Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 61
CHAP. LXI.
THe Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me, &c. He that Vers. 1.said in the last words of chap. 60. I the Lord will hasten it, now sheweth, how such an incredible company should come in to encrease the Church beyond all that man could have conceived, by saying, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, which is to be understood as spoken by Christ as man, as the former words by him as God. For so we reade Matth. 3. 16. That the Spirit of the Lord came down upon him in his Baptism, and this was his anointing spoken of Psal. 45. and of the same see before Isa. 11. 1. and that it was spoken of Christ, Luk. 4. 18. where the Lord applieth it to himself, To binde up the broken-hearted, the opening of the prison-doors, &c. For this see before Chap. 42. 7. Vers. 2.& 49 9. and of the acceptable year of the Lord, Chap. 49. 8. And the day of the vengeance of our God, that is, as Jerom rightly, against the unbelieving Hieronym.Jews, upon whom vengeance was taken soon after by the Romans. And if this was fulfilled then, as Christ saith it was, Luk. 4. 18. How say some, that they are yet to be fulfilled at the conversion of the Jews, unless it be meant in more perfection? So Jerom. To comfort them that mourn, that is, for the hardness of the Jews hearts, as Paul did Rom. 9. for he upon whom was the Spirit, pronounceth comfort to all such, saying, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall Matth. 5.be comforted.
Beauty for ashes. A figurative expression of the same that was spoken plainly Vers. 3.before. For in time of mourning they put on sackcloth and ashes in those dayes, therefore he saith contrariwise in speaking to comfort; Beauty for ashes, making filthy and foul, And the garments of gladness for the spirit of heavinesse] that is, goodly apparel setting forth the body in most decent manner for sackcloth worn in heaviness, making it uncomely; it is a periphrasis of joy restored for sorrow to such Jews, as being touched with compunction for their own sins, and the sins of their brethren, turned to the Lord, of which sort we reade that there were three thousand at one time Act. 2. and not only to Jews, but to all other of what Countrey or Nation soever that mourn likewise, for all come under the name of inhabitants of Zion.
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks. Here I omit vers. 4. being the same Vers. 5.with chap. 58. 12. And chap. 60. 10. in other words saith the same with this, The sons of strangers shall build thy wals] For preaching the Gospel is sometime set forth by building, and sometime by feeding of a flock, and the Preacher is both called a Builder, 1 Cor. 3. 11. and a feeder of a flock, 1 Cor. 9. neither is the meaning of the next words any other They shall be thy husbandmen and vine-dressers, for as we that be Preachers are builders, so we are husbandmen, as is implied, where the Apostle saith, We are labourers together with God, ye are Gods husbandry, and Gods building. And by saying so it is implied also, that we are vine-dressers, which is one part of husbandry, as plowing is another; see also Mat. 20. Joh. 15.
And ye shall be called the Priests of the Lord, the Ministers of our God. Here Vers. 6.the Prophet seems to make a distinction, as if by those whom all should serve, as hath been said vers. 5. and chap. 60. 12. the Nation of the Jews were meant, and that when they shall be converted to the faith, they with their King should reign over all Countreys. Thus indeed some of late dayes have gathered: but Jerom saith, That this is spoken to the very small remnant of Hieronym.them, which appeared for Christ, and preached him, when others persecuted him, viz. the twelve Apostles, for they as Priests or Princes, for the word foreign signifieth either, ruled in all countreys, where the Gospel was imbraced, and were highly accounted of, as the Ministers of the living God, as she that had the spirit of divination said of Paul and his fellows. Others Act. 16. 17. Calvin.without this distinction referre to all the faithfull generally, alledging Revel. 1. 6. where it is said, He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God, and 1 Pet. 1. 9. for before the Jews themselves were not all Priests, but only some of the Tribe of Levi. But if this Exposition be admitted, why doth the Prophet make a distinction, as he doth? Verily this cannot otherwise be answered, but as by Jerom before, All lawfull Preachers are Ministers of God indeed, and both they and all the faithfull, Priests unto him, but the twelve Apostles above the rest; and a like distinction must needs be alwayes in the Church, or else she cannot be well governed, and for want of government, all will go to confusion.
In their Land they shall possesse the double. For the double shame which they Vers. 7. Hieronym.had, the Jews for their infidelity, and the Gentiles for their Idolatry in their Land, that is, the Land promised for inheritance to the meek, they shall have double comfort, 1. In this life by believing, 2. In the life to come by actually enjoying. Or by double shame with Luther we may understand, before Luther. Ephes. 5. 12.God and before men, for till a man be converted he doth that which is shamefull before God, and for a reward is put to confusion by being abased amongst men; and contrariwise the double in their own Land, of honour before God, exalting them by a prosperous estate, and by his grace first, and before men, both good, who honour grace in whomsoever they see it, and natural, who honour those that are lifted up to dignity. Some expound it of the Ministry, called before singularly, The Priests of the Lord, holding the double to be the double honour spoken of, 1 Tim. 5. 17. Calvin without any exact distinction, Calvin.for abundance of shame and misery, and abundance of spiritual comfort even in this world, not for a time, but for ever, this world being denoted in these words, In their Land, that is, the Land where the wicked worldling thought that he only should have a portion, and that the power should ever be in his hands, and the everlasting continuance of their joy, expressed in the next, Everlasting joy shall be unto them. The Hebrew may well be rendred, For your double confusion and shame, they shall joy in their part or portion: And expounded thus, for your great shame and reproach (O ye holy Apostles) which ye have had at mens hands, to whom ye have gone preaching, they being converted shall be glad of their portion in spiritual comfort through believing coming to them hereby, and good cause, for they shall have double in their Land, that is, heavenly comfort, which is twice as much as any worldly that they could have before, and this shall never end.
For I the Lord love judgement and hate robbery in a burnt-offering. That is, Vers. 8.out of the love which I bear to righteousness, and the hatred of rapine, that is, of any gain coming in unjustly, though it be imployed for burnt-offering, I will turn the condition of the righteous, as hath been said, from shame to glory. And will direct their work in truth, Heb. Will give their work in truth; so also Vulgar Latin; here the word foreign truth, signifieth also firmnesse and stability, the meaning being, I will make their work stable, that is, this work wrought upon them to their so great joy, so that it shall not flit and vanish again, but continue for ever, as unto which I binde my self by an everlasting Covenant, as in the next words.
And their seed shall be known amongst the Gentiles. By their seed meaning eminent Vers. 9.Christians like unto the Apostles shining in grace and vertue, whom all men that esteem of the vertuous shall count the blessed of the Lord. And he cals such the…r seed, because born again of the immortal seed of the Word which they preached, for so Paul tels the Corinthians, That he begat them to Christ.1 Cor. 4.
I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord. In this and vers. 11. the Church is Vers. 10.brought in praising and exulting in God for all the gracious Promises preceding, acknowledging that hereby she was most gloriously cloathed above all other Congregations. And to shew her nothing doubting of the performance, she concludeth, That as things and seeds having life in them, spring commonly out of the earth; so she firmly beleeved, That righteousnesse Vers. 11.and praise should spring forth before all Nations, that is, upon the preaching of the Gospel in all Nations many should be converted ted and grow famous for their eminent shining in grace, as was before promised.