Isaiah 42

Chap. XLII. Ver. 1—25. A prophecy of the Messiah.— Here the Prophet drops the veil, and brings the Messiah into full view, without type or allegory: ‘‘ Behold my servant Messiah,” says the Chaldee. St. Matthew, ((Isaiah 12:18), &c.) Bishop Lowth) with any justice or propriety be applied to any other person whatever. The Prophet then expatiates on the meekness of his character, and the extent and blessings of his kingdom, particularly among the Gentiles; and calls upon all nations to join in one song of praise to God on his incarnation. After this, (ver. 13.) he seems again to glance at the deliverance from the captivity, although the words no less aptly apply to the deliverance vouchsafed the Church, the overthrow of her most powerful enemies, and to the prevalency of true religion over idolatry and error.

Lastly, the Prophet reproves the blindness and infidelity of the Jews, in rejecting their Messiah, and gives intimation of those awful judgments, which their guilt would at length draw upon them. There is some difficulty as to the person spoken of in verse 21. Lowth and Boothroyd supply the pronoun ‘him’—meaning Israel; but we are much disposed to refer back to verse 1. (the more early antecedent,) the Lord’s ‘‘elect’’ (or chosen) servant, ‘‘in whom his soul delighteth.’’—In him, we apprehend, the Lord was well pleased, for his (Messiah’s) righteousness’ sake—‘‘ He (Messiah) will magnify the law, and make it (or him) honourable:” and this agrees exactly with the doctrine of the New Testament, (see (Matthew 3:17). (Romans 3:25-26).) This, however, is offered to the reader’s consideration: it is certain, that when God or Christ is spoken of, as being the great subject of revelation, the relative is often omitted, or left at a considerable distance.

Notes on the verses

So Lowth. Ver. 1. They that strive with thee.—See margin. So next verse, ‘‘Men of thy contention, of thy war.” Ver. 15. Having teeth.—(Or, as Bishop Lowth renders, “a threshing wain; a new corn drag armed with pointed teeth.” The drag consisted of a sort of strong planks, made rough at the bottom with hard stones or iron; and was drawn by horses or oxen over the corn sheaves spread on the floor, the driver sitting upon it. The wain was much like the former; but had wheels with iron teeth, or edges like a saw. In Syria they use a drag constructed in the same manner: it not only forces out the grain, but cuts the straw in pieces for fodder.|—Bagster.) Ver. 19. Shittah tree.—Lowth, “The acacia.”— Oil tree.—[This cannot denote the olive tree, from which it is expressly distinguished in (Nehemiah 8:15), Jackson says, the argan tree “produces a kind of olive, from the kernel of which the Shelluchs express an oil, much superior to butter for frying fish.”]—B. Ver. 21. Your strong reasons.—This last word seems improperly supplied. Lowth reads, ‘‘Your mighty powers;” but, with submission, we should rather supply ‘‘statements;’’ we conceive the language to be judicial, and the idols (see ver. 23.) are challenged to state their cause (or controversy, (Jeremiah 25:31).) in the strongest terms. Ver. 24. Ye are of nothing… of nought.—Lowth, “Less than nothing… + less than nought.” Ver. 25. From the north, &c.—[Jehovah here predicts the victories of Cyrus over the Chaldeans and their allies, at least 150 years before the event, as one instance of his foreknowledge and invincible power.

Media lay north of Babylon, and Persia eastward; and Cyrus commanded the forces of both these nations; and, by his wonderful success, he trampled down mighty monarchs as mortar, and as the potter treads the clay.]—Bagster. Ver. 28. Even amongst them.—Meaning the idols, So Lowth. 4 CuHapP. XLII. Ver. 2. He shall not cry nor lift up.—Lowth, ‘‘Nor raise a clamour.” The meaning evidently is, we conceive, that he should not raise a sedition, or attempt to excite tumult, in which respect our Saviour was eminently distinguished from all the false messiahs of — we read, Ver. 6. Have called thee.—This is addressed expressly to Messiah; compare (Isaiah 49:8). (Luke 2:32). Ver. 7. To open the blind eyes.—See (Isaiah 35:5). lxi. 1. Luke iv. 18. Ver. 11. Let the wilderness.—(The most uncultivated and uncivilized people, says Bishop Lowth, shall confess and celebrate with thanksgiving the blessing of the knowledge of God graciously imparted to them. By the desert is meant Arabia Deserta; by the rocky country, [Arabia Petrea; by the mountains, probably those celebrated ones, Paran, Horeb, and Sinai, in the same country; to which also belonged Kedar, a clan of Arabians dwelling for the most part in tents.]—Bagster.) Ver. 13. He shall cry, yea roar.—This alludes to the shout of war; see (Joshua 6:5, 10, 16). Ver. 14. I will destroy, and, devour at once.—Lowth refers this, as the clause preceding, to a woman in travail; breaking short, and drawing in my breath with violence,”

or, as Boothroyd, “at once drawing in my breath.” Ver. 15. Dry up all their herbs.—Lowth, “Burn up all the grass.”——I will make the rivers islands.—Lowth, “Deserts.” Ver. 16. Crooked rg straight.—Lowth, “The rugged ways smooth.” Ver. 19. Deaf as my messenger.—[{Or rather, ‘‘Who is blind, but my servant, and deaf, as he to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, as he who is perfectly instructed; and deaf as the servant of Jehovah.”)]—B Ver. 20. Seeing many things.—Boothroyd, ‘‘Thou verily seest, but wilt not mean. Thine ears are open, yet wilt thou not hear.” Lowth to the same Ver. 22. They are all.—See margin. To the same effect, Lowth…. For a spoil.—See margin; i. e. to be trodden under foot.

on ’ CuHapP. XLIII. Ver. 2. Walkest through the fire.—Harmer thinks this alludes to setting on fire fields of grass. Ver. 3. Egypt for thy ransom.—‘‘God (says Lowth) has often saved his people at the expense of other nations, whom he has (as it were) given up to destruction.”—{When Sennacherib was just ready to fall upon Jerusalem, soon after entering Judea, she was providentially diverted from that design and turned his arms against the Egyptians and their allies, the Ethiopians, and poe. Sabeans; and it is very likely, that these nations, when vanquished by Cyrus, might be considered as a ransom paid him for the release of the Jews.}—Bagster Ver. 10. 2: 0 neither shall there be after me.—Lowth, ‘‘And after me none Ver.

12. I have showed, &c.—Lowth, ‘‘I made it known; nor was it any strange god among you.” Ver. 14. Nobles.—Heb. “Bars.” A class of Chaldean nobles might be called bars, with as much propriety as the pope’s nobles are called ‘‘cardinals;” i. e. hinges. —— Whose cry, &c.—(This is a prediction of the destruction of the navigation of the Babylonians, by the Euphrates to the Persian gulf, by Cyrus, who diverted the river from its course, and thus inundated the neighbouring country.)— Bagster. Ver. 24. No sweet cane.—Savary (Letters on Egypt) says, ‘‘perhaps the sugar cane which grew spontaneously near the Nile.” (See (Exodus 30:23). and (Jeremiah 6:20).) Ver. 27. Thy first father.—Lowth, ‘‘Thy chief leader.”…

Thy teachers —See margin. Lowth, ‘‘Public teachers.”