The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 250

EXPOSITION. to it (xxxvii. 35). With the Je.st-ne.med OHAPTER LI. writer, Eden represents all that is gloriollB, Vera. 1-8.-AN ADDRESS TO FAITHFUL not in nature only, bnt in art (xxviii 13; leRAEL, SUGGESTING 'l'OPICS OF COMFORT. xxxi. 8, 9, 16, 18). The voice of melody (comp. eh. xxxv. 10,anrl infra, ver.11). As The address consists of three nearly equal music ceases out of the land in time of strophes or stanza.a, each commencing with affliction (eh. xxiv. 8), so when a "time of a. ea.II, Shim'u elai, "Hearken unto me," or refreshing from the Lord" o.rri ves, thtre is Haqshibu elai, "Attend to me." The pro- at once singing and "melody" (comp. Rev. phet appears to be the speaker, and to ad- v. 8; xiv. 2; xv. 2). Ver. 4.-Hearken unto me; rather, attend dress himself to the more faithful portion of to me-a stronger term than "hearken"- the people. attend, and hear of a greater bless'nn- th:.n Ver. 1.-Ye that follow after righteous- the restoration of the land of Judah to cul- ness; i.e. "ye that endeavour to lead right- tivation and fruitfulness. Goel, enthroned eous lives" (comp. yer. 7). Ye that seek a.new in Zion, will from thence scnJ forth the Lord. And do not" seek after idols," his lig-ht and his truth to the nations, will as too many of the exiles did (eh. xl. 19; make his Law known to them, and allow them xii. 7; xliv. 9-20; xlvi. 5-8, etc.). Look to partake of his salvation. 0 my nation. Ullto the rook . . . the hole; i.e. look back Some manuscripts have " 0 ye nations." at your past history, especially o.t the early But the reading is unrloubteclly a wrong beginnings ofit Consider from what a.slight one. A le.w she.ll proceed from me. The and poor commencement-an aged man and Christian" 111 w "-the new covenant-is pro- e. barren woman (ver. 2)-ye were raised np bably intended. This became, by the preach- to be God's people, e. numerous nation, a ing of the apostles, a light of the people, or multitude like the sand of the sea. How rather, of the people.a. came this result a.bout? Was it not simply Ver. 5.-My righteousness is near; my by the blessing of God? salvation is gone forth. " One day is with Ver. 2.-I oe.lled him a.lone; or, I called the Lord as e. thouse.nrl years, and e. thousand him when he was but one ; i.e. before he years as one day" (2 Pet. iii. 8). Isaiah had any children ( comp. Ezek. x.xxiii. 24, always speaks o.s if the Messianic kingdom "Abraham was one, and he inherited the wo.s to supervene o.lmost immediately on 1be land"). And blessed him (see Gen. xxiv. l, return or the exiles to Palestine. It wo.s 35). And inoreased him; i.e. " mnde him o. not reveale,1 to him that there wouJ.l be nn fo.ther of many nations" (Gen. xvii. 5). If intervnl of frt,m five hundred to six hundred God could multiply the progeny of one man, years bet" een the t"o eYents. By God's much more could he make a flourishing "righteousness " here we must understand nation out of the exiles, who, though but o. bis righteous plans for the redemption of "remnant" of the pre-Captivity lero.el, were his people through Christ, and for the pun- yet many thouso.nds in number (see Ezro. ishment of those who resist his will a.nu ii. 64). remain impenitent. 'fhe salvation nnd tbe Ver. 3.-The Lord she.ll comfort Zion judgment a.re the two parts of the "right- ( comp. oh. xl. 1 ; xliL 3; Ii. 12; Iii. 9, etc.). eousness." The isles she.ll we.it upon me Literally, the word used is has comjvrted; (comp. eh. xii. I, 5; xiii. 4, 10, 12; xli.x. 1; i.e. has so determined the mo.tter in his Ix. 9, etc.; o.ncl the comment on eh. xiii. 4). counsels that it may be considered as alre(1<ly On mino a:::m shall they trnst. God's" arm·, e.ocomplisbed. Her waste plo.ces ... her is his executive power-that might by which wilderness . . . her desert. Though Nebu- ho effects his purposes. The "isles" or ohe.d uezze.r "left of the poor of the land to "countrirs" that have heen expecting the be vinedreesers and husbanclmen" (2 Kings coming of o Deli\'erer will have faith in bis x.xv. 12; Jer. Iii. 16), yet the population power to redeem and rnYe them. Christianity was not sufficient to maintain cultivo.tion w~e received with more readiness by the genernlly. Thus, much of Judma., during Gentiles than by the "peculiur people" the absence of the exiles, became e. " wilder- (Acts xi. 21; xiii. 42, 46; xiv. I, 2; xvii. ness" nnd e." desert" (seo Ezek. xxxvi. 34). 4, 5; xviii. 6, etc.). Like Eden . , . like the garden of the Lord. Ver. 6.-Lift up your eyes to the heavelll. The Prophet Joel compares Judmo. before its Look to tbo.t which seems to you most desolation to "the garden of Edeu " (ii. 3) ; stable and most certain to endnre-the ve.~t and Ezekiel, like Iso.io.h, prophesies that it firmament of the hce.n·ns, and the solid shell once more become ·' like the garden earth beneath it, of which God "bears up of Eden," when the exiles be.ve returned the pillars" (Pa. lxxv. 3). Doth these, an,! 260 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [oH, LI, 1-23.