INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 42 This chapter begins with a prophecy concerning the Messiah, under the character of the servant of the Lord, and his elect, whom he supported, and was well pleased with; whose work is pointed at, and for which he was well qualified with the Spirit without measure, Isaiah 4... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD MY SERVANT, WHOM I UPHOLD,.... The Targum is, "behold my servant the Messiah;'' and Kimchi on the place says, this is the King Messiah; and so Abarbinel f interprets it of him, and other Jewish writers, and which is right; for the prophet speaks not of himself, as Aben Ezra thinks; nor of C... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL NOT CRY,..... According to Aben Ezra and Kimchi, as a judge in court is obliged to extend his voice that he may be heard: the Evangelist Matthew renders it, "he shall not strive"; or contend in a disputatious way, about mere words and things to no profit, or litigate a point in law; he shal... [ Continue Reading ]
A BRUISED REED SHALL NOT BREAK,.... The tenderness of Christ to weak and ignorant persons is here and in the next clause expressed; by whom young converts or weak believers seem to be designed; who are compared to a "reed", because worthless with respect to God, whom they cannot profit; and in the v... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL NOT FAIL,.... For want of strength to go through the work of redemption: or, "grow dim" i and dark, as a lamp for want of oil, or as the wick of a candle ready to go out. Hence the Septuagint version, "he shall shine k"; in the glory of his person, as the Son of God; in the fulness of his g... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH GOD THE LORD,.... The God of the world, as the Targum. This, with what follows, is a preface to the call of Christ, to the great work of redemption; setting forth the greatness of God as a Creator, that calls him to it, and thereby encouraging him as man and Mediator in it, as well as the... [ Continue Reading ]
I THE LORD HAVE CALLED THEE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... Not the Prophet Isaiah, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it; nor the people of Israel, as Kimchi; but the Messiah, whom Jehovah called to the office of Mediator, in a righteous way and manner, consistent with his own perfections; and not against the... [ Continue Reading ]
TO OPEN THE BLIND EYES,.... Of the idolatrous Gentiles, who were spiritually blind, and knew not the wretchedness of their case; the exceeding sinfulness of sin; their need of a Saviour, and who he was; as they did, when their eyes were opened by means of the Gospel sent among them, through the ener... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE LORD, THAT IS MY NAME,.... Jehovah, a name expressive of his self-existence, eternity, and immutability; a name by which be made himself known to Israel of old, and which is peculiar to him, and does not belong to another, and so distinguishes him from all false gods; see Exodus 3:14 or, "H... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE FORMER THINGS ARE COME TO PASS,.... Which the Lord had foretold in former times, as to Abraham, concerning the affliction of his posterity in Egypt, the bringing them out from thence, and settling them in the land of Canaan; and other things by Moses and Joshua, and other prophets; and b... [ Continue Reading ]
SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG,.... On account of the new things before prophesied of, and now done; on account of redemption and salvation by Christ, and the conversion of the Gentiles through the light of the Gospel brought among them; the song of redeeming love, and for the Gospel, and regeneratin... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE WILDERNESS AND THE CITIES THEREOF LIFT UP THEIR VOICE,.... The eastern part of the world, Arabia Deserta, and the inhabitants of the cities which were in it: THE VILLAGES THAT KEDAR DOTH INHABIT; or the "courts" t, or tents, the Kedarenes inhabited, who were Arabians, and dwelt in tents, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THEM GIVE GLORY UNTO THE LORD,.... For all the great and good things he has done for them, in sending his Gospel to them, calling them by his grace, enlightening their minds, and revealing his Son in them, and making them partakers of the blessings of his grace, and entitling them to eternal glo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SHALL GO FORTH AS A MIGHTY MAN,.... In the ministry of the word, CONQUERING AND TO CONQUER; girding his "sword" on his thigh; causing his "arrows" to be sharp in the hearts of his enemies; clothing the word with power; MAKING THE WEAPONS OF WARFARE, put into the hands of his ministering s... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE LONG TIME HOLDEN MY PEACE,.... For many hundred years the Lord suffered the Gentile world to walk in their own ways, to worship their idols, and took no notice of them; he winked at and overlooked their times of ignorance, and did not bring down his vengeance upon them, nor stir up all his wr... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL MAKE WASTE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS,.... Kingdoms, greater and lesser; kings and governors, as Jarchi interprets it; and so Kimchi understands it of the kings of the nations; by them are meant the emperors of Rome, and their governors under them, that set themselves against Christ and his Gospel,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BRING THE BLIND BY A WAY THAT THEY KNEW NOT,.... The Targum interprets this of the people of Israel, thus, "I will lead the house of Israel, which are like to the blind, in a way which they knew not.'' But it is better to understand it of the Gentiles, who, before the light of the Gospe... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL BE TURNED BACK,.... Either from their former course, from their idolatry and their idols, and be converted, and turn to the living God; or it may be understood of such Gentiles as were not converted, when others were, who should be put to flight, and should fly to the rocks and mountains... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR, YE DEAF; AND LOOK, YE BLIND, THAT YE MAY SEE. Jarchi and Kimchi think these words are spoken to Israel, who, as Aben Ezra says, were deaf and blind in heart; but they are rather an exhortation to the Gentiles that remained impenitent and unbelieving, and who were deaf to the voice of the Gospe... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS BLIND, BUT MY SERVANT?.... Kimchi, taking the former words to be spoken to the Jews, thinks this is their reply; who will say in answer to it, why do ye call us blind and deaf? who so blind and deaf as Isaiah the prophet, the servant of the Lord, his messenger, and a perfect one as he is call... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING MANY THINGS, BUT THOU OBSERVEST NOT,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, saw Christ in the flesh; they saw the miracles he did; they saw the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead raised; yet they did not give note to these things, and keep them... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS WELL PLEASED FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE,.... This may be either understood of what the Lord had done for these people in time past, and which is mentioned as an aggravation of their stupidity, disobedience, and ingratitude; he had delighted in them, and chose them above all people upon t... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THIS IS A PEOPLE ROBBED AND SPOILED,.... The Jewish people, who shut their eyes against the clear light of the Gospel, and turned a deaf ear to Christ, and to his ministers, rejected him, and persecuted them; these were robbed and plundered by the Roman soldiers of all their riches and treasures... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO AMONG YOU WILL GIVE EAR TO THIS?.... To this prophecy of your destruction, and to what follows concerning it: WHO WILL HEARKEN AND HEAR FOR THE TIME TO COME? and receive instruction from hence, and repent and reform? none at all; so blind, and deaf, and stupid, were they both before, and at the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO GAVE JACOB FOR A SPOIL, AND ISRAEL TO THE ROBBERS?.... To the Roman soldiers, to be spoiled and robbed by them? this was not owing to chance and fortune, or to the superior skill and power of the Roman army: DID NOT THE LORD, HE AGAINST WHOM WE HAVE SINNED? he did, but not without cause; he was... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE HE HATH POURED UPON HIM THE FURY OF HIS ANGER,.... The Lord was angry with these people for their rejection of the Messiah, and contempt of his Gospel; and therefore his wrath came upon them to the uttermost, not in some small drops, but in great abundance, to the utter ruin of their natio... [ Continue Reading ]