Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Preaching of the Apostle*. ISAIAH XL. The Prophet Comforteth the Peojit, esis 33. 13, 14). 13. Lest the Jews should suppose that He who was just before described as a " shepherd" is a mere man. He is now described as God. Who—Who else but God could do so? Therefore, though the redemption and restoration of His people, foretold here, was a work beyond man's power, they should not doubt its fulfilment, since all things are possible to Him who can accurately regulate the proportion of the waters as if He had measured them with His hand (cf. v. 15). But Maubek translate*, " Who can measure," &c., i. e.. How immeasurable are the works of God? The former is a better explanation (Job the Lord, and there was to be the coming of the Lord. [Bengel.] John, though he was immediately followed by the suffering Messiah, is rather the herald of the coming reigning Messiah, as Malachi 4.5, 6 ("before the ifreai and dreadful day of the Lord''), proves. Matthew 17.
11 (cf. Acts 3.21) implies that John is not exclusively meant; and that though in one sense Ellas has come. In another he is >jet to come, John was the fi.g. Elias, coming " In the xpirit and power of Elias" (Luke 1. 17); John 1. 21, TThere John the Baptist denies that he was the actual Elias, accords with this view. Malachi 4. 5, 6 cannot have received its exhaustive fulfilment in John; the Jews always understood it of the literal Elijah. As there is another consummating advent of Messiah Himself, so perhaps there is to be of his forerunner Elias, who also was presiiUt at the transfiguration, the Lord Hebrev), Jehovah; as this is applied to Jesus, He must be Jehovah (Matthew 3. 3). 4. Eastern monarchs send heralds before them in a journey to clear away obstacles, make causeways over valleys, and level hills. .So John's duty was to bring back the people to obedience to the law, and to remove all self-confidence, pride in national privileges, hypocrisy, and irreligion, so that they should be ready for His coming (Malachi 4.6; Luke 1.17). crooked—declivities. 5. see it—The LXX. for "it," have "the salvation of God." So Luke 3. 6 (cf. Luke 2.30, i. e., Messiah); but the Evangelist probably took these words from ch.
23. 25; Proverbs 30. 4). span—the space from the end of the thumb to the end of the middle finger extended ; God measures the vast heavens as one would measure a small object with his span, dust of the earth—all the eartli is to Him but as a few grains of dust contained in a small measure (lit., the third pan of a larger measure), hills in a balance—adjusted in their right proportions and places, as exactly as if He had weighed them out. 13. (Quoted in Romans 11. 34; 1 Corinthians 2. IG. Tlie Hebrew here for "directed" is the same as in v. 12 for "meted out;" thus the sense is, " Jehovah measures out heaven with His span;" but who can measure Him? i.e.. Who can search out His Spirit (mind) wherewith He searches out and accurately adjusts all things? Maurer rightly takes the Hebreiv in the same sense as in v. 12 (so Proverbs 16. 2 ; 21.
2), "weigh," "ponder." "Direct," as in English Vcrsiori, answers, however, better to "taught'' in the parallel clause, li. path of Judgment—his wisdom, whereby He so beantitully adjusts the places and proportions of all created things. 15. of— rather (hanging) from a bucket. [Maurek.] lie taketh up . . . a:s a very little thing— rather, "are as a mere grain of dust which is taken up,"
52. 10. for—Rather, "All flesh shall see that the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." [Bengel.] »6. Tlic voice—The same Divine herald as in v. 3. lie—one of those ministers or prophets {Xote, v. 1) whose duty it was, by direction of "tlie voice," to "comfort the Lord's afliicted people with the promises of brighter days." All flesli is grass—The connection is, "All human things, however goodly, are transitory: God's promises alone are steadfast" {v.S, 15, viz., by the wind; lit., one taketh up, impersonally (Exodus
16. 14). [M.^ureb.] isles— rather, lands in general, answering to " the nations" in the parallel clause: perhaps lands, like Mesopotamia, enclosed by rivers [Jebome] (so ch. 42. 15). However, English Version, " isles
17, 23, 21); this contrast was already suggested in v. 5, "All flesh . . . the mouth of the Lord." I Peter 1.24, 25 applies this passage distinctly to the gospel word of Messiah (cf. John 12.21; James 1.10). 7. Spirit of tlie L,ord—Rather, wind of Jehovah (Psalm 103. 16). The withering east wind of those countries sent by Jehovah (Jonah 4. 8). tlic people —Rather, this people [Lowth], which may refer to the Babylonians [Rosenmuller] ; but better, mankind in general, as in ch. 42.5; so v. 6, "all flesh;" this whole race,
' answers well to "mountains" (v. 12), both alike being lifted up by the power of God; in fact "isles" are mountains upheaved from the bed of the sea by volcanic agency ; only that he seems here to have passed from unintelligent creatures (v.
12) to intelligent, as nations and lands, i. e., their inhabitants. 16. All Lebanon's forests would not supply fuel enough to burn sacrifices worthy of the glory of God (ch.
1. e., man. 9. Rather, " Oh thou that bringest good tilings
66. 1 ; 1 Kings 8. 27 ; Psalm 50. 8-13). beasts—which abounded in Lebanon. 17. (Psalm 62. 9; Daniel 4. 35). less thou notliing— Maureb translates, as in ch. 41. 24, o/ nothing to Zion; thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem." Thou is thus the collective personification of the messengers who announce God's gracious purpose to Zion (Note, v. 1); ch. 52.7 confirms this. [Vulgate and Gesenius.] If English Version be retained, the sense will be, the glad message was first to be proclaimed to Jerusalem, and then from it as the centre to all "Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth" (Luke 24.47, 49; Acts
(X/artitively ; or expressive of the nature of a thing), a mere nothing, vanity—emptiness. 18. Which of the heathen idols, then, is to be compared to this Almighty God ? This passage, if not written, as Baknes thinks, so late as the idolatrous times of Manasseh, has at least a prospective warning relerence to them and subsequent reigns; the result ot the chastisement of Jewish idolatry in tlie Babylonish captivity was that thenceforth after the restoration the Jews never fell into it. Perhaps these prophecies here may have tended to that result (see 2 Kings 23. 26, 27). 19. graven—rather, animage in general ; for it is incongruous to say meltclh (i. e., casts out of metal) a graven I mage (i. e., one of carved wood) ; so Jeremiah 10. 14, " molten image." spreadeUt it over— (Note,c\\. 30. 22.) chains—an ornament lavishly worn by rich Orientals (ch. 3. IS, 19), and so transferred to their idols. Egyptian relics show that idols were suspended in houses by ch.ains. iJO. impoverished
1.8). [ViTKiNGA and Hengstenbeeg.] mountainIt was customary for those who were about to promulge any great thing, to .ascend a hill from which they could be seen and heard by all (Judges 9.7; Matthew 5. 1). be iiotafraid— to .announce to the exiles theircoming return home is attended with danger in the midst of the Babylonians. The gospel minister must "open his mouth boldly' (Proverbs 29.25; Ephesians 6.19). Behold—especially at His second coming (Zechariah 12. 10; 14.5). 10. tvitli strong hand—rather, as a strong one. [Maureb.] Or, against the strong one, viz., Satan (Matthew 12. 2!) ; Revelation 20. 2, 3, 10). [Vitringa.] arm—power (Psalm 89. 13; 98. 1). for him— i. e.. He needs not to seek help for Himself froin any external source, but by His own inherent power Ho gains rule for Himself (so v, 14). workrather, recompense which he gives for work (ch. 62. 11 ; Revelation 22. 12). 11. feed—including all a shepherd's care tend (Ezekiel 34. 23; Psalm 2;i 1; Hebrews 13. 20; 1 Peter 2.
lit., sunk in circumstances, no oblation Jle who cannot allord to overlay his idol with gold and silver (v. 19). tree. . . not rot—the cedar, cypress, oak, or ash (ch. 41. 14). graven — of wood; not a molten one of metal, not b« moved—that shall be durable. 21. ye—who worship idols. Tlie question emphatically implies, they fuid known, from the beginning—(Ch. 41. 4, 26; 48. 16.) (Jod is the beginning (Revelation 1. 8). The tradition handed down from the very first, of the creation of all things by God at
2.')). carry-api)licable to Messiah's restoration of Israel, an sheep scattered in all lands, and unable to move of themselves to their own land (Psalm 80. 1; Jeremiah 2.3. 3). As Israel was " carried from the womb" (i. e., in its earliest days) (eh. 63. 9, 11, 12; Psalm 77. 20), so It shall be in "old age" (its lat ter days) (ch. 46. .3. 4). gently lead—as a thoughtful sheijherd does the ewes "giving suck" (Margin; (Ocnthe beginning, ought to convince you of His omnipotence and of the lolly of Idolatry, 'i'i. It is l»e— rather, connected with last verse, Have ye not known?—have ye not understood Him that sitteth? <&c. (i-. '26). [Mai'KEK.J ciroI&^