Isaiah 59:1

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,.... It is not for want of power in the Lord, that he has not as yet destroyed the enemies of his people, antichrist, and the

Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: The reason why Yahweh does not deliver His people, notwithstanding their religious services

ISAIAH CHAPTER 59 Sin separates between God and us, ,2. Murder, theft, falsehood, injustice, cruelty, . Calamity for sin, . Salvation only of God, . The covenant of the Redeemer, ,21. The Lord’ s hand is not shortened; he is not grown weaker than in former times, as omnipotent as ever he was: hand is here by a synecdoche put for arm, and so for strength, because the strength of a man doth generally put forth itself in his arm; and thus it is applied to God in his bringing Israel out of Egypt, . Neither his ear heavy; or thick of hearing; he is not like your idol gods, that have hands, and cannot help, and ears, and cannot hear. The phrases are much to the same purpose, save only that they seem to be appropriated to the double cavil, or quarrel, that the Jews might have with God; as, 1. Surely if God were not heavy or hard of hearing, he could not but hear those strong cries that we put up in the days of our fast; or, 2. If he did hear, certainly he could not help us; and thus it may have respect to the beginning of the 58th chapter. Or the words may be by way of confirmation and establishment, and so may relate to the close of it, to let them know that if they sought him as they ought, and was before prescribed, he was not inexorable, but willing to hear, and able to make good all those promises that he had made from verse 8 to the end. The sum is, to show that the fault was not in God, that their fasts and cries were not regarded, for his ear was as quick to hear as ever; nor their services rewarded, for his hand was as able to help as ever; but the obstruction lay in their sins, which is positively asserted, , and a more particular account given of them in the sequel.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’ S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Ver. 1. Behold, the Lord’ s hand is not shortened.] That their fasts were not regarded, their Sabbath keeping rewarded, their prayers answered, according to expectation, the fault is not at all in God, saith the prophet, as if he were now grown old, impotent, deafish, or bison, as they were apt to conceit it, but merely in themselves, as appeareth by the following catalogue of sins, which he therefore also, in his own and their names, confesseth to God, and assigneth for the cause of their so long lasting calamity.

LIX. (1) Behold, the Lord’s hand . . .—The declaration is an implied answer to the complaint, like that of Isa 58:3, that the glorious promises had not as yet been fulfilled. The murmurera are told that the hindrance is on their side.

CHAPTER LIX This chapter contains a more general reproof of the wickedness of the Jews, 1-8. After this they are represented confessing their sins, and deploring the unhappy consequences of them, 9-15. On this act of humiliation God, ever ready to pardon the penitent, promises that he will have mercy on them; that the Redeemer will come, mighty to save; and that he will deliver his people, subdue his enemies and establish a new and everlasting covenant, 16-21. The foregoing elegant chapter contained a severe reproof of the Jews, in particular for their hypocrisy in pretending to make themselves accepted with God by fasting and outward humiliation without true repentance; while they still continued to oppress the poor, and indulge their own passions and vices; with great promises however of God's favour on condition of their reformation. This chapter contains a more general reproof of their wickedness, bloodshed, violence, falsehood, injustice. At Isaiah 59:9 they are introduced as making, themselves, an ample confession of their sins, and deploring their wretched state in consequence of them. On this act of humiliation a promise is given that God, in his mercy and zeal for his people, will rescue them from this miserable condition, that the Redeemer will come like a mighty hero to deliver them; he will destroy his enemies, convert both Jews and Gentiles to himself, and give them a new covenant, and a law which shall never be abolished. As this chapter is remarkable for the beauty, strength, and variety of the images with which it abounds; so is it peculiarly distinguished by the elegance of the composition, and the exact construction of the sentences. From the first verse to the two last it falls regularly into stanzas of four lines, (see Prelim. Dissert. p. xxi.,) which I have endeavoured to express as nearly as possible in the form of the original. - L. NOTES ON CHAP. LIX

1, 2. These verses state briefly and forcibly the argument of which the whole chapter is the expansion: not the powerlessness or the indifference of Jehovah, but the sin of the people, is the hindrance to the promised redemption.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Isaiah 50:2. Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Isaiah 6:10.

1, 2. Behold — An ellipsis, as if omitting a short parley. And the prophet impliedly answers with emphasis, “No!