Isaiah 54
PATIn the foregoing chapter the prophet described the sufferings of Christ, and here he prophesies of the increase and glory of the church which should follow upon it; which, indeed, were to commence from the time of Christ’s passion,’ but would not be completed till his second coming, and after the Jews were again restored to God’s favour. Vcr.l. kSlNG, O barren, thou that didst not bear.] Or, Tliou that hast not borne children a great while: tho prophet’[chap. liv. had described Jerusalem, during the captivity, as a desolate woman, forsaken of her husband, and bereaved of her children: (xlix. 21. compare lxii. 4i) herd ho bids her rejoice and comfort herself after her affliction, because her children should bo much more numerous than they -were in her most flourishing condition. This cannot be literally true of the Jewish nation, who never made such a figure after the captivity, as they did in the days of David and Solomon; and consequently can be only imperfectly understood of Jerusalem, as she was a type of the Christian church, according to St. Paul’s exposition of the text, Gal. iv. 27. Expounding the words to this sense, they import, That the church, after her spouse, Jesus Christ,.was taken from her by death, and she left in a disconsolate, forlorn condition, and her children orphans; (see John xiv. 18.) desponding and comfortless, (Luko xxiv, 21/) from such mean and contemptible beginnings, should spread herself over the world, and will still receive a farther enlargement, when the fulness of tlie Jews and gentiles is come in. in For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.’] She that was desolate without inhabitant, shall have more children than ever she had formerly whilst she was married; i. e. while God owned his covenant relation to her; and the land, of which she was metropolis, was full of people. (See ver. 5. and lxii. 4.),Ver. II. Behold, I will lay. thy stones with fair colours.] We read. of stones of divers coloursyl.Chvon. xxix. 2. where the word in the original is the same as it is here, andprob£bly mearisa stone of a red or shining colour. This and the: next verse may/in aiqualified sense, be applied to the rebuilding the city: and temple after the captivity; but must have, some farther meaning in it, if we compare it with that.old prophecy: mentioned in Tobit, xiii. 16, 17. which Mr. Mede hath shewed must relate’ to the latter times (see his Dissertat. upon the, last chapter of Tobit), and with Rev. xxi. 18, &c. The church of Christ, and the society of antichrist, are described as two cities; the latter called mystical Babylon, Rev. xvii- 5. the former, the new and heavenly Jerusalem, Rev. xxi. 2. 10. to distinguish it from the earthly city of that name, and is there described as coming down from God, and adorned with all. those gifts and graces which can render it glorious and durable, which are metaphorically represented under theJGgure of a foursquare solid and beautiful structure, consisting all of gold and precious stones. r.'.
Isaiah 54:2
Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations J. The prophet describes the city of Jerusalem, the figure of the Christian church, (God’s tabernacle, Rev. xxi. 3.) under the metaphor of a tent, or tabernacle, the most ancient way of dwelling; and bids her enlarge her borders in proportion to the increase of her inhabitants. (Compare xlix. 19, 20. xxxiii. 20.)
Isaiah 54:3
Thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left. Thy people shall become so numerous, that thou shalt be forced to seek out new habitations for them. And thy seed shall inherit the gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.] This may be understood, in a low sense, of the Jews enlarging their borders, by the conquests of Judas Maccabaeus, over their neighbouring countries, (see 1 Maccab. v.) and their inhabiting those cities in Judea which had been left desolate, it may be, ever since the captivity of the ten tribes; but the words do plainly imply the enlargement of the church, by admitting the gentiles within her territories, and that the minds of rude and barbarous nations should be cultivated with the knowledge of the true God. (See the note on xlix. 8.)
Isaiah 54:4
For thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. The favour and affection God will shew towards thee now, will make thee forget all thy former disgraces and afflictions, both those thou sufferedst in Egypt, and afterward in the times of the judges, and those which thou enduredst in the time of thy captivity, when God rejected thee, and left thee in a state of widowhood. (See ver. G. 1. 1.) This verse, and ver. G. may have a particular regard to God’s calling of the Jews, and restoring them to favour, after they had been rejected a great while. (Seo the note upon ver.. 13. and compare lx. 15. Ixi. 7. Ixii. 4.) -
Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker is thy husband. Though God had cast thee off for some time, (ver; 1.) yet he still owns the relation of a husband towards thee, and will shew true marks of his conjugal affection to thee. (See the note on xlviii. 8.) Tlie God of the whole earth shall he be called.] And now the time is coming, when he shall not bo called the God of the Jews only, but also of the gentiles, whom he shall admit into the same covenant relation to himself, with the Jews. (Compare Zcch. xiv. 9. Horn. iii. 29.) Ver. G. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, wMn thou wast refused.] God is now reconciled to thee again, after having cast thee off, and left thee in a desolate and mournful condition. (See ver. 1. 4.) He will now cherish thee, as if ho were newly married to thee. (See lxii. 4.) A wife of youth, signifies a wife that a man was married to in.his youth, who was his first love, and therefore not easily to be parted with. (See Prov. v. 18. Mai. ii. 14.)'
Isaiah 54:7
For a small moment have I forsaken thee. God’s anger towardshis servants is short, when compared with that everlasting kindness he will shew towards them. (See Psal. xxx. 5.) The same rule holds true of the church in general, whose light afflictions are but for A moment, in comparison of that eternal glory he hath promised them; an earnest of which will be thatmillenium of rest, which is to usher in the heavenly state, and seems to be described in* the following part of the chapter. But with great mercies will I gather thee.] This was to be understood, cither of the gathering together of the Jews from their several dispersions; (compare xi. 12. xxvii. 12. xliii. 6.) or of the uniting the Jews and gentiles in one body, under Christ their head, which will be the effect or consequent of the former. (Seelvi. 8. lx. 4. lxvi. 18. Gen. xlix. 10. Ephes. i. 10.) Or, lastly, it may be expounded of the gathering together of the saints at the last day, when there shall be an entire separation made between them and the wicked. (See Matt. xiii. 41. 49. xxfv. 31. xxv. 32. 1 Thessl iv« 17. 2 Thess. ii. 1.) This place may most probably be understood in the first sense.
Isaiah 54:9
As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee. God’s irrevocable promise is elsewhere called his oath, though the formality of swearing was not used. (See Psal. lxxxix. 3. cv. 11. exxxii. 11.) This solemn promise which God here makes, must relate to such a time when God will not afflict his. people any more: and as it would not have been true, if it were applied to the Jews returning from Babylon, for their whole nation and government was afterward utterly ruined by the Romans; so neither can it be made good, as long as the present state of the world continues. Mr. White hath, \yith great sagacity, discovered the fulfilling of this prophecy, in the present dispersion of th6 Jews over the world; which most other writers speak of as a remarkable judgment of God upon that nation, that they should never incorporate with any other community, but continue as a separate people from the rest of the world, living every where, like strangers; only upon sufferance: and this sort of exile is threatened, as a punishment to be inflicted upon them for their heinous sins, by Moses, Deut. xxviii. G4— GG. and by Hosea, iii. 4.
Isaiah 54:10
For the mountains shall depart, &c. Compare li.G…. –■-:..
Isaiah 54:12
And all thy borders of pleasant stones. The Hebrew word here, which is commonly rendered a border, the Septuagint translate a wall, which makes the words exactly parallel with.Rev. xxi. 18. tv'
Isaiah 54:13
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. This signifies that plentiful effusion of grace which the prophets mention as the peculiar character of the gospel-times. (See the note on xliv. 3.) The effects of it were very signal in the first times of the gospel. (See John vi. 45. compared with Jer. xxxi. 34. see.likewise Acts iv. 33. 1 Cor. i. 4, 5.) And there shall be another remarkable effusion of it, when God shall pour the spirit of grace and supplication upon the Jews, in order to their conversion, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, xii. 10. confirmed by the assertion of St. Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 16. who expressly tells us, that the time will come when the heart of that people shall turn to the Lord, and then the veil shall be taken. away.horn it: and then they shall be the instruments of bringing in the remainder, of the unconverted gentiles. (See lxvi. 19, 20.). And therefore we are not to make the sense of r the present Jews any objection against interpreting gome of the ancient prophecies with relation to their conversion, as Mr. White seems to do (see his argument upon the fortieth chapter of this prophecy),. the generality of them being a profligate race of ppoplc, abandoned of God and goodness: but even such wretches God is able to convert whenever he pleases, and, as John Baptist told their forefathers, can out of these stones raise up children unto Abraham, (Matt. iii. 9.) Vcr. 14. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shall be far from oppression; &c] God’s mercy and thy own integrity, shfedl be thy defence and protection, so that thou necdest not fear cither any threatening or invasion from foreign enemies. (Sec Hi. 1. lx. 18.) J..
Isaiah 54:15
Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me. I foresee your enemies will make attempts against you; but as they do it without my direction, so neither shall they be blessed with my assistance. Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.] Or, shall fall to thee, as the Hebrew literally imports: that is, shall come over to thy side; in which sense the phrase is used, Jer. xxxvii. 14.* So the meaning of the sentence willbo this, Whosoever comes against thec, instead of continuing thy enemy; will become thy convert, as St. Paul.was at the beginning of Christianity.;!
Isaiah 54:16
Behold, I have created the smith tJiat bloweth the coals, &c. I have created the maker of offensive weapons,* and them that use them; and both being under my government and direction, no design formed against thee shall be prospered by me.,. Ver. 17-’ Every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, shalt thou condemn.] God will protect and maintain thy innocence, against all tho malicious suggestions of thine enemies, either, men or devils. (Compare 1. 8, 9. Rev. xii. 10.). And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.] I will acquitthem, and pronounce them innocent or justified: this shall be the portion and privilege of my faithful serr vants. * (See xlv, 24, 25.) Or righteousness may be equivalent to salvation. (See lxii. 1, 2.)