Westminster Annotations, Isaiah · Chapter 52
CHAP. LII.
AWake] He calleth upon the Church, to do that now, which she had before requested God to do for her, Chap. 51. 9. even to rouse up her self, and pluck up her spirits, Chap. 51. 12. and 60. 1.
put on thy strength] Be of good courage: and let it appear, that thou art so. See Chap. 51. 9.
put on thy beautifull garments] Heb. Thy garments of beauti. Lay aside thy mourning weed, and servile habite: Put off thy wonted raiment; and put on thy better apparel; thine estate being altered for the better. Gen. 27. 15. & 41. 24. Ruth 3. 3. Chap. 61. 10. Jer. 52. 33. Zech. 3. 4, 5.
the holy city] Heb. citie of holinesse. Chap. 48. 2.
shall no more come into thee] Heb. not adde that shall come into thee. or, unto thee. or, against thee: as Num. 23. 21, 23. as Chap. 29. 1. Hos. 1. 6. Thou shalt no longer be possessed, nor invaded more by heathen, Chap. 63. 18. Lam. 1. 10. Or, wicked ones shall not harbour with thee, Chap. 35. 8. Rev. 21. 27.
V. 2. Shake thy self from the dust] That thou satest in before, as a mourner, Job 2. 8. & 42. 6. Or, layest along in, as a prisoner and captive, disregarded, and despightfully intreated, Chap. 51. 23. Psal. 7. 5. & 44. 25. & 119. 25. contrary to that, which Babylon is willed to do, Chap. 47. 1.
sit down] Or, sit up. rather; as Gen. 27. 19.
loose thy self] Heb. open thy self. See Chap. 51. 14.
from the bands of thy neck] Such as prisoners and captives are wont to be fastened with one to another, as beasts in a yoke, Lam. 1. 14.
V. 3. Ye have sold your selves for nought, &c.] The Babylonians paid me nothing for you; and therefore I will take you from them again without ransome, Psal. 44. 12. Chap. 45. 13. See Chap. 49. 24, 25. & 50. 1.
ye shall be redeemed without money] Heb. without silver. Chap. 45. 13. & 55. 1.
V. 4. My people went down aforetime into Egypt] When Jacob went thither in time of famine, Gen. 46. 6.
and] Or, but. as Chap. 53. 5.
the Assyrian oppressed them without cause] The Egyptians might pretend somewhat for their evill usage of my people; because they came thither for succour, and lived as sojourners with them: but the Assyrians had no colour for their tyrannising over them: and I have the more cause therefore to punish them for so doing.
V. 5. Now therefore] Or, And now.
what have I here] What get or gain I more by the Chaldeans now, then I did by the Assyrians before? but that I am blasphemed by them both, Chap. 10. 10, 11. & 14. 13, 14. Or, what have I to do, when my people are thus oppressed, and I suffer in their oppressions? Psal. 74. 22, 23. & 89. 50, 51.
my people is taken away for nought] Vers. 3.
my name continually every day is blasphemed] I am wounded in my reputation, by the wicked, deeming me unable to deliver my people, Ezek. 36. 20. 23. Rom. 2. 24.
V. 6. my people shall know my name] I will make my power known by their deliverance, Psal. 106. 8. Chap. 49. 26. and 63. 14.
I am he that doth speak, behold, it is, I] Or, that do speak, saying, Lo here am I. See Chap. 65. 1. Who now foretell and promise, what I will then fulfill and perform, Chap. 42. 9. and 48. 3, 5.
V. 7. How beautifull upon the mountains] The joyous entertainment of those, that come over the hils, wherewith Jerusalem was environed, Psal. 125. 2. to bring tidings of their deliverance from the Babylonian bondage. and of those much more, that publish salvation by Christ, Nahum 1. 15. Rom. 10 15. Gal. 4. 15, 16.
the feet] Their very feet, though sweatie and dustie with travel, yet are amiable and acceptable.
that brangeth good tidings] Chap. 40. 9. & 41. 27.
that publisheth peace] Or, prosperitie, and welfare. Chap. 48. 18.
publisheth salvation] Deliverance, temporall by Cyrus: spirituall by Christ. Chap. 51. 5.
Thy God reigneth] Hath manifested and magnified his royall power, by the destruction of his enemies, and the deliverance of his people: but chiefly by the spirituall kingdome crected and exercised by Christ, Psal. 93. 1. & 97. 1. & 99. 1. Psal. 110. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. 7. & 146. 10. Rev. 6. 2. & 11. 15. & 19. 6.
V. 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voyce] The Prophets, Ezek. 3 17. & 33. 7. Heb. 13. 17. shall with much joy publish thy deliverance; when they shall see that performed, which God by them had before promised, 1 Pet. 1. 10,—12.
they shall see cye to cye] Evidently and cleerly behold those things effected, which they had sometime foretold. See Num. 14. 14.
V. 9. Break forth into joy] Chap. 35. 1. & 51. 3.
waste places] Heb. wasts. Chap. 49. 19.
V. 10. made bare his holy arm] Or, stript up his arm; as ready to strike with it; in that manner, that it may appear to be his work, Chap. 26. 11. Psal. 98. 2, 3. Ezek. 4. 7.
his holy arm] Heb. arme of holinesse. Psal. 98. 1.
all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God] Psal. 98. 3. Luk. 3. 6.
V. 11. Depart ye] Chap. 48. 20. & 62. 10. Jer. 50. 8. & 51. 6. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4.
go ye out of the midst of her] Or, out of ber. as Chap. 5. 8.
be ye clean] He warneth the faithfull not to pollute themselves with Babylonian superstitions, since that they are called to be spirituall priests, 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 5, Rev. 1. 6.
that bear the vessels of the LORD,] That are to bear back the holy vessels, which Nebuchadnezzar had caried away to Babylon, Dan. 1. 2. 2 Chron. 36. 7. Ezr. 1. 7, 8, 11. Or, the priests that handle them in their ordinary ministration, Levit. 21. 6, 23. Num. 4. 5,—15. and 19. 13, 19. Ezek. 22. 26. Hag. 2. 13, 14.
V. 12. ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight] As your fore-fathers did out of Egypt, Exod. 12. 33. 39. as if they fled, Exod. 14. 5. but freely, quictly, peaceably, by commission from authoritie, without noise, tumult, or fear, Chap. 55. 12.
the LORD will go before you] Alluding to Gods conducting, and safe-guarding them in the wildernesse, Exod. 13. 21. and 14. 19, 20.
will be your rere-ward] Heb. will gather you up. Num. 10. 25. Josh. 6. 9, 13. See Chap. 58. 8.
V. 13. Behold] These three verses ensuing seem to belong to the next Chapter.
my servant] Christ, Chap. 42. 1. & 53. 11. by whom our spirituall deliverance is wrought, Matth 1. 21. Gal. 1. 4. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Tit. 2. 14. whereof that was a type.
shall deal prudently] Or, shall prosper. Jer. 23. 5.
V. 14. many were astonied at thee] Christ, as he came without pompe or state, Chap. 42. 2. and lived here in much affliction, Chap. 53. 3. so had he no respect or estimation in the eies of worldly men, Chap. 49. 7. & 53. 2, 3.
more then any man] Heb. then a man. as Chap. 44. 11. So that he seemed rather a worm then a man, Psal. 22. 6.
V. 15. shall he sprinkle many nations] With his spirit and bloud; working faith in them by his word, Act. 233, 38, 41. Heb. 9. 14. and 10. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 2.
kings shall shut their mouthes at him] Out of reverence and astonishment at his excellencie, Job 29. 9, 10. and 40. 4, 5. Psal. 107. 42.
that which had not been them shall they see] In the ministery of the Gospel, Chap. 64. 4. & 65. 1. Rom. 15. 20, 21. & 16. 25, 26. 1 Cor. 2. 8, 9.