a direct judgment from God. It is remarkable
Ji>sus is not mentionl-d as having ever sutl'ered under
siclfiiess. and we hid . . . faces— Rather, as one who
ciriiscs men to )iide their faces from Him (in aversion), [MAUKKJt.] Or, "He was as an hiding of the face before
it," i. e., as a thing before which a man covers his face in disgust. [IlKNOSTKNBKHG.] Or, " as one before whom Is the covering of the face;" before whom one covers the face in disgust. [Gesenius.] Ave—the prophet Identifying himself with the Jews. See Horsley's view (Note,
is suffi<'ient without any foi'ced rendering. Many were astonished; so manj/ (not merely men, but) na^a/rt.sshall be sprinkled. They were amazed at such an abject pci-son claiming to be Messiah; yet it is H(! who shall jusli/i; and
t). 1). esteemed . . . not—)t«/o<H'e contempt; thjii)reviou8 words express positive. 4. Surely . . our j^-lefs lit,, "Hut yet He h;ith taken (or borne) our sicicne.sses," i. e., they who despised Him because of His human infirmities ouglit rather to have esteeiiled Him on account of them;
purifij. lileti wore dumb with tlie (nnazement of srorn at one marred more than the lowest o( men, yet the higliesl: even kint/s (cli. 49. 7,23) shall be dumb with awe and venera-
tion ("shut . . . mouths;" Job 29. 9, 10; Micah 7. 16). tliat
., . . not . . toJd ISieiu—The reason why kings shall so venerate tliein; llu' wonders of redemption, which had Uot been Ijefore told them, shall then be announced to 490
for thereby "Himself loi)k OVR infn inilies" (bodily dis-
eases). So Matthew 8. 17 quotes it. In the liibrew for
Christ's Sufferings Foretold ISAIAH LIII. by the Prophet,
•• borne," or took, there is probably the double notion, He
HebreuJ. opened not . . , moutli—Jeremiah .11. 19, and Da\'id in Psalm 38. 13, 14; 39. 9, prefiguring Mcssiali (Mattliew 26.63; 27.12, 14; 1 Peter 2.23). 8. Rather, "He was taken ixway (i.e., cut o/f) by oppression and by a judicial sentence;" a hendiad for, "by an oppressive judicial sentence." [Lowth and Hengstenbekg.] Gehisnu's not so well, "He was delivered from oppression and punisliment" only by death. English Version also translates, "from . . . from," not "by . . . by." But "prison" is not true of Jesus, who was not incarcerated ; restraint and bonds (John 18.24) more accord with theJlebrc-w. Acts 8.33; translate as LXX. : "In His humiliation His judgment (legal trial) was taken away ;" the virtual sense of the Hebrew as rendered by Lowth, and sanctioned by the inspired writer of Acts; He was treated as one so mean that a fair trial was denied Him (Matthew 26. 5i); Mark 14.5.3-59). Horsley translates, "After condemnation and judgment He was accepted." wlio . . . (Se<.'liire
tov/c on Iliinxclf vicariously (so v. 5, fi, 8, 12), and so'IIe took away; His perfect hunuvuity whereby He was bodily af-
flk ted for us, aiul in all our afflictions (eh. 6H. 9 ; Ilelirews
4. lot. was the ground on which He cured the sick; so that
St. Matthew's quotation is not a mere nccommodalion. See
ICotc 42 of Archbishop Magee, Atonement. The Hebrew there" may mean to overwhelm with darkness; Messiah's time of darkness was temporary (Matthew 27. 45), answering to the bruising of Ifi-s fieel; Satan's is to be eternal, answer! ng to the bruisinr/ of his head (cf. eh . 50. 10). carried
. . . sorrows—The notion of substitution strictly. "Car-
ried," I'i^., as a burden. "Sorrows," i.e., pains of the mind; as "griefs" refer to pains of the body (Psalm 32. 10;
38.17). Matthew 8.17 might seem to oppose this: "And bare our sicknesses." But he uses "sicknesses" fl.g. for
si.ns, the cause of them. Christ took on Himself all man's Inlirmities," so as to remove them; the bodily by direct
. . . generation—who can set forth (the wickedness of) His generation? i. e., of His contemporaries [Alfojid on Acts 8. 33|, which suits best the parallelism-, " the wickedness of His generation" corresponding to "oppressive judgment." But Luther, " His length of life," i. c., tliere shall be no end of His future days (i;. 10; Roinans 6.9). Cai.vin includes the da}^ of His Church, yvhUih is inseparable from Himself. Hengstenberg, "His posterity." He. indeed, shall be cut off, but His race shall be so nuiiiSrous that none can fully declare it. Chrysostom, &c., "His eternal sonship and miraculous incarnation." cut off—implying a violent death (Daniel 9.26). my people Isaiali, including himself among them by the woi d " my."
niiraclo, .grounded on His participation In human In-
firmities; those of the soul by His vicarious suffering, which did away witii the source of both. Sin and sickness are ethically connected as cause and effect <ch. 33. 24; P"alm 103.3; Mattln'W 0. 2; John 5. 14 ; James 5. lo). we did <--,!c<-m Iiiiti sdicktn—judicially [Lowth], viz., for
2Iis sins; whereas it was for ours. "We thought Him to be a leper" [Jero.iis, \'ul«ate], leprosy being the direct Divine judgment for guilt (Leviticus 18.; Numbers 12.10,
15; 2 Clironicles 20. 18-21). smitten—by Divine judgments. alflUted—for His sins; this was the point in whicli they BO erred (Luke 2:!. 31; Acts 3.17; 1 Corinthians 2. S.) He was, it is true, "aftlicted," but not for His sins. 5. wounded—a bodily wound; not mere mental sorrow;
[11 engstenbekg.J Rather, Jehovah speaks i n the per.son of His prophet, "my people," by the election of grace (Hebrews 2.1.3). was lie. stricken Hebrew, "the stroke (was laid) upon Him." Gesenius says, that the Hebrew means them; the collective body, whether of the prophets or people, to which the Jews refer the whole prophecy.
lit., pierced; minutely appropriate to Messiah, whose
liands, feet, and side wore pierced (Psalm 22. 16). Margin, wrougl.v, from ft, Hebrew root, t)-a/i«taZes, " tormented." for . . . for—(Komaus 4.25; 2 Corinthians 5.21; Hebrews
9. 28; 1 Peter 2. 24 ; 3. l^)—the cause for which He sutteretl not His own, but our sins, bruised—crushing inward and outward suffering (^ote, v.U)). cliastisement— lit., the correction inflicted hy a, parent on children for their good (Hebrews 12.5-8, 10, 11). Not punishment strictly; for this can have place only where there is guilt, which He had not ; but He took on Himself the chastisement whereby the peace (reconciliation with our Father ; Romans 5.1; Ephesians 2. 14, 15, 17) of the children of God was to be effected (Hebrews 2.14). upon lilm— as a burden; parallel to "hath borne" and "carried." stripes— minutely prophetical of His being scourged (Matthew 27.26; 1 Peter
But Jerome, the Syriac and Ethiopiac versions trans-
late it Him; so it is singular in some passages: Psalm
11. 7, His; Job 27. 23, Him; Isaiah 44. 15, thereto. The LXX. the Hebrew, lanio, "upon Hini," read tlie similar words, lamuth, "unto death," which would at once set aside the Jewish intei'pretatlon, "upon them." Origen, who lal)oriously compared the Hebrew with the LXX., so read it, and urged it against the Jews of his day, who would have denied it to be the true reading if the word hud not then really so stood in the Hebrew text. [Lowth.] If his sole authority be thought insufficient, perhaps lamo may imply that Messiah was the representative of the collective body of all men; hence the equivocal plural-singular form. 9. Rather, "ftis grave was appointed," or "they appointed Him His grave" [HengsteuHerg]; i.e., they intended (by crucifying Him with two thieves, Matthew 27. 38) that He should have His grave "With the wicked" (Cf. John 19.31), the denial of honourable burial being accounted a great ignominy {Note, ch. 14. 19; Jeremiah 20. 23). and witli . . . rich— rather, " but He was with a rich man," &c. Gesenius, for the parallelism to " the wicked," translates " ungodly" (the effect of riches being to make one ungodly); but the Hebrew everywhere means rich, never hj itacli ungodly
2.21). liealcd— spirituallj' (Psalm 41.4; Jeremiah 8.22). G. Penitent confession of believers and of Israel in the last days (Zechariali 12.10). sheep . . . astray— (Psalm
ll'J. 176 ; 1 Peter 2. 25.) The antithesis is, " In ourselves we were scattered; in Christ we are collected together; by nature we wander, driven headlong to destruction; in Christ we find tlie way to the gate of life." [Calvin.] True, also, literally of Israel before its coming restoration (Ezekiel ^1. 5, 6; Zechariah 10.2,6; cf. with Ezekiel 34.2:3,
24; Jeremiah 23.4, 5; also Matthew 9.36). laAa—"hath made to light on Him." [LowTH.] Rather, "hath made to rushupon Him." [Maurer.] tlie Iniquity—t. e., its penalty; or rather, as in 2 Corinthians 5.21; He was not merely a sin offering (which would destroy the antithesis to "righteousness"), but "sin for us;" sin itself vicariously; the representative of the aggregate sin of all mankind; not svis In the plural, for the "sin" of the world is one (Romans 5. 16, 17) ; thus we are made not merely righteous, but righteousness, even "the righteousness of God." The innocent was punished as if guilty, that the guilty might be rewarded as i/ Innocent. This verse could be said of no mere martyr. 7. oppressed Lowrii translates, " It was exacted, and He was made answerable." The verb means, to have payment of a debt tternly exacted (Deuteronomy 15. 2, 3), and so to be oppressed
the parallelism, too, is one of contrast, viz., between their design and the fact, as it was ordered by God (Mattiiew 27. 57; Mark 15. 43-46; John 19. 39, 40); two rich men honoured Him at His death, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, in liis AeatbL—Hebrew, deaths. Lowth translates, "His tomb ;" bamoth, from a different root, meaning high places, and so mounds for sepulture (Ezekiel 43. 7). But all the versions oppose this, and the Hebrew hardly admits it. Rather translate, "after His death" [Hengstenbeeg] ; as we say, "at His death." 'She plural, deaths, intcusifies the force; as Adam by sin "dying died" (Genesis 2.17, Margin); i. e., incurred death, physical and spiritual. So ftlessiah. His substitute, eadured death in both senses; spiritual, during His temporary abandonment by the Father; physical, when He gave up the ghost, because—rallier, as the sense demands (so in Job 16. 17), "although lie had done no," &c. [Hkngstenbeuq] , (I Peter 2. 20-22; 1 Johxi 491
•In general; the exaction of the full penalty for our sins in His sulTerings is prolaably alluded to. and . . . afflicted —or, and yet He suffered, or bore himself patiently and, &c. [Hengstesbehg and Maijrer.] Lowth's translation, "He was made answerable," is hardly admitted by the
Christ\-i Sufferings Foretold. ISAIAH LIV. 27tc Church Comforled with Promicea.