INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 65 This chapter contains an answer to the prayer begun Isaiah 63:15, and continued in the preceding chapter; in which reasons are given by the Lord for suffering such calamities as are before mentioned to come upon the Jewish nation; particularly their rejection of the Gospel... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM SOUGHT OF THEM THAT ASKED NOT FOR ME,.... That this is a prophecy of the calling and conversion of the Gentiles is not to be doubted, since the Apostle Paul has quoted it, and applied it to that case, Romans 10:20 and is here mentioned as an aggravation of the sin of the Jews, in rejecting Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SPREAD OUT MINE HANDS ALL THE DAY UNTO A REBELLIOUS PEOPLE,.... Meaning Israel, as the apostle explains it, Romans 10:21, whom he calls a "disobedient and gainsaying people"; who believed not in Christ, obeyed not his Gospel, but contradicted and blasphemed it; and were rebellious against him... [ Continue Reading ]
A PEOPLE THAT PROVOKETH ME TO ANGER CONTINUALLY TO MY FACE,.... They committed their sins openly, without any fear of the divine Being, and in defiance of him, not at all awed by his omniscience and omnipresence; they committed them in the open streets, and even in the temple, the place of the divin... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH REMAIN AMONG THE GRAVES,.... In order to practise necromancy, to consult the dead, where they imagined demons and departed spirits haunted, and of whom they fancied they might get knowledge of future things: AND LODGE IN THE MONUMENTS: whole nights for the same purposes. The Vulgate Latin ver... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH SAY, STAND BY THYSELF, c], According to Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi, these are the unclean persons that did the above things who say to the righteous, "draw near to thyself" p; so the words are, go to thine own place, or to thine own company: AND COME NOT NEAR TO ME; keep off at a distance,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, IT IS WRITTEN BEFORE ME,.... This account of their sins; it was in his sight and constant remembrance, and punishment for them was determined by him, written in the book of his decrees: I WILL NOT KEEP SILENCE; but threaten with destruction, and not only threaten, but execute; plead against... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR INIQUITIES, AND THE INIQUITIES OF YOUR FATHERS TOGETHER (SAITH THE LORD),.... That is, the punishment both of the one and of the other; these being alike, and continued from father to son, and approved of, and committed by one generation after another, till the measure was filled up; and then t... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, AS THE NEW WINE IS FOUND IN THE CLUSTER,.... Now, lest the truly godly and gracious among these people should be distressed at such denunciations of wrath and destruction, it is suggested that these few, this remnant according to the election of grace, should be saved from the g... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BRING FORTH A SEED OUT OF JACOB,.... Jerom says most understand this of Christ; and who indeed is called the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, and sprang from Jacob or Israel, and came out of the tribe of Judah; and may be fitly signified by the cluster, in which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHARON SHALL BE A FOLD OF FLOCKS,.... This was a champaign country about Joppa and Lydda, in which were rich pastures for herds and flocks, 1 Chronicles 27:29, it seems to be a prophecy of the conversion of some in those parts, which had its accomplishment in the times of the apostles, Acts 9:35... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE ARE THEY THAT FORSAKE THE LORD,.... Here the Lord returns to the body of the people again, the unbelievers and rejecters of the Messiah, who turned away from him, would not hear his doctrine, nor submit to his ordinances; they forsook the worship of the Lord, as the Targum; yea, some that pro... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WILL I NUMBER YOU TO THE SWORD,.... There is an elegancy in the expression, alluding to Meni, that number, they furnished a drink offering for, or trusted in; and since they did, God would number them, or appoint a number of them to the sword; or suffer them to be slain in great numbers, e... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... This being the case, the following contrast is formed between those that believed in Christ, and those that rejected him: BEHOLD, MY SERVANTS SHALL EAT, BUT YE SHALL BE HUNGRY: which has been verified in a literal sense; for the Christians, the Lord's righteou... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, MY SERVANTS SHALL SING FOR JOY OF HEART,.... The songs of electing, redeeming, and calling grace, with which they come to Zion now, and will hereafter; having their hearts filled with joy unutterable, and full of glory, under a sense of the great things which God has done for them: BUT YE S... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL LEAVE YOUR NAME FOR A CURSE UNTO MY CHOSEN,.... Execrable and abominable to them, as the name of a Jew is to this day, and in all places; for their unbelief and impenitence, for their perfidy and insincerity, for their tricking and covetousness, and other crimes they are addicted to; se... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HE WHO BLESSETH HIMSELF IN THE EARTH,.... That is sensible he stands in need of blessings, and wishes for them, and prays he might have them; or that takes notice that he is blessed with them, and acknowledges them, and is thankful for them: SHALL BLESS HIMSELF IN THE GOD OF TRUTH; shall pray... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR, BEHOLD, I CREATE NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH,.... This prophecy began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, when through the preaching of it there was a new face of things appeared in Judea, and in the Gentile world, so that the whole looked like a new world; and this was... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BE YOU GLAD, AND REJOICE FOR EVER IN THAT WHICH I CREATE,.... This may refer either to persons converted, both at the beginning of the Gospel, and in the latter day, whether Jews or Gentiles; who are the Lord's creation, or new creatures, being made new men; having new hearts and spirits given t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL REJOICE IN JERUSALEM, AND JOY IN MY PEOPLE,.... God himself rejoices in his people, as they are considered in Christ; so he did from all eternity, and so he does at the conversion of them; which is the day of their espousals, and when he manifests his love to them, and rejoices over them... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE SHALL BE NO MORE THENCE AN INFANT OF DAYS,.... That is, there shall no more be carried out from thence, from Jerusalem, or any other place where the church of God is, to the grave, in order to be interred, an infant that has lived but a few days, a very common thing now; but, in the latter day... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL BUILD HOUSES, AND INHABIT THEM,.... In Jerusalem, and other parts of Judea: though this need not be limited to the Jews, but be considered as reaching to all the Lord's people, the Gentiles also; who will be in no fear of enemies, or ever be disturbed by them, but shall dwell in their... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL NOT BUILD, AND ANOTHER INHABIT,.... As the Canaanites did, whose houses the Israelites inhabited; but they shall inhabit the houses they have built, and shall not be dispossessed by an enemy: THEY SHALL NOT PLANT, AND ANOTHER EAT; the fruit of the vines, olives, fig trees, or others, pla... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL NOT LABOUR IN VAIN,.... As they do, who build houses, and enemies come and turn them out of them, and dwell in them themselves; or who plant vineyards, and sow their fields, and strangers come and devour them; or they are smitten with blasting and mildew: NOR BRING FORTH FOR TROUBLE; for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT BEFORE THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER,.... The sense is, should they be attacked by any enemy, or fear that they shall be disturbed by them, and so bethink themselves of making application to the Lord for help; while they are preparing for prayer, stirring up one another to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WOLF AND THE LAMB SHALL FEED TOGETHER,.... Or, "as one" k: as if they were one, of the same kind and nature, and lived upon the same food. The people of God are comparable to lambs, for their harmlessness and innocence; and wicked men to wolves, for their fierceness and cruelty; but, by the grac... [ Continue Reading ]