The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 223

Ver. 4.-Then I Hid, I have laboured in his recompense (Ezek. xxix. 20). It would vain; rather, and I, f<n' my part, had said. have b,c;:i "e. light thing"-"too light a 'l'he Servant bud momentarily desponclcd, thing" (Kay, Cheyne)-to he.ve rewarded seeing the small results of e.ll hie efforts to the le.hours of Jesus with the conversion rocle.im lsl'll.el, and had felt a nature.I human of the Jews only. God therefore ge.ve him regret nt so mucli Jabour appareu lly expended o.s ),i" recompense the go.thning in of the in vnin; but his despondency bad been eoou Ge11t;Jcs also, and m0.de l:i:11 o. means of checked by the thought that God woulcl not salvat:on even to the uttermost ends of the suffer nny "le.hour of Jove" to be wholly in earth. The preserved of Israel; i.e. the v9,in, but would give it the recompense •• remnant" that had not perished tlirough which it merited. The verse brings strongly previous judgments. I will al!lo give thee out the true humanity of the "Servant," for e. Light to the Gentiles (corn p. eh. xi. 10 ; who feels as men naturally feel, but re•trains x.xxiv. I; xiii. 6; Iv. 5, etc.). Greeks ('E>..- himself, and does not allow his feelings to >,:11vu) were brought into contact with our carry him a.way. Compare with this de- Lord himself shortly before his crucifixion spondency the grief exliibited by our Lord (Jol,n xii. 20). He wrought a miracle for a on two occasions (Matt. xxiii. 37; John xi Syro-Phmnician woman (l\Iark vii. 25-:l0). 35), and the depr0ss:on which extorted from His apostles, after a little time, unclerstood him the memorable words, "Eli, Eli, lame. that the gospel was for the world at largP. sabachthani?" (Matt. x.xvii. 46). My work; and declared that in Christ there was no mlber, my reward, or my recompense. difference Letween Jew and Greek, nay! Ver. 5.-And now, saith the Lord, etc. ; between Jew and barbarian. Christ had rather, and now the LOTd hath said-he that died for all-had come to be a Light to all, formed me from the womb to be a Servnnt to would have all come into his Church and him, that I might bring back Jacob to him, obtain salvation through union with him. and that J.,rael might be gathered to /,im; That thon mayest be my Salvation. Christ for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lo,-d, is called "Sal.ation," as the Dearer of a11d my God is become my Strenr,th-lte ltath salrntion-he through whom alone can any said-It is a light thing, etc. 'l'he whole of man be saved (Acta iv. 12). So he is called ver. 5, nfter the words, "and now the Lord "Peace" (Micah v. 5), as the Giver of bath said," is parenthetic. (On the service peace. which our Lord continually rendered, while Ver. 7.-His Holy One; i.e. "the Holy on earth, to the Father, see Luke ii. 49; One of Israel." To him whom man de- iv.43; John iv. 34; vi. 38; xvii. 4.) The episeth; litere.lly, who is de3pised of souls. Ilevelation of St. John shows tho.t in heav,n 'l'l,is is the first place in the prophecies of ho is still engagecl in carrying out his Isaiah where this note of the Messiah is Father's behests. Though Israel be not brought forwe.rd. It is found ee.rlier in the gnthcred. This rending, as Mr. Cheyne Pso.lms, as especially in Ps. xxii. 6, et seqq., remarks, "entirely spoils the symmetry of "I am e. worm, a.nu no man; a r~J;roach of the verse." The prnctico of writing fresh men, nnd despised of the people;" and later copies of the Scripture from dictation is on it is expanded into a chopter (rh. !iii.). answerable for the double reading of K', Whom the ne.tion abhorreth; rather, whom and \', both here and in other places. Yet mankind abhmTelh. The terru used is goi, shnll I be gloriou:J. The ''Servant" would which points to tl:e Geutiles rather than to roceive glory ev<Jn by such a partinl conrnr- the Jews. Mankind at large dislikes a sion of tho Jews ns took place through bis "Holy One," sinee be is e. perpetual re- ministry. It is never to be forgotten the.t proach to it (see oh. xxx. 11; ""u comp. nll the original twelve apostles were Jews, Plut., • Repub!.,' vii. 2, ad fin.). It is nnt the that Matthias wns a Jew, tho.t Po.ul nnd Jowsonly who exclaim in such a cnse, "Away Barnabas were Jews, and thnt the original with him I a.way with him I" (John xix.15). Churoh wae e. Church of Jews (Acts ii. There is such an nnlngonism between sin 41-47). All that was truly spiritual in and holiness, that the ungodly everywhere Juclnism flowed into the Church of Christ, and in all nges detest the godly and virtuous. o.s into its natural home, nnd the J owish A servant of rnlers; or, a slave of despots; element in the Church, if not numerice.lly treated as a slave, i.e. by such irresponsible great, was yet the prcdomine.ni and forma- rulers ns Htrod (Luke xxiii.11) and Poutius tive element. Pilnte (Joliu xix. 1, 16). Tile "King of Ver. 6.-It is a light thing. Gou rewards kings" bowed himself to a slave's death. his servants according to their works. He Kings shall see and arise, princes also she.11 is supremely just. He wne not content worship (comp. Ps. lxx.ii. 10, 11; eh. Iii. 15; thnt even Nebuoha,lnezzar should be in- lx. 3, 10, 11, etc.). According to a truditiou sufficiently rewarded for the service that he -which, however, ce.nnot be traced bock to rendered against Tyre (Ezek. xxix. 18), o.nd e.ny very nncient source-the Mngi who he therefore pve him Egypt in o.dtlition e.s came to worship our Lord at Bethlehem  282 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [cH, XLIX, 1-20.