The glorious state of the]

light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down: neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. (K)

CHAP. LXI.

THE Spirit of the Lord GOD is

upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that

mourn;

[church in the latter days.

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

CHAP. LX.

(K) The glorious state of the Church in the latter days. "The subject of this chapter (says Bp. Lowth) is the great increase and flourishing state of the church of God, by the conversion and accession of the heathen nations; which is set forth in such ample terms, as plainly show, that the full completion of the prophecy is reserved for future times." So, at least, the above learned prelate, and other able commentators on the Prophecies, conceive. "This subject (continues his Lordship) is displayed in the most splendid colours, under a great variety of images highly poetical, designed to give a general idea of

the glories of that perfect state of the church of God, which we are taught to expect in the latter times; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and the Jews shall be converted and gathered from their dispersions; when all the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ." (Rev. xi. 15.)

We must be cautious, however, of a too minute and literal interpretation of the poetical images used by the prophets, and attend rather to their general scope and design; for it is certain they were never intended to be separately, minutely, or literally explained. Great and magnificent objects will seldom admit of minute criti

cism.

CHAP. LXI. Ver.3. Strangers (i. e. foreigners) shall feed your flocks, &c.-meaning, that those who had formerly made slaves of them, should now become their shepherds, and farming men.

Ver. 7. For your shame.... double. Compare Note on chap. xl. 2. Ver. 10. Decketh himself - Heb. "As a priest;" alluding particularly to his mitre.

The glorious state of the]

9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (L)

CHAP. LXII.

FOR Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory:

CHAP. LXI.

3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shail thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep

not silence.

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies;

(L) Messiah announces his office, and the church rejoices in his work. The same subject is continued; and, to give it the greater solemnity, the Messiah is introduced describing his own character and office, and confirming the large promises made before. In consequence of this, ver. 10, the Jewish church is represented praising God for the honour done her, by her restoration to his favour, and by the accession of the Gentiles, which is beautifully described in a happy allusion to the rich pontifical dress of the Jewish highpriest. The acceptable year of the Lord, mentioned, ver. 2, certainly alludes to the

year of Jubilee among the Hebrews, which afforded a fine image of the Gospel dispensation. (See our Expos. of Lev. xxv. 1-22.) And we can have no hesitation in applying the words to our Saviour, since he has claimed them for his own. (Luke iv. 18.)

The 10th verse of this chapter seems to allude to an ancient and instructive custom of covering accused or obnoxious persons with the mantle of the Emperor: so Julian covered a certain prefect with the imperial mantle" to protect him. (See Orient. Lit. No. 946.) And thus it is that the Lord our Redeemer covers his people with his imperial robe of righteousness, and adorns them with the diadem of his merits. (See Rev. iv. 4.)

CHAP. LXII. Ver. 1. The righteousness thereof -Lowth, "Until her righteousness break forth as a strong light, and her salvation as a blazing torch," Ver. 4. Hephzi-bah — that is, "My delight is in her."-Beulah, Married.

Ver. 5. As a young man marrieth a virgin-Sir J. Chardin says, in the East, youths marry only virgins, and widowers, widows. Orient. Cust. No. 274. So shall thy sons marry thee-i. e. obtain possession of thy land, as a husband claims possession of bis

wife. As the bridegroom rejoiceth-Heb. "With the joy of the bridegroom over the bride, so," &c. Ver. 6. Ye that make mention-Marg. "Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers."

Ver. 7. No rest-Heb. "Silence." Ver. 8. Surely, I will no more-Heb. "If I give," &c. the usual form of an oath.

Ver. 10. The highway.-See chap. xxxv. 8. Ver. 11. Thy salvation cometh.-See ch. xl. 9, 19; and Note, All the ancient versions read, "Saviour."

9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holi

ness.

way

10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. (M)

:

CHAP. LXIII.

WHO is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat?

CHAP. LXII,

3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my re

deemed is come.

5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

7 I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us; and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on

them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour,

9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his

(M) Promises of Judah's restoration Isaiah opens this chapter with announcing his determination to persevere in prayer for Zion and Jerusalem, and expresses the utmost confidence in their being delivered from all their enemies. He calls also upon all the watchmen of Zion, her Priests and Levites, who kept watch day and night in the purlieus of the temple, and whom he calls the Lord's Remembrancers," to unite with him in prayers for her prosperity. (See Psalm exxx. 6. exxxiv.) Then, after reciting the Lord's

oath and promise for their restoration, as if he had already seen them setting out from Babylon, he calls upon them to prepare the way, and lift up a standard to encourage their return. But the application of the concluding verses to our Saviour when on earth, by the Evangelists, plainly shows that these chapters had a farther reference than to any tempora! salvation; and that all these temporal promises were typical of blessings spiritual and eternal; and that Jerusalem restored on earth was typical of the "Jerusalem above, which is the Mother of us all." (See Matt. xxi. 5.; John xii. 15.; Gal. iv. 26.)

CHAP. LXIII. Ver. 1-6. Who is this? &c.-Bp. Lowth places these verses in dialogue form, thus: Ver. 1. Who, &c. the chorus. The last line, "I who speak," &c. Messiah. Ver. 3. chorus. Ver, 4 to 6, Messiah.

Ver. 2. The wine-fat-Lowth, vat, as the word is

always now spelt meening, the vessel in which the grapes were trodden.

Ver. 4. The day of vengeance.-.e ch. xxxiv. 8. Ver. 5. Mine own arm.-Compare ch. lix. 16. Ver. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted.-So our version, but the word is used for external, not

pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

10 But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?

12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

13 That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

14 As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

CHAP. LXIII.

-[divine mercy.

15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: Where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return, for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

18 The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name. (N)

sees

(N) The triumph of Messiah, and deliverance of the Church.-" In the first six verses of this chapter, the Prophet (or rather the church he represents,) the great deliverer, long promised and expected, making his appearance, after having crushed his enemies, like grapes in the wine press. The comparison suggests a tremendous idea of the wrath of omnipotence, which its unhappy objects can no more resist than the grapes can resist the treader. Indeed, there is so much pathos, energy, and sublimity in this remarkable passage, as hardly any thing can be conceived to exceed. The period to which it refers is, probably, the same with that predicted in Revelations, chap. xix., some parts of which (ver. 13) are expressed in the same terms, and are generally understood of the fall of Antichrist and his followers, of

which the destruction of Babylon, Edom or Bozrah, may be considered as an em blem.

"The remaining part of this chapter, with the whole of the following, contain a penitential confession and supplication of the Jews, as uttered in their present dispersion, apparently deserted and rejected by the God of their fathers. They begin (ver. 7) with acknowledging the great mercies of God to their nation, and the ungrateful returns which they made to them, by which they rendered him their enemy. Induced, however, by the remem brance of his former mercies, they humbly pray for the renewal of them; beseech him to remember his former kindness; plead their relation to him; confess their wickedness and obstinacy; intreat his forgiveness, and deplore their miserable situation." Dr. J. Smith.

internal troubles, and might be better rendered, "In all their distresses he was distressed." See Judg. x. 16; Zech. ii. 8; Acts ix. 4.-It must be remarked, however, that all the ancient versions read with the Keri Aleph instead of vau, which implies a negative, and has occasioned very different renderings. Boothroyd reads, " In all their distresses he was not opposed to them." Lowth, “It was not an envoy, nor an angel, &c..... but he himself redeemed them." We incline, however, with Gataker, to the common version, changing afflictions for "distresses;" meaning, from their enemies.

Ibid. The angel of his presence--that is, Christ,

See Exod. xxiii. 20, 21.-He bare them.-Compare Exod. xix. 4.

Ver. 10. He fought against them.-See Judg. ii. 14. Ver. 11. Where is he, &c. - Lowth, "How he (i. e. God) brought." "With the shepherd (ie. Moses.) How he put within them his Holy Spirit."

Ver. 14. As a beast-Lowth, "As the herd descendeth into the valley (to rest) so," &c.

Ver. 15. Toward me.---LXX and Lowth read “us. * Ver. 16. Our Redeemer — is thy name from, &c. Boothroyd.

Ver. 17. Made us to err-that is, says Gataker, "Giving us up to a spirit of error and obstinacy."