1The joyful and flourishing state of Christ's kingdom. 3The weak are encouraged with a view of the blessings of the gospel.
1THE1 wilderness and 2the solitary place shall be glad 3for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
1 All creatures shall rejoice at this, that the Lord shall have executed His righteous judgments upon the enemies of His people. Moreover, understand here by the wilderness the believers, or the congregation of God, who were before (like a wilderness) barren, dry and unfruitful, but by the grace of God would be glorified, exalted and made fruitful. Compare Isa. 32:15, 16, and here in the sequel.
2 Hebr. the dryness, or the dry, that is, the dry, solitary places or lands.
3 Or, at these things, namely, that the enemies of the people of God shall be so punished and destroyed, as was shown in the 34th chapter.
24It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: 5the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, 6they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
4 Hebr. it shall flourishing flourish, or, she, namely, the desert or wilderness; understand by the desert or wilderness the faithful, as was noted in verse 1.
5 That is, the church of God is made beautiful, glorious and fruitful as the Lebanon, Carmel and Sharon were wont to be; of which mountains see Isa. 33:9.
6 Namely, the believers shall see, that is, enjoy, etc. Other, those places, namely, the wilderness, verse 1.
3 ΒΆ 7Strengthena ye the weak hands, and confirm 8the feeble knees.
7 That is, comfort and strengthen one another, O ye believers, with the meditation of this grace of God which He has shown to His church. Or, it is an address directed to the ministers. See Heb. 12:12.
a Heb. 12:12.
8 Weak, staggering, wavering knees.
4Say to them that are 9of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, 10your God will come 11with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and 12save you.
9 See Isa. 32:4.
10 Namely, Jesus Christ, manifest in the flesh.
11 To punish the enemies of His church. Others take it thus: Behold, your God, the vengeance shall come, the recompense of God, he shall come, etc.
12 Or, deliver, preserve.
513Then the eyes ofb the blind shall be opened, and the ears ofc the deaf shall be unstopped.
13 Namely, when Christ shall have come, Isa. 29:18; 42:7. Christ did not only bestow the benefits, which are mentioned in this and some of the following verses, on the bodies of many crippled people, but also in a spiritual manner on the souls of men, in that He enlightens and regenerates us by His Holy Spirit, declaring also His Divine omnipotence.
b Mat. 9:27; 11:5; 12:22; 20:30; 21:14; John 9:6.
c Mat. 11:5; Mark 7:32.
6Then shall thed lame man leap as an hart, and thee tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall 14watersf15break out, and streams in the desert.
d Mat. 11:5; 15:30; 21:14; John 5:8, 9; Acts 3:2; 8:7; 14:8.
e Mat. 9:32; 12:22; 15:30.
14 By these waters must be understood the preaching of the Gospel, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which in the time of Christ shall be abundantly poured out upon all kinds of men, even upon the Gentiles (who were in times past as a wilderness, and as a dry and barren heath). See John 7:38, 39.
f John 7:38, 39.
15 Hebr. be split. The sense is: The rocks and the earth shall split open that waters may flow forth.
7And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, 16where each lay, 17shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
16 Hebr. their lying down.
17 The meaning is: The congregation of believers shall be watered with the Holy Ghost, by which the same shall grow and flourish, as reeds and rushes do grow and flourish in moist and watery places. Other, shall be the court of the reed and of the rush. The meaning is: The land, which had no other use or benefit than to serve dragons to lie down and to have their habitation there, shall be turned into a pleasant field, and it shall be as a court full of reeds and full of rushes.
8And an highway shall be 18there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; 19the unclean shall not pass over it; but 20it shall be 21for those: 22the wayfaring men, though 23fools, 24shall not err therein.
18 The sense is: The christian church shall be no wild, barren wilderness, but in it shall be shown the true way to salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ, Who cleanses us from all our sins, and gives us the Holy Ghost, Who renews and regenerates us unto a new and godly life.
19 Namely, he who lies or continues still in his sins. See Rev. 22:15.
20 Namely, that way.
21 Namely, for them who are holy, as the way is holy, that is, for the true members of the christian church, who are redeemed or ransomed of the Lord, verse 10.
22 Other, he that walketh this way, that is, travels, goes, or shall go, namely on this holy way.
23 That is, those who know or understand nothing in Divine matters, or, the simple christians.
24 Since they shall have a sure and even path, in which the Lord shall carry and lead them.
925No lion shall be there, 26nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
25 That is, no devil shall draw away or divert the faithful from the way of salvation, though he goes continual round about us like a roaring lion seeking to devour us. See John 10:28; 1 Peter 5:8.
26 Properly: no intruder, or, breaker through of beasts.
10And 27the ransomed of the LORD 28shall return, and come 29to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall 30obtain joyg and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
27 Understand here first those who would be delivered out of the Babylonian captivity; but especially those who were redeemed and ransomed of the Lord, that is, delivered or redeemed both in soul and body by the blood of Jesus Christ.
28 That is, they shall convert themselves unto the Lord.
29 Namely, in the assembly of believers, first here on earth, thereafter in heaven, Isa. 51:11; Rev. 22:14.
30 Or, embrace, apprehend.
g Rev. 21:4.