Isaiah 56:8 Komentář

After the exceedingly great and precious promises of gospel grace, typified by temporal deliverances, which we had in the foregoing chapter, we have here, I. A solemn charge given to us all to make conscience of our duty, as we hope to have the benefit of those promises (Isa 56:1, Isa 56:2). II. Great encouragement given to strangers that were wiling to come under the bonds of the covenant, assuring them of the blessings of the covenant (Isa 56:3-8). III. A high charge drawn up against the watchmen of Israel, that were careless and unfaithful in the discharge of their duty (Isa 56:9-12), which seems to be the beginning of a new sermon, by way of reproof and threatening, which is continued in the following chapters. And the word of God was intended for conviction, as well as for comfort and instruction in righteousness.

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 56 This chapter contains a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, and their accession to the church, and of the corrupt state of the church afterwards, especially of its rulers, which brought in men comparable to wild beasts to devour. It begins with an exhortation to the duties of judgment and justice, enforced by the nearness of Christ's salvation, and the clear relation of his righteousness in the Gospel, and by the blessedness of the man that does those duties, and lays hold on those blessings, and observes the whole of religion, instituted and moral, Isa 56:1, when encouragement is given to eunuchs, and strangers or Gentiles, sensible and religious persons, to hope for acceptance with God, and that they shall be welcome to his house, with an answer to their objections, and promises of special favours, Isa 56:3 to which is subjoined a promise or prophecy of future additions, both of Jews and Gentiles, to the church of God in the latter day, Isa 56:8 and then follows a call upon some savage people, comparable to wild beasts, to come and devour, which will be previous to the above prophecy, Isa 56:9, the reason of which is the sad corruption of the rulers of the church, their ignorance, negligence, avarice, and drunkenness, Isa 56:10.

The Lord God, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith,.... Not the outcasts of literal Israel, the captives in Babylon, and elsewhere; but of spiritual Israel, and who are cast out, not by the Lord, but by the men of the world; who cast out their names as evil, who call them outcasts, and account them the offscouring of all things, Jer 30:17 or rather this character of them may represent what they appear to be in a state of nature, when they seem to be neglected, and not taken notice of by the Lord, as if they were not his people, or beloved by him; and are like the infant cast out into the open field to the loathing of its person; and yet such as these the Lord looks upon, takes notice of, and gathers in by an effectual calling. The Targum renders it, "the scattered of Israel"; and so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions; who, while unregenerate, are in a state of distance and alienation from God; are without God and Christ, and destitute of the Spirit; aliens from the people of God; wandering out of the way of God; are like lost sheep, scattered abroad by the fall of Adam, and their own actual transgressions: now the Lord God is the gatherer of these; which agrees with Christ, as the surety that engaged to look them up, and bring them in; and as he is a shepherd that gathers the lambs in his arms; and as he is the Saviour that came to seek and save that which was lost; and who, in consequence of having redeemed his people, gathers them by his Spirit and grace, through the ministry of the word; see Joh 10:16, it may be here meant of God the Father, whose purpose, plan, and contrivance, it was to gather together all his elect in one, even in Christ; and whose promise it is, that to him should the gathering of the people be; and who set him up as an ensign for that purpose, Eph 1:10 he now says: yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered unto him; that is, to Israel; either to Christ, to whom these outcasts and scattered ones belong, who is sometimes called Israel, Isa 49:3, or to the church of God, whither they are brought when gathered, as in Isa 56:5, this is done in the effectual calling, when God's elect are called and gathered out of the world, among whom they have been, and are brought to Christ as their Saviour; as the Lord their righteousness; as the Mediator of the new covenant; and to his blood for pardon, justification, and salvation; and as the ark where they only can find rest for their souls; and as their King, to whom they become subject; and so they are gathered into the church as to a fold and good pasture. Now great numbers of these, both among the Jews and Gentiles, were gathered in at the first preaching of the Gospel, in the first times of the Gospel dispensation; and it is here promised that others besides them should be gathered in, even all that remain of the election of grace uncalled; the rest of those that the Father has given to Christ; the residue of those he has redeemed by his blood; such of the children of God as are yet scattered abroad, even all the remainder of the Lord's people, whether Jews or Gentiles; which will be fulfilled in the latter day, when the forces and fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, and the nation of the Jews converted at once. The words may be rendered, "yet will I gather unto him his that are to be gathered" (s); the other sheep uncalled; as many as are ordained unto eternal life; not one shall be lost or left behind. Kimchi mentions it as an exposition of his father's, "after I have gathered the outcasts of Israel; yet will I gather, against them that are gathered, others against his gathered ones, and they are Gog and Magog;'' to which sense, he says, the following verse inclines: but much better is the sense of Aben Ezra, "yet, will I gather proselytes to the gathered of Israel;'' for his "gathered ones", he says, refers to Israel. But it is best of all to interpret it of the nations gathered and added to the Christian churches in the times of Constantine, who before had been treated as outcasts, and persecuted for their profession of Christ; and of the conversion of various other people, as the Goths, Vandals, &c. in later ages. So Vitringa. (s) "adhuc congregabo, super eum congregatos ejus", Pagninus, Montanus; "congregandos ejus", Forerius, Grotius.

(Vers. 8, 9.) Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will please me on my altar: for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples, says the Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: I will still gather together those who have been gathered to him: All the beasts of the field, come to devour, all the beasts of the forest. LXX: Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar. For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, says the Lord, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: for I will gather a congregation to him. All wild animals, come, eat, all wild animals of the forest. We learn more fully about the difference between sacrifices and burnt offerings in Leviticus. Burnt offerings are those that are completely burned on the altar. The victims and offerings, of which part is offered on the altar, part is handed over to the priests. Therefore, it should not be believed that the offerings of foreigners and eunuchs are required in the Jewish rite. But we must know that eunuchs offer burnt offerings, those who consecrate themselves fully to God; while foreigners offer victims, who are temporarily dedicated to prayer, of whom God speaks: The sacrifice of praise has glorified (alternatively, will glorify) me; and in another place: Offer to God the sacrifice of praise (Psalm 49:14). Concerning these victims and burnt offerings, the Lord speaks through Hosea: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice; the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings, which are offered on the altar of the Lord' (Hosea 6:6). This is testified by John in the Apocalypse, when he saw souls of martyrs under the altar (Apocalypse 6). From this, one of the Seraphim took a coal with tongs and brought it to Isaiah to cleanse his lips (Isaiah 6:6). This is the altar and the tabernacle, to which all things made in Exodus refer, on which spiritual offerings were presented to God (Exodus 38). Furthermore, concerning bodily sacrifices and burnt offerings, God also testifies the same thing: 'Why do I need the multitude of your victims?' says the Lord. I am full of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of lambs, and I do not desire the blood of bulls and goats. For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Not for one nation of Judah, nor for one place of Jerusalem and the city, but for the whole world: not of bulls and goats and rams, but of prayer. By the testimony, the Lord denounced those who were selling the gifts of the Holy Spirit under the name of doves in the Temple, and sitting in the seats of pestilence, and having the tables of money-changers (Matthew 21 and John 2), doing all things for the sake of shameful profit, not knowing what is written: 'You have received freely, give freely' (Matthew 10:8). But the Lord promised that these things would come to pass, he who gathers the scattered Israel. To whom also Peter the Apostle writes an Epistle, concerning whom the Evangelist speaks: 'But this he said not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed' (John 11:51-52), and that what was said might be fulfilled: 'A congregation of people shall surround thee: and for this cause return thou on high' (Psalm 7:8). But when the remains of Israel were gathered together by the Apostles, and the flock, who had been previously scattered, were united into one, all the beasts are provoked to come and devour Israel, that is, those who refused to believe, of whom the Apostle says: For their end will come upon them (Philippians 3). And the Lord in the Gospel: But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by an army, then know that its desolation has come (Luke 21:20). Or it must be said, that they are given over to beasts to devour, whom the Prophet detests, saying: Do not hand over to beasts the souls professing to You (Ps. 73,19): concerning these tropological beasts, which have devoured a certain part of the Lord, and we read above (In Ch. IX), Syria from the rising sun, and the Greeks from the West, who devour Israel with all their mouth. And in Jeremiah: Israel, the wandering sheep, the lions have driven her away: the first king of Assyria devoured her, and the last king of Babylon will crush her bones (Jeremiah. 50, 17). This can also be said, that when the people of Israel, full of rage, first provoked the nations to faith, so that they would come to the Church and eat the heavenly bread, and be satisfied with the flesh of the Lamb, which killed many from the army of Abessalon, in the deserted forests.

The Savior, however, is gentle not only with the nations. For he says, “I will gather the scattered of Israel.” For these were far from the community in the law, being far away from Judah, and [they] were idol worshiping and teaching doctrines and precepts of human invention. Those who were thus gathered included the godly of old and even the disciples of the Savior.

Second, as to the gathering of the people: the Lord God, who gathers, to him, Israel, the peoples who adhere to him: the Lord builds up Jerusalem: he will gather together the dispersed of Israel (Ps 146[147]:2).

Whoever would partake 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 blessings of which are large as the human race, without any respect to persons or to nations, Isa 56:1-8. At the ninth verse begins a different subject, or new section of prophecy. It opens with calling on the enemies of the Jews, (the Chaldeans, or perhaps the Romans), as beasts of prey against them, for the sins of their rulers, teachers, and other profane people among them, whose guilt drew down judgments on the nation, Isa 56:9-12.

THE PREPARATION NEEDED ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO WISH TO BE ADMITTED TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (Isa 56:1-12) judgment--equity. John the Baptist preached similarly a return to righteousness, as needed to prepare men for Messiah's first coming (Luk 3:3, Luk 3:8-14). So it shall be before the second coming (Mal 4:4-6). near to come-- (Mat 3:2; Mat 4:17), also as to the second coming (Isa 62:10-11; Luk 21:28, Luk 21:31; Rom 13:11-12; Heb 10:25). righteousness--answering to "salvation" in the parallel clause; therefore it means righteousness which bringeth salvation (Isa 46:13; Rom 3:25-26).

Jehovah will not only restore the scattered outcasts of Israel (Isa 11:12; Psa 147:2) to their own land, but "will gather others ('strangers') to him (Israel), besides those gathered" (Margin, "to his gathered"; that is, in addition to the Israelites collected from their dispersion), (Joh 10:16; Eph 1:10; Eph 2:19).

The expression "saying of the Lord" (Ne'um Jehovah), which is so solemn an expression in itself, and which stands here at the head of the following declaration, is a proof that it contains not only something great, but something which needs a solemn confirmation because of its strangeness. Not only is there no ground for supposing that Gentiles who love Jehovah will be excluded from the congregation; but it is really Jehovah's intention to gather some out of the heathen, and add them to the assembled diaspora of Israel. "Word of the Lord, Jehovah: gathering the outcasts of Israel, I will also gather beyond itself to its gathered ones." We only find ה נאם at the commencement of the sentence, in this passage and Zac 12:1. The double name of God, Adonai Jehovah, also indicates something great. עליו (to it) refers to Israel, and לנקבּציו is an explanatory permutative, equivalent to על־נקבציו; or else על denotes the fact that the gathering will exceed the limits of Israel (cf., Gen 48:22), and ל the addition that will be made to the gathered ones of Israel. The meaning in either case remains the same. Jehovah here declares what Jesus says in Joh 10:16 : "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd:" "Jehovah one, and His name one," as it is expressed in Zac 14:9. Such as the views and hopes that have grown up out of the chastisement inflicted by their captivity. God has made it a preparatory school for New Testament times. It has been made subservient to the bursting of the fetters of the law, the liberation of the spirit of the law, and the establishment of friendship between Israel and the Gentile world as called to one common salvation.