Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 58
CHAP. LVIII.
CRy aloud, lift up thy voice as a trumpt. Having condemned the wicked Vers. 1.Jews in the former Chapter to perpetual inquietude, now he cometh by Gods direction to declare aloud that all might hear what the sins be that make men so wicked that they can have no peace, as hath been said, particular persons with God and their own conscience, whole Nations with God or men, for the foundation of the peace of a Nation is righteousnes, as hath been said before Ch. 32. 17. therefore wickednesse of a Nation causeth dissentions and wars, so that there can be no lasting peace. And he cals them his people yet, to shew his inclination to mercy, if they would turn, and if not, that they might know what a gracious God they lose by obstinate going on in sinne. And the Prophet is bidden to lift up his voice above the ordinary tone, to shew how deaf they were to hear to conversion; and the similitude of a Trumpet is used in alluding to that which was done when the Law was given Ex. 19. 16. and which shall be done, when the Lord shall come at the last day to take revenge upon the 1 Cor. 15.transgressors of his Laws, that men thinking the voice of the Preacher to be a summons to present repentance, or like the trumpet that shall last sound upon Note. earth, a summons to judgment, might be stirred up by turning without delay to use it as a summons to repentace, and not stand out, lest it prove a summons to judgement, unto which how nigh he is even then no man knoweth.
Yet they seek me daily as a Nation that delights to know my wayes. Here he Vers. 2.sheweth, that for their coming diligently to the Synagogues, or care to learn the Laws and Ordinances of God, they were singular; and Josephus saith of them, that they could as readily give account of them as of their names; yea, and they fasted also, vers. 3. Why have we fasted, &c? But he sheweth immediately the cause, why all this notwithstanding, they were rejected by God Vers. 3.as wicked, In the day of your fast ye finde pleasure or desire, that is, your own evil lusts and desires are still afoot, for ye afflict not your soul, that is, your bodies (for so by an Hebraism the body is often called, because of the soul within it, and animating it) to the mortifying of your sins as ye should, but ye go on still in them, and this whoso doth, his fasting is vain. Wherefore Gregory saith excellently upon the words of Joel chap. 2. Sanctifie a fast; what Greg. in Joh. Hom. 16. Incassum caro atteritur, si à pravis suis voluptatibus animus non refraenetur.is this, but other good things being adjoyned to shew abstinence worthy of God, let anger cease, let chidings be sopited: for the flesh is macerated in vain, if in the minde it be not refrained from fleshly lusts. And ye exact all your labours, or sorrows; or as others turn it, All your worldly goods, Omnes facultates vestras, being so called, because gotten with labour and sorrow, saith Pagnin; or because being lent to poor men, it was to their sorrow, that they were rigorously required of them again, as by that servant to whom his fellow-servant Matth. 18.ought an hundred pence. And this is one sinne, from which God looks that we should turn, or else our fasting is vain, the exacting of our debts with rigour, putting our poor debters to as much charge and trouble as we Note. can, and using no patience, or in case that they be so poor that they have nothing to pay, not forgiving them, or so much as their necessity requires, accepting of what they have for all, and forgiving the rest, if without fraud, or first breaking for a colour as many do, they faithfully declare what they have. Hieron.He that requires debt of him that hath nothing to pay, saith Jerom, doth violence to God, meaning surely, because he doth violence to one of Christs poor members.
Ye fast to strife, and to smiting with the fist. As a man that is fasting is more Vers. 4.cholerick and quarrelsom and ready to strike naturally, because choler doth the more abound in an empty body, so they being lead more by corrupt nature then by grace grew more impatient, the flesh prevailing above the Spirit, in which case nothing can be expected save death; but if by the Spirit we mortifie the deeds of the flesh, we shall live: for what profits palenesse in the Quid prodest pallor in ore, si sit livor in corde?face by fasting if envy be in the heart? or humbling thy body by fasting, but in minde to be lifted up with pride? to which effect Jerom speaks, Ye shall not fast as ye do, to make your cry to be heard on high: That is, either the cry of your prayers made with a voice lifted up on high for ostentation of extraordinary zeal, or the cry of the poor debtor being thus cruelly exacted upon by you, for the cries of the oppressed come up into the ears of the Lord of hosts to provoke him to take revenge, as Exod. 22. 22. In saying therefore, Ye shall not fast, &c. he admonisheth us not to do so, therefore the Vulg. renders it, Do not fast as ye do.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to lose the bands of wickednesse, to undoe Vers. 6.the heavy burdens? The Septuagint which Jerom rather approveth for expressing the true sense, The obligations of violent cautions, whereby were meant written obligations, whereby usurers bound their debters to pay them the unjust gain of usury: for this was a burden complained of in Nehemiahs time, which they were not able to bear; and this was the hundreth part a monethmonth, that is, twelve pound in the hundred for a year, one pound a monethmonth monethly to be paid. It is not in the Scripture sense an heavy burden laid upon debtors, to require of them in any Court of Justice, when it cannot be otherwise gotten, our due debts, for then such Courts should be abettours of oppression, because kept purposely to provide that every man may have what is justly due unto him; but either, as hath been said, or debts made so by forged writings, or by the like deceitfull way wronging a man in any part of his estate. To let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke; that is, servants unjustly kept after seven years expired, for this was amongst the Hebrews unlawfull, and therefore an oppression; therefore he requires if they would not fast in vain, that they would let them go free, or in any Nation, the time of service agreed upon being expired. To break every yoke is also rendred by the Septuagint, To cancel every unjust writing, which is by forgiving poor debters that have nothing to pay, not casting them into prison, as is the manner now, nor compelling them to be servants, as in those dayes.
To break thy bread to the hungry. This is added for him that shall say, I have Vers. 7.no debtors or servants, what shall I do? yet thou hast bread, one at the least, give, I say, not all, but part of is to the hungry; and if any shall say, I have no bread, it is added, Bring the poor wandring into thy house] Thou hast yet a place to harbour in, bring him in thither to be sheltered; and he addeth further as a motive, Despise not thine own flesh] for every one loveth his own flesh and cherisheth it, and we took all flesh from Adam, who was but one, to shew that we are one, and so should love as one. To this effect Jerom, noting the sweet consent betwixt the Old and New Testament, shewing that they both came from spirit; for as there, so here, to feed the hungry, to fear to cast the poor into prison, or to do violence to any, or to oppresse servants, is strictly forbidden; but to shew pity, and that to strangers, as to near neighbours, is enjoyned in that Parable of the man that travelled from Jerusalem to Jericho, &c.Luk. 10. 30. Vers. 8. Hieronym.
Then thy light shall break forth as the morning, and thy health, &c. That is, saith Jerom, The Sunne of righteousnesse, as Christ is called, with healing in his wings, Mal. 3. 2. because by him we suddenly are healed of all the sores of our sins, to shew which it is here added, Thine health shall spring forth speedily, Heb. Thy mattery sore shall hastily heal, and thy righteousnesse shall go before thee; that is, thy charity, for this is often set forth by righteousnesse, as Psal. 112. 9. Dan. 4. 24. Act. 10. 35. in saying that it shall go before him, he meaneth to make him gracious to God, so that he will have him in remembrance to protect him, as followeth, And the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward; Hebr. The glory of the Lord shall gather thee; so likewise Jerom, it being meant, that such shall be gloriously protected, as was Moses sometime being in danger of the murmurers, the glory of God appeared at the door of the Tabernacle, whereby they were daunted. But for thy light breaking out as the morning, it is more generally understood of a comfortable and prosperous estate in stead of a miserable; for light is often put for prosperity, and darknesse for misery: So Luther. For the sore, or wound soon healed, this is the same in other words, Luther.for a man in misery is, as it were, wounded; but his case being altered, as was said before, he is healed. By righteousnesse going before thy face, he Calvin.meaneth the righteousnesse in our dealings and mercy before-spoken of, they shall make manifest that we are not feignedly but truly pious, as Officers with ensigns of honour going before honourable persons, shew them to all that are present to be such; so Zuinglius. By the glory of God gathering Zuinglius.thee, some understand a mans gathering to the Congregation of Saints in heaven after death; but Musculus rejects this, because all the good here promised Muscul.is in this life, and saith, that nothing else is here meant; but whereas when thou didst bear the punishments of thy sins thou wert in disgrace, now being delivered and brought into prosperity, thou shalt be honoured, God bringing it thus about, for which it is said, His glory shall gather thee, thou shalt be by him brought into the number of the honourable.
If thou shalt take out of the midst of thee the burden, the putting out of the finger. Vers 9. Hieron.Vulg. The chain or band, being by Jerom accordingly expounded of the chains of our sins; for so Peter said to Simon, Thou art in the gall of bitternesse and bands of iniquity. The putting out of the finger at those that we would disgrace. But the same word foreign here used and vers. 6. sheweth, that the same thing is meant, viz. the burden of oppression, whereby a man of mean estate is brought down lower, according to the signification of the word, which is to decline] The chain of our sins then is not hereby meant, but any oppression of the poor. By the putting out of the finger, some understand wicked confederacies, some smiting with the fist, as vers. 4. but because here are other words used, I think that any way of disgracing others is meant, either by pointing with the finger, which is one, or by any other gesture, as making mouths, imitating another in his imperfections, or by jesting or mocking at him, one way of disgracing being put for all. Lastly, vain words must also be put away, where by idle words that profit not, as the Vulgar hath it, are meant, or deceitfull to circumvent his neighbour, or cursed speaking. And it is to be noted, That God will not hear us to make our estate prosperous, unlesse we put away all these evils.
If thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry. He spake before of breaking thy Vers. 10.bread to the hungry, vers. 7. but now he sheweth that it must be done out of the bowels of compassion, love causing a sympathy and chearfulnesse in doing this. For without love the giving of all my goods to the poor is vain; and 1 Cor. 13. 2 Cor. 9.God loves a chearfull giver. Then thy light shall rise out of darknesse] To the same effect with vers. 8. for misery thou shalt enjoy prosperity and joy.
And the Lord shall lead thee continually. That is, Be with thee to blesse thee Vers. 11.even in times of greatest want, that thou shalt alwayes have enough.
And they shall build from thee. That is, which descend from thee, Thy children Vers. 12.shall build the old waste places; that is, shall not only have enough to live plentifully upon, but also wherewithall to build this ruinous City of Jerusalem, as indeed the children which came of some of them that now lived, did after their return out of Babylon. So that here is implied misery and ruine to come to Jerusalem, but withall a repairing of these ruines thereof promised, and not only of Jerusalem, and other Cities of Judah, but of the world by building men and women upon the foundation Christ Jesus, that they might be a glorious Temple, who lay before as it were, upon ruinous heaps, when they were by reason of their Idolatries and other abominations under the curse bringing inevitable ruine. And these children of theirs were the Apostles and other Preachers, who went out from Jerusalem into all countreys repairing the breaches, which were made amongst men by sinne, for this is done when Heathens attain Justification by faith, wrought by the preaching of the Gospel, as they then did every where. For the Apostles and seventy sent out to preach, and to cast out devils, are called their children in that saying of our Lord, If I by Belzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? And the next words, The foundations of generation and generation, that is, many generations, they shall raise them up, that is, foundations having lien ruinous generation after generation, which doth not so aptly agree to Jerusalem, because it lay desolate but seventy years, but to other Nations which had lien desolate in respect of the knowledge of the true God, and his grace, being left to be tyrannized over by devils, no buildings of his being all this time amongst them, but Satans strong-holds only, and that generation after generation ever since Abrahams time, whom and his seed God chose peculiarly, passing by the rest of the world. But now by these Ministers of the Gospel they were built. Musculus I know and Calvin expound these words The foundation of many generations, of the time to come, as if it had been said to last from generation to generation; as if it were meant that the spiritual building reared up by them should never be ruined again, and this we are sure shall be so, for Christs Church is built upon a Rock, &c. And therefore not excluding it, I hold that foundations lying in the ruines are also meant here, and so Vatablus hath it. And then it is as if he had said, Peoples and Nations having lien desolate many generations by sinne and unbelief, they shall raise up to a Temple of God, and this building shall stand, not as the Temple at Jerusalem many hundreds of years, but generation after generation to the worlds end. And thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach; that is, the Jew shall be famous, as being used by God for an instrument of so great a work; and this he attributeth to the Jews, because the Apostles and seventy were Jews, who went about repairing these decayes, and the breach whereby the Gentiles were broken off from being the people of God, for now the partition-wall is broken down, and there is no breaking off of any any more; but in every Nation all that fear God and believe in Christ are accepted alike before him. And in the same sense it is added, The restorer of paths to dwell in, or to habitation, Vulg. Turning paths into quietnesse, and that not disagreeably to the Hebrew, for the meaning is, As in time of warre bringing ruine, the very wayes are dangerous to travel in, by which means Cities and Towns lie unfrequented, and the wayes thither are overgrown with grasse, now by means of peace they should be renewed again, and by travellers frequented. And this is no small glory to men to be happy instruments of so great a blessing, and therefore it is spoken of accordingly in praising the Apostles, and whoso turns any to God from his sins, participateth in the same honour.
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, &c. Jerom will have no strict Vers. 13. Hieron.keeping of a day here meant according to the sound of the words, both because it cannot thus be fulfilled, that a man should sit still and not stirre from his place an whole day together, as is here said, If thou shalt turn away thy foot, and because not one day of seven must be kept in refraining from our sinfull pleasures and wayes and words, but all the dayes of our lives. Wherefore he understands it of this kinde of rest, as before also upon Chap. 56. 2. neither do any of our Writers dissent from him herein. When the Lord next unto mercy and charity commends unto us the worthy keeping of the Sabbath both here and in other places, saith Calvin, he meaneth not so much the external rest of Calvin.the body upon a day, but a continual resting from walking in sinfull wayes, doing sinfull works, or speaking vain words, and then we consecrate the Sabbath as honourable, when our minds and affections are taken off from worldly things, and lifted up to heavenly. Wherefore they erre that understand these words as forbidding any other thoughts or talk upon the Sabbath-day besides heavenly, expounding finding pleasure of any other pleasure besides that which is in hearing, praying, &c. and doing thine own wayes, of doing any worldly thing though lawfull, and speaking words of words touching worldly things. For as in describing a true fast that which is said is not peculiar to one day, men being at liberty to do otherwise the dayes following, as is intimated vers. 5. Is this a fast for a man to afflict himself for a day, &c. So touching the Sabbath, and therefore all things here must be so understood, as agreeing to the Sabbath day, and to all the dayes of the week following, for we must no day finde our pleasure, that is, as was before expounded, vers. 4. in drunkennesse or whoring, or any other unlawfull thing that we delight in, or do our own wayes, that is in oppressing, deceiving, unjust dealing in any kinde, or speak words, for so it is Heb. that is, swearing in our common talk, lying, cursing, railing, being obscene or scurrilous, or flattering herein. Touching the external keeping of the Sabbath, it was no part of the Prophets purpose to prescribe how that should be done, but rather to tax hypocrites who stood so strictly upon that, that they regarded it only, thinking if they kept it outwardly according to the letter, yea more strictly, they highly pleased Almighty God. But that without this perpetual Sabbath-keeping is nothing, and this is most highly pleasing, and whoso keepeth such a Sabbath is in the right way to an everlasting Sabbath or rest from all sorrow in heaven in all joy and glory.
I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth. See a like passage to Vers. 14. Hieronym.this Deut. 32. 13. Jerom renders it, I will lift thee up above the heights of the earth: giving this for the sense; If thou shalt keep the Sabbath, as hath been said, Thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord, that is, have delight and joy unspeakable in him, and be exalted to the new earth above, which is far higher then the highest parts of this, touching which it is said, Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth, where by earth it is plain, that this earth is not meant, because Psal. 37. 11. this being promised. Vers. 18. it is said, That he shall delight himself in the abundance of peace, And inherit the earth for ever. And vers. 29. this inheritance is said to be everlasting, which cannot agree to the earth upon which we now live. And this is further confirmed by the promise of long life in the Land or earth which the Lord giveth them made to children that honour their parents: for this cannot be understood of this earth, because many such children die young, and so it is not fulfilled to them. It is the new earth then above, that is both there and here touched upon, according to that of Peter, We look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse. And I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob; that is, such food as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, neither hath it entred in mans heart to conceive. Yet not according to the opinion of the Millenaries, who hold eating and drinking and marrying, and living in corporeal pleasures a thousand years, whereas we are taught, that we shall be as the Angels, neither marrying nor giving in marriage, and that this happinesse shall last not a thousand years only, but for ever and ever. Thus Jerom, with whom consenteth Cyril and Procopius. Some others number three benefits here promised, 1. Thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord, and having joy in the holy Ghost which passeth understanding, and whereunto he that hath it thinks no joy comparable. 2. I will carry thee above the altitudes of the earth] That is, thy minde being thus filled with spiritual joy, thou shalt look upon the earth and all earthly things, as farre below, to sleight and despise them in comparison. 3. I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob, that is, give thee actual possession of all the good promised to all true Israelites in the world to come. Which because it is bound and sealed for a truth by these words, The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, it sheweth, that there are very few mercifull and righteous persons, because so few have this joy to contemn earthly things therefore, and for this cause few shall have that heritage. According to this exposition Gregory saith, It is a priviledge Gregor. Moral. 32. c. 19.of the elect, that they know they are now come to high things, for which they trample upon all worldly things, as being under them. And hence it is that the Lord saith by the Prophet to the soul that follows him, I will lift above the heights of the earth. And what are the heights of the earth, but gain, 1 Regist. Ep. 5.flattery of Subjects, sublimity of honour? &c. But when the heart is fixed in heaven it is soon perceived how abject these things are, which before seemed so high. And in another place speaking of himself, when he lived solitarily, giving himself wholly to divine contemplation, desiring nothing and fearing nothing in this world, me thought I stood as it were upon the top of all, and that the saying of the Prophet was fulfilled in me, I will set thee above the heights of the earth. And this is favored by the words here used, which may as well be rendred, I will make thee to be carried above the heights of the earth, as I will make thee ride upon, because foreign signifieth as well to be carried as to ride. Yet it is not to be denied, but that the Prophet alludeth to what Moses saith God would do for his people in Canaan, but not resting here he certainly soareth up higher, as hath bin said. But herein, I confess, I go from Calvin, Musculus, &c. who dwell upon the sense that leadeth only to a promise of a worldly benefit, to be brought out of Babylon, which was low in comparison of Judea, and where the Jews were of low condition, into Canaan again, the ancient inheritance of the sons of Jacob, there to live in liberty and abundance. But alas what had this been in comparison of the happiness whereby this place hath been expounded, and what to the promises by Christ to the faithfull of all Countreys, of whom the Prophet plainly speaks, as well as of the Jews, even from Chap. 40. hitherto.