1The prophet with the free offers of grace through Christ exhorteth to faith, 6and to repentance. 8The happy state of believers.
1HO,12everya one that thirsteth, 3come ye to the waters, and he 4that hath no money; come ye, buy, and 5eat; yea, 6come, buy 7wine and milk without money and without price.
1 The Hebrew word hol, which elsewhere is as much as woe, is here a word for excitement.
2 All ye who greatly long after righteousness, being sensible of your own sins and miseries, Psalm 42:2; Mat. 5:6; John 7:37.
a John 7:37, 38.
3 That is, unto Me, or to the heavenly goods, which I offer unto you by the Gospel, namely, forgiveness of sins and righteousness, which are given us of God in Christ for nought and without any merits of our own; likewise the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and lastly life eternal; whereunto we must come by faith, John 7:37.
4 Or, that have no money, that is, ye who in or of yourselves have no worthiness or merits.
5 That is, enjoy. Likewise verse 2. Eating for enjoying is very usual and common among the Hebrews. See the annotation at Job 21 on verse 25.
6 That is, receive for nothing.
7Wine and milk signify here the same which is later intimated by water, namely, all things requisite and necessary for spiritual life.
28Wherefore do ye spend money 9for that which is not bread? and 10your labour 11for that which satisfieth not? 12hearken diligently unto me, and 13eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
8 That is, why do you make great costs and labors in vain, and take pains and toil to no purpose in committing your idolatry and superstition, whereas indeed by such kind of means neither life nor sound comfort is to be had?
9 Hebr. for not-bread. Thus he calls false doctrine and superstition, which cannot feed or satisfy the hearts of men; as for example the doctrine of the scribes and pharisees concerning a man’s own righteousness, outside of Christ and His righteousness.
10 That is, money which ye have gotten and gained by your labor.
11 Hebr. not to satisfy.
12 Hebr. hearken hearkening, that is, hearken attentively, diligently or earnestly unto Me.
13 This is also to be understood of a spiritual eating, as also what follows.
314Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and 15your soul shall live; and I will 16make an everlasting covenant with you, 17evenb the sure mercies 18of David.
14 This is spoken by God the Father.
15 That is, it shall have comfort and joy when it hears Me.
16 See Gen. 15 on verse 18; Jer. 34:18, 19.
17 See Acts 13:34, where it states: I will give you the sure mercies of David.
b Acts 13:34.
18 That is, which I have promised to David. See 2 Sam. 7:13; Psalm 89:28. For the execution of these mercies, it was requisite that Christ was to rise from the dead, and likewise to enter into His everlasting Kingdom. Unto such an end the apostle Paul quotes this passage, Acts 13:34, to prove the resurrection of Christ. Some understand here by David the Lord Christ, in order that by the mercies of David would be meant the mercies which Christ would purchase for and give unto the people of God. So likewise Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23, etc.
4Behold, 19I have given 20him 21for a witness to the people, a leader and 22commander to the people.
19 Namely, God the Father.
20 Namely, Christ, the Son of David, Who is also David’s Lord and Redeemer.
21 That is, for a Prophet and Teacher, Who would witness the heavenly truth, or who would give testimony concerning My will.
22 To command and enjoin whatsoever He pleases.
5Behold, 23thou shalt call a nation 24that thou knowest not, and 25nations that knew not thee 26shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and 27for the Holy One of Israel; 28for he hath glorified thee.
23O Jesus Christ.
24 That is, for whom Thou didst not inquire, but didst permit them to walk in their own ways. See Acts 14:16; or whom Thou didst not know to be as Thy people.
25 Hebr. a people that knew thee not, shall (in the plural number) run unto thee, that is, who did not ask for Thee, nor acknowledged Thee for their Savior.
26 That is, receive and embrace Thy doctrine with great zeal and desire.
27 Or, and unto the Holy One of Israel. See Psalm 71 on verse 22.
28 Or, when he shall have glorified thee, O Christ, namely, by the resurrection from the dead, Rom. 1:4, and by the exaltation of His right hand in the heavens, from where He would send the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, Acts 2, doing miracles and wonders by His power, Acts 3:3; 4:10.
6¶Seek ye the LORD 29while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
29 That is, while He offers His mercy unto poor sinners, calling and inviting them to repentance and conversion. See Psalm 32:6. They are the words of the prophet.
7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the 30unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly 31pardon.
30 Hebr. the man of wickedness, or, of iniquity.
31 Hebr. he increaseth to pardon, or, with pardoning.
8 ¶ 32For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
32 Here God speaks again, and it is as much as if He said: Ye men are of such a nature and disposition that ye will not easily forgive and forget when anyone offends you, especially when he exceeds therein; but I do soon forgive all those who are sorry that they have offended Me, and pray unto Me for pardon and forgiveness. Also I am neither wavering nor unfaithful as men are, but whatsoever I promise, I do surely perform.
9For 33as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
33 Or, as much as. Compare herewith Psalm 103:11.
10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh 34it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
34 Namely, the earth.
11So shall 35my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall 36not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall 37prosper 38in the thing whereto I sent it.
35 That is, the word of My promise.
36 That is, without doing anything.
37 Or, have good success, be prosperous.
38 Or, for which, or, whither.
12For ye shall 39go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: 40the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and allc the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
39 Namely, out of the spiritual captivity of the devil, after ye shall be redeemed by Christ, whereof the Babylonian captivity was a type.
40 See Isa. 35:1. The sense is: that all creatures, though they be insensible, yet they shall help to advance and further the work of God with joy. See the annotation on Psalm 98 on verse 8.
c 1 Chron. 16:33.
1341Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and 42it shall be to the LORD for a name, for 43an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
41 That is, they, who were formerly like briers and thorns, that is, unfruitful and unsuitable for any good work, shall become fruitful, and grow up like fair and goodly trees, after they shall be renewed and born again by the Holy Ghost. See similar phrase Isa. 41:19.
42 The meaning is: By the redemption and sanctification of the church God will manifests especially His goodness and omnipotence, for which He shall be praised and magnified forever.
43 Namely, a memorial sign.