Isaiah 26:9

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. WITH MY SOUL HAVE I DESIRED THEE - literally, I ... my soul, in apposition; the faithful Jews here speak individually. The overthrow of the foe, and the restoration of the Jews, are to follow upon prayer on the part of the latter and of all God's people (Isaiah 62:1; Isaiah 62:6; Psalms 102:13). IN THE NIGHT - (;...

9._My soul hath desired thee. _This is a stronger expression of the former statement; for, having previously spoken in the person of believers, he had said that the desire of their soul was towards God. He now adds, with regard to himself, _My soul hath desired_; as if he had said, “I have all the faculties of my soul directed towards seeking thy name.” The word נפש (_nēphĕsh_) frequently denotes the vital _Soul_; but as the Prophet here employs two words, I distinguish them so as to make נפש (_nephesh_) mean the desire or will, and רוח (_rūăch_) the intellectual parts; for we know that these are the chief parts of the human soul, namely, the Understanding and the Will, both of which God justly claims for himself. Such is also the import of that passage, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all

5-11 The way of the just is evenness, a steady course of obedience and holy conversation. And it is their happiness that God makes their way plain and easy. It is our duty, and will be our comfort, to wait for God, to keep up holy desires toward him in the darkest and most discouraging times. Our troubles must never turn us from God; and in the darkest, longest night of affliction, with our souls must we desire him; and this we must wait and pray to him for. We make nothing of our religion, whatever our profession may be, if we do not make heart-work of it. Though we come ever so early, we shall find God ready to receive us. The intention of afflictions is to teach righteousness: blessed is the man whom the Lord thus teaches. But sinners walk contrary to him. They will go on in their evil ways, because they will not consider what a God he is whose laws they persist in despising. Scorner...

Verse Isaiah 26:9. _HAVE I DESIRED THEE_] _Forty-one_ MSS. of Dr. _Kennicott's_ and many of _De Rossi's_, (nine ancient,) and _five_ editions read אויתיך _ivvithicha_. It is proper to note this; because the second _yod_ being omitted in the text, the _Vulgate_ and many others have rendered it in the third person. _WHEN THY JUDGMENTS_, c.] It would be better to read, When thy judgments were in the earth, the inhabitants of the world have learned (למדו _lamedu_) _righteousness_. Men seldom seek God in _prosperity_ they are apt to rest in an earthly portion: but God in mercy embitters this by adversity; then there is a general cry after himself as our chief, solid, and only permanent good....

WITH MY SOUL ... IN THE NIGHT - By desiring God in the night, and by seeking him early, is meant that the desire to seek him was unremitted and constant. The prophet speaks of the pious Jews who were in captivity in Babylon; and says that it was the object of their unremitted anxiety to please God, and to do his will. FOR WHEN THY JUDGMENTS ARE IN THE EARTH - This is given as a reason for what had just been said, that in their calamity they had sought God without ceasing. The reason is, that the punishments which he inflicted were intended to lead people to learn righteousness. The sentiment is expressed in a general form, though there is no doubt that the immediate reference is to the calamities which the Jews had suffered in their removal to Babylon as a punishment for their sins. LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS - The design is to warn, to restrain, and to reform them.

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" ...

WITH MY SOUL HAVE I DESIRED THEE IN THE NIGHT,.... Either literally, when others were asleep: or figuratively, in the captivity; which, as Jarchi says, was like unto the night; or in the time of Jewish and Gentile darkness, preceding the coming of Christ; or rather in the time of latter day darkness, when the church is represented as heartily desirous of, and importunately praying for, the latter day glory, the rising of the sun of righteousness, the spiritual reign of Christ, the spread of his Gospel, and the setting up of his kingdom and glory in the world; so the Targum, "my soul desireth to pray before thee in the night;'' her desires were expressed by prayer: YEA, WITH MY SPIRIT WITHIN ME WILL I SEEK THEE EARLY; she determines to continue seeking the Lord night and day, with the greatest intenseness of spirit, and eagerness of soul, until she obtained and enjoyed what she sought...

Isaiah 26:1. _In that day_ Or, rather, as we may read it now, «In this day» Isaiah 26:1. _Shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee._ Here is the song which we are to sing in this gospel day. The theme of it is God, and the city which he has builded, and which he has given to us to be our heritage for ever. «We have a strong city;» yes, beloved, a very strong one, for, although the devil has exercised all his ingenuity for these thousands of years, he has not been able to destroy it. He has thrown in the bombshell of

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...