Isaiah 35

The great joy of all creatures with the Church of God, for the redemption by Christ, verse 1. Etc. An exhortation to Churches or ministers, to comfort poor dejected souls, herewith, 3. The miracle which the Messiah should. 5. A further relation of the prosperity and peace of the people of God, 8.

1. The desert and the dry places shall be glad here at; and the wilderness shall rejoice and flourish like a rose. [All creatures shall rejoice at this, that the Lord shall have executed his righteous judgements upon the enemies of his people. Moreover understand here by the desert or wilderness the faithful, or the Church of God, who were before (like a wilderness) very withered and barren; but by the grace of God should be glorified, exalted, and made fruitful. Compare above chap.32.15,16. And hear the sequel, (and the dry places) Heb. The dryness, or the dry; that is, the dry solitary places, or lands, (shall be glad, or joyful here at) or at these (things) to wit, that the enemies of the people of God shall be so punished and destroyed, as was shewed in the 34.chapter.]

2. It [To wit, the desert or wilderness, understanding by the desert or wilderness, the faithful, as was noted on ver.1.] shall flourish pleasantly [Heb. It shall flourishing flourish, or blossoming blossom] and rejoice, yea, (with) rejoicing and shouting, the glory of Libanon is given unto it, the ornament of Carmel and Sharon: [that is, the Church of God is made beautiful, glorious, and fruitful as Libanus, Carmel, and Sharon were wont to be; of which mountains see above chap.8.9.] they shall see the glory of the LORD, the ornament of our God.

3. Strengthen the slack hands, and confirm the shaking knees [That is, comfort and strengthen one another with the consideration or meditation of this grace of God which he hath shewed his Church. Or it is a speech directed unto Ministers, See Heb.12.12. (confirm the shaking knees) Weak, staggering, wavering knees.]

4. Say to the right in heart, [See above chap.32.ver.4.] Be strong, fear not, behold, your God [to wit, Jesus Christ manifest in the flesh] will come (to) vengeance [to punish the enemies of his Church] (with) the recompense of God he will come, [others take it thus, behold, your God, the vengeance shall come, the recompense of God, he shall come etc.] and deliver [or, preserve, save] you.

5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be made open, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened [Then &c. To wit, when Christ shall become, above chap.29.18. and below chap.42.7. Christ did not onely bestow the blessings and benefits that are mentioned in this and some other following verses on the bodies of many weak diseased creatures, but also in a spiritual manner on the souls of men, in that he enlightened and regenerated his by his holy spirit, so declaring and manifesting his diving power and omnipotence. See Matth.9.27. and 11.5. and 12.22. and 20.30. and 21.14. Mar.7.32. Joh.9.6.]

6. Then shall the cripple leap as an hart [See Mat.11.5. and 15.30. and 21.14. Joh.5.ver.8,9. Acts 3:2. and 8.7. and 14.8.] and the tongue of the dumb shall shout: [See Mat.9.32. and 12.22. and 15.30.] for in the wilderness shall waters burst out, [Heb. Be split. The meaning is, the rocks and the earth or ground shall split open, that waters may flow forth. By these waters must be understood the preaching of the Gospel, and gifts of the holy Ghost, which in the time of Christ shall be abundantly poured out upon all sorts of men, even upon the gentiles, who were in times past as a wilderness, and as a dry and barren heath. See Joh.7.38,39.] and brooks in the desert.

7. And the dry land shall become a standing water, and the thirsty land spring veins of waters: in the habitation of Dragons, where they lay, [Heb. Their lying down] shall be grass with reed and rushes. [The meaning is, the Church of believers shall be watered with the Holy Ghost, which shall grow and flourish, as reeds and rushes do grow and flourish in moist and watery and places. Others, shall be the Court of the reed and of the rush. The meaning is, the land which had no other use or benefit then to serve dragons to lie down and to have their habitation there, the same shall be turned into a pleasant field, and it shall be as a court full of reeds and full of rushes.]

8. And there shall be an exalted path, and a way which shall be called the holy way: [The meaning is, the Christian Church shall be no wild barren wilderness, but in it shall be shewed the true way to salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ, who cleanseth us from all our sins, and giveth us the holy Ghost, that reneweth and regenerateth us unto a new and godly life] the unclean [to wit, he that lieth or continueth still in his sins. See Revel.22.15.] shall not pass through it, but it [to wit, that way] shall be for these: [to wit for them that are holy, as the way is holy; that is, for the true members of the Christian Church, who are redeemed or ransomed of the Lord, verse 10.] he that walketh [travelleth, goeth, or shall go] (this) way, [to wit, in this holy way] even fools, [that is, those that know or understand nothing in divine matters, or simple Christians] shall not erre: [Because they shall have a sure and even path, in which the Lord shall lead them.]

9. No lion shall be there, [That is, no Devil shall draw away or seduce the faithful from the way of salvation, though he go continually round about us, like a roaring Lion seeking to devour us. See Joh.10.28. and 1 Pet.5.8.] neither shall any tearing beast [properly no breaker in, or, breaker through of beasts] come upon it, nor be found there, but the redeemed shall walk (in it).

10. But the ransomed of the LORD [Understand here first those that should be delivered out of the Babylonish captivity: but especially those that were redeemed and ransomed of the Lord; that is, delivered or redeemed both in soul and body, by the blood of Jesus Christ] shall return, [that is, they shall be converted unto the Lord] and come (to) Zion [to wit, into the congregation of believers, first here on earth, and then in heaven. Below chap.51.11. Rev.22.14.] with shouting: and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain [or, embrace, lay hold on joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. [Compare Revel.21.4.]