Bible Commentaries

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.

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace. "I" - the prophet, as representative of all the praying people of God who love and intercede for Zion (cf. Isaiah 62:6-7; Psalms 102:13-17); or else Messiah, the great Intercessor (cf. Isaiah 62:6). So Messiah is represented as unfainting in His efforts for His people (Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 50:7).

Until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness - not its own righteousness inherently, but imputed to it for its restoration to God's favour: hence, "salvation" corresponds to it in the parallelism. "Judah" is to be 'saved' through "the Lord our (Judah's and the Church's) righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6).

As brightness ( kanogah ) - properly the bright shining of the rising sun (Isaiah 60:19; Isaiah 4:5; 2 Samuel 23:4; Proverbs 4:18). And the salvation thereof as a lamp (that) burneth - blazing torch.

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory - (Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 42:1-6; Isaiah 49:7; Isaiah 49:22-23; Isaiah 60:3; Isaiah 60:5; Isaiah 60:16).

Called by a new name - expressive of thy new and improved condition (Isaiah 62:4), the more valuable and lasting as being conferred by Yahweh Himself (Isaiah 62:12; Isaiah 65:15; Revelation 2:17; Revelation 3:12).

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord. As a crown is worn on the head, not "in the hand," hand must here be figurative for 'under the Lord's protection' (Deuteronomy 33:3). 'All His saints are in thy hand.' His people are in His hand at the same time that they are "a crown of glory" to Him (Revelation 6:2; Revelation 19:12): reciprocally, He is 'a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty' to them (Isaiah 28:5 : cf. Malachi 3:17). (See Zechariah 9:16.)

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken - be "forsaken," so as that that term could be applicable to thee.

But thou shalt be called Hephzibah (2 Kings 21:1) - the name of Hezekiah's wife, a type of Jerusalem, as Hezekiah was of Messiah (Isaiah 32:1): meaning, 'my delight is in her.'

And thy land Beulah -"Thou art married " See the same contrast of 'Zion's past and future state under the And thy land Beulah - "Thou art married." See the same contrast of 'Zion's past and future state under the same figure, Isaiah 54:4-6; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:4.

Thy land shall be married - to Yahweh, as its Lord and Husband, implying not only ownership, but protection on the part of the Owner (Horsley).

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.

For (as) a young man marrieth a virgin, (so) shall thy sons marry thee. "Thy sons" - Lowth prefers changing the points, which are of no authority in Hebrew: 'thy builder' or 'restorer' ( bonayik for baanaayik . The plural form, 'thy builders,' is used of God, to express His infinite fullness, as Hebrew in Isaiah 54:5, 'thy Maker is thy Husbands'), i:e., God: for in the parallel clause, and in Isaiah 62:4, God is implied as being "married" to her; whereas her "sons" could hardly be said to marry their mother: and in Isaiah 49:18, they are said to be her bridal ornaments, not her husband. But "thy sons" mean simply thy citizens; and 'shall marry thee' means, shall dwell in thee, Jerusalem. The Masoretic points should not rashly be altered. The Chaldaic, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic support them and the English version reading. In the East no young man marries a widow, but almost invariably a virgin.

(As) the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, (so) shall thy God rejoice over thee - as the bridegroom rejoiceth in the possession of the bride (Isaiah 65:19; Jeremiah 32:41; Zephaniah 3:17).

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,

I - Isaiah, speaking in the person of Messiah.

Have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem - image from the watches set upon a city's wall to look out for the approach of a messenger with good tidings (Isaiah 52:7-8): the good tidings of the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon prefiguring the coming return from the present dispersion (cf. Isaiah 21:6-11; Isaiah 56:10; Ezekiel 3:17; Ezekiel 33:7). The watches in the East are announced by a loud cry, to mark the vigilance of the watchmen.

Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence - Hebrew, ye that are the Lord's remembrancers: God's servants who by their prayers 'put God in remembrance' of His promises (Isaiah 43:26). We are required to remind God, as if God could, which He cannot, forget His promises (Psalms 119:49; Jeremiah 14:21).

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

And give him no rest - Hebrew, d

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; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

The Lord hath sworn by his right hand - His mighty instrument of accomplishing His will (cf. Isaiah 45:23; Hebrews 6:13).

Surely I will no more give thy grain (to be) meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine - Foreigners shall no more rob thee of the fruit of thy labours (cf. Isaiah 65:21-22).

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 holiness.

But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord - not consume it on their own lusts, and without thanksgiving.

They that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness - they who have gathered the vintage shall drink it at the feasts held in the courts surrounding the temple, (Deuteronomy 12:17-18; Deuteronomy 14:23, etc.)

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

Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people ... gather out the stones. What Isaiah, in the person of Messiah, had engaged (in Isaiah 62:1) unrestingly to seek, and what the watchmen were unrestingly to pray for (Isaiah 62:7), and what Yahweh solemnly promised (Isaiah 62:8-9), is now to be fulfilled: the Gentile nations are commanded to "go through the gates" (either of their own cities (Rosenmuller) or of Jerusalem) (Maurer), in order to remove all obstacles out of "the way of the people" (Israel) (note, Isaiah 57:11; Isaiah 40:3; Isaiah 52:10-12).

Lift up a standard for the people - for the dispersed Jews to rally round, with a view to their return (Isaiah 49:22; Isaiah 11:12).

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.

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh - embodied in the Saviour (see Zechariah 9:9).

Behold, his reward is with him, and his work (rather, His recompence for work, Isaiah 40:10) before him.

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

Thou shalt be called, Sought out - Sought after and highly prized by Yahweh: answering to a city not forsaken in the parallel clause: no longer abandoned, but loved: image from a wife (Isaiah 62:4; Jeremiah 30:14).

Remarks: Three agencies combine for the ultimate restoration of Zion, both temporarily and spiritually. First, Messiah, for her sake, 'holds not His peace,' and 'will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as the brightness' of the rising sun. Secondly, all believers are "set" by God as spiritual "watchmen," to be 'the Lord's remembrancers,' 'giving Him no rest day nor night until He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.' Thirdly, the Lord's oath is pledged, in behalf of His ancient people, that strangers and enemies shall no longer consume her produce and usurp her inheritance, but her children shall enjoy what is their own by right, and shall praise the Lord for it, and the 'courts of God's holy house' shall once more be thronged by grateful worshippers.