1The prophet's zeal in interceding for the accomplishment of God's glorious promises to his church. 6The ministers of God are incited to use the like importunity. 8God's gracious promises confirmed by oath. 10The preparation of the gospel salvation.
1FOR12Zion’s sake will I 3not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will 4not rest, until the righteousness 5thereof 6go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
1 These are the words of the prophet Isaiah, both in his own name, and in the name of other prophets and ministers of God.
2 That is, for the sake of the churches, or of the people of God, which is later called Jerusalem, a type of the church of the New Testament, Heb. 12:22; Rev. 14:1; 21:2.
3 That is, I will not cease to preach unto His church the comfortable promises that God has revealed unto me. See Psalm 122:6; 2 Tim. 4:2.
4 Or, not be quiet.
5 Namely, of the city of Jerusalem, that is, of the church. The sense is: Until Christ, Who is our righteousness and our Savior, be revealed unto the world.
6 Or, arise. Hebr. go forth, namely, as the sun goes out of his chamber when it arises. See Psalm 19:5.
2And the Gentiles shall see 7thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by 8aa new name, which the mouth of the LORD 9shall name.
7 Namely, that righteousness, O Zion or O Jerusalem, wherewith thou shalt be adorned by thy Bridegroom Christ Jesus.
8 That is, you shall be renewed and brought into a better state than you were before, and this new and better state shall be the cause of the new name. They, who are by nature children of wrath, Eph. 2:3, shall by grace be called the children of God, 1 John 3:1, and such in whom He takes pleasure or delight, verse 4. This new name knows no man, but he who receives it, Rev. 2:17.
a Isa. 65:15.
9 Or, shall expressly name. See of the Hebrew word, Gen. 30 on verse 28.
3Thou 10shalt also be a crown of glory 11in the hand of the LORD, and 12a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
10 That is, thou shalt be most dear and precious unto the Lord. See Exod. 19:5.
11 That is, thou shalt be preserved and protected by God. See Deut. 33:3; John 10:28, 29.
12 Understand here by the royal diadem or miter, the royal priesthood, whereof Peter speaks in 1 Peter 2:9.
4Thou shalt no more be termed 13Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed 14Desolate: but thou shalt be called 15Hephzi-bah, and 16thy land 17Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and 18thy land shall be married.
13 Namely, of God, her Bridegroom, as if thou wert no more His bride or His people. See Isa. 60:15.
14 Hebr, desolation, that is, desolate. See Hosea 1:10; 1 Peter 2:10.
15 That is, God has a delight in her, namely, in Jerusalem.
16 Which the Lord had given you to dwell in; or, thy land, that is, the inhabitants of your land.
17 That is, Married; that is, the inhabited one.
18 That is, your land shall be inhabited as a wife dwells with her husband.
5¶For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry 19thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall 20thy God rejoice over thee.
19 Namely, O thou land, or, among you, with thee, namely, O thou church.
20Christ is often called in Holy Scripture a Bridegroom, and His church a bride, John 3:29; Rev. 21:2, 9, whose mutual love and joy is mentioned in Cant. 4:1, etc.
621I have set 22watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall 23never hold their peace day nor night: 24ye that make mention of the LORD, 25keep not silence,
21 This the Lord speaks.
22 That is, prophets, shepherds, teachers, such as have the care of souls. See Isa. 21:11; Ezek. 3:17; 33:7; Rev. 21:12.
23 But they shall continually preach the Word, and hold forth the promises of God. See verse 1.
24 Or, O ye mention-makers, or, O ye mentioners of the Lord. The prophet speaks this to the teachers of the Holy Gospel.
25 But witness constantly and preach boldly the truth.
7And give 26him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem 27a praise in the earth.
26 Namely, the Lord. Hebr. given him or before him no silence. The meaning is: Do not hold back prayer and supplication, but persevere in prayer, yea, be urgent and importunate with God, until you have been answered, until God sends forth laborers into His harvest, Mat. 9:38, and until He blesses their labors, 1 Cor. 3:6.
27 That is, in such a glorious condition, that everyone must praise her.
828The LORD hath sworn 29by his right hand, and 30by the arm of his strength, 31Surely I will no more give 32thy corn 33to be meat for thine enemies; and 34the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
28 These are now again the words of the prophet.
29 That is, by His own power, that is, by Himself, having no greater to swear by, Heb. 6:13.
30 That is, by His strong arm.
31 The meaning is: Surely I will not deliver you up to the will of your enemies and persecutors. See of this kind of oath the annotation at Num. 14 on verse 23.
32 O Jerusalem.
33 God does often threaten that strangers and the enemies of His people would, for His people’s sins, eat the fruits of their land, as Deut. 28:30, 33, 51, which oftentimes happened so indeed, Judges 6:3, 4; Eccl. 6:1, 2. This must be understood to be likewise contained among the curses of the law, which are taken away by Christ, Gal. 3:13. See likewise Psalm 128:2; 1 Cor. 15:58.
34 Hebr. the children of the stranger.
9But they 35that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they 36that have brought it together shall drink it 37in the courts of my holiness.
35 Hebr. the ingatherers of it, namely, of the corn.
36 Hebr. the gatherers or bringers of it together, namely, of the new wine.
37 That is, with public thanksgiving, which they shall perform unto the Lord in His church for His mercies. A phrase borrowed from the priests who did eat the hallowed flesh in the court of the tabernacle and afterward in the court of the temple. See Lev. 6:16; 10:18; Ezek. 42:14.
10¶Gob through, go through the gates; 38prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up 39the highway; 40gather out the stones; 41lift up a standard for the people.
b Isa. 40:3; 57:14.
38 This is a speech made to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, exhorting them to set the city gates wide open, and to make the ways fair and clean that the Gentiles, who would in great multitudes join themselves unto the church of Christ, might find an open and clear path. See Isa. 57:14. Other, prepare the way for the people.
39 Through which they may be brought and enter in unto you, O ye citizens of Jerusalem, that is, unto the christian church. See Isa. 40:3.
40 Or, cleanse from stones. See Isa. 57:14. The meaning is: Remove all impediments and stumbling blocks out of the way, Rom. 14:13, 21.
41 That is, preach the Gospel openly. See Isa. 11:12; 49:22.
11Behold, the LORD 42hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye 43to the daughter of Zion, Behold, 44thy salvation cometh; behold, 45his reward is with him, and 46his work before him.
42 Namely, through the preaching of the Holy Gospel. See Rom. 10:18. And he hath caused to be heard, namely, that which follows here: Say, etc.
43 That is, to the people of Zion, that is, to the church of God, as Zech. 9:9; Mat. 21:5; John 12:15.
44 That is, your deliverance and redemption; or your Savior and Redeemer, namely, Jesus, Who delivers His people from their sins, Mat. 1:21; Luke 2:30.
45 Which He will give to all them who serve Him faithfully, Isa. 40:10; Rev. 22:12. See Psalm 127 on verse 3.
46 Hebr. his work, that is, His wages. See Lev. 19:13; Isa. 40 on verse 10.
12And they shall call 47them, 48The holy people, 49The redeemed of the LORD: and 50thou shalt be called, 51Sought out, 52A city not forsaken.
47 Namely, the believers, who shall join themselves to the christian congregation, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
48 Hebr. the people of holiness.
49 That is, those who are redeemed by the Lord.
50 O Zion, thou church of God.
51 The Hebrew word, which some do put in the text, signifies the sought one, or, sought after, or, cared for, namely, whom the Lord, of His grace and mercy, has visited and gathered again, whereas she had been before forsaken and scattered awhile for her sins. See Isa. 54:6, 7, and the annotation at Deut. 11 on verse 12.
52 Or, A city not destitute.