THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH

1 Here the prophet gives a reason of that which he had said in Isa. 10:27, namely, that the yoke would be rent or broken off from Judah, and that God would defend that tribe, for the sake of the Anointed, namely, Jesus Christ, Who would be born of the tribe of Judah.

a Isa. 4:2; Acts 13:22, 23.

2 A Branch, a Rod, namely, Jesus Christ. See Isa. 4:2.

3 At the time when Christ was born, the tribe of Judah seemed to be clean cut off, forasmuch as it was greatly decayed, and had almost lost its former glory. It had neither king nor prince; Joseph, the espoused husband of Mary, was a carpenter. This appears also by the gift which Mary offered, when the days of her purification were fulfilled, Luke 2:24.

4 Or, stock, stump.

5 The father of David.

6 A repeat of that, which is straightway said in other words, that the reader might the better understand and perceive it. In the Hebrew is mentioned the word nezer, whereby some perceive that likewise is signified that Christ would be brought up at Nazareth, and from this obtains the name of Nazarene. See Mat. 2:23.

7 Or, grow, spring forth.

8 Namely, the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds from the Father, and the Son. The meaning is: He shall, according to His human nature whereby He is the Son of David, be abundantly and in all fullness endued with all spiritual gifts or graces. See Psalm 45:7; John 3:34.

9 This resting of the Spirit of the LORD upon Christ is represented and signified by the descending of the dove and her resting upon Christ, when He was baptized in the Jordan, Mat. 3:16.

10 That is, the Spirit Who worketh and produceth wisdom and understanding. Also in the sequel.

b Isa. 9:5.

11 Or, of understanding.

12 Namely, the Lord Christ.

13 That is, His knowledge and judgment. Other, And he, namely, Christ, shall smell, or perceive, that is, learn and apprehend very wisely and understandingly all things.

14 That is, He shall, as a Discerner of hearts, know and perceive with whom is the fear of the Lord, and with whom it is not.

15 Understand this thus: Christ shall not only judge according to the outward show and appearance, or only according to words, (whereby one man often deceives another), but according to the disposition of the heart, as being a Knower of the hearts, and a Searcher of the reins. See John 2:24, 25; 21:15, 16, 17.

16 Namely, with words. Other, punish, namely, not only with words, but also with stripes or blows.

17 That is, He shall not easily receive the complaints that are brought unto Him, likewise neither the fair and smooth words of hypocrites. Or, He shall not judge from Himself, but according as He shall have heard from His Father.

18 The sense is: He shall indeed judge and punish the poor (namely, the poor in spirit, as Mat. 5:3), but with gentleness and equity, for their good. Or, He shall clear the godly and innocent, and shall administer justice, who are oppressed by the wicked and the men of this world, and shall deliver them from the power and violence of their adversaries. See Psalm 72:4, 12.

19 Namely, those who are meek, humble and lowly in mind, out of the sense and apprehension of their sins. Other, And he shall reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth’s sake. The sense is: He shall exercise judgment upon the wicked in order that He may deliver and protect the meek.

20 Namely, in their conscience, convincing them of their sins, acquainting them with their miseries and damnation. See hereof an example Acts 2:37.

21 That is, the men upon the earth, namely, the wicked, as straightway follows.

22 That is, with the power of the preaching of the Word, which is the spiritual scepter of His Kingdom, sharper than any two-edged sword, Heb. 4:12. See similar phrases, Job 22:22; Psalm 33 on verse 6; 2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 1:16; 2:16; 19:15.

23 That is, with His Word, or the preaching of it, as forthwith.

24 That is, all wicked ones; that is, He shall convince the doctrine of wicked men of falsehood, and their life of wickedness, and He shall do it so powerfully, that they shall be convinced in their own conscience that they are worthy of damnation, or at least have deserved to be confounded and destroyed, 2 Thes. 2:8, and finally, He shall punish all impenitent ones in deed and in truth.

25 That is, He shall be clothed and adorned, not as the kings of this world with outward pomp of apparel; but with righteous and with faithfulness, or with truth and steadfastness of His promises. See Psalm 45:3, 4; 72:4, 12. Christ gives His elect that which He promised them.

26 Or, truth.

27 That is, evil, wicked, fierce and savage men, both Jews and Gentiles, shall by the preaching of Christ and His ministers, and by the inward working of His Holy Spirit, are so changed, that laying aside their evil dispositions, they shall be clothed with the spirit of love and meekness, in order that they shall live and converse gently and civilly with others, without doing them any harm or mischief. See Isa. 65:25; Hosea 2:18.

c Isa. 65:25; Hosea 2:18.

28 Or, converse, lodge.

29 Or, the fatted cattle.

30 That is, the least disciple or minister of the Lord Christ, though he be low and base in the eyes of men, shall lead and guide them by the doctrine of the Holy Gospel, for there shall be a willing obedience among men, being inwardly moved by the Spirit of God to receive and embrace the Word of the Lord.

31 That is, the princes and lords or great ones of the world, shall suffer themselves to be led and guided by the preaching of the Word of God, as well as persons of inferior rank and quality. They shall be all of them fed and nourished with one kind of meat or food, namely, with the Word of God.

32 That is, it shall delight. The meaning is: The lowest in the church of God shall be in no fear or danger that the great and mighty ones would any way hurt or mischief them, forasmuch as they shall be converted unto Christ as well as the lowest, as appears further in verse 9.

33 See Deut. 32:33; Psalm 58:4.

34 That is, those, whose hearts were before full of poison, shall be so cleansed and purified, that it shall be a delight and a pleasure to associate with them.

d adder, cobra

35 This verse explains the allegories contained in verse 6, 7 and 8. The sense is: Among believers, who shall come to the true knowledge of the Lord, one shall not hurt nor mischief another, nor offer wrong or violence to each other, but they shall jointly and with one accord strive and endeavor to lead a godly, upright and honest life. See Isa. 65:25.

36 Or, of my sanctuary, that is, in the congregation of believers; for, the faithful were wont to assemble together in the temple, which was built upon mount Zion.

37 That is, the elect children of God, who dwell on the earth.

38 Hebr. as the waters cover the sea. Here the sea signifies as much as the bottom of the sea. And the meaning is, that the knowledge of the Lord shall richly or plentifully flow and abound in all places of the world.

39 By the root of Jesse is meant Christ, Who would sprout and issue forth from Jesse, the father of David, as from a root. See verse 1; Rom. 15:12.

e Rom. 15:12.

40 Or, which shall be set up, namely, by the preaching of the Holy Gospel. It is a prophecy concerning the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of Christ.

41 That is, to Whom the nations of all the earth shall assemble and gather together in the unity of faith. See Gen. 49 on verse 10.

42 That is, the Gentiles shall hear the preaching of the Gospel with delight, and shall by it learn to know Christ. Others understand the words thus: The Gentiles shall by that Root, namely, Christ, learn to know and serve God, and consequently obtain eternal life.

43 Hebr. his rest shall be honor or glory, that is, His congregation, in which He rests and takes delight, it shall be full of honor and glory, namely, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit and at last being fully and perfectly sanctified and glorified both in soul and body in the life to come. Other, his rest shall be for glory; that is, it shall be glory to rest upon Him, or to seek glory in Him.

44 Here the prophet gives a reason, and shows the glorious rest, which the Messiah shall give unto the people.

45 As if he said: As He stretched out His hand in former times to deliver His people out of the land of Egypt, so shall He stretch it out again against their enemies for their deliverance or redemption, namely, both bodily and spiritual, sin and the devil.

46 Namely, by His blood and Spirit, Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25, 26, 27. The Hebrew word signifies to purchase, to ransom, to obtain, to acquire, to appropriate to oneself, to make one’s own.

47 Namely, those who would be converted unto Christ by the preaching of the Holy Gospel, and be made partakers of His Kingdom. See Rom. 11:25, 26.

48 See Gen. 10:14, which in this chapter is likewise mention made of the rest of the nations that are here named. Yet of Hamath see 2 Sam. 8:9.

49 That is, situated beyond or at the sea.

50 Namely, the Lord.

51 As verse 10.

52 Other, that he may assemble, etc.

53 Namely, in Christ, Who gathers His church from the four corners of the world; also that in Him is spiritually fulfilled that which God promised, Deut. 30:4.

54 Or, ends, regions. See Job 37:3.

55 Understand here that envy wherewith Ephraim envied the tribe of Judah; and understand under the name of Ephraim the ten tribes of Israel. The sense is: There shall be no such hatred nor envy among christians as there was formerly between Ephraim and Judah.

56 The sense is: The congregation of Christ shall be united and live together in an holy peace.

57 Or, seize in an hostile manner, torment, oppress.

58 Namely, Ephraim and Judah together.

59 This is spoken in a spiritual way, namely so, as that the faithful Israelites shall by the preaching of the Holy Gospel lay hold on the Gentiles and conquer them, because they shall bring some of them to the christian faith, and shall convince the rest in order that they shall have no excuse in the sight and presence of God. However the prophet intimates here by this comparison (taken from a bird of prey, or from a fox that falls upon poultry) the victory which the Lord would grant unto His church against her enemies; as the same was performed or accomplished by the apostles, and other teachers.

60 Hebr. toward the sea. The Mediterranean Sea is situated westward of the land of Canaan. The prophet intimates here in this verse that the Gospel would be preached both in the east and in the west. See Mat. 8:11.

61 Thus the prophet speaks figuratively of the preaching of the Word of God, willing to acknowledge that the church of Christ would combat and conquer all her enemies by the power and blessing of the Lord, to bring the elect under His obedience.

62 Hebr. the children of the east. See Job 1:3 and the annotation there.

63 Hebr. the sending of their hands shall be.

64 That is, the Edomites and Moabites.

65 That is, the Ammonites.

66 Namely, because they shall embrace the doctrine of the Holy Gospel with a strong and lively faith.

67 Under figurative terms the prophet shows that all hindrances shall be removed that might lie in the people’s way to come unto Christ. As if he said: The Lord shall sooner cause all waters, and among others the seven streams of the river Nile to be dried up than the course of the Holy Gospel would be stopped or stayed; as in times past He dried up the waters of the Red Sea, that the people could pass through it on dry ground.

68 That is, utterly banish, or confound.

69 Or, the cove. Hebr. the tongue.

70 Namely, of the Red Sea, reaching into Egypt.

71 Other, lift up, as it were in a threatening way, as is said of Asshur in Isaiah 10.

72 Namely, the Nile, which had seven outlets or streams. Yet some understand here the river Euphrates; others, the river Jordan.

73 The Hebrew word nachal signifies here the ditches or depths through which the waters flow; or the trough, the channel or bottom of the river, which is like a valley when the waters are gone away.

74 Namely, the faithful.

75 Or, shall go through it with shoes. Understand herewith: without wetting them or without taking them off that they may not be wet.

76 The sense is: All things shall be made smooth, and be without hindrance, when Christ shall gather His church by the preaching of the Holy Gospel.

77 Going dry-shod through the Red Sea, Exod. 14:29.

f Exod. 14:29.