CHAP. LIII.

[and death of Messiah.

cause he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (C)

(C) The rejection, death, and sufferings of Messiah.-This chapter opens with the question "Who hath believed our report, as implying, 1. That the report he was now making was not that of himself alone, but one in which other prophets coincided with him, as may be instanced in the writings of the Psalmist David, and others. (See Psalm xxii. 5-18; Ixix. 20, 21, &c.) And, 2. That the report he was about to deliver, though thus confirmed by others, should be so little regarded by his countrymen, that they should unwittingly fuifil all his predictions in their treatment of this Messiah. We are then led back to contemplate the great person spoken of, as the servant of the Lord, in the close of the preceding chapter; of whom we have these seemingly inconsistent accounts, that "he shall be extolled and be very high;" yet that his visage should be "marred more than any other man's;" can only be reconciled, by admitting the divinity of his character and mission; and the infidelity of his countrymen in his rejection, persecution and murder.

It is stated of him that, as to his external form, he should grow up" as a plant out of a dry ground" (a scion from the root of David) having no splendour in his appearance, to distinguish him from other men : that in consequence, his nation, whose hearts were set upon a temporal Messiah, instead of believing in him, would execute him as an impostor. In this very fact, however, was offered to God the only acceptable sacrifice for human guilt; and he, while bleeding and dying by the hand of murder, made intercession for his murderers. His conduct under all this was meek and humble; he was " the Lamb of God taking "away the sins of the world."

Thus was he hurried from imprisonment to judgment, from judgment to execution, and by a mysterious providence, though he died with the vilest criminals, he was bu

ried in the tomb of a man rich and honourable. No tomb, however, could detain him: it is plainly intimated that he should rise again-prolong his days and that "the travail of his soul," that is, his unparalleled labour and sufferings should meet a rich reward. Though condemned as a sinner, he was just, and should justify many through their knowledge and faith in him, and finally triumph over all his and our enemies. (See Psalm lxviii, 18. Ephes. iv. 8. Col. ii. 15.)

After reading this chapter, it seems difficult to conceive how, in prophetic lapguage, our Redeemer's sufferings could have been more accurately described, or his atoning sacrifice more distinctly stated and yet alas! "Who hath believed the report? Thousands, indeed, both of Jews and Gentiles have believed it, and been saved thereby ; but the nation at large treated him as an impostor, and do so to the present day. The late Mr. Scott (in his answer to Rabbi Crool, p. 281.) mentions it as a current and uncontradicted report, that the Jews are forbidden by their Rabbis to read this important chapter. It is observable, that this Rabbi, (who calls himself "Teacher of Hebrew in the University of Cambridge,") in treating of the prophecies respecting Messiah, takes no notice of it. Still more singular does it seem, that the late Mr. Levi, in his two volumes of "Dissertations on the prophecies applicable to the Messiah," though he has considered the chapters both preceding and following, has contrived to pass over the 53d, (and the close of the 52d, as connected with it,) in the most perfect silence. We say contrived; for it is remarkable that he has closed his 9th series of Isaiah's prophecies in the 1st vol. with Chap lii. 12; and begins his 2nd vol. with Chap. liv. as commencing the 10th series! This we are only able to account for on the principle that he dare not examine this most interesting chapter; certainly one of the most important in the prophetic writings.

By his knowledge-Bps. Chandler and Lowth, "By the knowledge of him;" Boothroyd, " Of him»elf.”—Shali my righteous servant Boothroyd, "Shall my servant, the righteous (or just) one justify many." For he shall hear their iniquities Lowth and Boothroyd, "The punishment of their imiquities."

Ver. 12. Therefore will I divide, &c.-Boothroyd, "Therefore will I give him, as a portion, the great, (Lowth, many") and the mighty he shall possess as a spoil." See Ps. ii. 8. -Ixviii. 18,

Ibid. Made intercession for the transgressors.Luke xxiii. 34, 43.

The church]

CHAP. LIV.

SING, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel: The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

[called upon to rejoice.

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for 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, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath! mercy on thee.

110 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear;

CHAP. LIV. Ver. 1. Rejoice, thou barren. Gal. iv. 27.

66

upon him, that did so enlighten his mind and convince him, that he could resist it no longer; for the words had an authority which did shoot like rays or beams in his mind, so that he was not only convinced by the reasonings he had about it, which satisfied his understanding; but by a power which did so effectually constrain him, that he did ever after as firmly believe in his Saviour as if he had seen him in the clouds." (Burnett's Life of Rochester, quoted in Dr. Sharp's Second Argument for Christianity, p. 222-274.)

See

Ver. 5. Thu Maker-Heb. "Creators." See Note on Eccles. xii. 1.

Ver. 9. As the waters of Noah, &c.-Lowth, "The same will I do now, as in the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters." &c.

Ver. 11. I will lay thy stones with fair coloursLowth, "In cement of vermillion."

Ver. 12. Windows of agates-Lowth, "Battlements of rubies."--Thy borders of pleasant stones -Lowth, "The circuit of thy walls of precious stones." Compare the apocryphal book of Tahit, chap, xiii. 16, 17.

and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (D)

CHAP. LV.

HO, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto

CHAP. LIV.

[to receive mercy.

me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is

near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the

(D) The Jewish Church called to rejoice in her great accession of converts from the Gentiles.--"The Church of God under the Old Testament, confined within the narrow bounds of the Jewish nation, and still more so, in respect of the very small number of true believers, and which sometimes seems to be deserted by God her husband; is the barren woman, that did not bear, and was desolate she is exhorted to rejoice, and to express her joy in the strongest manner, on the reconciliation of her husband to her, and on the accession of the Gentiles to her

family." (Bp. Lowth.) This accession had before been strongly predicted: (Chap. xlix. 20, 21) and when she is here called upon (ver. 4) to forget the shame of her youth, and the reproach of her widowhood, we understand (with Abp. Secker) by the former, her slavery in Egypt, and by the latter her captivity in Babylon. When it is predicted that her walls shall be rebuilt with precious, instead of common stones, it must, at the least, imply an increase of beauty and glory unprecedented, and forming a type of heaven and the celestial paradise, (Comp. Rev. xxi. 18-21.)

Ver. 4. Given him unquestionably the Messiah. Compare chap. xlii. 6; also Acts xiii. 34. Ver. 5. A nation that thou knowest not. - This was repeatedly fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles. Ver. 7. The unrighteous man- Heb. "The man of iniquity." He will abundantly pardon-Heb. "Multiply to pardon."

Ver. 12. Break forth into singing. These are highly poetical images, to express a state attended with joy and exultation.

earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. (E)

CHAP. LVI.

THUS saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry

tree.

CHAP. LV.

[to piety, &c.

5 Even unto them will I give in mine house, and within my walls, a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;

7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

8 The LORD God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea all ye beasts in the forest.

10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand:

(E) Invitation to partake freely of divine blessings. This comfortable chapter first displays the fulness, freeness, excellence, and everlasting nature of the blessings of the gospel; and remonstrates with men, against spending their talents and their energies in the pursuit of objects, which can neither afford them satisfaction in present enjoyment, nor yield the hope of happiness in a future world. But as the great things

promised, both here aud in the preceding chapters, might seem almost incredible, the Prophet adverts to the divine omnipo tence, as abundantly able to accomplish all his promises. This he illustrates in allusion to the rain and snow which fructify the earth: so shall the word of God, and the preaching of the gospel, under the gracious influence of God's Holy Spirit, bring forth the fruits of joy, and righteousless and peace, in all the world.

CHAP. LVI. Ver. 8. Beside those that are gathered-that is, already gathered.

Ver. 10. Sleeping- Marg. " Dreaming," or murmuring in their sleep, as dogs are wont to do.

Ver. 11. Greedy-Heb. " Of strong appetite."---

Which can never have enough-Heb. "Knowing not to be satisfied."

Ver. 12. I will fetch wine. By this verse it appears that these greedy, were also drunken dogs; like the drunkards of Ephraim, chap, xxvii. J.

The death of the]

they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. (F)

CHAP. LVII.

THE righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are

CHAP. LVI.

[righteous lamented.

ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys, under the clifts of the rocks?

6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these!

7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

(F) Exhortation to piety; and judgments on wicked rulers and teachers.-Whoever partakes of the blessings of the gospel, is required to be holy in all manner of life and conversation. And he that will be so, is declared to be accepted according to this gracious dispensation, the benefits of which are extensive as the human race, without any respect to persons, or to nations. The stranger, or the eunuch that obeys God's precepts, is preferred to a Hebrew of the Hebrews who neglects them. (See Acts x. 34, 35.)

At the 9th verse a new section of prophecy begins. "The Prophet, in the foregoing chapters, having comforted the faithful Jews with many great promises of God's favour to be extended to them, in the restoration of their ruined state, and the en

largement of his church by the admission of the Gentiles; here, on a sudden, makes a transition to the more disagreeable part of the prospect; and to a sharp reproof of the wicked and unbelievers, and especially of the negligent and faithless governors and teachers of the idolaters and hypocrites, who would still draw down his judgments on the uations. Probably having in view the destruction of their city and polity by the Chaldeans, and perhaps by the Romans." (Bp. Lowth.)

The call upon the wild beasts of the forest to execute judgments upon these apos tates from religion and piety, is indeed highly poetical; but when they are resembled to dumb, dreaming, and greedy dogs, the wolves and lions of the forest are certainly the proper instruments of their correction. (Comp. Jer. xii. 7, 9.)

CHAP. LVII. Ver, 1. The merciful men-Heb. "Men of kindness." Compare Ps. xii. 1.

Ver. 2. He shall enter into prace- Marg," Go in peace," so Lowth. Compare Gen. xv. 15.--They shay rest in their beds that is, each of themwalking in his uprightness-that is, perhaps, walking "through the valley of the shadow of death." P's. xxii. 4. Lowth, however, renders this verse very differently; "He shall rest in his bed, even the perfect man; he that walketh in the straight path."

Ver.3. Seed of the adulterer-that is, the idolater. See ver. 5.

Ver. 5. Inflaming yourselves — Lowth," Burning with the lust of "idols.-Slaying the children in

the valleys that is, in passing through the fire to Moloch, which was no doubt fatal to many, though others might escape.

Ver. 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream.— These were worshipped by the superstitious heathen, and Clement of Alexandria uses the phrase, “the worshipper of a smooth stone" proverb ally, for an idolater. See Lowth in loc. and our Note on Gen. xxviii. 18.

Ver. 7. Set thy bed-that is, set up idolatry. Ver. 8. Behind the doors....thy remembrancethat is, domestic idols.

Ibid. Thou lovedst their bed—that is, the apparatus of their idolatry, ver.7. where thou sawest it; Marg.