In this chapter there is commenced a most glowing and beautiful description of the ‘golden age’ under the Messiah. The description is continued to the close of Isaiah 62:1. It is adorned with the highest ornaments of poetry; the future glory of the church is displayed under the most splendid colors,... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE - This is evidently addressed to the church, or to Zion regarded as the seat of the church. It is represented as having been in a state of affliction and calamity (compare the notes at Isaiah 3:26; Isaiah 52:1). She is now called on to arise from the dust, and to impart to others the rich priv... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BEHOLD - Lo, darkness covers the earth. This is designed to turn the attention to the fact that all the rest of the world would be enveloped in deep spiritual night. DARKNESS - (See the notes at Isaiah 45:7). SHALL COVER THE EARTH - Shall envelope the whole world except where it is illuminated... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GENTILES SHALL COME - So splendid shall be that glory, that it will attract the distant nations, and they shall come and participate in the blessings of the gospel. This contains the main statement which it is the design of this chapter to illustrate. The prophet had frequently made this sta... [ Continue Reading ]
LIFT UP THINE EYES - Jerusalem is here addressed as a female with eyes cast down from grief. She is directed to lift them up, and to see the great multitudes that were flocking to her. Wherever she could turn her eyes, she would behold them hastening to come to her. In this verse and the following v... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALT THOU SEE - Lowth renders this, ‘Then shalt thou fear and overflow with joy;’ and supposes that it refers to the agitation and anxiety of mind attending the scene, and to the joy consequent on the numerous conversions. His authority for this change is, that forty manuscripts (two of them a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS - Lowth renders this, ‘An inundation of camels.’ The Hebrew word properly denotes an inundation or overflowing of waters, but it is not improperly applied to a numerous caravan or company of animals. The camel is a well-known useful animal that constitutes the principal beast... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE FLOCKS OF KEDAR - On the word ‘Kedar,’ see the notes at Isaiah 21:16. The Kedarenians were a wandering tribe that frequently changed their residence, though it is probable they usually dwelt in the south part of Arabia Deserta, or the north of Arabia Petraea. They are mentioned as dwelling i... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY AS A CLOUD? - In multitudes so numerous, that they appear as a dense cloud. The prophet, in vision, sees a vast multitude coming to Jerusalem, or hastening to embrace the true religion - so numerous as to excite surprise, and to lead to the question, Who can they be? (compare... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY THE ISLES - On the meaning of the word ‘isles’ in Isaiah, see the notes at Isaiah 41:1. SHALL WAIT FOR ME - (See the notes at Isaiah 41:4). AND THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH - (See the notes at Isaiah 2:16). The main idea here is clear. These ships were the principal vessels known to the Hebrews as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF STRANGERS - They who have been devoted to a foreign and a false religion shall become devoted to the true religion, and engage in the service of the true God. SHALL BUILD UP THY WALLS - Jerusalem is represented as a ruined city. Her walls had been thrown down, and were lying prostra... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THY GATES SHALL BE OPEN CONTINUALLY - The main idea here is, probably, that the accession from the pagan world, and the consequent influx of converts, would be so great, that there would be a necessity that the gates should never be closed. It is possible, also, that the prophet meant to d... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE NATION AND KINGDOM - Perhaps this is given as a reason for What is said in the previous verse - that kings and their subjects should come to Zion and embrace the true religion, because if it were not done they would perish. This is certainly one reason why sinners hasten to embrace the Savio... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GLORY OF LEBANON - The ‘glory of Lebanon,’ here means the trees that grew on Lebanon (see the notes at Isaiah 35:2). SHALL COME UNTO THEE - That is, thy beauty and glory will be as great as if those valuable trees were brought and planted around the temple. THE FIR-TREE - (See the notes at Isa... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF THEM THAT AFFLICTED THEE - In the previous verses the prophet had said that strangers and foreigners would become tributary to the true religion. Here, to give variety and interest to the description, he says, that even the descendants of those who had oppressed them would become tributa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREAS THOU HAST BEEN FORSAKEN - Hebrew, ‘Instead of (תחת _tachath_) thy being forsaken,’ that is, thy subsequent prosperity shall come in the place of thy being formerly forsaken. The forsaking here refers to the various calamities, persecutions, and trials, which she had been called to endure. S... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT SUCK THE MILK OF THE GENTILES - This expression means, ‘Whatever is valuable and rich which they possess shall contribute to your welfare.’ The idea is the same substantially which occurs in the previous parts of the chapter, that the riches of the pagan world would become tributary to th... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BRASS I WILL BRING GOLD - This commences the description of the happy times when the Gentiles should be led to embrace the true religion, and when the wealth of the world would be consecrated to the service of the true God. The idea is, that all things would be changed for the better. The golden... [ Continue Reading ]
VIOLENCE SHALL NO MORE BE HEARD IN THY LAND - This is a most beautiful description of the peace and prosperity which would prevail in the times of the Messiah. If the gospel, in its purity, should prevail on earth, there would be no more scenes of violence and war. The battle-shout would be heard no... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SUN SHALL BE NO MORE - A similar expression denoting the great prosperity and happiness of the church, occurs in Isaiah 30:26 (see the note at that place). The language here is exceedingly beautiful, and the idea is plain. It is designed to foretell the great glory which would exist in the churc... [ Continue Reading ]
THY SUN SHALL NO MORE GO DOWN - There shall be no total and long night of calamity, error, and sin. This is designed to describe the flourishing and glorious state of the church. It, of course, does not mean that there should be no times of calamity, no period of ignorance, no scenes of persecution;... [ Continue Reading ]
THY PEOPLE ALSO SHALL BE ALL RIGHTEOUS - (See the notes at Isaiah 4:2). THEY SHALL INHERIT THE LAND FOR EVER - (See the notes at Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 54:3; compare Isaiah 65:9; Matthew 5:5). THE BRANCH OF MY PLANTING - On the meaning of the word branch, see the notes at Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 14:19 [ Continue Reading ]
A LITTLE ONE SHALL BECOME A THOUSAND - There shall be a great increase, as if one, and that the smallest, should be multiplied to a thousand. The idea is, that the people, then small in number, would be greatly increased by the accession of the Gentile world. Lowth and Noyes render this, ‘The little... [ Continue Reading ]