Isaiah 62:2 Kommentar

The business of prophets was both to preach and pray. In this chapter, I. The prophet determines to apply closely and constantly to this business (Isa 62:1). II. God appoints him and others of his prophets to continue to do so, for the encouragement of his people during the delays of their deliverance (Isa 62:6, Isa 62:7). III. The promises are here repeated and ratified of the great things God would do for his church, for the Jews after their return out of captivity and for the Christian church when it shall be set up in the world. 1. The church shall be made honourable in the eyes of the world (Isa 62:2). 2. It shall appear to be very dear to God, precious and honourable in his sight (Isa 62:3-5). 3. It shall enjoy great plenty (Isa 62:8, Isa 62:9). 4. It shall be released out of captivity and grow up again into a considerable nation, particularly owned and favoured by heaven (Isa 62:10-12).

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 62 This chapter is a continuation of the prophecy of the glory of the church in the latter day. The prophet expresses his earnest desire for it, and his full assurance of it, Isa 62:1 which should lie in a new name, by which she should be called, and in her being a glorious crown and diadem in the hand of the Lord, Isa 62:3, in having her sons with her, and the Lord rejoicing over her, Isa 62:5, in having watchmen on her walls, and such as are the Lord's remembrancers in the midst of her, Isa 62:6, in plenty of food, Isa 62:8, in the coming of the Saviour, and in the gathering of elect Gentiles both to him and her, Isa 62:10.

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,.... The innocence of her case, and the justness of her cause, and the vengeance took on her enemies, all being so clear as before declared; as well as her justifying righteousness, which being published in the Gospel to the Gentiles, they shall see it, embrace it, and shall be justified by it, Rom 1:17 or "thy righteous One", as the Vulgate Latin version, Christ: and all kings thy glory; or, "thy glorious One", as the same version; her Lord in whom she glories, and who is a glory to her, whom kings shall fall down before and worship, Psa 72:10 or the glorious state of the church, which shall draw the eyes of kings unto it, and who shall promote it by bringing their glory into it, Isa 60:1. Vitringa thinks all this refers to the times of Constantine, before which kings had not seen the glory of the church, nor had she seen kings subject to her; but now they began to see the glory of the kingdom of Christ: but it is better to interpret it of the latter day, when not only kings begin to see, not a few of them, but all in general shall see it: and thou shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name; either "Jehovah Shammah", "The Lord is there"; his presence being among his church and people at this time in a remarkable manner, Eze 48:35 or Jehovah our righteousness; this being most clearly revealed, as before observed, Jer 33:16 or Christ, to whom she is so closely united, and so nearly allied, as to have his name on her, Co1 12:12 or the church, and church of God, and of Christ, names only to be met with in the New Testament, and under the Gospel dispensation; or the name of Christians from Christ, Act 11:26, or, as is more commonly received, the name of the sons of God, which the church of converted Jews shall have in the latter day, when the name of "Loammi" is taken off from them, Hos 1:10, and to this passage there may be an allusion in Rev 2:17. This name is a new name; a renewed one, at the time of regeneration and faith, which was anciently provided in predestination, and bestowed in the covenant of grace; a renowned one, better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentates, and attended with various privileges; a wonderful name, an instance of marvellous grace in God, who stood in no need of adopted ones, and to them so unworthy of it; and which is ever new, and will always continue; this blessing of grace is of God, and not of men, and is to be ascribed to the grace of God, Father, Son and Spirit. Kimchi makes this new name to be "Hephzibah", Isa 62:4, not amiss.

(Chapter 62, verses 1 and following) For the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. And the nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will name. You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Chapter 70) For the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest; until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. And the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name. You will be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. This is what the Lord and Savior said, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me' (Luke 4:18), until the place where it is written: 'All who see them shall acknowledge, that they are the seed which the Lord has blessed' (Isaiah 61:1). After the promise, the Church responded: Rejoicing, I will rejoice in the Lord, who in the third psalm of the degrees, sung with joy from the perspective of the repentant people, said: I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We will go into the house of the Lord (Ps. 121:1); now the prophet is introduced as saying: For the sake of Zion, I will not keep silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem, I will not rest. Day and night, he says, I will not close my mouth, and my prayer will never be silent; I will cry out for as long as it takes, and I will join prayers with prayers, until the promised one comes and illuminates the whole world with his splendor. He makes it more clear who this person is that he seeks, whom he desires to come: Until his righteous splendor goes forth, and his savior is kindled like a lamp. Or according to the Septuagint: Until his righteousness goes forth like light, and his salvation is kindled like a lamp. This is what was said in the Gospel: I am the light of the world (John 8:12): when it is kindled in Zion and in Jerusalem, it will not shine only in Judea, but it will be said to her: The light that is in you, is kindled; the one that has come forth from the Father, it begins to burn in your borders, and it will illuminate all nations (Matthew 6). And all kings shall see your famous city, O Jerusalem and Zion: he who was born of your lineage, who was exalted on the cross, drew all people to himself, so that the nations may see his justice, by which he, the Creator of all, showed mercy to the nations; and kings shall see his glory, by which he was glorified on the cross, and he subjected all kingdoms to his authority. Ultimately, Jerusalem and Zion shall no longer be called by their name, but they shall receive a new name which the Lord shall give them, as He said to the Apostle Peter: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). The word 'Dominicus' is derived from the name 'Dominus', so that it may be called 'Dominicum'. And the people of that land should not be called by the old name 'Israel', but by a new name, that is, 'Christian'. And it will be like a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and like a diadem of the kingdom in the hand of their God, when the crowd of believers crowns it, and the diadem of the empire, which the Martyrs have distinguished by the variety of their gems, will be in the hand of God to crown their son with victories. Wherefore also the apostle Paul was speaking to the Saints: My joy and crown.

1088. Second, he shows the fruit of the coming of the Savior. First, as to the glory of the city, promising this glory in three things. In the dignity of the king: and the Gentiles shall see, admiring and revering, your just one, Christ or Cyrus: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God (Ps 97[98]:3). In the newness of its name, and you shall be called by a new name, according to the custom of the ancients, who gave new names from new events, and afterwards he will pronounce this name. Mystically, the Church, which was formerly the Synagogue: I will give him a white counter: and in the counter, a new name (Rev 2:17).

The prophet opens this chapter with ardent prayers that the happy period of reconciliation just now promised, and here again foretold, may be hastened, Isa 62:1-5. He then calls upon the faithful, particularly the priests and Levites, to join him, urging the promises, and even the oath, of Jehovah, as the foundation of their request, Isa 62:6-9. And, relying on this oath, he goes on to speak of the general restoration promised, as already performing; and calls to the people to march forth, and to the various nations among whom they are dispersed to prepare the way for them, as God had caused the order for their return to be universally proclaimed, Isa 62:10-12.

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS FOR ZION'S RESTORATION, ACCOMPANYING GOD'S PROMISES OF IT, AS THE APPOINTED MEANS OF ACCOMPLISHING IT. (Isa 62:1-12) I--the prophet, as representative of all the praying people of God who love and intercede for Zion (compare Isa 62:6-7; Psa 102:13-17), or else Messiah (compare Isa 62:6). So Messiah is represented as unfainting in His efforts for His people (Isa 42:4; Isa 50:7). righteousness thereof--not its own inherently, but imputed to it, for its restoration to God's favor: hence "salvation" answers to it in the parallelism. "Judah" is to be "saved" through "the Lord our (Judah's and the Church's) righteousness" (Jer 23:6). as brightness--properly the bright shining of the rising sun (Isa 60:19; Isa 4:5; Sa2 23:4; Pro 4:18). lamp--blazing torch.

(Isa 11:10; Isa 42:1-6; Isa 49:7, Isa 49:22-23; Isa 60:3, Isa 60:5, Isa 60:16). new name--expression of thy new and improved condition (Isa 62:4), the more valuable and lasting as being conferred by Jehovah Himself (Isa 62:12; Isa 65:15; Rev 2:17; Rev 3:12).

Nearly all the more recent commentators regard the prophet himself as speaking here. Having given himself up to praying to Jehovah and preaching to the people, he will not rest or hold his peace till the salvation, which has begun to be realized, has been brought fully out to the light of day. It is, however, really Jehovah who commences thus: "For Zion's sake I shall not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I shall not rest, till her righteousness breaks forth like morning brightness, and her salvation like a blazing torch. And nations will see they righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and men will call thee by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will determine. And thou wilt be an adorning coronet in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the lap of thy God." It is evident that Jehovah is the speaker here, both from Isa 62:6 and also from the expression used; for châshâh is the word commonly employed in such utterances of Jehovah concerning Himself, to denote His leaving things in their existing state without interposing (Isa 65:6; Isa 57:11; Isa 64:11). Moreover, the arguments which may be adduced to prove that the author of chapters 40-66 is not the speaker in Isa 61:1-11, also prove that it is not he who is continuing to speak of himself in Isa 62:1-12 Jehovah, having now begun to speak and move on behalf of Zion, will "for Zion's sake," i.e., just because it is Zion, His own church, neither be silent nor give Himself rest, till He has gloriously executed His work of grace. Zion is now in the shade, but the time will come when her righteousness will go forth as nōgah, the light which bursts through the night (Isa 60:19; Isa 59:9; here the morning sunlight, Pro 4:18; compare shachar, the morning red, Isa 58:8); or till her salvation is like a torch which blazes. יבער belongs to כלפּיד (mercha) in the form of an attributive clause = בּער, although it might also be assumed that יבער stands by attraction for תבער (cf., Isa 2:11; Ewald, 317, c). The verb בּער, which is generally applied to wrath (e.g., Isa 30:27), is here used in connection with salvation, which has wrath towards the enemies of Zion as its obverse side: Zion's tsedeq (righteousness) shall become like the morning sunlight, before which even the last twilight has vanished; and Zion's yeshū‛âh is like a nightly torch, which sets fire to its own material, and everything that comes near it. The force of the conjunction עד (until) does not extend beyond Isa 62:1. From Isa 62:2 onwards, the condition of things in the object indicated by עד is more fully described. The eyes of the nations will be directed to the righteousness of Zion, the impress of which is now their common property; the eyes of all kings to her glory, with which the glory of none of them, nor even of all together, can possibly compare. And because this state of Zion is a new one, which has never existed before, her old name is not sufficient to indicate her nature. She is called by a new name; and who could determine this new name? He who makes the church righteous and glorious, He, and He alone, is able to utter a name answering to her new nature, just as it was He who called Abram Abraham, and Jacob Israel. The mouth of Jehovah will determine it (נקב, to pierce, to mark, to designate in a signal and distinguishing manner, nuncupare; cf., Amo 6:1; Num 1:17). It is only in imagery that prophecy here sees what Zion will be in the future: she will be "a crown of glory," "a diadem," or rather a tiara (tsenı̄ph; Chethib tsenūph = mitsnepheth, the head-dress of the high priest, Exo 28:4; Zac 3:5; and that of the king, Eze 21:31) "of regal dignity," in the hand of her God (for want of a synonym of "hand," we have adopted the rendering "in the lap" the second time that it occurs). Meier renders יהוה בּיד (בּכף) Jovae sub praesidio, as though it did not form part of the figure. But it is a main feature in the figure, that Jehovah holds the crown in His hand. Zion is not the ancient crown which the Eternal wears upon His head, but the crown wrought out in time, which He holds in His hand, because He is seen in Zion by all creation. The whole history of salvation is the history of the taking of the kingdom, and the perfecting of the kingdom by Jehovah; in other words, the history of the working out of this crown.