Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 50
CHAP. L.
VVHere is the bill of your mothers divorcement that I have put away? &c. Vers. 1. Hieron.Here by mother Jerom understands Jerusalem, whom the Lord suffered to be destroyed, and then by her children must be understood children according to the flesh. And he saith, it was not through harshness in the Lord giving her a bill of divorce without cause that this came unto her, but by her own sins.
Wherefore when I came was there no man, none to answer? And this he applieth Vers. 2.to Christ coming in the flesh, to whose calling none of the carnal Jews answered, and he noteth that he saith [no man] because they were all turned into beasts, Herod their King into a fox, some into a generation of vipers, some that are fleshly and lustfull and sensual into swine, the impudent into dogs, for which it is said, Cast not your pearls before swine, &c. and he called them, by saying, Come to me all that be weary, and, If any man thirsteth, let him come. And to this agreeth Cyril, Procopius, Eusebius, Ambrose and Origen, Cyril. Euseb. l. 2. c. 34. Ambros. l. 8. in Luk. 1.who upon Matth. 26. saith, that the whole Church consents about it. The same also appears by Lyra. Yet some understand it of the Jews in Captivity: But we may well rest in the first, taking it, as further spoken to the complaint made Chap. 49. 14. of being forsaken. Only there the faithfull amongst the Jews complain and are comforted, here the carnal are challenged for laying the fault upon the Lord, that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. If so, he bids them shew their mothers bill of divorce, whereby it might appear that the fault was in the Lord and not in her that she was put thus away. For as Calvin hath it, a woman being put away by a bill of divorce from her husband, Calvin.was hereby justified, that it was not for her fault, but through his mo…osity that she was put away. Wherefore he bids them if they can to bring forth such a bill, but this they could not, and therefore the cause was manifest, their sins. The Jewish Church had been the Spouse of God, but now she is for her sins put away, and the Church of the Gentiles called to this honour. And this was her main sinne, that he calling to the faith of the Gospel, none would answer, but all hardened their hearts. And being hereupon put away, when for the Jews refusal the Apostles turned to the Gentiles, her destruction soon followed. For the cause of this could not be any inability in God, or mutability in respect of good will: For his hand he saith was not shortened; and to shew how able and willing he was he recounteth his drying up of the sea, that is, the red sea to let them go thorow upon dry Land, thus delivering them from the Egyptians that pursued them, his drying of rivers, that is, Jordan in like manner, and smiting the rivers in Egypt that the fishes died, and Vers. 3.covering the face of the Heaven over that Land so with darknesse, that they could not see for three dayes. Sasbont expounds this only, as shewing what Ad. Sasbont. Lyra.God can do. Lyra varieth only about covering the Heavens with darknesse, referring it to the darknesse upon all the earth at the time of Christs passion. The Hebrew words are all of the future tense, whereby I think with Sasbont, that God can do it when he pleaseth, and being able to do these things he can doubtless deliver his people also, not only from Babylon, but from sin and death by his Son Jesus Christ.
He hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I might know in season a word Vers. 4.exciting to the weary. Thus it is Hebr. and the meaning is plain, how to speak a word of comfort to the weary, whereby their drooping spirits might be stirred up and cheared. And although the Hebrews, and Thomas Aquinas, and Calvin apply this to Isaiah and other Prophets of God in general, set to comfort his afflicted people after threatning and reproof, yet I doubt not but with Jerom and all other ancient Expositours, to referre it to Christ, as Junius also doth. For having declared his power to save vers. 2, 3. challenging the hard-hearted Jews for their obstinacy, of whom none would answer, when he came into this world, and taught, and did wonders amongst them, shewing therein so great power indeed, as that they might easily gather him to be Almighty, and so able to do all the things mentioned there. Now he is brought in further speaking of his admirable gift in teaching; for it is said, That be taught with authority, and not as the Scribes, and the Officers sent to Matth. 7. Joh. 7. Matth. 11. 28.take him, said, Never man spake as he did; and for the weary in particular, Come to me all that be weary and heavy laden. And whence this admirable faculty came, he sheweth in the next words, Morning by morning he shall stirre up my ear, that I may hear as the learned; that is, God makes me from day to day to hear, and so to speak what he biddeth me, and how. For so Christ the son of man often saith, That he did and spake nothing but from his Father, and what he heard of him. And well may his speaking seasonably to the weary be here spoken of; and whence he had this learning, now that he is declaring his power. For his comfortable speeches were not bare words, but words accompanied with power, to heal the sick, to give sight to the blinde, to cleanse lepers, to cast out devils, to appease tempests, to make fishermens labours prosperous, when they had before toiled all night for nothing: And which is above all; to raise the dead, and even the dead in sinne, and to forgive sins, wherein the greatest comfort in the world lieth to such souls as feel the load of sinne, and are weary of it. Moreover the words following ver. 6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks, &c. do most notably agree unto Christ, Vers. 6.whom they whipped, and buffeted, and spit upon, but of any such thing done to Isaiah we read not. Whereas Calvin saith, Neither were Davids hands or feet pierced, neither had he gall and vinegar given him to drink, &c. as Psa. 22. many things that were done to the servants of God of greatest note, not being set down, and therefore these things might be done also to Isaiah, though we read not of them; It is of no force to justifie the exposition applying it to Isaiah: for we are sure that they were done to Christ, but know not that they were done to Isaiah, and it is unprobable that those things Psal. 22. were ever done to David; therefore the most certain understanding of both places is of Christ in Ps. 22. typified in David, or by him spoken of in the person of Christ, here properly, as brought in speaking. And it is to give advantage to the Jew to apply this place otherwise, who will not endure to hear that Messiah should be thus misused, but reign as a King in great glory, subduing all the Jews enemies to them, which made them to despise Christ when he came so poor, and suffering himself to be such a scorn and reproach amongst men. And the like is manifestly spoken of Christ Cha. 53▪ expounded thus, Act. 8.
The Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious. That is, He hath Vers. 5.not only given me learning to speak to others by opening the ears of my minde to hear him instructing me, but to obey his will in keeping all his Commandments, yea the very hardest, even by suffering death upon the Crosse. And herein every Minister of Christ should make him his patern, 1. By endeavouring to be taught of God to speak most effectually, to this end praying for the assistance of his Spirit, and not depending upon words taken out of Books. 2. To live in all things in obedience to Gods will. 3. Constantly to bear sufferings in what kinde soever.
For the Lord is with me, therefore shall I not be confounded, &c. God was Vers. 7.joyned with man in the person of Christ suffering, and therefore he could not be confounded, how shamefully soever abused. And God, he saith, justified Vers. 8.him, therefore none can condemn him, as suffering for his own sins, for he suffered all to save his people, as Chap. 53. For which cause he challengeth Vers. 9.his adversaries to contend with him, and prove the contrary if they could, but because they could not, and yet laid wickednesse and deceit to his charge, he threatneth them, that they should be as a Garment eaten by moths, a similitude often to set forth the utter destruction of the wicked, from which there is no recovering again. Of this, or the worm that never dieth, read again Isa. 66. for Jerom makes them both one, gnawing upon and stinging the conscience for their evil doings. But Lyra better aith, because Pilate and the Priests condemned Lyra.Christ unjustly, they were destroyed as a garment by moths; Pilate being banisht by Tiberius, and the Priests by Titus burnt in the Temple, sorrow eating upon the one, and fire upon the other, of whom Titus said, That it was fit that they which served in the Temple, should perish together with it.
Who is there amongst you that feareth the Lord, that walketh in darknesse? &c. Vers. 10.Having threatned Christs enemies vers. 9. now he layeth all the fault of the destruction threatned upon the wicked Jews themselves, challenging them to say, if they can, whether there be any amongst them that fear the Lord and hearken to Christs teaching, who are left in darknesse, that is, to sink in the foresaid misery: No, let such trust and stay themselves upon God, for when this time of destruction cometh, they shall be safe, as indeed they were, the Christians a little before the siege of Jerusalem being by a voice from heaven called out to go to Pella; so Josephus.
All ye that have kindled a fire, &c. That is, The fire of Gods wrath by your Vers. 11.sins, as ye have made it burn about you, so ye shall walk in it to your torment, And lie down in sorrow, that is, perish miserably, and this is said to have come to them from Gods hand, because that although the Romans destroyed them and their City, yet it was by Gods arming them so to do, and in revenge of their malice and cruelty against Christ and his faithfull servants. To this effect Lyra, and Jerom saith the same upon ver. 11. but upon vers. 10. That walketh Hieronym.in darknesse and hath no light; these words are by him referred to Christ, as a description of him, being the servant before spoken of, to hear whom is commended to all that fear the Lord. And by his being without light he understands the light of outward glory, for this was hidden under the form of a servant, wherein he appeared, as the light of the Sunne being hidden by a thick dark cloud, and whilst it is so walks in darkness. In this sense it is an exhortation to such as fear the Lord, that is, with such a fear, as to slee all sinne, and hearken to Christ to believe in him, though nothing outwardly appeared in him to induce them to it, to trust in the Lord and to rest upon his help in the middest of greatest dangers that should come, for in so doing they should surely be in safety. Iunius refers it to them, whom Christ called to faith and repentance, that walked in the darknes of ignorance, & of Pharisaism, but now gave ear to Christs Junius.teaching. Sasbont, Who is there that feareth the Lord, which hath walked in Sasbont.darknesse, but now heareth his servant Christ? Verily none; if there be let him trust in the Lord. But I propound this in vain unto you, for ye make you a fire to burn you by obstinate going on in sinne, in stead of being moved by any good …nstruction to fear the Lord. Of all these I preferre the first, taking it as a consolation to such as fear God, though for the present in the darkness of miseries, and without all light of worldly comfort or prosperity.