Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Zion, long in bondage (Isaiah 51:17), is called to put on beautiful garments appropriate to its future properi... [ Continue Reading ]
Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. SHAKE THYSELF FROM THE DUST - the seat of mourners (Job 2:12). ARISE, AND SIT DOWN - namely, in a more dignified place: on a divan, or a throne (Lowth), after ha... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. YE HAVE SOLD YOURSELVES FOR NOUGHT; AND YE SHALL BE REDEEMED WITHOUT MONEY - As you became your foes' servants, without their paying any price for you (), so they shall release you without demand... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. MY PEOPLE - Jacob and his sons. WENT DOWN AFORETIME INTO EGYPT. Judea was an elevated country compared with Egypt. TO SOJOURN THERE. They went there to stay... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. WHAT HAVE I HERE ... THAT MY PEOPLE IS TAKEN AWAY FOR NOUGHT? - i:e., what am I called on to do?... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. THEREFORE MY PEOPLE SHALL KNOW ... IN THAT DAY - when Christ shall reveal Himself to Israel sensibly. the only means whereby their obstinate unbelief shall be overcome (;... [ Continue Reading ]
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! HOW BEAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS ARE THE FEET OF HIM THAT BRINGETH GOOD TIDINGS - i:e., T... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. THY WATCHMEN SHALL LIFT UP THE VOICE; WITH THE VOICE TOGETHER SHALL THEY SING. The "watchmen" were set on towers separated by intervals, to give the... [ Continue Reading ]
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. BREAK FORTH INTO JOY, SING TOGETHER, YE WASTE PLACES OF JERUSALEM - (Isaiah 14:7; ). REDEEMED JERUSALEM - spiritually and nationally ().... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. THE LORD HATH MADE BARE HIS HOLY ARM - metaphor from wanders who bare their arm for battle (). ALL ... EARTH SHALL SEE THE SALVATION OF OUR GOD. The deliveranc... [ Continue Reading ]
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. DEPART YE, GO YE OUT FROM THENCE - (; Zechariah 2:6.) Long residence in Babylon made many loath to leave it: so as to mystical Babylon (). BE YE CLEA... [ Continue Reading ]
For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. FOR YE SHALL NOT GO OUT WITH HASTE - as when ye left Egypt (; ; : cf. note, ). Ye shall have time to cleanse yourselves and make deliberate preparation for departur... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. The transition is frequent from the glory of Messiah in His advent to reign, to His humiliation in His advent to suffer. Indeed, so are both advents accounted one, that He is not said in His second coming... [ Continue Reading ]
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: AS MANY WERE ASTONISHED AT THEE; HIS VISAGE WAS SO MARRED MORE THAN ANY MAN ... SO SHALL HE SPRINKLE MANY NATIONS - Summary of Messiah's history, which is set forth more in detail in... [ Continue Reading ]