Isaiah 61

was the subject of scorn ahtl reproach to all her neighbours: f (sec Lam. ii. 15.) but afterward recovered some degree of her ancient glory. And may be applied to tho church and nation of the Jews, whenever God shall please to restore them, after their haying been so long rejected by him. (Compare lxi. 4. 7.) But some of the expressions used in this verse, as well as tho context, do plainly look further; and import, that although tho true professors of Christianity, in several ages and places, have been the subject of men’s scorn and contempt; (see Matt, x, 22. Luke vi. 22.) and the church itself is to continue for some ages in a mournful and Sackcloth condition: (see Rev. xi.3.) yet it shall at last surmount all these difficulties, and be placed out of the reach of the malice of its enemies. ■ Ver. 1G. Thou shall also suck the milk of the gentiles, and shalt suck the breasts of kings.’] Ye shall be nourished with their riches, as a child is with the breast. (See ver„ C.xlix. 23. lxi. 6. lxvi. 12.) - The same subject is still prosecuted, and Christ is introduced declaring his commission, full of grace and comfort to his church, with particular promises of grace to the Jewish church, whom he promises to Tcceive into favour again, after she had been a long time rejected and forsaken; who thereupon is represented as in a transport of joy and thankfulness. tJie prison to them that are bound.’] See the notes upon xlii. 7. The Septuagint render the. latter part of the sentence, recovering of sight to the blind, and so St Luke reads; which interpretation several learned men have shewed to be very agreeable to the original. ♦Ver. 2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.] In allusion to the proclaiming the year of jubilee, which was done by sound of trumpet, (Lev. xxv. 9.) when there was a general release of all manner of servitude, debts, and obligations; (Jer. xxxiv. 8.) a type of that freedom which Christ hath purrhased for us.. And the day of vengeance of our God.] Mr. White observes, that our Saviour takes no notice of this passage in his recital of this prophecy, (Luke iv. 18.) from whence he concludes, that he is no way concerned in it: it was not, indeed, the business of Christ’s.first coming, to take vengeance of his enemies, and for that reason he might not mention it at his first entrance into his office; -though we find, in several of his discourses, he threatened the Jews with destruction for their rejecting him; (see Matt. xxi. 43, 44. xxii. 7. xxiii. 36.) and he calls the. destruction of Jerusalem the days ofvengeance, (Luke xxi. 22.) the very expression of the text; which does most properly relate to his second coming, when he will not only reward his servants, but justify their innocence, by the terrible judgments he will inflict upon his and their enemies. (Compare xxxiv.’ 8. Ixiii. 4. Ixvi. 14. Deut. xxxii. 36. 43. Jer. Ii. 9, 10. Mai. iv. 3. Luke xix. 27. 2 Thess. i. 6, 7.) To comfort those that mourn in Zion.] That mourn for their own iniquities, and for the public sins and calamities. (See the notes on Ivii. 18.) In like manner, our Saviour’s sermon upon the mount begins with promising comfort to those that mourn, (Matt. v. 4.)

Isaiah 61:1

JL HE Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me. Anointing denotes gome extraordinary gift or grace bestowed upon men by God, because the three great offices of king, priest, and prophet, were conferred by this’ ceremony. The descent of the Holy Ghost upon the human nature of our Saviour, supplied this external unction, (see Acts x. 38.) and qualified him for the office of a prophet beyond all others that were before him, because he had the Spirit given to him without measure, (John iii. 34.) and in this respect was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. (See the note upon xi. 2.) We have Christ’s own authority for applying this text to himself, (Luke iv, 18.) To preach good tidings to the meek.] Or, To preach the gospel to the jwor, as the words are rendered by the Scptuagint, whom the evangelists follow, (Luke iv. 18. Matt. xi. 5.) The humble and poor in spirit have a peculiar title to the privileges of the gospel; (Sec the notes on xi.*4. xxvi. 6.) And persons of a mean condition, such whose affections were not too much set upon the glories of tho world, were those Avho most readily embraced it, when at was first preached. (Sec 1 Cor. L 2G. 27. Jam. ii. 5.) He hath sent me to bind np the brokenhearted.] To give ease to those that are grieved and Avearied with the burden of their, sins: a metaphor taken from surgeons binding up wounds. (See i. 6.) To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of

Isaiah 61:3

To appoint [comfort. to them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness] A description of the change that shouldbe in their outward habit and appearance, in proportion to the change of their circumstances. Whereas, whilst they were mourners, they used to put ashes on their heads; (see 2 Sam. xiii. 19, Lam. ii. 10.) now they should wear a crown or diaxlem (for the word pear signifies an ornament proper for the head, Ezek. xxiv. 17.) in token of their joy. (See the note on xxxv. 10.) They should likewise anoint themselves, which they abstained from in times of mourning; (see Dan. x. 3. Matt. vi. 17.) and change their mourning garments for festival ones. (See Zeeh. iii. 3 — 5. Luke xv. 22.). That they might be called Trees of righteousness.] The righteous are elsewhere resembled to fruitful and flourishing trees. (See Psal. i. 3. xcii. 12.) • Hie planting of the Lord.] See lx. 21.,

Isaiah 61:4

And they shall build the old ivastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, &c. We may interpret this to a spiritual sense, of repairing what is decayed by ignorance and corruption: (see the notes upon xlix. 8.) but if\ we suppose the Jews, after their conversion, to return into their own land, an opinion countenanced by several prophecies of the Old Testament, (sec the notes upon xi. 11.) we may fitly explain this text of their re-edifying their ancient habitations. (Compare Ezek. xxxvi. 33—36.) And this interpretation agrees very well with the following words, the desolations of many generations. vol. in.

Isaiah 61:5

And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen, and your vine-dressers. By strangers and aliens maybe meant those gentiles who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, as St. Paul calls them, Epb. ii.12. (Compare Ixii. 8.) And the promise of having power over the nations, is not only made to Christ, but likewise to his faithful servants. (See Rev. ii. 26, 27. and the note upon xiv. 2.)

Isaiah 61:6

But ye shall be named Priests of the Lord, &c. If we suppose these words contain a peculiar promise to the Jews, after their conversion, they import, that God will restore to them that honourable title of being a kingdom of priests, formerly given to them, (Exod. xix. 6.) and admit them to a near attendance upon himself: accordingly some learned men suppose the Jewish church represented in the Revelation, by the four-and-twenty elders (alluding to’ the four-and-twenty courses of the priests), clothed in white raiment (as priests), and having on their heads crowiis of gold, as advanced to a regal dignity: (Rev. iv. 8.) but this privilege of being priests to God, does in some degree belong to all Christians; (seel Pet. ii. 5.) especially when they shall come to be wholly freed from the bondage of sin, and continually employed in God’s service. (See Rev. v. 10. xx. 6.) And in theirglory shall ye boast yourselves.] All that cost and riches, which the gentile converts shall dedicate to the service of God, shall redound, to your honour, and the glory of that religion which yon teach and profess; (Compare lx. 5, 6. 16. Ixvi. 12. Rev. xxi. 24.) But I must not conceal an ingenious exposition of these two verses, communicated to me by a learned friend, to this purpose. First of all (so he interprets And in the beginning of the fifth verse), the gentiles shall minister, and feed the flock, i. e. the church; whose office is likewise expressed here, by. their being ploughmen and vine-dressers; as the, church is called “God’s vineyard, (v.. 7.) and believers,: his husbandry, or tillage, (ICor. iii. 9.) Afterward, (so he explains the copulative particle vau at the beginning of the sixth verse; in which sense it is sometimes taken; see 2 Kings iv. 35. Psal. xei. 16.) you Jews shall be converted and become ministers of the church, and the gentiles shall make. a plentiful provision for you, as the priests under the law were maintained by the sacrifices and offerings which were brought to the temple: and yourselves having been made partakers of that grace;and knowledge, for which the gentiles so much value themselves, you shall become the glorious instruments of converting the remainder of them, who as yet continue in unbelief. (See Ixvi,

Isaiah 61:7

For your shame ye shall have double. An allusion to God’s blessing Job after his afflictions, when he gave him double to what he had before, (Job xlii. 10. compare Zech.ix.12.) Hereby ye shall have abundant reeompence for the shame and reproach ye underwent during your long rejection. (See liv. 4.). Tlierefore in their land shall they pqssess the double.’] This double honour and reward mentioned in the foregoing sentence: As the first-born had a double share in his father’s estate, (Deut. xxi. 17.) so the Jews, when converted to the Christian faith, shall recover their birthright which they had forfeited by their infidelity, as Esau, did, and bo. esteemed the first-bortt, or elder brethren, in the church of 4E

For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver. A. description of go Iden days,.as we commonly call them: and as it is said of Solomon’s times, that gold and silver were so plenty, there was no use made of inferior metals; (1 Kings x. 21. 27.) in pursuance of the same metaphor, the New Jerusalem is described as made oipure gold ) (Rev. xxi. 18.) * I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness’.’] Peace here is put for men of peace, as the word is used Psal. cxx. 7. and righteousness, for righteous men, as our translators render the word, xli. 2. The prophet says, that, in those happy days he hath been describing,* the very officers of the public revenues, and collectors of the taxes, shall be lovers of peace, and observers of justice: a sort of men generally blamed for being guilty of exaction and oppression: (see Luke iii. 13.) the same sense is more plainly expressed in the following words.. -

Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders. Thou shalt be secure from violence and injustice at home, and from inva- 1 sion or war from abroad. But thou shalt call thy walls- Salvation, and thy gates Praise.] Or, as the sense might more plainly be expressed, Thou shalt call Salvation thy walls, and Praise. thy gates i God’s protection and salvation shall be unto thee instead of walls and bulwarks, and the praises which thou continually offerest up to him for his mercies, shall supply the room of gates and bars. (Compare xxvi. 1. Psal. xxxii. 7>) •

The sun shall be no more thy light by day; netther for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, &c. Gods favour and the light of his countenance shall give thee greater comfort and lustre, than the light of the sun and moon doth to the world: winch promise will be fully verified in the stato of the New Jerusalem, where there will be no vicissitude of day and night, for the glory of God, and of the Lamb, are the light thereof (Rev. xxi. 23. xxii. G.)

Thy. sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself. Thou shalt sec no more sorrow nor affliction, which are often expressed by darkness, and the sun and moon’s withdrawing themselves. (Sec tho notes upon xiii. 10.)

Thy people also shall be all righteous,. Compare i. 2G. This character can belong only to the New Jerusalem. (Sec Rev. xxi. 27.) For in the present state of the church, the chaff and tares will always be mixed with the wheat, till Christ come to part them. (See Matt. iii. 10. xiii. 30.) They shall inherit the land for ever.] This must be meant of the blessed millcnium, when Christ and his saints shall reign upon earth. (See Matt. v. 5. Rev. v. 10. xx. 4. xxi. 3, 4. 7.) The branch of my planting, the work of my hands.] God’s elect, those whom he hath called by. an extraordinary measure of grace, and appointed to be heirs of salvation, arc styled his own plantation, and the work of his hands: regeneration bcing.frcquently called a new creation, becauso men’s justification and salvation is wholly owing to God’s grace and goodness. (See xxix. 23. xlv. 11. Matt. xv. 10. John xv. 2. Ephes. ii. 10.)

A little one shall become a thousand, &c. This glorious kingdom of Christ shall take its rise from small beginnings: so Daniel describes Christ’s kingdom as a stone, which in process of time became a great mountain, and fdled the whole earth, (Dan. ii. 35.) which will be verified in God’s due time.