1An exhortation to holiness of life: 3God promiseth that it shall be accepted without respect of persons. 9The calamities of the church imputed to blind watchmen.
1THUS saith the LORD, Keep ye 1judgment, and do 2justice: 3for 4my salvation is near to come, and 5my righteousness to be revealed.
1 Under the name of judgment and justice He comprehends all that we owe unto God and to our neighbor.
2 Under the name of judgment and justice He comprehends all that we owe unto God and to our neighbor.
3 Herewith does agree the principle of the sermons of Christ and of John the Baptist, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Mat. 3:2; 4:17.
4 Namely, that salvation, which Christ, the Savior of the world, shall bring unto Me. Or, if these be the words of Christ, then this is the meaning: My salvation, whereby I will preserve or save Mine elect.
5 The righteousness of the Lord is revealed in the Gospel, Rom. 1:17.
2Blessed is the man 6that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth 7the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
6 Who keeps judgment and righteousness, verse 1.
7 By the word sabbath must be understood the entire worship of God, which especially must be practiced on the Sabbath; a part being taken for the whole. See verse 7.
3¶Neither let 8the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, 9speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunucha say, Behold, 10I am a dry tree.
8 Hebr. the son or the child of the stranger, that is, the strangers, as verse 6; Isa. 60:10.
9Christ has abolished the difference and distinction between people and nations; at this time there is no longer a distinction for Him between Jews and Gentile, master and servant, Gal. 3:28.
a (castrated) male employed as a high officer, usually by an oriental ruler*
10 That is, I am like a dry tree; for, as it has no fruit, as such I have no children.
4For thus saith the LORD 11unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
11 Or, of the eunuchs.
5Even unto 12them will I give 13in mine house and 14within my walls 15a place and a name 16better than of sons and of daughters: I will give 17them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
12 Namely, those strangers and eunuchs, of whom mention is made in verses 3 and 4.
13 That is, in the christian congregation.
14 Namely, within the spiritual city Jerusalem, that is, My church.
15 Or, room. Likewise also Isa. 57:8. Hebr. a hand.
16 Or, which is better than, etc. What kind of name is that? They shall be called the children of God, John 1:12; 1 John 3:1, which is a far more excellent name than the name of son or daughter which men have by their carnal birth.
17 Hebr. him.
6Also 18the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth 19the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
18 See verse 3.
19 See verse 2.
7Even them will I bring 20to my holy mountain, and make them joyful 21in my house of prayer: their 22burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted 23upon mine altar; for mineb house shall be 24called an house of prayer 25for all people.
20 Hebr. to the mountain of my holiness, that is, to My church, to the assembly of Mine elect, as Isa. 2:2.
21 Hebr. in the house of my prayer, that is, in the temple, which is ordained for an house in which to worship Me, and consequently the church of God in general.
22 Understand here primarily (according to the phrase of the Old Testament) by burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the reasonable service and the voluntary resignation to obey and to serve God. These are the spiritual sacrifices of believers in the New Testament, whereof prayer is the most important one. Compare herewith Mal. 1:11; Rom. 12:1; Heb. 13:15.
23 That is, because of the Mediator Jesus Christ, Who was typified by the altar. See Heb. 13:10.
b Mat. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46.
24 And likewise it ought to be as such indeed.
25 Not for the Jews only, as in the Old Testament, but even the believing Gentiles shall, as well as the believing Jews, worship God in spirit and in truth in the christian congregation, which was typified by the temple.
8The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts 26of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others 27to him, 28beside those that are gathered 29unto him.
26 That is, of the people of Israel.
27 Namely, unto Christ. Other, unto it, namely, to the people of Israel, or to the house of prayer in My congregation, and so in the end of this verse.
28 Or, unto those, or, except those.
29 Namely, unto Christ. Other, unto it, namely, to the people of Israel, or to the house of prayer in My congregation.
9 ¶ 30All 31ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
30 At this point several translators begin the 57th chapter of Isaiah.
31 By the beasts of the field must here be understood all the cruel tyrants and persecutors of the people of the Jews. God calls these here together against them, in order that the wicked and the hypocrites would be cut off and destroyed by them.
1032His 33watchmen are 34blind: they are all ignorant, they are all 35dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
32 Or, Their. Hebr. His, namely, of the people.
33 Namely, the priests and also the rulers of the people. See Jer. 6:13; 8:10; Ezek. 3:17.
34 That is, ignorant, inexperienced in My laws.
35 That is, they are like unto dumb dogs; they do not reprove the sins of the people, neither do they warn them of God’s wrath, fearing to incur their displeasure.
11Yea, they are 36greedy dogs 37which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one 38for his gain, 39from his quarter.
36 Hebr. strong in soul, that is, in desire, in lusts, in appetite or gluttonous, or greedy and insatiable for money and goods. See the annotation at Job 38 on verse 39. Other, strong in body.
37 Or, they know not to be full, or, they know not how to be satisfied.
38 Or, to his covetousness.
39 That is, from one end to the other. Other, every one in his quarter. Other, the chiefest of them, as if He said: Not only the lowest among the priests, but also the highest and most important ones. Other, out of his (namely, of the people) most important ones; than the meaning would be: Not from the poor, but from the most important and wealthiest persons, who were able to bring the greatest offerings and gifts, do they exact their filthy lucre. See the annotations at Gen. 19 on verse 4; Gen. 47 on verse 2; Judges 18 on verse 2.
12Come ye, say they, 40I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; 41and 42to morrow shall be as this day, and 43much more abundant.
40 Compare Isa. 22:13; 1 Cor. 15:32.
41 As if they said: We will be merry and jovial tomorrow, as we have been today, yea, we will be more merry and more jovial.
42 These words may also be taken in this sense, as if they said: Though we drink till we are delirious and full, yet no greater punishment shall befall us; we shall fare no worse tomorrow as we have done today. God does not consider these things.
43 Hebr. great, exceeding abundant.