Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
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 the Jlebrc-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 afflk 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. "Carried," 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, yvh Uih is inseparable from Himself. Hengstenberg, "His posterity." He. indeed, shall be cut off, but His race shall be so nuiii Srous 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 Infirmities; 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. alfl Uted—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«ta Zes, " 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 translate 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
general; the exaction of the full penalty for our sins in His sul Terings 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
Sufferings Foretold. ISAIAH LIV. 27tc Church Comforled with Promicea.
CHAPTER LIV.
8,5). violence i.e.,tvrong. 10. Transition from His humiliation to ilis exaltation, pleased tUe Lord—tlie secret of His sujl'erings. They were voluntarily borne by Messiah, In order tiiat tliereby He might "do ,/e/iODa/t's will" (John(j.3S; Hebrews 10.7,9), as to man's redeniptiou; so at the end .of tlie verse, "the pleasure of Die Lord shall prosper in His hand." toiiiise—(see u. 5); Genesis 3. 15, was liereby fulri Ued, though the Hebrew word for " bruise," there, is not the one used here. The word "Himself," in Matthew, implies a personal bearing on Himself of our maladies, spiritual and physical, which included as a consequence His ministration to our bodily ailments : these latter are the reverse side of sin ; His bearing on Him our spiritual malady involved with It His bearing sympathetically, and healing, the outward: which is its fruits and its type. Hengstenbekg riglitly objects to Magee's translation, "taken away," instead of "borne;" that the parallelism to "carried" would be destroyed. Besides the Hebrew word elsewhere, when connected with sin, means to bear it and its punislimeut (Ezekiel 18. 20). Matthew, elsewhere, also sets forth His vicarious atonement (Matthew 20. when tliou, &c.—rather, as Margin, "when His soul (j. e.. He) shall have made an oH'ering," &c. In Jinglish Version the change of person is harsli : from Jehovah, addressed in the second person {v. 10), to Jehovah speaking in the tirst person in v. 11. Mm-gin rightly makes the prophet in tlie name of Jehovah Himself to speak in this verse, offering for siii—(Roiijaus 3. 25;
Ver. .1-17. The Fkuit of Me.ssiah's Suffekings, and OF Israel's final Penite>-ce at her ha.st Unbelief (ch.53. 6): Her jovful Restoration and liNLARGEjiENT BY Jehovah, whose Wrath was MOMErARY, but His Kindness everlasting. Israel converted is compared to a' wife (v. 5; ch. 02. 5) put away for unfaithfulness, but now forgiven and taken home again. The converted Gentiles are represented as a new progeny of the long-forsaken but now restored wife. The pre-eminence of the Hebrew Church as the mother Church of Christendom is the leading idea; the conversion of the Gentiles is mentioned only as part of her felicity. [HoRSLEY.] 1. Sing— for joy (Zephaniah 3. 14). barren—the Jewish Church once forsaken by God, and therefore during that time destitute of spiritual children {v. 6). didst not bear—during the Babylonian exile primarily. Secondarily, and chiefly, during Israel's present dispei'sion. tUe ciiildrcn — the Gentiles adopted by special grace into the original Church
(y. 3; ch. 49. 20,21). than . . . mai-ried wife—than were her spiritual children, when Israel was' still a married wife (under the law, before the Babylonian exile), before God put her away. [Maurer.] So Paul contrasts the universal Church of the New Testament with the Church of the Old Testament legal dispensation, quoting this very passage (Galatians 4, 27). But the full accomplishment of it is yet future. 2. (Ch. 49. 19, 20; Jeremiah 31. 31-36, 38, 39.) Thy children shall be so many that thy borders must be extended to contain them, curtains—the clotli forming the covering of the tent, spare not—give abundantly the means for the enlargement of the Church
1 John 2.2; 4.10.) liis seed—His spiritual posterity shall be numerous (Psalm 22. 30) ; nay, more, though He must die. He shall see them. A numerous posterity was accounted a liigh blessing among the Hebrews; still more so, for one to live to see them (Genesis 48. 11 ; Psalm 128. 6). pi-olong. . . days—also esteemed a special blessing among the Jews (Psalm 91.16). Messiah shall, after death, rise again to an endless life (Hosea 6. 2; Romans 6. 9). prosper —(Ch. 52. 13, Margin.) . 11. Jehovah is still speaking, see of tlie travail—He shall see such blessed fruits resulting from His silfl'erings as amply to repay Him for tiiem (ch.
(2 Corinthians 9. 5-7). curds . . . stakes—The more the tent is enlarged by lengthening the coi-ds by which the cloth covering is fastened to the ground, the more the stakes supporting the tent need to be strengthened ; the Church is not merely to seek new converts, but to strengthen those she has in the faith. The image is appropriate, aa the tabernacle was the symbol of the old Israeli tish Church
49. 4, 5 ; 50. 5, 9). The " satisfaction," in seeing the full fruit of His travail of soul in the conversion of Israel and the world, is to be realized in the last days (ch. 2. 2-4). ills knowledge — rather, the knowledge (experimentally) of Hini-(3oha 17. 3; Pliilippians 3. 10). my . . . servant Messiah (ch. 42. 1; 52. 13). rigliteous—the ground on which He justilies others. His o\yu righteousness (1 John 2. 1). justify—treat as if righteous; forensically ; on the ground of //(*• meritorious suffering, not their righteousness, bear
(A'ote, ch. 33. 20). 3. break fortli—rather, burst forifi with t/»- crease; thy oflsi Dring shall grow, answering to " tliy seed" in tlie parallel clause, thy sed—Israel and heichildren, as distinguished from "the Gentiles." desolate cities of Israel (ch. 44. 26). 4. (Ch. 41. 10, 14.) shame of youth Israel's unfaithfulness as wife of Jehovah, almost from her earliest history, reproach of widowhood— Lsrael's punishment in her consequent dismissal from God ami barrenness of spiritual children.in. Babylon and lier present dispersion (y. 1; ch. 49. 21; Jeremiali 3. 21, 25; 31. J9; Hosea "2.
. .'. iniquities— (u. 4,6), as the sinner's substitute. 1;J. divide—as a conqueror dividing the spoil after a victory (Psalm 2. 8; Luke 11. 22). him—for Him. witli . . . miglity —Hengstenbekg translates, " I will give Him the mighty
2-5). 5. (Ch. 62. 5; Jeremiah 3. 14.) That God was Israel's "Maker," both as individuals and as the tlieqcratic kingdom, is the pledge of assurance that He will be her Redeemer (ch. 43. 1-3;. Hebrew, "makers . . . ?nisbands:" plural for singular, to denote e.xcelleucy. of_ Israel . . . whole earth—Not until He manifests Himself as God of Israel sliall He appear Gotl of tlie wlwle earlli (Psalm for a portion:" so LXX. But the parallel clause, "with the strong," favours English Version. His triumphs .shall be not merely among the few and weak, but among the many and mighty, spoil . . . strong—(Colossians 2. 15; of. Proverbs 10.19.) "With the great; with the mighty," may mean, as a great and mighty hero, poured out . . . 80ul i. e.. His life, which was considered as residing in the blood (Leviticus 17. 11; Romans 3. 25). numbered
102. 13, 15, 16; Zochariah 14. 5, 9). 6. called1. e., recalled: tlie prophetic past for the future, forsaken— that had been forsaken, when thou—or, " when i/ie was rejected :" one who had been a wife of youtli (K/.ckiel 16. 8, 22, 60; Jeremiah 2. 2) at the time wlieii (thou, or) she was rejected tvitli, &c.—not that He was a transgressor, but was treated as sucli, when crucified with thieves (Mark 15. 28; Luke for infldelity. [Maurer.] "A wil'e of youth, but afterwards rejected." [Lowth.] 7. litUe moment—as compared with Israel's coming long prosperity (ch. 26. 20; 00. 10). So
22.37). made intercession, &c.—This office He began on the cross (Ijuke 23.34), and now continues in heaven (ch.
59. 16 ; Hebrews 9. 24 ; 1 John 2. 1). Understand because before "He was numbered . . . He bare . . . made intercession." His meritorious death and intercession are the cause of His ultimate triumph. Maurek, for the parallelism, translates, "He was put on the same footing with the trijnsgressors." But EnglishVersion agrees better with the Hebrew, and with the sense and fact as to Christ. Maukicu'.s tranxlalion would make a tautology after " He was numbered with the transgressors;" parallelism does not need so servile a repeti Xion. "He made intercession tlie spiritual Israel (Psalm 30. 5; 2 Corinthians 1. 17). gntherthee—to myself from thy dispersions. 8. Inalittle wrath—rather, " In the overflowing of wiatli :" as Proverbs 27. 4, Margin. [Gesenius.] The wraMi, though but "for a moment," was overflowing whilNt it lasted, hid. . . face—(Ch. 8. 17; Psalm 30. 7.) ci-erla&tlng— in contrast to " for a moment." ». 1 am about to do tlie same in this instance as in Noah's tlood. As I swore tlien that it should not return (Genesis 8. 21; 9. 11), and 1 rfepl that promise, so I swear now to my people, and will perform, my promise, that there shall be no return (ji tlie deluge for," itc, answers to Uie parallel, "He was numbered with," itc, as effect answers to cause. His intercession of my wrath upon them. Lowtu, on insufllclent authority, reads (the same will I do now as), " in llie days of Noah." 10. (Ch. 51. 6; Psalm 89. 33, 34; Romans H. 2S.)
for sinners being tlieetl'ect flowing from His having been numbered with them. v 402