Isaiah 26:15

Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. THOU HAST - prophetic preterite (). THOU HAST REMOVED (IT) FAR (UNTO) ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH - rather, 'thou hast extended far all the borders of the land' (Vitringa). There is no "unto" in the Hebrew, and the parallelism to "thou hast increased the nation" favours this. However, Junius supports the English version thus: 'Isaiah enlarges upon the previous statement as to the truth of God's wonderful judgments toward the Church; for first, in this verse, they had been removed far unto all ends of the earth; then they had been sore pressed with pain (Isaiah 26:16); thirdly, they would have been utt...

15._Thou hast added to the nation. _This verse is explained in various ways. Some think that the Prophet here declares that the godly are not merely oppressed by one kind of affliction, but are plunged, as it were, into the lowest misery, and that they see no end of their distresses. Others explain it simply to mean, “O Lord, thou hast bestowed on thy nation various blessings,” and think that the Prophet mentions the blessings which God bestowed on his people in various ways, as if he had said, “The people have experienced, not only in one instance, but in innumerable ways, the Lord’s kindness and bounty.” But when I attend to what follows, _Thou hast enlarged_, that is, “Thou hast extended thy kingdom, which formerly was confined within narrow limits,” I choose rather to view the two statements as closely connected; for the latter clause is an interpretation of the former. Besides, it a...

12-19 Every creature, every business, any way serviceable to our comfort, God makes to be so; he makes that work for us which seemed to make against us. They had been slaves of sin and Satan; but by the Divine grace they were taught to look to be set free from all former masters. The cause opposed to God and his kingdom will sink at last. See our need of afflictions. Before, prayer came drop by drop; now they pour it out, it comes now like water from a fountain. Afflictions bring us to secret prayer. Consider Christ as the Speaker addressing his church. His resurrection from the dead was an earnest of all the deliverance foretold. The power of his grace, like the dew or rain, which causes the herbs that seem dead to revive, would raise his church from the lowest state. But we may refer to the resurrection of the dead, especially of those united to Christ....

THOU HAST INCREASED THE NATION - That is, the Jewish nation (see the note at Isaiah 9:3). The nation was not only enlarged by its regular increase of population, but many converts attended them on their return from Babylon, and probably many came in from surrounding nations on the rebuilding of their capital. THOU HADST REMOVED IT FAR ... - Or rather, thou hast extended far all the borders of the land. The word rendered ‘removed’ (רחק _râchaq_) means usually to put far away, and here it may mean to put far away the borders or boundaries of the nation; that is, to extend them far. The word ‘unto’ is not in the original; and the phrase rendered ‘ends of the earth,’ may mean the borders. or boundaries of the land. The parallelism requires this construction, and it is indeed the obvious one, an

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 26:1 A SONG OF THE REDEEMED IN MOUNT ZION. The prophet, having (in Isaiah 25:1.) poured forth his own thankfulness to God for the promise of the Church's final redemption and triumph, proceeds now to represent the Church itself in the glorified state as singing praise to God for the same. ISAIAH 26:1 IN THAT DAY. In the "day of God" (2 Peter 3:12), the period of the "restitution of all things" ...

THOU HAST INCREASED THE NATION, O LORD, THOU HAST INCREASED THE NATION,.... The righteous nation, Isaiah 26:2 the church of God, by the numerous conversions of Jews and Gentiles; when the nation of the Jews shall be born at once, and the fulness and forces of the Gentiles are brought in; when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ: this increase is repeated, to denote the certainty of it, and because a matter of great moment and importance: THOU ART GLORIFIED; as by the destruction of the antichristian powers, so by the enlargement of the church and kingdom of Christ; for now will the voices be heard in heaven, giving praise and glory to God: even those that are frightened with his judgments, as well as those that are affected with his goodness, will give glory to the God of heaven,...

Isaiah 26:1. _In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah;_ God would have his people to be a singing people. They often sigh; they should oftener sing. God makes their songs, and appoints the song for the day, and so helps them to cheer the darkest day with some melodious music. Isaiah 26:1. _We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks._ Jerusalem may fall, her walls may be destroyed till not one stone is left upon another; but still, «we have a strong city.» In the salvation of God, we live and are safe. Our place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks. The eternal purposes of God shall guard the safety of his people. Isaiah 26:2.

CHAPTER 26 JUDAH'S GLORY SONG 1. _Praise for Jehovah's faithfulness and mercies (Isaiah 26:1)_ 2. _The experiences of waiting during the night (Isaiah 26:7)_ 3. _The assurance of peace and deliverance (Isaiah 26:12)_ 4. _Assurance of restoration and preservation (Isaiah 26:19) _ We call attention to verses 12-21. Annihilationists base upon these words the evil doctrine that the wicked are not raised, but destroyed. The fact, however, is that Isaiah 26:13 and...

MEMORIES AND ANTICIPATIONS. The poem, which is a very elaborate composition, seems to have been written in confident expectation of deliverance, though the actual situation is still one of distress. Jerusalem has been made impregnable, let the righteous enter in. The unwavering mind is kept by God in unbroken peace (_cf. mg.)._ He is worthy of trust, for He is an everlasting rock; He has laid low the exalted city, the afflicted Jews trample it under foot. The way of the just is made smooth. The manifestation of Yahweh's judgment has been eagerly awaited, for the world's inhabitants will learn righteousness when Yahweh's judgments are in the land. The unrighteous shall not find favour, for they have not learnt righteousness. Though Yahweh's hand is lifted, they fail to see it. See it they shall, and be confounded and destroyed. He alone has secured their peace. Other masters have ruled th...

THE NATION: i.e. Israel. The future nation of Matthew 21:43....