Isaiah 25

A thanksgiving of the people of God for the destruction of their enemies, vers.1. especially of the city of Babel. 2 A prophesy concerning the calling of the Gentiles in the time of the Messiah, 6. And the deliverance of all believers, 7. As also the destruction of their enemies 10.

1. LORD, thou art my God, I will extol thee, I will praise thy name, [This is a song of praise of the people of God; to wit, of the Church of believers in the new Testament] For thou hast done wonders: [Or, wonderful things] (thy) counsels from afar off, that is, of old] are truth (and) stability. [or faithfulness.]

2. For thou hast made of the city an heap of stones, [For clearness sake the words of this verse are somewhat otherwise disposed then they are in the Hebrew text. By the city here is meant Babylon, and consequently all other hostile cities and nations, and especially Rome. Heb. Set for an heap of stones. Compare above chap.21.9. and 23.13. Revel.14.8. and 18.2.] the fenced city a ruinous heap: the palace of strangers, that it be no more a city, it shall never be built again.

3. Therefore a mighty people shall honour thee, the city of tyrannical nations [Or terrible, violent, cruel heathen] shall fear thee [A mighty people, meaning that people that will turn unto thee, that by such terrible judgements shall learn to fear and honour thee.]

4. For thou hast been a strength unto the poor, [Or a strength of the poor] a strength to the needy, when he was in distress a refuge from the flood, [or, from the overflowing waters: as above chap.4.ver.6.] a shadow from the heat: for the blowing of tyrants [Heb. The wind (or, as some, spirit; that is, wrath) of tyrants; or, of cruel, or terrible ones] is a flood (against) a wall. [or, when the blowing of tyrants was as, etc.]

5. Thou shalt press down the rage of stranger as the heat in a dry place, [The meaning is, as the heat in a dry place is soon quelled or allayed by the rain: So hath God by the cloud of his gracious help (whereby he refreshed and revived his Church) quelled and extinguished the raging heat of strangers; and that is, of infidels and enemies of his Church] the song of tyrants [that is, the unity, joy, and triumph, which they were wont to make over the godly] shall be brought down, (as) the heat by the shadow of a thick cloud. [See above chap.4.6.]

6. And the LORD of hosts shall make on this mountain [That is, in the Christian Church, which is typified and represented by mount Zion] unto all nations [as well Gentiles as Jews, whom by the preaching of the Gospel he will call to the knowledge of himself] a fat feast, [Heb. A feast of fatnesses. In a spiritual sense the meaning of this and of that which followeth is that God will make his elect partakers of his exceeding great grace and mercy in Christ, namely of everlasting joy and salvation, which he hath prepared for us above in heaven. Compare herewith Psal.22.27,30. Matth.8.11. and 22.2. See the Annotat. Psal.36.on ver.9. the Prophet speaketh in this verse, as he doth also verse 7 and verse 10.] a feast of pure wine, [or, refined wine] that is, in which there is no less, or which is refined or purified from the less. Others, that lieth on the less] of fat full of marrow, [that is, of fat well-marrowed beasts] of pure wines that are refined.

7. And he shall devour [That is, disannul, make void] on this mountain the wrapping up of the face, wherewith all nations are wrapped up [Heb. The face of the wrapping up, or, covering, wrapped up or covered upon &c, and so in the sequel; and understand hereby the blindness and ignorance in divine and heavenly things wherein all the heathen or Gentiles stuck before the preaching of the Gospel. See 2 Cor.3.16.] and the covering wherewith all nations are covered. [that is, wherewith the eyes of the understanding of all nations, or all the heathen are covered, and as it were blinded, concerning things divine. That which was said immediately before, is repeated again in other words.]

8. He shall swallow up death, [That is, deprive it of its power to reign over his elect, or be able to separate them from his love] unto victory, [so the Apostle took these words, 1 Cor.15.54. Others, forever, or, everlasting. See of the Hebrew word, Psal.4.on ver.1. & 13.on ver.2.] and the Lord LORD will wipe away the tears from off all faces: [To wit, from off the faces of his people. See Revel.7.17,9, & 21.24.] and the reproach of his people he shall take away from off all the earth, [that is, in all lands] for the Lord hath spoken it.

9. And men shall say in that day, Lo this [To wit, Jesus Christ is our God] we have waited for him, and he will save us: [or, deliver, preserve us. This word, and the last of this verse are both derived from the Hebrew or original word from whence the word Jesus is derived] this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation [that is, in the salvation which he procureth for us. Others, in his saving.]

10. For the hand [That is, the power] of the LORD shall rest upon this mountain: [that is, God will continually preserve and defend his Church. For by mount Zion here is meant the Church of God] but Moab [that is, all the enemies and persecutors of the people of God] shall be threshed under him] to wit, under the Lord, who shall tread down and destroy him] as straw is threshed to dung [understand hereby the worst sort of strew, which serveth for nothing else but to make dung of it. Others, is trodden down on the dung-hill. Others, at Madmanna, there were two cities of this name: one in Juda, 1 Chron.2.49. and another in the land of the land Moabites, Jer.48.2. it seemeth that abundance of corn grew there, above chap.10.31.]

11. And he [To wit, the Lord] shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, like as a swimmer spreadeth (them) forth to swim, [that is, he will with all his strength and power seize upon and destroy his enemies, as a swimmer spreadeth forth both his hands to swim well] and he shall bring down their pride, [to wit, the pride of the Moabites] with the strength of their hands, [the meaning is, Moab is proud in heart, and in his hands is deceit or guide, in which respect he fancieth great things unto himself: but God will cons nares of his hands. So that the particle with signifieth here as much as together with. Others, with his lurking hands. As if he had said, with his hands that lurk or lie in wait for to rent the godly in pieces, as the lion lieth in wait for a prey.]

12. And he shall bow, (and) bring down the high fortresses of thy walls, [That is, the fortifications of thy high walls, (of thy walls) [to wit, Moabs walls; that is, the walls of the enemies of Gods Church] (yea) he [to wit, the Lord] shall cause them to carry to the earth, (even) to the dust, [That is, he shall cast them to the ground, even to the dust.]