Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 52
CHAP. LII.
AWake, awake, put on strength (O Zion.) Here the Lord repeateth again Vers. 1.that of Chap. 51. 17. but for Jerusalem he saith both Zion and Jerusalem, meaning hereby one and the same, viz. the Church of God consisting both of Jews and Gentiles, when she shall be most purged from uncleanness; according to that which is here further added, There shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised or unclean; of which see before, Chap. 35. 8. He goeth on to Prophecie of Zions joyfull condition, which is fulfilled when a strict care is had of separating the notoriously wicked in any kinde from others, and not permitting them promiscuously to the holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper, as hath been done in the Primitive Church, and is now done in Churches most reformed, and endeavoured to be done in the Church of England.
Ye have sold your selves for nought and shall be redeemed without money. In the Vers. 3.former verse he bids her shake off her dust in alluding to the Metaphor begun, Chap. 51. 23. where she is said to have lien down to be troden upon on the dusty ground, and to cast the bands off from her neck, implying her bound estate then, but her deliverance and advancement now; for so the advanced by God from a most low estate, are said to be raised out of the dust, Psal. 113. In this third verse he sets forth by another Metaphor what her condition had been, viz. as of those that are sold for slaves, but they take no price; for so indeed the Jews for their sins were made slaves to their enemies, and now he promiseth that they should likewise be set at liberty, nothing being paid for ransom; see the like before, Chap. 41. 13. where their being set at liberty by Cyrus is plainly spoken of, and therefore this is likewise to be expounded. But a spiritual application is to be made of all, the things done then not being only aimed at by the Prophet, but under them the spirituall deliverance of the faithfull from the sordes or dust and bands of sin by Christ, figured out in Cyrus, both by justification and sanctification, whereby this filth is shaken off, and there is newness of life. And as men sell themselves for slaves to sin and the devil, receiving nought, so beleevers are again delivered; the devil, by whom they were held, receiving nought therefore; and yet to satisfie Gods justice a great price is paid, even Christ most pretious bloud, 1 Pet. 1. 18. If profits and pleasures which men have for their souls sold by sinning, shall seem to be somewhat, they all verily are nothing, being compared unto the soul, Note. because they are momentary; the soul everlasting, they earthly and inferiour, the soul spirituall and supernall, as coming from heaven, and so of a condition so farre excelling, that if all earthly things be compared hereunto they are as nothing, for which our Lord saith, What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soul?
And the Assyrians oppressed them without cause. He commemorates here, first Vers. 4.their going down into Egypt, being inforced by famine, and then speaks of their going into Assyria as Captives, upon no such occasion; for which he saith Without cause, yet not excluding a cause in themselves, viz. their sins; whereby, as was said before, they sold themselves into their hands.
Now therefore what have I saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for Vers. 5.nought? their rulers make them to howl, and my Name is every day blasphemed. The Lords people being carried away for nought, he here asketh what he had, as meaning that he had nothing; it was not a bargain of his making, but of their own, they had sold themselves, not he them, for then he would surely have taken a price for them. And having shewed that he was not the cause of their oppressions by the Assyrians, and coming into their hands, he next sheweth who were; Their rulers make them howl: Which Jerom expounds of the Hieronym.wicked Priests and Elders of the Jews, who stirred them up to cry against Christ, Crucifie him▪ crucifie him; and the blaspheming of Gods Name daily, of their custom in their Synagogues three times a day to blaspheme Christ Jesus constantly ever since. Junius, Their rulers howl, as if he had said, Not only Junius.the common people suffer grievously, but even men of greatest eminency, their rulers, to the making of them to cry out and howl, And my Name is daily provoked. But forsomuch as the word is in Hiphil, this cannot stand. Calvin expounds it of the rulers set over them by the Assyrians, who oppressed them Calvin.so greatly, that they made them even howl under their oppressours, and hereunto was added daily blaspheming on the enemies part, being ready to detract from their God, as if he were not able to deliver them, which is spoken in way of shewing the cause why the Lord would now deliver and restore his people, as being full time so to do, lest he should seem to those Heathens most contemptible. This I grant is good, but when Rom. 2. 24. I finde the last clause otherwise applyed by the Apostle, the best Interpreter of the Spirits meaning, viz. against the guides and leaders of the Jews, teaching well but practising the contrary, to the opening of the mouths of the Gentiles against their God, as if he were a patron of licentiousness and all manner of wickedness; I cannot subscribe to him, but hold that the rulers making of them howl here spoken of, was their own rulers misleading them (of whom it is said before, They that rule over thee cause thee to erre,) and consequently bringing them to all the miseries, under which they lying, cried out most lamentably. And likewise of blaspheming on the enemies part, who upon this, that his people came into their power, vilified him as unable to help them, or seeing their wickednesses exclaimed upon him as a God of adulterous, sacrilegious and theevish people. And because the Prophet in speaking of the Jews miseries, suffered by the Assyrians and Caldeans, had a further aim withall to speak of things done under the Gospel; that of Jerom may well also have place here, They like wolves howled against Christ, and blasphemed his Name, and then God in his just judgement left them to the destruction of the Romans.
Therefore my people shall know my Name. Because God had been vilified, he Vers. 6.would do so for his people; that is, all such as should beleeve in Christ, that they should know him to be such a God as he published himself to be, that is, Almighty, by his saving them and confounding their enemies. And hereupon the Prophet crieth out, as if he then saw John the Baptist going before, and Christ coming soon after, proclaiming salvation to all that repent and beleeve.
How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace, &c. And Vers. 7.this is shewed by the Apostle, Rom. 10. 15. to extend also to all other preachers of the Gospel. In saying, How beautifull are the feet, he alludeth to the long travel of the Apostles on foot to preach the Gospel into other Countries and Nations, whereby their feet were indeed fouled and worn; but in the sight of those to whom they came and were converted by them, they seemed beautifull and amiable. But it is said here, How beautifull are the feet of him, although Rom. 10. 15. it be of them, for Christ is first and chiefly meant, and then the Apostles, by whom also he preached. For all honour and blessing indeed is to be ascribed to him, not his instruments, as he taught when he answered the woman that blessed the womb which bare him, &c. Nay rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Yet even their feet are said to be beautifull, because so joyfull a message was brought by them that walked upon these feet: As we say of a box having in it the Kings pardon of a condemned person, a blessed box bringing so great a good in it. Ʋpon the mountains. This is inserted to shew both whence this preaching first came, and where it first was, viz. in Zion standing upon a mountain, and how easily all might hear, as from a mountain one speaking is heard by all round about, Chap. 4. 9.
Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice. That is, the Apostles and other preachers Vers. 8.said to watch for your souls, Heb. 13. 17. For the Preacher stands, as it were, upon a watch-tower, and tels the joyfull news of Christ coming to save, expressed here by singing, which is the expression that joy maketh commonly; and so John the first Preacher of Christ said, that he was the friend of the Bridegroom, and that he heard his voice and rejoiced. Whereas it is added, [They shall see eye to eye] it is meant that they should not go upon the report of others, so that the thing declared and joyed in by them should be uncertain, but they should be eye witnesses thereof; according to which is that 1 Joh. 1. 1. That which we have seen with our eyes, &c. declare we unto you. When the Lord shall bring back Zion. That is, saith Calvin, first out of Babylon, to declare which Calvin.some went from thence to Judea first, and after that by a spiritual bringing back of sins captives by Christ figured out thereby. After this he stirreth up to rejoycing again for the Jews deliverance and salvation coming to all Nation; Vers. 9, 10.v. 9. 10. as he had done chap. 51. 17. and 49. 6.
Depart, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing. Chap. 48. 20. the same Vers. 11.is spoken in other words, go out of Babylon; and here to shew that not only the Jews going out thence is meant, but separating from idolaters, it is added Touch no unclean thing, which is thus applyed, 2 Cor. 6. 16. Whereas in the words following they are bidden to be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Hereby are meant the Priests and Levites, to whom this office belonged. But in speaking to them he meaneth all the people, they being named, as who ought to go before others in holinesse, and indeed all Gods people are here spoken to, who under the Gospel are made Priests unto God, Revel. 1. 6. And if they purge themselves, they are his vessels of honour.1 Tim. 2. 21.
His visage was marred more then any mans. This is spoken of Christ, whom Vers. 14.he calleth his servant, vers. 13. and chap. 42. 1. saying that he shall deal prudently and shall be exalted very high; see Phil. 2. 10. how this was done. But before that his visage was so marred, being in the form of God he came in the form of a servant, that the Jews were ashamed to own him for their King and Messiah. But he shall sprinkle many Nations. Though the Jews rejected him, yet Vers. 15.the Gentiles shall imbrace his faith and be sprinkled or baptized in his Name, and by his bloud be cleansed from their sins, as the phrase is used, Heb. 10. 22. and this is now fulfilled in our Church, wherein we Baptize either by dipping or sprinkling; and therefore although we do but sprinkle on water in baptizing, here is good ground for it; his Ministers sprinkling is his sprinkling, and therefore he will not have it be in vain no more then if the party Baptized were washed all over. Kings shall shut their mouths, for that which had not been told them they shall see. That is, Shall, renouncing their own wisdom, whereby they formerly spake against Christ and Christians, commanding that they should be rooted out of their dominions, silently and reverently submit unto him, as holding him worthy of all honour; and this, he saith, shall be at the sight of things to which they had not formerly heard the like, that is, the miracles wrought by his Ministers in their Countries. For the power of working miracles Isa. 49. 23.continued five hundred years after Christ, even till the Saxon Kings here in England were converted. And their reverent submitting to Christ may well be set forth by their silence, because thus servants commonly reverence their Masters, and children their Parents, when they are in their presence.