Annotations Upon Isaiah, Chapter 62
CHAP. LXII.
VERSE. 1. FOR Zions ſake I will not hold my peace, and for Jeruſalems ſake I will not reſt, &c.] The Prophet here profeſſeth, that out of love and tender reſpect to Zion, and Gods Church and People, and out of zeal for their good, their comfort and incouragement, he would not give over publiſhing thoſe glad tydings, which he had already declared to them; to wit, concerning their deliverance out of Babylon, and their Redemption by Chriſt, and praying to God for the accompliſhment of them; though he had long time done this, yet he would ſtill inceſſantly go on to do it, yea though he ſhould be never ſo much diſcouraged by the incredulity, hatred, and injurious dealing of the people, to whom he imparted theſe glad Tydings, or by ſeeing the Ruine that ſhould come upon them for a time, yet …e would not ceaſe inceſſantly to proclaim theſe things, that hereby he might raiſe up their Hearts conſtantly to wait for this promiſed deliverance and Salvation, though it might be long er'e it came, Ʋntil the Righteouſneſs thereof goeth forth as brightneſs, and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth; that is, (as it reſpects the Jews in Babylon) until by Gods deſtroying the Babylonians, and his Peoples Deliverance, the Righteouſneſs of his Peoples Cauſe, which lay hid during their Captivity, ſhall appear ſo clearly and gloriouſly, that all the Nations about them ſhall ſee and acknowledge it. Or, (as it reſpects the Church of Chriſt) until Chriſt come, who is the Righteouſneſs and Saviour of his People, until the great Work of the Righteouſneſs and Salvation of the Church be fully accompliſhed, and do ſhine forth gloriouſly in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, to the drawing of all Mens Eyes to it, even amongſt Gentiles that before ſat in groſs darkneſs. Some think that this is ſpoken by the Prophet in the Perſon of God; For Zions ſake I will not hold my peace, &c. To wit, that God would not reſt, till he had pleaded the Righteous Cauſe of his People and ſaved them from their Enemies; (for when he doth forbear to do this, he is in the Scripture▪ Phraſe ſaid to hold his peace; See the Note, Chap. 42.14.) Yea, they ſay, that it cannot be ſpoken by the Prophet in his own Perſon, becauſe he dyed long before the return of the Jews out of Babylon, and much more before the full accompliſhment of theſe things by Jeſus Chriſt. But this is not a ſufficient reaſon to diſprove what is moſt generally held by Expoſitors; to wit, that the Prophet ſpeaks here in his own Perſon; ſince his meaning here may be only this, that ſhould he live till theſe things, which God had promiſed his People, ſhould come to paſs, he would never ceaſe to Preach theſe glad tydings, nor to Pray for the ſpeedy performance of them. It is not unlike that Speech of the Apoſtles; 1 Theſ. 4.17. We, which are alive and remain, ſhall be caught up together with them in the Clouds; that is, ſhould any of us at that day be found living upon Earth, it would be ſo with us.
Ver. 2. And the Gentiles ſhall ſee thy Righteouſneſs, &c.] To wit, that before mentioned, which ſhould go forth as brightneſs; for which ſee the foregoing Note; and all Kings thy Glory; that is, all the great Kings of the Gentiles, to whom the knowledge of it ſhall come, ſhall take notice of the exceeding Glory whereto God hath advanced thee; See the Note, Pſal. 138.4. And thou ſhalt be called by a new Name, which the Mouth of the Lord ſhall Name; that is, God will give thee a new Name; to wit, that expreſſed afterward, ver. 4. Thou ſhalt be called Hephzi-bah. But the meaning is, either that Gods Church and People ſhould, through his favour to them, become exceeding Famous and Renowned, far more than ever formerly; Or, that God would bring them into a new Eſtate and Condition, far more glorious than ever formerly heard of; which was moſt fully accompliſhed, when they became the Church of Chriſt.
Ver. 3. Thou ſhalt alſo be a Crown of Glory in the Hand of the Lord, and a Royal Diadem in the Hand of thy God.) The meaning is, either, 1. That the Lord by his Hand upon them in their Deliverance, and in the great things he would do for them, as his peculiar People, would advance them to great Glory, ſo that they ſhould be eminently conſpicuous and renowned even as a Glorious Crown or Royal Diadem in the Eyes of thoſe that behold it; or rather, 2. That God would own his People to be an Honour and Glory to him, even as a Crown or Diadem, which a King takes in his Hand and puts upon his Head, as being the people over whom he Reigned as their King and Soveraign; and conſequently that he would make as precious account of them, as a King doth of his Crown, and as carefully preſerve them.
Ver. 4. Thou ſhalt no more be termed, forſaken, &c.] See the Notes, Chap. 49.14 and 54.6, 7. Neither ſhall thy Land any more be termed deſolate; See the Note, Chap. 1.7. and 54.3. But thou ſhalt be called, that is, thou ſhalt be, and ſhalt be owned to be (as we ſee in the like Expreſſion uſed concerning Chriſt; See the Note, Chap. 7.14.) Hephzi-bah; that is, my Delight is in her: It was the very Name of Hezekiahs Wife, the Mother of Manaſſah, 2 Kings 21.1. But here the intent of it is, that God of his own free grace ſhould greatly delight in his Church and People; and thy Land Beulah; that is, Married; for the Lord Delighteth in thee; and thy Land ſhall be Married; that is, Whereas thy Land hath been bereaved of her People, and ſo hath ſat for many years as a lone Woman without Children, thou ſhalt now be in the ſtate of a Married Wife that hath a Houſe full of Children; becauſe being received into Favour and Communion with God, her Husband, her Land ſhould be abundantly filled with Inhabitants; yea and this may be extended alſo to the great inlargement of the Church under Chriſt in the Days of the Goſpel.
Ver. 5. For as a young Man Marrieth a Virgin, &c.] Theſe are named, becauſe the love of ſuch is uſually moſt ſincere and fervent, and they uſually live together with greateſt content, delight and comfort; So ſhall thy Son Marry thee; as if he had ſaid, O, Zion, O my Church and People, thy Sons ſhall poſſeſs and enjoy thee, as if they were joyned in Marriage with thee, and they ſhall live and dwell with thee as contentedly and comfortably as a young Man is wont to live with ſome Beautiful Virgin, whom he hath taken to be his Wife. The intent of the words is to ſhew, that Strangers ſhould not poſſeſs Zion any more, but that ſhe ſhould be Inhabited conſtantly by their own Natives, who ſhould rejoice and delight in her, according to the joy that is betwixt Husband and Wife. This paſſage indeed ſeems to have ſome difficulty in it, that the Sons of Zion ſhould be ſaid to Marry their Mother: And therefore ſome, by her Sons here, would have her Governors and Magiſtrates to be meant, who are as a Husband to the State and People. But the Expoſition before given, is, I conceive, clearly that which is here intended.
Ver. 6. I have ſet Watchmen upon thy Walls, O Jeruſalem, &c.] Here the Lord is brought in ſpeaking to his Church, and telling them, that for their better ſafeguard he had ſet Watchmen upon their Walls; that is, Prophets, Paſtors, and Teachers; See the notes, Chap. 21.11. and 52.8. Which ſhall never hold their peace Day nor Night; that is, that ſhall be conſtant in their Duty, both in Teaching the People, warning them of their danger and duty, and praying to God on their behalf. And then again in the following words the Prophet again ſpeaks; ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not ſilence; that is, ye amongſt Gods people that are wont to ſpeak of God, and to pray to God, ceaſe not to ſollicite him to be favourable to his poor people; Or rather, O ye, the Watchmen of Jeruſalem; that make mention of the Lord; that put Gods people in mind of God, his grace and goodneſs and promiſes to them, and of their Duty and Obedience; Or, as it is in the Margin of our Bibles; Ye that are the Lords remembrancers; that is, ye whoſe Office it is to put God in mind of the concernments of his People, Oh fail not conſtantly to do your Duty herein.
Ver. 7. And give him no reſt, till he eſtabliſh, &c.] That is, till he ſettle his Church in a comfortable and laſting Foundation; and till he make Jeruſalem a praiſe in the Earth; that is, till by his wonderful deliverance of his Church, and the glorious condition whereunto he ſhall exalt her, ſhe ſhall be praiſed, extolled, and magnified all the world over; Or, till the Nations do for this praiſe the Lord; See the Note, Pſal. 76.3. And though this was in part fulfilled, when Gods people were delivered out of Babylon, yet it was chiefly accompliſhed in the ſpiritual Splendor of the Church of Chriſt, when that was ſpread by the Preaching of the Goſpel throughout the World.
Ver. 8. The Lord hath ſworn by his Right Hand, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, by his Faithfulneſs, a token whereof among men is uſually the giving one the Right Hand. But rather by his Right Hand, and by the Arm of his Strength, is meant his Almighty power; for in regard of the difficulty and ſeeming impoſſibility of the things promiſed, God ingageth his Almighty power for the accompliſhment of them; ſurely I will no more give thy Corn to be Meat for thine Enemies, and the Sons of the Stranger ſhall not drink thy Wine, for the which thou haſt laboured; that is, thy Proviſions ſhall not any more be a prey to thine Enemies. It is in the Hebrew, If I give any more thy Corn, &c. for which Form of an Oath; ſee the Note, Chap. 5.9. It is all one as if God had ſaid, let me not be eſteemed as an Almighty God, if this be ſo any more. Becauſe even after the Jews return from Babylon, Enemies did many times ſpoil the Jews of their outward proviſions, therefore ſeveral Expoſitors underſtand this ſpiritually; to wit, that the Devil and his Inſtruments ſhall never bereave the Church of thoſe Proviſions whereby their Souls are to be nouriſhed unto Life Eternal. But there is no neceſſity of flying to this Expoſition. It is certainly a promiſe made to Gods People, for their defence, and their peaceable enjoying their Eſtates, contrary to that Curſe, Deut. 28.33. Which as it was partly fulfilled when the Jews returned out of Babylon, ſo eſpecially under the Kingdom of Chriſt; the Church never was, nor ever ſhall be deprived of neceſſary outward Proviſions, 1 Tim. 4.8. Godlineſs is profitable unto all things, having promiſe of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come. And beſides, when Chiſtians are bereaved of their outward Eſtates, the Curſe of that threatning, Deut. 28. is taken away.
Ver. 9. But they that have gathered it, ſhall eat it, and praiſe the Lord, &c.] That is, thy People together with the Harveſt men imployed by them in gathering in their Corn, ſhall eat it, bleſſing God for it; and they that have brought it together; that is, the Wine before mentioned, ver. 8. ſhall drink it in the Courts of my Holineſs; that is, my Sanctuary, or in my Holy Courts, in my Temple; the meaning is, that Gods People ſhould in his Church peaceably enjoy the outward bleſſings God afforded them, praiſing God for them even in their publick Aſſemblies; only in the expreſſions here uſed, there is an alluſion to the Holy Feaſts which the Jews kept in the Courts of the Temple; for which ſee the Note, Deut. 12.7. How this alſo is underſtood by ſome of the Soul proviſions of the Church; ſee in the foregoing Note.
Ver. 10. Go through, go through the Gates, &c.] The doubling of this charge imports the doing of what is here enjoyn'd with all ſpeed and diligence. But the great Queſtion is, to whom, and concerning what Gates this is ſpoken. Some conceive that the Inhabitants of Zion, the believing Jews; (or, Zions Watchmen before mentioned, ver. 6. the Miniſters and Preachers of the Goſpel) are here called upon to go out of her Gates to make way for the Gentiles to come into the Church. Again, others underſtand it of the Jews, encouraged hereby to preſs and throng in through the Gates of Jeruſalem, which though formerly broken down or burnt, ſhould at their return ftom Babylon ſtand open before them, ready to receive them. And under this Type they conceive, that the flocking in of the Gentiles on all ſides to the Church is comprehended; ſee the Notes, Chap. 26.2. and 60.11. But becauſe in the following Words, there is mention made of preparing the way for the Jews return out of Babylon, it is not ſo probable that their preſſing into the Gates of Jeruſalem ſhould be here ſet before that; it may be rather thought, that the Jews are here preſſed to haſten ſpeedily, and to go through the Gates of the ſeveral Cities where they were in Captivity, and to get away to their own Country; which indeed agreeeth well with that which is ſaid elſewhere; ſee the Notes, Chap. 48.20. and 52.11. Yea, and ſome too think, that it may be ſpoken to thoſe, to whom the following Words are directed, prepare you the way of the People, caſt up, caſt up the high-way, gather out the Stones; for which ſee the Note, Chap. 40.3. lift up a ſtandard for the People; ſee the Note Cap. 49.22.
Ver. 11. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the World, &c.] To wit, that which follows, ſay ye to the Daughter of Zion; ſee the Note, 2 Kings 19.21. Behold thy Salvation cometh; that is, thy Redemption and Deliverance; or, thy Saviour that ſhall deliver thee; for that this laſt is at leaſt implied, is evident by the following Words; behold, his reward is with him, &c. Now as this is ſpoken with reſpect to the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon; the meaning is, either, that the Lord had by the Proclamation of Cyrus enjoyn'd all Nations ſhould give liberty to his People, to return home to their own Land (which agrees well with that expreſſion of Cyrus in his Proclamation, Ezra 1.2, Thus ſaith Cyrus King of Perſia, the Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth, &c.) or elſe, that the Lord by the wonderful manner of that deliverance of the Jews, would cauſe all Nations even to the end of the World, to underſtand that it was done by his Will and Command. But now as it is ſpoken with reſpect to that great Work of Mans Redemption by Chriſt (whereof the other was a Type) the meaning is, that the Lord had by the preaching of the Goſpel Proclaimed unto all Nations the coming of the promiſed Meſſiah, that ſo they might come in and joyn themſelves to his Church; and indeed that paſſage, ſay ye to the Daughter of Zion, behold, thy Salvation cometh; is expreſly applyed to Chriſt by the Evangeliſts, Math. 21.5. behold his Reward is with him, and his Work before him; ſee the Note, Chap. 40.10.
Ver. 12. And they ſhall call them, the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, &c.] That is, upon their miraculous deliverance men ſhall own them to be the People whom God had Sanctified and ſet a part to himſelf, to be his own peculiar People; ſee the Note, Exod. 19.6. and whom he had made a Holy People, and redeemed out of the power of their Enemies; ſee the Notes, Chap. 4.3. and 60.21. and thou ſhalt be called; to wit, thou O Zion, ſought out; that is, of her Husband that had caſt her off; ſee the Notes, Chap. 34.6, 7. Or one, over whom God took ſpecial care to look after her, and recover her when ſhe was loſt. Or, the meaning may be, that ſhe ſhould be ſought after, as one that was in high eſteem; to wit, by the Gentiles that ſhould ſeek to joyn themſelves in one Church with her; and ſo it ſhould be no more ſaid of her, as formerly it was; this is Zion, whom no Man ſeeketh after, Jer. 30.17. A City not forſaken; that is neither caſt off by God, nor left deſolate without People, as formerly ſhe ſeemed to be; ſee the Note above, ver. 4.