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Isaiah 52:8

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 earliest notice of the approach of any messenger with tidings (cf. Isaiah 21:6). The Hebrew is more forcible than the English version, 'The voice of thy watchmen!' (exclamatory, as in Song of Solomon 2:8.) 'They lift up their voice! together they sing' (Hebrew, ranan, to sing with a strong voice).

Eye to eye ie close at hand and so clearly (Gesenins) (Numbers 14:14 "face to face;" Numbers 12:8 "mouth to Eye to eye - i:e., close at hand, and so clearly (Gesenins) (Numbers 14:14, "face to face;" Numbers 12:8, "mouth to mouth"). Compare 1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 22:4, of which Simeon's sight of the Saviour was a prefiguration (Luke 2:30). The watchmen, spiritually, are ministers and others who pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6).

Bring again Zion - i:e., shall restore Zion. Or else ( bªshuwb (H7725)), 'return to.' The Chaldaic, 'when the Lord, shall have brought back His Majesty to Zion.' The Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac translate virtually as the English version (Maurer).

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See also Isaiah 52:8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 52:8. _THY WATCHMEN LIFT UP THE VOICE_ - "All thy watchmen lift up their voice"] There is a difficulty in the construction of this place which, I think, none of the ancient versions or m...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THY WATCHMEN - This language is taken from the custom of placing watchmen on the walls of a city, or on elevated towers, who could see if an enemy approached, and who of course would be the first to d...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 52 Zion Awakening and the Coming of the Lord (It is unfortunate that Isaiah 52:1 is detached from chapter 51 and that the last 3 verses of chapter 52 are detached from the chapter which follo...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH 51:17 TO ISAIAH 52:12. THE SORROW OF JERUSALEM, WHICH SHALL GIVE PLACE TO JOY. Isaiah 51:17. The prophet, obviously familiar with the vision of...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SING. shout. SEE EYE TO EYE. see face to face, and will be face to face with the coming heralds of the King, yea, with the King Himself. This oft misapplied expression ha? nothing whatever to do with...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Thy watchmen … sing_ Render, HARK, THY WATCHMEN! THEY LIFT UP THE VOICE, TOGETHER DO THEY SING (see R.V.). Although the prophets are often called "watchmen" (ch. Isaiah 56:10; Habakkuk 2:1; Jeremiah...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The return of Jehovah to Zion....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 51:17 to Isaiah 52:12. The Lord will turn the Captivity of Zion The three oracles into which this passage naturally falls are these: (1) Isaiah 51:17. The prophet, returning to the thought wit...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 962 THE SAINT’S VISION OF CHRIST Isaiah 52:8. _They shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion_. EXCEEDINGLY strong and animated are the descriptions given us, in the proph...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HOW BEAUTIFUL, &C.— While the Son of God manifested himself in the flesh to his people, the prophet, immediately rapt into ecstacy, beholds first the evangelists, chosen by the Lord throughout Judaea;...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    b. REVELATION TEXT: Isaiah 52:7-12 7 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 sal...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WATCH-MEN] may refer to prophets (cp. Isaiah 21:6; Isaiah 21:11; Isaiah 56:10), or to heavenly spirits (cp. Daniel 4:13). EYE TO EYE] i.e. as

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1, 2. Zion invited to array herself as a queen and sit enthroned, freed from the presence of heathen foes, and with her children restored from captivity....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S SPECIAL SERVANT ISAIAH CHAPTER S 49 TO 57 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 52 GOD WILL RESCUE *JERUSALEM V1 Awake, awake, inhabitants of *Jerusalem! Be strong an...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The *Lord is carrying out the things that he promised to do (see Isaiah 40:10-11). THE *LORD’S PEOPLE COME HOME FROM BABYLON V9 Inhabitants of *Jerusalem, enemies ruined your city. But now sing tog...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THY WATCHMEN... — The sentinels see the heralds from their watch-towers (Isaiah 21:6; Habakkuk 2:1), and sing out for joy, as they see, not only afar off, but “eye to eye,” the presence of the God who...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    קֹ֥ול צֹפַ֛יִךְ נָ֥שְׂאוּ קֹ֖ול יַחְדָּ֣ו יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    BOOK 4 THE RESTORATION WE have now reached the summit of our prophecy. It has been a long, steep ascent, and we have had very much to seek out on the way, and to extricate and solve and load ourselv...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THY GOD REIGNETH!” Isaiah 52:1-15 It is not God that has become lethargic; but _we_ that have slept and need to awake. Being awakened, we discover that two sets of attire are waiting for us: First,...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The second message (verses Isa 52:1-6) calls on Zion to awake and put on her strength and her beautiful garments, because she is to be cleansed of all internal defilement. Though she had been sold int...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (h) 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. (h) The prophets who are your watchmen will pub...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Watchmen, prophets. The angels sung at the birth of Christ, Luke ii. 14._...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    8._The voice of thy watchmen. _He continues his argument; for he shews that there shall be such a restoration of the people, that the messengers shall venture boldly to proclaim it. To _lift up the vo...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 51 AND 52. The application is found in Chapter s 51 and 52 to the end of Verse 12 (Isaiah 52:1-12), and that to the remnant of Israel. In Isaiah 51:13 a fresh...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE WATCHMEN SHALL LIFT UP THE VOICE,.... Not the Levites in the temple, nor the prophets of the Old Testament; rather the evangelists and apostles of Christ; best of all Gospel ministers in the latte...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 8. _Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice._] He...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice_ Partly to give notice to all people of these glad tidings, and partly by way of exultation, to sing forth the praises of God for this glorious season and exercis...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice, as they see the messengers approaching; WITH THE VOICE TOGETHER SHALL THEY SING, FOR THEY SHALL SEE EYE TO EYE, very plainly and unmistakably, WHEN THE LORD SHALL...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE MESSENGERS OF REDEMPTION...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-12 The gospel proclaims liberty to those bound with fears. Let those weary and heavy laden under the burden of sin, find relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears,...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THY WATCHMEN, thy ministers, who shall descry the approach and coming of this heavenly King and kingdom, _shall lift up the voice_; partly to give notice to all people of these glad tidings; and partl...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 52:8 watchmen H6822 (H8802) up H5375 (H8804) voices H6963 voices H6963 sing H7442 (H8762) together...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOOD NEWS OF YAHWEH'S DELIVERANCE; THE MESSAGE IS TO BE TAKEN TO THE WORLD (ISAIAH 52:7). Isaiah is so confident that God will deliver His people, that he already visualises Go...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Vision of Jerusalem in the Kingdom age. Jehovah's servant marred and afterward exalted. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: Let God's people prepare for eternal joy, for His Word shall wi...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 52:1. _There shall no more come to thee the uncircumcised._ The temple being often profaned after the captivity, this prophecy must have an ultimate reference to the glory of the church in the...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice_ THE RETURN FROM EXILE From the glowing periods of this paragraph we can reconstruct the picture of the return from exile, as it presented itself to the seer. I...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 52:1 FURTHER ADDRESS OF THE PROPHET TO JERUSALEM. Zion is exhorted to rise from the dust, throw off her bonds, and assert her freedom (Isaiah 52:1

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now again God cries for them. Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:1), There's a day coming of just, "Put on your glorious garments and ge...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Acts 2:1; Acts 2:46; Acts 2:4

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Thy watchmen — Thy ministers, who descry the approach of this heavenly king. Lift up thy voice — To give notice to all people of these glad tidings; and by way of exultation, to sing forth the praises...

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