Isaiah 58

Isaiah 58:1

CRie aloud] Heb. Cry with the throat. Psal. 69. and 115. 7. or, with full throat. Jeremiah 12:6.

spare not] Use all diligence and earnestnesse in convincing and reproving of hypocrites, vers. 2.

like a trumpet] That soundeth aloud, and is wont to give warning of approaching dargers, Jeremiah 6:1.

Isaiah 58:2

they seek me daily] Heb. day day. day by day; or, day after day, Pro. 8. 30, 34. They make shew of diligent and devout worshipping of me; repair daily to my Temple; and would seem very holy, Chap. 29. 13. and 48. 1, 2. Jeremiah 7:9. Ezekiel 14:152. and 33. 30, 31.

Isaiah 58:3

Wherefore have we fasted] They will expostulate with God, when they seem not to be heard; as if they had most sincerely and seriously sought him, Jer. 3. 4, 5. Mic. 6. 6.

thou takest no knowledge] Heb. knowest not. as Jeremiah 3:13. or, takest no notice of it; of what we do.

in the day of your fast] Ye deal wickedly, even at those times, and on those dayes, wherein ye would seem to be most devour, Jeremiah 9:3. Ezekiel 23:38-39.

you find pleasure] Ye follow those courses, that you are most taken with, and are more delightful to you then any food, Proverbs 2:14. & 4. 16, 17. Matth. 23. 14, 23. Luke 18:12.

exact all your labours] Heb. griefs. or, vexations. Numbers 23:21. Job 4:8. Or, things wherewith you grieve others. Ye exact your debts with rigour and crueltie, 2 Kings 4:1. Nehem. 5. 4, 5, 7. Or, use rigorously those your brethren, who through poverty are enforced to serve you, Leviticus 25:39. Jeremiah 40:10-11. by these offices of the second Table, wherein they failed, shewing their pretended faith and piety not to be sound, nor sincere, Chap. 1. 17, 18. James 1:27. and 2. 14,—26. 1 John 3:17. & 4. 20, 21.

ye shall not fast as ye do this day] Or, ye sast not as this day.

to make yor voyce to be beard on high] Never look to have your fasting and prayer heard in heaven, Chap. 57. 15. 1 King. 8. 32, 36. so long as ye use contention and oppression, Chap. 1. 15. Never look to find mercy with God, while you refuse to shew mercy to others, Proverbs 21:13. Matthew 6:15. and Matthew 18:35. James 2:13.

Isaiah 58:5

Is it such a fast that I have chosen] Zechariah 7:5.

a day for a man to afflict his soul] Or, a man to afflict his soul for a day. Lev. 16. 19, 31. & 23. 27.

to spread sackcloth and ashes] Esther 4:3. Job 2:8. & Job 42:6. Chap. 61. 3. Jeremiah 6:26. Matthew 11:21.

an acceptable day] Heb. a day of good-will. Chap. 49. 8. and 61. 2.

Isaiah 58:6

to loose the bands of wickednesse] Heb. to open. Chap. 45. 1. & 51. 14. To leave all your vexations, extortions and oppressions, Mic. 6. 10.

to undo the heavy burdens] Heb. the bundles of the yoke.

the oppressed] Heb. broken. or, bruised. Chap. 42. 3. Hosea 5:11.

break every yoke] Chap. 9. 4.

Isaiah 58:7

to deal thy bread to the hungry] Heb. break, &c. Ezekiel 18:7. Lamentations 4:4. Almsdeeds and works of mercy must go along with your fasting; that it may prevail with God, Daniel 4:27. Matthew 5:7. Acts 10:2.

the poor that are cast out] Or, afflicted. See Lamentations 1:7.

cover him] Job 31:19-20. Matthew 25:36.

hide not thy self from thine own flesh] Thy poor neighbour; who is the same flesh with thee, Judges 9:2. 2 Samuel 5:1. Nehem. 5. 5. Proverbs 28:27.

Isaiah 58:8

thy light] Thy prosperous estate, wherewith God shall blesse thee, Chap. 60. 1. Psalms 97:11. and Psalms 112:4. Pro. 4 18.

thy righteousnesse shall go before thee] The testimony of thy goodnesse shall appear before God and man, Psalms 37:6. Or, the reward of it, in Gods gracious conduct of thee thereby procured, shall even prevent thee and go before thee, Psal 5. 8. & 21. 3. and 112. 9. Proverbs 6:22. Acts 10:4.

the glory of the LORD] Chap. 6. 1, 2.

shall be thy rereward] Heb. shall gather thee up. Chap. 52. 12. God will follow thee with his favours, to make thee glorious and honourable, Psalms 149:4. Or, he will by his powerfull providence both guide and guard thee, Exodus 14:19. Chap. 4. 5, 6. vers. 11.

Isaiah 58:9

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer] Chap. 30. 19. & 65. 24.

here I am] Heb. Lo I. Chap. 6. 8.

the putting forth of the finger] The least offer of violence: or, all menacing words and gestures.

speaking vanitie] Or, iniquitie. Psal. 7 14. Chap. 59. 7. Harsh and unequall commands: or, injurious speeches, Psalms 36:3. Colossians 4:1.

Isaiah 58:10

draw out thy soul to the hungry] Relieve thy poor brethren freely, cordially, compassionately; so as that thine heart and affection go along with thy gift, Psal. 37. 21, 26. & 112. 5. 2 Cor. 8. 5, 12. & 9. 5, 7

shall thy light rise in obscuritie, and thy darknesse be as the noonday] Thine adversitie shall be turned into prosperitie, Psalms 112:4. and that in an eminent degree, Job 11:17. Psalms 37:6.

Isaiah 58:11

LORD shall guide thee] Or, lead. or, conduct thee. Psalms 5:8. & Psalms 23:3. & Psalms 25:5. & 143. 10. Chap. 57. 18.

satisfie thy soul] Psalms 103:5. & Psalms 107:9.

in drought] Heb. droughts. in extremitie of drought.

make fat thy bones] Fill them with marrow, Job 21:24. Proverbs 3:8. & 11 25. & 15. 30.

thou shalt be like a watered garden] Ever flourishing; and abounding, as in outward prosperitie, Num. 24 6. Chap. 48. 18. so especially in inward graces, and spirituall refreshments, John 4:14. & John 7:38.

like a spring of water, whose waters fail not] Heb. do not lie or, deceive. Habakkuk 3:17. That runneth constantly all the yeer long; and not dried up in heat of summer, when most need is of it, Job 6:15,—20.

Isaiah 58:12

they that shall be of thee, shall build the old waste places] There shall those come of thee, that shall reedifie the ruinous places of Jerusalem, that have lien long waste, Chap. 49. 8. & 51. 3. & 61. 4. See Nehem. 3.

Isaiah 58:13

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath] Refrain thy self from profaning my Sabbath Ezekiel 22:26. Spoken here of the yeerly Sabbath of humiliation, Leviticus 16:31. & 23. 27, 28. but appliable also to the weekly Sabbath, Chap. 56. 2.

doing thy pleasure] See vers. 3.

call the sabbath a delight] Take delight in the works of the day, Psalms 42:4. & Psalms 63:5. & Psalms 122:1.

the holy of the LORD, honourable] Or, the Lords holy day honourable.

nor speaking thine own words] Heb. a word. Thine own; (as Tim. 2. 13, 14.) such as thou now usest: or, any harsh, vexatious, injurious word. See vers. 4.

Isaiah 58:14

Then shalt thou delight thy self in the LORD] Thou shalt find sufficient matter of delight in him, Psal. 37 4. Job 22:26. and Job 27:10.

to ride upon the high places of the earth] To dwell aloft in places of suretie and safetie, Deuteronomy 32:13. Chap. 33. 16.

feed thee with the heritage of Jacob] The land of Canaan; given for an inheritance to him in his posteritie, Psal. 135. 11, 12. a type of the heavenly inheritance.

for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it] Chap. 1. 20. and 40. 5.