1._Yet the darkness shall not be. _He begins to comfort the wretched by the hope of alleviation, that they may not be swallowed up by the huge mass of distresses. Many take these words in quite an opposite meaning, that is, as a threatening which denounces against the Jews a heavier affliction than... [ Continue Reading ]
2._The people walking in darkness hath seen a great light. _He speaks of future events in the past tense, and thus brings them before the immediate view of the people, that in the destruction of the city, in their captivity, and in what appeared to be their utter destruction, they may behold the _li... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Thou hast multiplied. _This passage is somewhat obscure, both in itself, and on account of the diversity of interpretations; for it appears to be absurd to say that _the joy was not increased_, seeing that he immediately afterwards adds, _they rejoiced_. On this account the Jews interpret לא (_lo... [ Continue Reading ]
5._For every battle. _Here commentators are nearly agreed that Isaiah intended to contrast the victory which God was about to give to his people with other victories. Others conquer by making a great slaughter of the enemies, but here the Lord will conquer by his own hand alone. He expresses more fu... [ Continue Reading ]
6._For unto us a child is born. _Isaiah now argues from the design, to show why this deliverance ought to be preferred to the rest of God’s benefits, namely, because not only will God bring back the people from captivity, but he will place Christ on his royal throne, that under him supreme and everl... [ Continue Reading ]
7._To the increase of the government there will be no end. _He begins to explain and confirm what he had formerly said, that Christ is _The Prince of Peace_, by saying that his government is extended to every age, and is perpetual; _that there will be no end to the government or to peace_. This was... [ Continue Reading ]
8._The Lord hath sent a word. _Here he relates a new prediction, for I think that this discourse is separated from the former, because the Prophet now returns to speak of the future condition of the kingdom of _Israel_, which was at that time hostile to the Jews. Now, we know that the Jews had good... [ Continue Reading ]
9._And the people shall know. _By the word _people _I understand, not the Jews, but rather the Israelites; and, indeed, the Prophet removes doubt by expressly naming _Ephraim_. He likewise adds _Samaria_, which was the metropolis of that _people_, or of the ten tribes; for fortified cities, conceivi... [ Continue Reading ]
10._The bricks are fallen down. _These are the words of men who were obstinate, and who despised the calamity which they had sustained, as if it had been of advantage to them, because it afforded them an opportunity of adorning with greater splendor both their houses and their fields. “_We shall bui... [ Continue Reading ]
11._But the Lord will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him. _The Israelites having been proud of their alliance with the king of Syria, and hoping that everything would succeed to their wish, Isaiah threatens a new change which will take away all their hope and utterly frustrate their designs... [ Continue Reading ]
12._Syria in front. _(147) The Prophet shows what will be the nature of this change, and what will happen after the death of _Rezin_, (2 Kings 16:9,) who had allied himself with Israel against Judah; namely, that _the Syrians_, after the death of their king, from being allies will suddenly become en... [ Continue Reading ]
13._But the people hath not turned. _(150) The copulative ו (_vau_) is rendered by some interpreters _for_, as if the Prophet were assigning a reason why the Lord does not cease to employ his scourges in the continual infliction of chastisements; that is, because _the people _are so hardened and obs... [ Continue Reading ]
14._Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel. _He intimates that God’s vengeance will be universal, and will involve all ranks; for the whole nation was corrupted, and the contagion had spread over the whole country, to such an extent that no part was left whole or sound. Now, when iniquity thus... [ Continue Reading ]
15._The ancient and honorable, he is the head. _What he had spoken allegorically about _the head _and _the tail _he explains more plainly and without a figure. He says that the _heads _are the princes and nobles who had the charge of public affairs, and sat at the helm of the commonwealth. To these... [ Continue Reading ]
16._For the rulers of this people are seducers. _(152) Some render it, _they who make thee blessed_, or, _they who call thee blessed_; as if he had said that nothing was more hurtful or destructive to a nation than flatteries, which gave encouragement to unbounded licentiousness. But I shall follow... [ Continue Reading ]
17._Therefore the LORD will not delight in their young men. _Isaiah describes more clearly how dreadful will be that vengeance of God against all ranks; for so far will more flagrant transgressors be from escaping, that neither boys nor youths, nor widows, will be exempted, who are usually spared ev... [ Continue Reading ]
18._For wickedness burneth as the fire. _The Prophet attacks the wicked, who are accustomed to defend themselves by laying the blame on God. Either they practice evasions, in order to convince themselves that they are innocent, or, when they have been convicted, they still extenuate their guilt, as... [ Continue Reading ]
19._Through the anger of the _Lord_of hosts is the land darkened. _After having shown that the cause of all our evils proceeds from ourselves, and that therefore the blame of it should be laid upon us, he at the same time shows that God is a most righteous avenger. When men draw down upon themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
20._Every one shall snatch on the right hand. _It is equivalent to a phrase in common use, _prendre et ravir a toutes mains _, _to take and seize at all hands_. This mode of expression denotes either insatiable covetousness or insatiable cruelty; for the eagerness to _snatch _excites to savage cruel... [ Continue Reading ]
21._Manasseh, Ephraim. _These tribes were closely related to each other; for besides their being descended from the same ancestor, Abraham, a close relationship arose out of their being descended from one patriarch, his grandson, Joseph. (Genesis 41:50.) But though they were closely allied, still Go... [ Continue Reading ]