Isaiah 64
DOYLYVer. 3.—that sacrificeth in gardens, &c.] Instances of heathenish superstition and idolatrous practices, to which the Jews were immoderately addicted before the Babylonish captivity. See note on chap. i. 29. These apostates sacrificed upon altars built of bricks; in opposition to the command of God in regard to his altar, which was to be of unhewn stone, Exod. xx. 25. Bp. Lowth.
Ver. 1. Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, &c.] It hath pleased the Divine goodness to signify to us by this, that He lives and reigns on high, infinitely above all that we can think; and that the earth is at his foot to do what He will with it, and all that is on it; so that the earth is full of his glory, and the heaven of heavens is not able to contain it. Yet nevertheless, as God is said to dwell in heaven, because He there unvails Himself, and shines forth in all his glory, before the pure and holy creatures that dwell there, and are capable of beholding it; so is He said to dwell upon earth, in those places where He is graciously pleased to discover any of his Divine perfections in a more peculiar manner than elsewhere: thus were the tabernacle, and afterwards the temple, called God’s house; and now in
house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isaiah 64:4
- Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments.] For the purposes of necromancy and divination, to obtain dreams and revelations; for “monuments,” we might render “caverns.” Bp. Lowth. It was a common custom among the heathens for persons to lodge all night in the temples of their idols, (which
were no better than monuments of the dead,) in order to obtain dreams that might be beneficial. W. Lowth.
—which eat swine’s flesh.] Which was expressly forbidden by the law, (Lev. xi. 7,) but among the heathen was in principal request in their sacrifices and festivals. Antiochus Epiphanes compelled the Jews to eat swine’s flesh as a full proof of their renouncing their religion, 2 Mac. vi. 18; vii. 1. Bp. Lowth.
—broth of abominable things is in their vessels;] That is, they make no difference of those meats which the law hath declared unclean. Bp. Hall.
Isaiah 64:5
- Which say, Stand by thyself, &c.] The extreme offensiveness to God of spiritual pride and hypocrisy is compared to that of “smoke in the nose;” and the continual provocation kindled by it to “a fire that burneth all the day.” Wogan. This description of a proud hypocrite agrees exactly with the temper of the Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviour’s time. W. Lowth.
Isaiah 64:6
6.—into their bosom.] See note at Ps. lxxix. 12.
Isaiah 64:7
7.—which have burned incense upon the mountains, &c.] See the note on Gen. xxii. 2, “Upon one of the mountains.”
Isaiah 64:8
8.—As the new wine is found in the cluster, &c.] As a few good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones, and one speaks to another, that would pluck it from the tree, to spare it; so will I not destroy the whole nation for the sake of the few good persons which spring out from among the rest. W. Lowth.
Isaiah 64:10
- And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor &c.] These are two of the most fertile parts of Judea, famous for their rich pastures: the former to the west, not far from Joppa; the latter north of Jericho, near Gilgal. Bp. Lowth.
Judgments on the wicked. The blessed state Before CHRIST about 698. Or. God. Or. Meni. b Prov. 1. 24. &c. ch. 66. 4. Jer. 7. 13. breaking. tain, that prepare a table for that offering unto that || number.
Isaiah 64:11
- — that prepare a table for that troop, &c.] It was customary both among the Jews and Gentiles, after some part of the sacrifice had been offered upon the altar, to make a feast of the remainder. See chap. lvii. 7; Ezek. xxiii. 41. We read, 1 Cor. x. 21, of the “table of devils;” to whom the Gentiles sacrificed. W. Lowth. The disquisitions and conjectures of the learned respecting the names “Gad and Meni” (see the margin) are infinite and uncertain: perhaps the most probable may be, that Gad means good fortune, and Meni the moon. Bp. Loud.
Isaiah 64:12
- Therefore will I number you to the sword.] An allusion to the derivation of the word Meni, which signifies “number:” such plays upon the words are frequent in the Prophets. W. Lowth. 15. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen:] Mine elect shall look upon you as a standing monument of God’s indignation; your name shall be mentioned in a common form of imprecation, God do to me, as He has done to the wicked Jews, &c. The other name mentioned here may mean, that of Christians. W. Lowth. But see note on chap. lxii. 2.
Isaiah 64:16
- — the God of truth:] The God of Amen in the Hebrew, rightly translated, “the God of truth:” Rev. iii. 14. Jesus Christ is called Amen; being the faithful and true witness, yea, the “Truth” itself, John xiv. 6, and perhaps in allusion to this place. Compare 2 Cor. i. 20. Bp. Beveridge, W. Lowth.
Isaiah 64:17
- For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.] That is, in prophecies language, will institute a “new” dispensation of religion; different from that which God had given to the Jews, and subversive of it; for it follows, “the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Bp. Hurd. The Prophet describes, under this character, the state of things in the days of the Messiah. Dr. Berriman. St. Peter, in his second Epistle, chap. iii. 13, applies this passage of Isaiah to that new and refined state which is to succeed to the dissolution of this world, and in which righteousness is to dwell, agreeably to what is said chap. lx. 20, 21; see also Rev. xxi. 1. Jos. Mede, W. Lowth. And many have taken this for the primary and principal sense of the passage; but it appears that the establishment of the Christian Church and religion is what is more obviously and primarily pointed at in the expression, “new heavens and new earth;” (see chap. li. 16;) and that it is only to their more hidden and fullest meaning that St. Peter (referring to this and other passages of Isaiah) applies them as above. This creation of new heavens and earth began at the time when the Gospel of Christ began its progress; is to be completed at that other time, when it shall please God (the Creator) to render it perfect, in the consummation of all things. The beginning and end are here blended together. Vitringa. The two advents of Christ are for the most part not distinguished in the Old Testament. Dr. Berriman.
Isaiah 64:18
- — rejoice for ever in that which I create:] Rather, “rejoice in the age to come, which I create,” agreeing with ver. 17. Bp. Chandler. 20. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, &c.] There shall be no untimely deaths: the Prophet describes this renovation of the world as a state similar to that which the Patriarchs enjoyed before the flood; the purport of the latter part of this verse is, that he that died an hundred years old might be looked on as dying in childhood, cut off in the beginning of his days, as a punishment for sin; it may be more plainly rendered, “He that dies an hundred years old, shall die a child; and the sinner that dies an hundred years old, shall be accursed.” W. Lowth. Or, “He that dies an hundred years old, shall be (esteemed) accursed as a sinner.” Dr. Wells.
Isaiah 64:22
- — as the days of a tree are the days of my people.] of the new Jerusalem. CHAP. LXV, LXVI. God will be served in humble sincerity.