Isaiah 52:1-15
1 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.
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 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.
6 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.
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 salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
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.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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.
13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14 As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
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 follows. The correct division is Isaiah 51:1; Isaiah 52:12, Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:1 .)
1. Zion called to awake (Isaiah 52:1) 2. “In that day” Behold it is I (Isaiah 52:6) 3. The results of the return of Jehovah (Isaiah 52:7) 4. The Servant's suffering and glory (Isaiah 52:13) The last paragraph of chapter 51 gives the divine declaration that the suffering and affliction of Israel is to end. “Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again” (Isaiah 51:22). Now Zion assured of the end of suffering is called upon to awaken and put on beautiful garments. She is to arise from the dust. Such is the glorious future of Jerusalem. Isaiah 52:7 reveal the blessed results of the Coming of the Lord. Then it shall be said, “Thy God reigneth.” Then and not before “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10).
Isaiah 52:13 connect with Isaiah 53:1. Chapter s 51-52:12 are parenthetical.