Isaiah 58:10 Kommentar

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 58 From the wicked and antichristian party the prophet is bid to turn to the professors of the true religion, and openly, boldly, and sharply, reprove them for their sins, particularly their hypocrisy and formality in worship, Isa 58:1, who yet were angry, and complained that the Lord took no notice of their religious services, particularly their fasting, which is put for the whole; the reason of which was, because they did not fast aright; it was attended with much cruelty, strife, and wickedness, and only lay in external appearances, Isa 58:3, when they are directed how to keep a fast, and are shown what a true fast is, and what works and services are acceptable to God, Isa 58:6 on doing of which, light, health, prosperity, and hearing of their prayers, are promised, provided the yoke of oppression is taken away, and compassion shown to the poor, Isa 58:8, yea, a very fruitful and flourishing estate of the soul is promised, and a rebuilding of waste places, delight in the Lord, and great honour and dignity; so be it that the sabbath of the Lord, or public worship, is attended to in a proper manner, Isa 58:11.

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry,.... Not only deal out thy bread, but thy soul also, to him; that is, give him food cheerfully, with a good will, expressing a hearty love and affection for him; do it heartily, as to the Lord; let thy soul go along with it; and this is true of affectionate ministers of the Gospel, who not only impart that, but their own souls also, Th1 2:8, and satisfy the afflicted soul; distressed for want of food; not only give it food, but to the full; not only just enough to support life, but to satisfaction; or so as to be filled with good things, or however a sufficiency of them: then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday; in the midst of darkness of affliction, or desertion, the light of prosperity and joy shall spring up, and a dark night of sorrow and distress become a clear day of peace and comfort; see Psa 112:4, at evening time it shall be light, Zac 14:7.

[My father] actually treated his own property as if it were another’s, of which he was but the steward, relieving poverty as far as he could and expending not only his superfluities but his necessities—a manifest proof of love for the poor, giving a portion not only to seven, according to the injunction of Solomon, but if an eighth came forward, not even in his case being stingy but more pleased to dispose of his wealth than we know others are to acquire it.… This is what most people do: they give indeed, but without that readiness that is a greater and more perfect thing than the mere offering. For he thought it much better to be generous even to the undeserving for the sake of the deserving than from fear of the undeserving to deprive those who were deserving. And this seems to be the duty of casting our bread on the waters, since it will not be swept away or perish in the eyes of the just Investigator but will arrive yonder where all that is ours is laid up and will meet with us in due time, even though we think it not. But what is best and greatest of all, [my father’s] magnanimity was accompanied by freedom from ambition.

(Verse 10.) If you remove the chain from your midst, and you cease to extend your finger, and to speak what is not helpful. When you pour out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. LXX: If you remove from yourself the yoke, and the pointing of the finger, and the speaking of murmuring, and you give your bread to the hungry from your soul, and satisfy the humble soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Hebrew word Mota (), which is interpreted as an iron torque in Jeremiah (Jer. XVIII), is read twice in the present chapter. In that place where we have said above according to the Septuagint: Dissolve the obligations of violent exchanges, by one word Mota we may know that they have put violent bonds, for which Aquila translated error, Symmachus translated declination, and Theodotion κλοιὸν, that is, torque. Again, in the present place where we translate: If you remove the chain from your midst, and for chain Septuagint translated συνδεσμὸν, that is, binding or bond; Aquila, as above, interpreted error; Symmachus, agreeing with Theodotion's ideas ((Al. conceding)), put torque. This is said about the variety of interpretation. Otherwise, the meaning is connected as follows: The morning light will arise for you, and your health will quickly arise; and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will crown you. And when you pray, he will immediately hear you, and he will show himself to be present. This is true, only if you add these things to the previous works, in order to remove from yourself the obligation and the chain with which your soul is bound. About which Peter spoke to Simon: 'For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity' (Acts 8:23). And Paul was grieved, as he observed the city of the Athenians bound by the obligation of idolatry. For each person is bound by the ropes of their own sins (Proverbs 5). And concerning these bonds of the soul, David prayed in the psalm: 'Cleanse me from my hidden faults, O Lord, and spare your servant from the deeds of others' (Psalm 19:13). It is difficult to find someone who is not bound by these chains. It is rarely found a soul that does not have this heavy burden encircling its neck, weighing it down with earthly pursuits, so that it does not look to the heavens but only to the earth. This is also reflected in the Gospel story of the woman whom Satan had bound for eighteen years, so that she was bent over and could not see the heavenly things (Luke 13). Therefore, it is said, if you remove this chain from the midst of your heart and break these kinds of bonds, and if you also extend your hand, as three other interpreters render this phrase, and refrain not only from thinking or doing evil, but also from speaking ill of your neighbor and pointing out each person's faults as if with a finger, and if you avoid speaking what does not benefit your soul, considering not your own faults but the errors of others, then you will receive what the following passage adds. Most of our people understand the ordination of clergy, which is fulfilled not only by the invocation of the voice, but also by the laying on of hands (so that, as we have laughed at in some cases, the clandestine invocation of the voice may ordain unknowing clerics), in this way: they take as evidence the writing of Paul to Timothy: Do not lay hands on anyone too hastily and thereby share in the sins of others (1 Tim. 5:22). For it is not a light matter to cast pearls before swine and to give what is holy to dogs (Matt. 7); and to attribute the ordination of the clergy, not to the holy and most learned in the law of God, but to their followers and ministers of lowly duties; and what is more shameful for them, to the prayers of little women. In considering the wisdom of Christ's Apostles, who, to demonstrate the danger of ordination, connected the torments of sinners: You shall not partake in others' sins. Therefore, just as in the ordinations of evil men, the one who appoints them is a participant in their sins, so in the ordination of the saints, the one who chooses them is a participant in their righteousness. It follows: And the word of murmuring is understood to mean, 'from the common,' if you remove it from yourself. But the word of murmuring is when God speaks against us: Let the murmuring of this people cease from me, and they shall not die; and we refer our sins to God, in order to excuse ourselves for our sins, and we say: The heat of the body overcame me, the incentives of youth overcame me, God created me this way: poverty forced me to steal. Therefore, if we do not do those things which are said, and if we do those things which are to be said, let us not give our bread to the hungry as before, but our soul, so that we may help him however we can, and let us not do it with sadness and necessity, but willingly, receiving more than giving charity. For God loves a cheerful giver, so that we may not refresh the hungry or the afflicted partially, but fully satisfy them; and let us grieve with those who grieve and mourn with those who mourn, then our light shall rise in the darkness, he who says: I am the light that came into the world, so that everyone who believes in me does not remain in darkness, but has the light of life. For the eye is the light of our body: if it is simple, our whole body will be full of light. But if it is evil, our whole body will be full of darkness. And it will be said to us: If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Let us consider with what virtues we may come to the light of God, so that darkness may be turned into noonday, and let us say with the bride: Where do you pasture, where do you rest at noon?

When you shall pour out your soul to the hungry, through compassion, and shall satisfy the afflicted soul, through assistance in necessities. 1030. Second, he promises the reward: then shall your light rise up. And first, as to the multiplication of goods, setting out liberation from evils: then shall your light rise up in darkness, that is, adversity will be turned into the light of prosperity, ignorance into the light of knowledge, or sin into the light of knowledge, as to spiritual evils.

This elegant chapter contains a severe reproof of the Jews on account of their vices, particularly their hypocrisy in practising and relying on outward ceremonies, such as fasting and bodily humiliation, without true repentance, Isa 58:1-5. It then lays down a clear and comprehensive summary of the duties they owed to their fellow creatures, Isa 58:6, Isa 58:7. Large promises of happiness and prosperity are likewise annexed to the performance of these duties in a variety of the most beautiful and striking images, Isa 58:8-12. Great temporal and spiritual blessedness of those who keep holy the Sabbath day, Isa 58:13, Isa 58:14.

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry "If thou bring forth thy bread to the hungry" - "To draw out thy soul to the hungry," as our translators rightly enough express the present Hebrew text, is an obscure phrase, and without example in any other place. But instead of נפשך naphshecha, thy soul, eight MSS. (three ancient) of Kennicott's and three of De Rossi's read לחמך lachmecha, thy bread; and so the Syriac renders it. The Septuagint express both words, τον αρτον εκ της ψυχης σου, "thy bread from thy soul." I cannot help thinking, however, that this reading is a gloss, and should not be adopted. To draw out the soul in relieving the poor, is to do it, not of constraint or necessity, but cheerfully, and is both nervous and elegant. His soul pities and his hand gives.

REPROOF OF THE JEWS FOR THEIR DEPENDENCE ON MERE OUTWARD FORMS OF WORSHIP. (Isa 58:1-14) aloud--Hebrew, "with the throat," that is, with full voice, not merely from the lips (Sa1 1:13). Speak loud enough to arrest attention. my people--the Jews in Isaiah's time, and again in the time of our Lord, more zealous for externals than for inward holiness. ROSENMULLER thinks the reference to be to the Jews in the captivity practising their rites to gain God's favor and a release; and that hence, sacrifices are not mentioned, but only fasting and Sabbath observance, which they could keep though far away from the temple in Jerusalem. The same also applies to their present dispersion, in which they cannot offer sacrifices, but can only show their zeal in fastings, &c. Compare as to our Lord's time, Mat 6:16, Mat 6:23; Luk 18:12.

draw out thy soul--"impart of thine own subsistence," or "sustenance" [HORSLEY]. "Soul" is figurative for "that wherewith thou sustainest thy soul," or "life." light . . . in obscurity--Calamities shall be suddenly succeeded by prosperity (Psa 112:4).

As the last prophecy of the second book contained all the three elements of prophetic addresses - reproach, threat, and promise - so this, the first prophecy of the third book, cannot open in any other way than with a rehearsal of one of these. The prophet receives the commission to appear as the preacher of condemnation; and whilst Jehovah is giving the reason for this commission, the preaching itself commences. "Cry with full throat, hold not back; lift up thy voice like a bugle, and proclaim to my people their apostasy, and to the house of Jacob their sins. And they seek me day by day, and desire to learn my ways, like a nation which has done righteousness, and has not forsaken the right of their God: they ask of me judgments of righteousness; they desire the drawing near of Elohim." As the second prophecy of the first part takes as its basis a text from Micah (Mic 2:1-4), so have we here in Isa 58:1 the echo of Mic 3:8. Not only with lisping lips (Sa1 1:13), but with the throat (Psa 115:7; Psa 149:6); that is to say, with all the strength of the voice, lifting up the voice like the shōphâr (not a trumpet, which is called חצצרה, nor in fact any metallic instrument, but a bugle or signal horn, like that blown on new year's day: see at Psa 81:4), i.e., in a shrill shouting tone. With a loud voice that must be heard, with the most unsparing publicity, the prophet is to point out to the people their deep moral wounds, which they may indeed hide from themselves with hypocritical opus operatum, but cannot conceal from the all-seeing God. The ו of ואותי does not stand for an explanatory particle, but for an adversative one: "their apostasy ... their sins; and yet (although they are to be punished for these) they approach Jehovah every day" (יום יום with mahpach under the first יום, and pasek after it, as is the general rule between two like-sounding words), "that He would now speedily interpose." They also desire to know the ways which He intends to take for their deliverance, and by which He desires to lead them. This reminds us of the occurrence between Ezekiel and the elders of Gola (Eze 20:1.; compare also Eze 33:30.). As if they had been a people whose rectitude of action and fidelity to the commands of God warranted them in expecting nothing but what was good in the future, they ask God (viz., in prayer and by inquiring of the prophet) for mishpetē tsedeq, "righteous manifestations of judgment" i.e., such as will save them and destroy their foes, and desire qirbath 'Elōhı̄m, the coming of God, i.e., His saving parousia. The energetic futures, with the tone upon the last syllable, answer to their self-righteous presumption; and יחפצוּן is repeated, according to Isaiah's most favourite oratorical figure, at the close of the verse.