Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 42
CHAP. XLII.
BEhold my servant, I will rest upon him, &c. The Sept. Jacob, my servant, Vers. 1.Israel, my chosen. But Hebr. there is neither Jacob nor Israel; and Matth. 12. 18. it is applied to Jesus: And the Cald. Paraphrast. hath it, My servant Messiah. The Hebrews expound it also of Cyrus, but absurdly; for to Jesus it excellently agreeth, and to none else. He, saith Ierom, hath this title, My Hieron.servant, because he humbled himself, and came in the form of a servant, Phil. 2. And upon him was the Spirit sent down in the likeness of a Dove, Matth. 3. and a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. He shall not cry, nor lift up his voice, because he shall be meek and gentle. He shall make judgement to go out to the Gentiles, and yet his voice shall not be heard abroad; that is, He shall contain himself within the limits of Iudea, preaching, whilst he lived upon earth, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel only, but after sending his Disciples out to teach all Nations, who knew nothing before of things pertaining to salvation. The bruised reed he shall not break, for he shall be placable to all, forgiving their sins; and the smoaking flax he shall not quench; that is, they that were near quenching out for their sins, shall by him be saved, and their dark blackness shall be turned into light. He shall bring forth judgement in truth. Not respecting the persons of any, but boldly inveighing against the hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisees. He shall not be of a sad or troubled countenance till he sets judgement upon earth, the Islands shall expect his Law. That is, by his terrible look, making any afraid to come unto him, till the last day, when he will execute judgement upon all the world: And by the Islands expecting his Law, he means the Nations imbracing his faith, who were by Persecution beaten upon, as Islands by the waves of the sea; and his Law expected by them, is that Law of which Ieremy saith, I will make with them a new Covenant, that is, of grace and free pardon of sin. Thus Ierom; from whom Lyra little differing, saith, By his not crying, is meant, with the Lyra.voice of contention, not of preaching or praying, for so he cried, Ioh. 7. and upon the Cross he cried out, Eli, Eli, &c. The bruised reed he shall not break. That is, the Gentiles void of true grace, and shaken with divers errours, as with windes, he shall be so far from breaking, that he will confirm them to stand unmovably in the truth. The smoaking flax sets forth the Jews weak as flax against the Romans; the fire kindled by the Romans amongst them, he will not quench any more, till all their edifices be consumed: And by Islands, he saith, Sicily, Brittaine, and other Islands imbracing the Christian faith are meant; and his judgement bringing forth in truth, of his difference putting betwixt some, imparting his grace unto them and letting others go. He shall not be of a sad countenance. That is, not understanding it of a natural passion, arising out of the sense of sorrow, for so he said, My soul is heavy to the death; but of heaviness darkening the understanding: Wherefore Hebr. it is, He shall Calvin. Muscul. Junius.not be darkened. Calvin, Musculus and Iunius apply this also to Christs meekness of spirit, in dealing with broken-hearted sinners, He will not by a loud and terrible voice affright them, as is the manner of cholerick Judges; no man abroad shall ever hear of passionate speeches coming from him, for he will cherish and comfort the bruised in minde for their sins, and not break their hearts Flax in Latinis linum, of which linen is made, and of this by some is the week of a candle made, and accordingly is a candle almost ready to go out called here, smoking flax, by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole.by despair; and as a man deals with a light, the week whereof is linen, of linum, if it smoaks and burns not clearly, he puts it not out, but useth means to clear it up; so he will give to such as are clouded with discomforts for their sins, a clear sight of his grace. He shall bring forth judgement according to truth. That is, against hypocrites, such as the Scribes and Pharisees, he shall not spare to inveigh, being nothing milde towards them. He shall not fail nor be broken, untill, &c. The same word foreign is here used, that v. 3. being there rendred smoaking, and it signifieth to darken: The meaning is, although he shall be so milde to the bruised and darkened through discomfort of spirit, yet this shall not be in him out of pusillanimity, for his courage for the light of truth shall not be broken, by suffering any thing at the hands of wicked men that hate him; neither shall his light shine more dimly, but continually in the like brightness, Till he settle judgement upon earth, that is, by his Apostles and other Ministers, spreading the light of truth all over the world to continue, none being ever able to extinguish it. And the Islands shall expect his Law. That is, the most remote people of the world shall be converted to his faith. And this seems to be the very meaning here; yet for so much as Matth. 12. 18. applies it after contumelious speeches used against Christ by the Pharisees, whose sick seeking to him he still went on to heal, but injoined them silence, It is not amiss applied, as I have there shewed, to the wicked Jews, who were weak as a bruised reed to withstand Christs power, and were but like the week of a candle made of linen cloth, being almost out and smoaking, yet such was his mildness, that he did neither break nor extinguish them by his immediate judgments, but was patient towards them, and would have nothing reported that he did, to inrage them more to the increase of their sins, till that they being full they suffered by the Romans, for then judgement was brought in righteousness. So also Gregor. Moral. 33. c. 3. The shaken reed was the Kingly stock, Gregor.which failed when Herod was made King: The flax smoaking, was the Priesthood, set forth thus for the linen worn by Priests, and because they had lost then the heat Neutrum judicii potestate perculit, sed utrū{que} cum patientiae longanimitate tolleravit. Basil. Reg. brevior. resp. 291.of a true faith, they were not burning any longer, but smoaking; that Christ brake not, this he quenched not, because he smote neither of them with the power of his judgement, but tollerated both, by the longanimity of his patience. Basil by the bruised reed understands him that doth good, but not with that sincerity which is required: By the smoaking flax, him that doth no duties with that ardency of zeal; the one is not to be rejected, but better taught; the other to be quickened by putting. him in minde of Gods judgements against the lukewarm, and his promises to the zealous. And if he be the Lords delight that is milde towards weak Christians or malicious enemies, helping the infirmities of the one, and having patience towards the other, Then it is a grace that we Note. should endeavour after. Iustinian of this saith, Nihil tam peculiare est imperiali majestati, quem clementia, per quam Deus imitatur. Alex. Severus, when it Justin. in …od.was objected, that by his mildeness he had made his power weaker and more contemptible, answered, But more secure and longer lasting. M. Antoninus to his wife, willing him for his better security to cut off the complices of Avid. Cassius, that had been a Traitor to him, answered, I will spare his wife and children, for nothing commends an Emperour so much as clemency; This made Caesar a god; This consecrated Augustus, and this adorned thy father: Be then secure, the gods will defend me, my clemency is cordial to the gods.
Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, &c.Vers. 5. Vers. 6.
I the Lord have called thee in righteousnesse. &c. Having prophesied of Christ that was to come, by whom all the faithfull from one end of the earth to the other should be saved; he now brings in the Lord speaking to him, first setting him forth by his Almighty power, in opposition to heathen gods (that the great and miraculous work that he was about to do in bringing such a man into the world, might be the rather credited,) Then the speech concerning him, I the Lord have called thee in righteousnesse, &c. Ierom, because v. 1. begins with Hieron.Ecce, behold my servant, but it is not said who spake these words; here it is shewed to be the Lord, who spake so to Christ. I have called thee; that is, to declare me to the world, to be God both of Jews and Gentiles, who are yet ignorant of me. And will hold thy hand: That is, Working wonders by thee and with thee; according to that, My Father hitherto worketh and I work. I have given thee for a Covenant of the people: That is, in performing my Covenant or Promise that thou shouldst come, made long ago. To open the eyes of the blinde: That is, both corporal and spiritual, which had before no sight of God or of his truth. And to bring the bound out of prison, for sins are as bands. My glory I will not give to another: He saith not, I will give it to none, but, not to another; So cautelously spoken, that it is to be admired. For it is not meant that he would not give it to his Son, for he glorified him with the same, Ioh. 12. but not to another God, as is in the words following expressed. Lyra, Lyra.I will give thee for a Covenant: That is, by suffering death, and the bound in prison he expounds of the fathers of old held in Limbo from the sight of God, who is light. Calvin also and others generally understand it of Christ, whom Calvin.he is said to have called in righteousness, meaning justly, and therefore he should be established for ever, and for this cause he saith he held him by his hand. Touching the blinde whose eies he opens, all consent with Ierom, and for the bound in prison, they are the same spiritually blinde, and bound and held by Satan as in a prison, till converted. For Lyra his Limbus, it must first by some plainer place be proved before we receive it; see chap. 61. 1. where the same is again prophesied, and applied to Christ, Luk 4. so that they who expound in of Cyrus are far wide.
Behold the former things are come to passe, and I declare new. These words Vers. 9.are used to perswade men to beleeve Prophecies of things to come by their experience of things before spoken of from time to time by the Lord, falling out accordingly. To Abraham he foretold the multiplication of his posterity, their servitude, and deliverance, and possessing the land of Canaan. To Moses the judgements to come upon Egypt, the dismiss of the Hebrews from thence, and when they had sinned by murmuring, their perishing and long stay in the wilderness. To Ioshuah, that none should be able to stand against him all his daies, and that he should conquer the Land and divide it, &c. all which was fulfilled. Now nothing having failed hitherto, great reason there is to beleeve the new Prophecies coming from the same God, before mentioned of the Babylonish Captivity, Babylons destruction, and their deliverance, and of Christ Jesus. And that there should be for him such rejoycing and singing, as followeth, Vers. 10. Sing to the Lord a new song, ye that descend to sea, &c. After mercy promised, Vers. 10, 11, 12.as is usual in other places, so here the Prophet sheweth what praise and glory God should have in all parts of the world for sending his Christ; of the like see before, chap. 26. and 30, 29. and hereby was intimated, that his Gospel should be preached in all Lands, as was prophesied, Psal. 19. and it is applied Rom. 10. 18. wherefore all the earth is mentioned and the sea and Islands, the wilderness, Cities and Villages of Kedar, that is, Arabians dwelling in tents, and those in rocks and mountains.
The Lord shall go forth as a giant, &c. This is spoken, because when the faithfull Vers. 13.consider their many and potent enemies, they might fear that the promised joyfull time of their deliverance should never come. To support them then against this fear, causing great sorrow in stead of joy, he declares the irresistible power of God by a Giant, known amongst men to be so mighty, that none can stand against him. And he saith, he shall stirre up zeal, to shew his wrath against his enemies, which seems to be nothing, whilst they are in prosperity or asleep, but when he executeth his judgements upon them, then he stirs it up to their cost.
I will cry as a woman in travel. This may seem not so well to agree to the Vers. 14.Lord of all power, when he cries out, and comes upon his enemies with force that cannot be resisted, as v. 13. But he puts the person of such a woman upon him, to shew how dear and near his people were to him, even as the childe to the mother in travel with it, who makes but little noise for a time, but keeps within the compasse of soft and low groaning, but her pangs becoming more extream, she can hold no longer from crying out aloud. In like manner the Lord would hereby shew, that he was pained extreamly, as it were, and longed to be delivered by bringing his people out of the danger of their enemies, by destroying them. Wherefore it is to be taken only as an expression of his affection, not of his weakness, as in such a woman, to work for their deliverance, though he had hitherto only silently groaned a little, as it were, through compassion towards them, and done nothing for their deliverance, yet now the time of their deliverance should come, and an end be put to his pain for their miseries, as of a woman in travel, when she crieth out loudest. A notable place of comfort for all the faithfull in their miseries, God is pained, as it were, Note. with them, and therefore will not certainly suffer the wicked alwaies to oppress them, but longs for their deliverance, and it shall not be long delaid.
I will bring mountains and hils into a desert, &c. That is, By the fierceness of Vers. 15.mine anger burning them up that be mine enemies, although like mighty mountains; and drying them, although as rivers, and then they shall become as Islands, firm earth, where water before abounded.
And I will leade the blinde by the way which they knew not, &c. That is, saith Vers. 16. Calvin.Calvin, such as could see no way of escaping out of dangers, to them will I lay open a way; which should support us against despair, when our case seems at any time to be most desperate, and we can see no more how we should come out then a blinde man the way that he should go. Jerom expounds the blinde of the same, which were spoken of v. 7. and the way, of Christ, who is the Hieronym.way, the truth and the life; and then the eies of the blinde are opened, when Christ is seen prefigured in the Law, in regard of the seeing of whom therein, they were as blinde men, which was foreshewed in the vale put upon Moses his face, according to 2 Cor. 3. And this I imbrace, but reject not the other, because it may well be deduced from hence, if in regard of the way to escape death eternal, God opens the eies of his, that they may see it when they were blinde of themselves and knew it not, he will also shew them a way in his good time to come out of all other dangers, who depend upon him, and wait for his direction, trusting nothing to their own wits.
They shall be turned backward, and be counfounded, who trust in graven Images, Vers. 17.&c. This is otherwise and not according to the plain meaning of Isaiah, rendred by Jerom, They are turned backward, and they shall be confounded that Hieronym.trust in graven Images. As if the meaning were, that the Lord said that he would do to the Jews as he spake before, but they through unbelief turned from him, thus making themselves uncapable of this great good. For to them doing so and trusting to Idols, he threatneth confusion: Or having shewed their obstinacy at the first, he brings them in as crying out upon such as trust in Images after this, intimating hereby their future conversion. But the meaning is, As the faithfull formerly blinde should be so graciously dealt withall, as hath been said; so contrariwise persisters in idolatry still shall be made to fall backward to destruction, and confounded for ever.
Hear (O ye deaf) and yee blinde, look.Vers. 18, 19.
Who is blinde, but my servant? &c. Having prophesied of the opening of the eies of the blinde by Christ, in the former part of the Chapter, now he comes to speak to the Jews, who should be blinde and not able to see Jesus to be the Christ, when the Gentiles should see; for who is his servant but Israel? and who his Messengers, but the Learned amongst them? and of the closing of their eies he spake before, chap. 29. 9, 10. and of their blindness Christ speaks, Joh. 9. Ierom renders the last clause, Who is deaf, but he to whom I sent my messengers? but it is plainly Hebr. as the messengers I have sent. The wicked Priests being hereby meant, as Musculus noteth, whose lips should preserve knowledge, Muscul. Calvin.and who is called the messenger of the Lord, Mal. 2. 7. Calvin saith, that all men are here taxed as blinde, v. 28 but specially the Jews and Priests amongst them, for whom it was the greatest shame, because they had all means of knowledge: Yet he saith, that some expound these words, as if they were the words of the wicked retorting upon the Prophet that which he had said to them, Hear (ye deaf, and ye blinde) see: As if they had said, Who is so blinde as thy self? but he rejects it, as it is well worthy, if we consider the words following, v. 24. and in the very 20th verse, Seeing, but not observing, hearing, that he may not Vers. 20.hear, as was before threatned to Israel, Isa. 6. 9.
The Lord willing for his righteousnesse, &c. That is, He is willing to have it Vers. 21.otherwise with his people, whom he hath peculiarly chosen, viz. that they should see and imbrace the things pertaining to their peace, that no evil imputation might be laid upon him, when it shall fall out ill unto them, as if he were not just to perform to them his promises, when they should suffer such grievous things at the hands of their enemies. That he might magnifie his Law. By drawing mens hearts unto it through benefits conferred upon them, to whom it was committed, whereby it might be gathered that all others, who should live under it and keep it, should also be happy. This was truly Gods good will unto them, but they through their own default were destroyed, insnared, Vers. 22.&c. This is by Ierom applied to the destruction of the Jews by the Romans after their blindness and malice shewed against Christ; for then their destruction was the most grievous by farre, and they were imprisoned and captived, as is here further expressed, yea although hidden in the holes of the rocks, they were drawn from thence, and spoiled, and made slaves of, thirty being sold for one piece of silver. But Calvin expounds it of their destruction by the Babylonians, against which maketh that it is after the coming of Christ prophesied of, and therefore it cannot be so understood. Moreover, vers. 23. he foretelleth, Vers. 23.that when this destruction of them should be made, they should not know or attain to the sight of the cause, or for what sin especially they were brought to such misery, as vers. 24. But when they suffered by the Babylonish Captivity, they soon came to a sight of their sins, especially their idolatries; only since their crucifying of Christ in this most long space of time they are not come to the perceivance of this to be the cause, but only that they have committed a greater sin then ever before, which hath caused the Lord to leave them longer then ever before without any glimpse of his favour.