Isaiah 56:2

Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. BLESSED (IS) THE MAN - Hebrew, 'enowsh (H582), 'a man in humble life,' in contradistinction to Hebrew, ish, 'one of high rank.' Even the humblest, as "the stranger" and "the eunuch" (Isaiah 56:4; Isaiah 56:6), are admissible to these privileges. (See Luke 12:43.) THE MAN (THAT) DOETH THIS, AND THE SON OF MAN THAT LAYETH HOLD ON IT - what follows: 'keeping the Sabbath,' etc. ...

2._Happy is the man that shall do this. _When he calls those persons “happy” who, having embraced this doctrine, devote themselves to walk uprightly, he indirectly leads us to conclude that many will be deaf or disobedient; but, lest their wickedness or indifference should retard the elect, he recommends the exhortation which he has given from the advantage which it yields. Thus, in order that believers may abandon all delay, he exclaims that they are “happy” to whom it hath been given (95) to possess such wisdom. _Keeping the Sabbath. _We have said that the words “justice” and “judgment,” in the preceding verse, include all the duties of the second table; but here he mentions the Sabbath, which belongs to the first table. I reply, as I have already mentioned briefly, that they who live inoffensively and justly with their neighbors, testify that they serve God; and therefore we need not...

1,2 The Lord tells us what are his expectations of duty from us. Be honest and just in all dealings. Also strictly observe the sabbath day. To have the blessing of God upon employments all the week, make conscience of keeping the sabbath holy. Have nothing to do with sin. Blessed is the man that keeps his hand from all things displeasing to God and hurtful to his own soul. Those who, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, will be found walking in ways of holy obedience....

Verse Isaiah 56:2. _THAT KEEPETH THE SABBATH FROM POLLUTING IT_] _Kimchi_ has an excellent note here. "The Sabbath is sanctified when it is _distinguished in dignity_; and _separated_ from _other days_. 1. As to the _body_, in meat, drink, and clean clothing. 2. As to the _soul_, that it be empty of worldly occupations, and be busily employed in the words of the law and wisdom, and in meditation on the works of the Lord." The _rabbins_ say, "Jerusalem had never been destroyed, had not the Sabbaths been profaned in it....

BLESSED IS THE MAN - Hebrew, ‘The blessings of the man’ (see Psalms 1:1). The sense is, ‘happy is the man.’ The word here rendered ‘man’ (אנושׁ _'ĕnôsh_) usually denotes a man in humble life or in a subordinate rank, in contradistinction from אישׁ _'ı̂ysh_, a man in elevated rank. As the object of the prophet here is particularly to say, that the ‘stranger’ and the ‘eunuch’ would be admitted to these privileges, it is possible that he designedly used a word denoting one in bumble life. The particular blessing to which he refers is specified in Isaiah 56:7. THAT DOETH THIS - That is, this which the prophet soon specifies - keeping the Sabbath, and abstaining from evil....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 56:1 AN EXHORTATION TO OBSERVE THE LAW, ESPECIALLY THE LAW OF THE SABBATH, COMBINED WITH PROMISES. There was much of the Law which it was impossible to observe during the Captivity. Sacrifice had ceased, the temple was destroyed, almost all the ceremonial law must have been suspended; even the command to do no work on the sabbath day cannot have been kept by a nation of slaves, whose masters would certainly not have permitted them to be idle one day in seven. Still, the spirit of the ordinance might be kept by devoting the day, so far as was possible, to religious observance, as to pra

BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT DOTH THIS,.... That does justice, and keeps judgment; he hereby exercises a good conscience both towards God and men; he enjoys communion with God in his ways, worship, and ordinances, he attends unto, and has an evidence of his right to eternal happiness: AND THE SON OF MAN THAT LAYETH HOLD ON IT; on the salvation of Christ, and his righteousness; which supposes a sense of the insufficiency of a man's own righteousness, a view of the excellency and suitableness of Christ's righteousness; and is expressive of a strong act of faith upon it, embracing and retaining it as a man's own: THAT KEEPETH THE SABBATH FROM POLLUTING IT; by doing any servile work on it, and attending to all religious duties, private or public. This is put for the whole of instituted worship under the Gospel dispensation, and for any day or time in which the church of Christ meet together for...

CHAPTER 56 Salvation Enjoyed by the Strangers and Eunuchs 1. _Strangers and servants joined unto the Lord to serve Him and to love the Name of the Lord (Isaiah 56:1) _ The first eight verses of this chapter stand by themselves. Strangers to the commonwealth of Israel and eunuchs are gathered in. It is the result of the gracious invitation of the preceding chapter and that again is the result of the work of the Servant of Jehovah and His vicarious suffering. While these verses look forward to the kingdom we have in them a hint of what God does now in gathering strangers. The gathering of the others in verse eight can only take place when the outcasts of Israel are brought in....

ISAIAH 56:1_._ A GRACIOUS PROMISE TO PROSELYTES AND EUNUCHS. We find ourselves conscious in this oracle of a change of atmosphere and setting. The Temple is built, and the centre of an elaborate ritual. Refraining from evil and sabbath-keeping are equally yoked. We pass now to the oracles of Trito-Isaiah. An exhortation to hold fast the ordinances of religion (judgement), based upon the imminence of Yahweh's vindicating intervention (my righteousness), is followed by a beatitude upon the man who obeys it. Let not the foreigner fear exclusion from the chosen people (separate is a technical term meaning to excommunicate), nor the eunuch, because he can have no posterity, refrain from joining them. For the eunuch who follows Yahweh's precepts (note again the emphasis on sabbath-keeping) a monument shall be erected in the Temple-precincts, indestructible and thus better than ...

MAN. (mortal) man. Hebrew. _'enosh._ App-14. THIS... IT. This righteousness... this salvation. Both Feminine. OF MAN. of Adam. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14. KEEPETH THE SABBATH. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 20:8)....