Isaiah 49:6 Komentář

Glorious things had been spoken in the previous chapters concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon; but lest any should think, when it was accomplished, that it looked much greater and brighter in the prophecy than in the performance, and that the return of about 40,000 Jews in a poor condition out of Babylon to Jerusalem was not an event sufficiently answering to the height and grandeur of the expressions used in the prophecy, he here comes to show that the prophecy had a further intention, and was to have its full accomplishment in a redemption that should as far outdo these expressions as the other seemed to come short of them, even the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, of whom not only Cyrus, who was God's servant in foretelling it, was a type. In this chapter we have, I. The designation of Christ, under the type of Isaiah, to his office as Mediator (Isa 49:1-3). II. The assurance given him of the success of his undertaking among the Gentiles (Isa 49:4-8). III. The redemption that should be wrought by him, and the progress of that redemption (Isa 49:9-12). IV. The encouragement given hence to the afflicted church (Isa 49:13-17). V. The addition of many to it, and the setting up of a church among the Gentiles (Isa 49:18-23). VI. A ratification of the prophecy of the Jews' release out of Babylon, which was to be the figure and type of all these blessings, (Isa 49:24-26). If this chapter be rightly understood, we shall see ourselves to be more concerned in the prophecies relating to the Jews' deliverance out of Babylon than we thought we were.

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 49 This is a prophecy concerning Christ, and redemption by him; and of the enlargement of the church in the latter day, by the conversion of Jews and Gentiles; which the isles, and people afar off, are exhorted to listen and hearken to, delivered out by the prophet, in the person of Christ; who gives an account of his call to his office, and the time of it; of what the Lord did for him, and said unto him, Isa 49:1, then follows a complaint of his labouring in vain, and a correction of it, Isa 49:4 and a further declaration of his call and appointment to office, and of each of the parts of the work assigned him, with encouragement to it, Isa 49:5. Christ is again represented under discouraging circumstances, as despised of men, abhorred by the nation, and a servant of rulers; who is encouraged by divine promises that kings should rise up before him, and worship him; that God would be faithful to his promise to him, and yet choose him, hear and help him, at a proper time; preserve him, and give him for a covenant to the people, to the establishment of the earth, and making it habitable, Isa 49:7 for the release of prisoners, and feeding, leading, and guiding them, and removing all difficulties out of the way, Isa 49:9 when the calling of the Gentiles is foretold, which would occasion great joy in the world, Isa 49:12 yet the church is introduced as complaining that she was forsaken of God, Isa 49:14 which is denied, and the contrary affirmed; being dear to the Lord as a sucking child to its mother, and more so; never forgotten by him, and always under his care, Isa 49:16, and, for her comfort, she is assured that those who had destroyed and made her waste should be removed; and that she should have converts that would be an ornament to her, and these numerous, insomuch that the place of their habitation would be too strait and narrow, and which would be matter of astonishment to her, Isa 49:17 and, besides those that would be converted in the land of Judea, there would be great numbers in the Gentile world converted by the power of God accompanying his Gospel, set up as a standard there, kings and queens countenancing and encouraging the interest of Christ, Isa 49:22 and yet still it is questioned whether the church should be delivered from her oppressors, Isa 49:24 to which it is answered, that she should be delivered, and her persecutors destroyed; by which it would be known that the Lord is the Redeemer and Saviour of his people, Isa 49:25.

And he said,.... Or "even he said"; namely, the Lord his God, that called, appointed, and strengthened him for his service: it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; the tribes of Jacob and the preserved of Israel are the elect of God among the Jews; though the characters agree with all the chosen of God of other nations, who, are distinguished from the rest of the world, and are "preserved in Christ", Jde 1:1, where they are preserved before they are redeemed and called; not from falling in Adam with the rest of mankind, nor from the general corruption of nature, nor from actual sins and transgressions; yet from the condemnation of the law, the damning power of sin, and the second death; the ground of which is, their being in the love of God, in the covenant of grace, and in the hands of Christ: and yet, notwithstanding this, they are in a most miserable condition as the descendants of Adam, and, in a state of nature; they are "fallen" creatures, which is supposed by the "raising them up" by Christ, whose work it is; they fell in Adam, and are fallen from a state of honour, friendship, and communion with God; from the glorious image stamped on man in his creation; from righteousness and holiness into sin and misery, poverty and beggary; into a very low estate indeed, and are not able to raise up themselves, being feeble and without strength, yea, dead in trespasses and sins; they are gone back from God, and out of the good way, and are gone astray like lost sheep, which is supposed by the "restoring" of them: now it is Christ's work to "raise up", "restore", or "return" these; he raises them to a state of justification and acceptance with God, to a better righteousness than they fell from, and to greater riches, honour, and glory; in consequence of redemption by Christ they are raised to a state of grace here, and to glory hereafter; they are brought nigh to God, from whom they were departed, sons to have access unto him and fellowship with him now, and to be with him for evermore. Now to do all this is said to be a "light thing"; it was not so in itself, it was a "great thing", famous and excellent, to be a servant of the Lord, and to be employed in such work as this; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it; but this is to be understood either by way of interrogation, as by the Targum, Kimchi, Ben Melech, and so the Syriac version, "is it a matter of small moment that thou shouldest be my servant?" &c.; surely it is not; or, if it is, I will find thee other work to do: or else it is to be understood comparatively, the elect of God among the Jews being few, in comparison of those among the Gentiles; wherefore it was not work enough, nor honour enough, only to be employed in the redemption of them: and therefore it follows, I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles; which supposes the Gentiles to be in a state of darkness, as they were before the coming of Christ, and the ministration of the Gospel to them; they were in the dark about the divine Being, the unity of God, and the persons in the Godhead; about the worship of God; about a future state, and about their own state and condition; and about revelation, the truths, doctrines, and ordinances of it: and this expresses, that Christ should be a "light" to them, as he has been, not only in a way of nature, as he is to every man, but in a way of special grace through the ministry of the word; not in his own person, for he only preached in Judea, but by his apostles, by whom he went and preached peace to them afar off; and particularly he was so to them by his Spirit, as a spirit of illumination; and so they came to have light in divine things, and which is a "gift" of the free grace of God. Simeon has respect to this passage, Luk 2:32 and the Apostle Paul cites it, and applies it to Gospel times, Act 13:47, it follows, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth; Christ was given, that he might be the author of that salvation, which God had chosen and appointed his people to, and provided for them in covenant; and that being the salvation of his own people, he calls it his own salvation; and which should reach to them all everywhere, in the several parts of the world, and the corners and ends of it, east, west, north, and south, wherever they were. Kimchi refers this to the saving of the Gentiles, after the war of Gog and Magog, yet to come; and with it compares Isa 60:3.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. [Isaiah 49:6] And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

He is called Servant and serves many well. And his being given the grand title “Child of God” agrees with this. For in truth he was subject as a servant to flesh and to birth and to the conditions of our life with a view toward our liberation. He was subject to all that he saved, held captive as we were in sin.

It is one thing to be named Son according to the divine substance; it is another thing to be so called according to the adoption of human flesh. For, according to the divine generation, the Son is equal to God and Father, and, according to the adoption of a body, he is a servant to God the Father. “For,” it says, “he took upon him the form of a servant.” The Son is, however, one and the same.… According to his glory, he is Lord to the holy patriarch David but David’s son in the line of actual descent, abandoning nothing of his own but acquiring for himself the rights that go with the adoption into our race. Not only does he undergo service in the character of man by reason of his descent from David, but also by reason of his name, as it is written: “I have found David my servant”;4 and elsewhere: “Behold, I will send to you my Servant, the Orient is his name.” And the Son himself says, “Thus says the Lord, that formed me from the womb to be his servant and said to me: It is a great thing for you to be called my servant. Behold, I have set you up for a witness to my people and a light to the Gentiles, that you may be for salvation to the ends of the earth.” To whom is this said, if not to Christ? Who, being in the form of God, emptied himself and took on him the form of a servant. But what can be in the form of God, except that which exists in the fullness of the godhead?

(Verse 5, 6 and following) And now says the Lord, who formed me as his servant from the womb, to bring Jacob back to him, and Israel will not be gathered: and I am glorified in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength. And he said: It is not enough for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the remnants of Israel. Behold, I have given you (Vulg. Behold I have given you) as a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth. LXX: And now thus says the Lord who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to gather Jacob to him and Israel: I will gather and be glorified before the Lord, and my God will be my strength. And he said to me: It is a great thing for you to be called my servant, and to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to convert the dispersion of Israel. Behold, I have set you as a testament to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, that you may be salvation to the end of the earth. While I was speaking, I labored in vain, without cause, and in vain I consumed my strength: because the Jews refused to believe, and my judgment is with the Lord; and my work, which I accomplished with His help, is with the Lord. The Lord answered me, who formed me from the womb to be His servant. From the moment he was formed in the womb, it was shown that he would be called His servant. He also says in the psalm: You are my God from my mother's womb (Psalm 22:10). What then did the Lord say to him? That he should bring Jacob back to him who had strayed, who, having forsaken the Creator, served idols. Hence he himself speaks to his disciples: Do not go on the road of the Gentiles, and do not enter the cities of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5); and in another place: I came only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). Therefore, it was the will of the Father that the wicked vine-dressers should receive the Son who was sent, and render the fruits of the vineyard, but they killed him, saying. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours (Matth. XXI, 38); and this is what it now says: And Israel will not be gathered together, that is, will not return to the Lord. And I am greatly amazed how the common edition, by another interpretation, overturns this strongest testimony against the perfidy of the Jews, saying: I will be gathered together and glorified before the Lord: when it agrees with our interpretation of Theodotion and Symmachus. But I am not amazed concerning Aquila, who was most learned in the Hebrew language and expressed word for word, that in this place he either pretended ignorance or was deceived by the perverse exposition of the Pharisees, who wanted to interpret it as, and Israel will be gathered together to him, that is, to God. Since the Hebrew word Lo, in this place, is not written with Lamed and Vav (), which, if it were, would signify 'to him' or 'to them', but with Lamed and Aleph () which properly does not have a sound. Therefore, because Jacob has not been converted to God, nor Israel gathered together, the Son speaks to those who do not believe: I have been glorified in the eyes of the Lord. For in me, the whole world has believed, and my God has become my strength, who has comforted me in my sadness over the rejection of my people; and he said to me: It is not enough for you to serve me in raising up the tribes of Jacob, which have fallen by their own fault; and in converting the dregs or remnants of Israel. For this Hebrew word Nesure () signifies. For I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And that which is read in the Septuagint, 'I will gather and glorify before the Lord,' can be understood as meaning that the Lord is gathered with the believers. And what follows: He said to me: It is a great thing that thou shouldest be called my servant; a great thing let us ascribe to man and to a child who, in comparison with God, is small.

But when Christ appeared in the world they were gathered though faith in the one straight and blameless opinion, those whom Satan once had scattered and who formerly had deserted their love for God. They had run toward the enemy who produces and pursues sin. Those who had thrown away God's providence of good things are now with Christ at peace.… So he reveals the ministry of his incarnation, that he was formed as a slave by the Father from the womb so as to gather Israel and Jacob. If anyone says that these are the Jewish people that are meant, he has not strayed from the intention of the text. For Christ said, "I have come to save the lost sheep of Israel." But if anyone decides it is all those saved by faith who are called Israel and Jacob, he is right to do so.

We must also understand the prophet to be speaking of Christ’s humanity here, for it would be no great honor for God the Word to be called the slave of God the Father. It is not “my child” but “my slave” that both the Hebrew text and the three translators make clear to us.

Then Isaiah predicts the disobedience of the Jews and the salvation of the nations. “Behold, I have given your race as a covenant, as a light to the nations.” The Lord’s race according to the flesh was the entire race of human beings, yet his own and nearest was Israel.… “And I will put an end to the arrangements that I made with their ancestors.”

second, the response itself is set out: and he said: it is a small thing, as if to say: I will honor your ministry so much that not only among the Jews, but among all the gentiles my salvation will be declared by you: is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? (Rom 3:29). 899. This is also clearly explained of Christ, who by preaching and the consumption of death bore little fruit among the Jews but illuminated and saved the gentiles. Similarly, it is also explained of Cyrus, although this is more tortured, who through his benefits in intention called the Lord's people back to the worship of God, and yet did not carry it out, and to whom dominion was given by God over many nations.

This chapter is a collection of prophecies relating to several nations in the neighborhood of Judea; and, like those preceding, are supposed to have been fulfilled by the ministry of Nebuchadnezzar during the thirteen years' siege of Tyre. The chapter opens with a prophecy concerning the Ammonites, whose chief city, Rabbah, shall be destroyed; and Malcom, the supreme divinity of the people, with all his retinue of priests and officers, carried into captivity, Jer 49:1-5. Promise that the Ammonites shall be restored to their liberty, Jer 49:6. Prophecy against the Edomites, (very like that most dreadful one in the thirty-fourth chapter of Isaiah against the same people), who shall be utterly exterminated, after the similitude of Sodom and Gomorrah, vv. 7-22. Prophecy against Damascus, Jer 49:23-27; and against Kedar, Jer 49:28, Jer 49:29. Utter desolation of the kingdoms of Hazor foretold, Jer 49:30-33. The polity of the Elamites shall be completely dissolved, and the people dispersed throughout the nations, Jer 49:34-38. The Elamites shall be delivered from their captivity in the latter days, Jer 49:39. It wilt be proper here to observe that these predictions should not be so explained as if they admitted of merely a private interpretation; for, as Bishop Lowth remarks upon Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Idumeans, "by a figure very common in the prophetical writings, any city or people, remarkably distinguished as enemies of the people and kingdom of God, is put for those enemies in general;" therefore, it is under the Gospel dispensation that these prophecies shall be accomplished to their fullest extent upon all the antichrtstian nations that have sinned after the similitude of the ancient enemies of the people of God under the Mosaic economy.

And to restore the preserved of Irsrae "And to restore the branches of Israel" - נצירי netsirey, or נצורי netsurey, as the Masoretes correct it in the marginal reading. This word has been matter of great doubt with interpreters: the Syriac renders it the branch, taking it for the same with נצר netser, Isa 11:1. See Michaelis Epim. in Praelect. xix.

SIMILAR TO CHAPTER 42 (Isa 49:1-9). (Isa. 49:1-26) O isles--Messiah is here regarded as having been rejected by the Jews (Isa 49:4-5), and as now turning to the Gentiles, to whom the Father hath given Him "for a light and salvation." "Isles" mean all regions beyond sea. from the womb-- (Isa 44:2; Luk 1:31; Joh 10:36). from . . . bowels . . . mention of my name--His name "Jesus" (that is, God-Saviour) was designated by God before His birth (Mat 1:21).

It is a light thing--"It is too little that Thou shouldest," [HENGSTENBERG], that is, It is not enough honor to Thee to raise up Jacob and Israel, but I design for Thee more, namely, that Thou shouldest be the means of enlightening the Gentiles (Isa 42:6-7; Isa 60:3). the preserved--namely, those remaining after the judgments of God on the nation--the elect remnant of Israel reserved for mercy. LOWTH, with a slight but needless change of the Hebrew, translates for "tribes" and "preserved," the "scions"--the "branches."