Isaiah 51:9-11

Awake, &c.— Rouse, rouse, &c. Rouse,—art thou not that which hewed down Egypt, which mortally wounded the crocodile or dragon? Isaiah 51:11. And the redeemed, &c. upon their head: joy and gladness shall attend them: sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Thus far the Messiah had addressed his believing people; but here the Holy Spirit exhibited to the prophet, according to the series of times and things, a fearful struggle of the church with the Roman empire, to continue a long time before the people of God should be entirely delivered from it: the Holy Spirit shews him in figure this spiritual Egypt in all its strength and power, with the Red Sea like a fortification opposing the church; that is, with the sanguinary persecutions which the saints were to undergo. About to console the church against this evil, (which consolation begins at the 12th verse,) a chorus of believers is here introduced, entreating God, that, as formerly, for the deliverance of his people from Egyptian bondage, he had given specimens of his power and justice in the destruction of his enemies and the salvation of his people; so now, at this time, he would exert his omnipotence, in destroying the spiritual Egypt of the Roman empire, and its power, and in drying this Red Sea; that is, in stopping the violence of those sanguinary persecutions, by which this empire defended its religious errors: to this votive apostrophe, contained in the 9th and 10th verses, an answer is adapted, Isaiah 51:11 teaching that God consented to the wishes of his saints, and would take care by his providence that his church should at length be placed in such a state, as to be able to enjoy the communion of his faith with the utmost liberty, security, and gladness. There can be nothing more sublime and elegant than the apostrophe in these verses.