Jesaja 52:8 Kommentar

The greater part of this chapter is on the same subject with the chapter before, concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, which yet is applicable to the great salvation Christ has wrought out for us; but the last three verses are on the same subject with the following chapter, concerning the person of the Redeemer, his humiliation and exaltation. Observe, I. The encouragement that is given to the Jews in captivity to hope that God would deliver them in his own way and time (Isa 52:1-6). II. The great joy and rejoicing that shall be both with ministers and people upon that occasion (Isa 52:7-10). III. The call given to those that remained in captivity to shift for their own enlargement when liberty was proclaimed (Isa 52:11, Isa 52:12). IV. A short idea given here of the Messiah, which is enlarged upon in the next chapter (Isa 52:13-15).

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 52 This chapter is a prophecy of the glorious state of the church in the latter day, typified by the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon. The church, under the names of Zion and Jerusalem, is exhorted to awake and clothe herself with strength, and with beautiful garments, to shake off her dust, and loose her bands, since she should become a pure and separate people, Isa 52:1 and whereas the Lord's people had been afflicted formerly by the Egyptians, and more lately by the Assyrians, a free redemption is promised them; and the rather they might expect it, since the Lord was no gainer by their affliction, but a loser in his name and honour, as well as they distressed, Isa 52:3. And it is suggested, that the knowledge of the Lord should be spread, the good tidings of peace and salvation be delightfully published, and that the ministers of the Gospel should have clear light, and be harmonious and unanimous in the publishing of it, Isa 52:6. Upon which the waste places of Jerusalem are called upon to rejoice, both because of the restoration of the Jews, and the conversion of the Gentiles, Isa 2:9. And the people of God are called to go out of Babylon, the manner of their departure is directed, and something said for their encouragement, Isa 52:11. And the chapter is concluded with some account of the Messiah, of his humiliation and exaltation, and of his work and office, Isa 52:13, and which are enlarged upon in the next chapter, which ought properly to begin with these last verses.

The watchmen shall lift up the voice,.... Not the Levites in the temple, nor the prophets of the Old Testament; rather the evangelists and apostles of Christ; best of all Gospel ministers in the latter day, so called in allusion to watch men on the walls of cities looking out, and giving notice of approaching danger; see Isa 62:6. The words may be rendered, "the voice of the watchmen; they shall lift up the voice; together shall they sing"; that is, this is the voice of the watchmen, namely, the voice of peace and salvation, which the bringer of good tidings, the same with these watchmen, publish. "Lifting up" their "voice" denotes the publicness of their ministrations, the vehemency of them, and their importance; "singing together", their joy and cheerfulness, their harmony and unity. For they shall see eye to eye; most clearly, Zion's King reigning before his ancients gloriously; the great doctrines of peace and salvation published by them; and the great and wonderful things God will do for his church, in fulfilling prophecies relating thereunto. So the Targum, "for with their eyes they shall see the great things which the Lord will do;'' and as their light and discerning will be most clear, like the light of seven days, so it will be alike in them; their sentiments and doctrines will exactly agree; there will be no difference nor dissension among them: when the Lord shall bring again Zion: return his church and people to their former state, from whence they were declined; restore them as at the beginning; revive his work among them; cause his Gospel and ordinances to be professed and observed in their purity; call in his ancient people the Jews, and bring in the fulness of the Gentiles; pour out his spirit in a plentiful manner on them, and grant his gracious presence to them; so the Targum, "when he shall return his Shechinah or divine Majesty to Zion.'' This text is by the Jews (n) applied to the times of the Messiah, and to the resurrection of the dead (o). (n) Pesikta in Kettoreth Hassammim in Targ. in Numb. fol. 25. 4. (o) T. Bab. Sanhedrhin. fol. 91. 2.

(Verses 7, 8.) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good news, who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.' The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. LXX: As the hour over the mountains, so the feet of the messenger who hears the message of peace, who hears the message of good news, for I will make my salvation heard, saying, 'Zion, your God reigns.' The voice of those who keep watch over you is exalted, and they shall rejoice together, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord has mercy on Zion. Consequently, concerning the one who said above, 'I myself who spoke, behold I am present,' now the Prophet testifies that he himself has preached the Gospel over the mountains, that is, over the Apostles, about whom it is written: 'Approach the everlasting mountains' (Micah 2:9, LXX), and their doctrine is the illumination of God. Where in the Psalms it says of Him: Thou enlightenest wonderously from the everlasting hills (Ps. LXXV, 5). He has announced and preached peace to those who were far off, that is, to the Gentiles; and near, that is, to the Jews: reconciling the world to God, of whom it is sung in the psalm under the name of Solomon: Justice shall rise up in his days, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away (Ps. LXXI, 7). And in the same Prophet, about the Child who is born, and the Son who is given to us, whose principate is upon his shoulder, and he shall be called the Angel of great counsel, it is said afterwards (above, IX, 7): And there shall be no end of his peace. For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. These are the good things that the Lord promises to those who believe: Hear me and you will eat good things; and your soul will delight in good things; and not only good things, but also salvation he announced to all, which he himself gave who says to Zion, that is, to the Church: Your God reigns. Hence the Apostle speaks to the Holy Ones: Let sin not reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires (Rom. VI, 12). And writing about sinners, he says: Death reigned from Adam to Moses (Rom. V, 14). And what follows: The voice of your watchmen, or your custodians, signifies the Apostles, about whom God speaks to the Church in another place (Below, LXII, 6): 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. Wherefore it is said unto them (Above, XL, 9): Get thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up thy voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings. These same ones will praise God with equal voice, and with eyes they will see face to face. Which the Apostle says in other words: Face to face (1 Corinthians 13); when the Holy One sings: My eyes are always toward the Lord (Psalm 25:15). And: To you I lift up my eyes, you who are enthroned in the heavens (Psalm 121:1). And the Lord will answer them: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer (Psalm 34:16). The translation of the Septuagint is like this: as the hour, that is, time above the mountains: just as the feet of one who brings good news of peace, and so on, Paul, following the sense of the Hebrew Truth, puts in his Epistle to the Romans: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who bring the message of peace (Romans 10:15): intending the Apostles, whose feet the Lord washed (John 13), so that they might be clean and beautiful for preaching, and go throughout the whole world, and quickly fill the world with the teaching of Christ. Now, ὥρα, that is, hour, according to the Septuagint, and the ambiguity of the Greek word can mean either time or beauty. If it refers to time, it will be appropriate to say: I heard you at the right time, and I was your helper on the day of salvation (Isaiah 49:8). Hence, the Apostle concludes: Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). For at the right time, he shed his blood for all, when everyone had turned away and had become useless at the same time. There was none who did good, not even one (Ps. 14:3): so that he might taste death for all, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). But if we refer beauty to that which is said in the psalm: You are fairer than the sons of men (Ps. 45:2); (for what is more beautiful than for the form of a servant to become the form of God, and to sit and reign with Christ in the heavens?) it can be called watchfulness according to the breadth of the Greek language, and solicitude, according to what the Saint says: You will multiply me in my soul, in your power (Ps. 137:4). For you will make me abound [multiply] in Greek, it is said πολυωρήσεις με [poluōrēseis me], which means you will consider me worthy with much care and concern. And elsewhere: According to your greatness you have multiplied [πολυώρησας | poluōrēsas] the sons of men (Ps. XI, 9); which in other Greek words means you have valued [ἠξίωσας | ēxiōsas] them with much time [πολλῆς ὤρας | pollēs hōras] and thought [φροντίδος | phrontidos]. But these [translations] are superfluous; and it is more fitting to receive the beautiful feet of Christ or the Apostles, since, besides the Seventy [Septuaginta], all others have translated [it] similarly, with Paul approving their interpretation.

Second, he describes their joy as to the inspection of their watchmen who saw them returning from there, setting out the voice of exultation, the voice, of joy will resound: with one accord lifted up their voice to God (Acts 4:24); and the reason for their joy: for they shall see eye to eye, as if to say, they shall see the captives coming with their own eyes, above: your eyes shall see Jerusalem (Isa 30:20).

This chapter was added after Jeremiah's time probably by Ezra, after the return from the captivity, of which it gives a short account, nearly the same as in Kg2 24:18-20, and Kg2 24:18-20. It is very properly subjoined to the preceding prophecies, in order to show how exactly they were fulfilled. It likewise forms a proper introduction to the following Lamentations, as it gives an account of the mournful events which gave rise to them. Zedekiah's evil reign and rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, Jer 52:1-3. Jerusalem is taken by the Chaldeans after a siege of eighteen months, Jer 52:4-7. Zedekiah pursued and taken in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army dispersed, Jer 52:8, Jer 52:9. The king's sons and all the princes of Judah slain in Riblah, Jer 52:10. Zedekiah has his eyes put out by order of the Chaldean monarch; and is afterward bound in chains, carried to Babylon, and imprisoned for life, Jer 52:11. Nebuzar-adan, the captain of the guard, burns and spoils the city and temple, Jer 52:12-19. The two pillars of the temple, with their dimensions and ornaments, Jer 52:20-23. The officers of the temple, and several others, carried away captives into Babylon, and then slain by order of Nebuchadnezzar, Jer 52:24-27. The number of Jews that Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive in the seventh year of his reign, Jer 52:28; in his eighteenth year, Jer 52:29; and in his twenty-third year, Jer 52:30. Evil-merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, in the year of his accession to the throne of Babylon, (which was in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity, and the one hundred and ninety-first from the building of Rome, according to the computation of Varro), orders Jehoiachin to be taken out of prison, and treats him kindly for the remainder of his life, Jer 52:31-34.

Thy watchmen lift up the voice "All thy watchmen lift up their voice" - There is a difficulty in the construction of this place which, I think, none of the ancient versions or modern interpreters have cleared up satisfactorily. Rendered word for word it stands thus: "The voice of thy watchmen: they lift up their voice." The sense of the first member, considered as elliptical, is variously supplied by various expositors; by none, as it seems to me, in any way that is easy and natural. I am persuaded there is a mistake in the present text, and that the true reading is כל צפיך col tsophayich, all thy watchmen, instead of קול צפיך kol tsophayich, the voice of thy watchmen. The mistake was easy from the similitude in sound of the two letters כ caph and ק koph. And in one MS. the ק koph is upon a rasure. This correction perfectly rectifies the sense and the construction. - L. They shall see eye to eye - May not this be applied to the prophets and apostles; the one predicting, and the other discovering in the prediction the truth of the prophecy. The meaning of both Testaments is best understood by bringing them face to face. When the Lord shall bring again Zion "When Jehovah returneth to Zion" - So the Chaldee: כד יתיב שכנתיה לציון cad yethib shechinteih letsiyon, "when he shall place the shechinah in Zion." God is considered as having deserted his people during the captivity; and at the restoration, as returning himself with them to Zion, his former habitation. See Psa 60:1; Isa 40:9, and note.

FIRST THROUGH THIRTEEN VERSES CONNECTED WITH FIFTY-FIRST CHAPTER. (Isa. 52:1-15) strength--as thy adornment; answering to "beautiful garments" in the parallel clause. Arouse thyself from dejection and assume confidence. the holy city-- (Neh 11:1; Rev 21:2). no more . . . unclean-- (Isa 35:8; Isa 60:21; Joe 3:17; Rev 21:27). A prophecy never yet fulfilled. uncircumcised--spiritually (Eze 44:9; Act 7:51).

watchmen--set on towers separated by intervals to give the earliest notice of the approach of any messenger with tidings (compare Isa 21:6-8). The Hebrew is more forcible than English Version, "The voice of thy watchmen" (exclamatory as in Sol 2:8). "They lift up their voice! together they sing." eye to eye--that is, close at hand, and so clearly [GESENIUS]; Num 14:14, "face to face"; Num 12:8, "mouth to mouth." Compare Co1 13:12; Rev 22:4, of which Simeon's sight of the Saviour was a prefiguration (Luk 2:30). The watchmen, spiritually, are ministers and others who pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Isa 62:6-7), bring again--that is, restore. Or else, "return to" [MAURER].

The same call, which was addressed in Isa 51:9 to the arm of Jehovah that was then represented as sleeping, is here addressed to Jerusalem, which is represented as a sleeping woman. "Awake, awake; clothe thyself in thy might, O Zion; clothe thyself in thy state dresses, O Jerusalem, thou holy city: for henceforth there will no more enter into thee one uncircumcised and unclean! Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the chains of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion!" Jerusalem is lying upon the ground stupefied with the wrath of God, and exhausted with grief; but this shameful prostration and degradation will now come to an end. She is to rise up and put on her might, which has long been broken down, and apparently has altogether disappeared, but which can and must be constantly renewed, because it rests upon the foundation of an inviolable promise. She is to wake up and recover her ancient power, and put on her state robes, i.e., her priestly and royal ornaments, which belong to her as a "royal city," i.e., as the city of Jehovah had His anointed one. For henceforth she will be what she was always intended to be, and that without any further desecration. Heathen, uncircumcised, and those who were unclean in heart and flesh (Eze 44:9), had entered her by force, and desecrated her: heathen, who had no right to enter the congregation of Jehovah as they were (Lam 1:10). But she should no longer be defiled, not to say conquered, by such invaders as these (Joe 3:17; Nah 2:1; compare Joe 3:7 with Nah 2:1). On the construction non perget intrabit = intrare, see Ges. 142, 3, c. In Isa 52:2 the idea of the city falls into the background, and that of the nation takes its place. ירולשׁם שׁבי does not mean "captive people of Jerusalem," however, as Hitzig supposes, for this would require שׁביה in accordance with the personification, as in Isa 52:2. The rendering supported by the lxx is the true one, "Sit down, O Jerusalem;" and this is also the way in which it is accentuated. The exhortation is the counterpart of Isa 47:1. Jerusalem is sitting upon the ground as a prisoner, having no seat to sit upon; but this is only that she may be the more highly exalted; - whereas the daughter of Babylon is seated as a queen upon a throne, but only to be the more deeply degraded. The former is now to shake herself free from the dust, and to rise up and sit down (viz., upon a throne, Targum). The captive daughter of Zion (shebhiyyâh, αἰχμάλωτος, Exo 12:29, an adjective written first for the sake of emphasis, as in Isa 10:30; Isa 53:11) is to undo for herself (sibi laxare according to p. 62, note, like hithnachēl, Isa 14:2, sibi possidendo capere) the chains of her neck (the chethib התפתחו, they loosen themselves, is opposed to the beautiful parallelism); for she who was mourning in her humiliation is to be restored to honour once more, and she who was so shamefully laden with fetters to liberty.

How will the prophets rejoice, when they see bodily before them what they have already seen from afar! "Hark, thy watchers! They lift up the voice together; they rejoice: for they see eye to eye, how Jehovah bringeth Zion home." קול followed by a genitive formed an interjectional clause, and had almost become an interjection itself (see Gen 4:10). The prophets are here called tsōphı̄m, spies, as persons who looked into the distance as if from a watch-tower (specula, Isa 21:6; Hab 2:1) just as in Isa 56:10. It is assumed that the people of the captivity would still have prophets among them: in fact, the very first word in these prophecies (Isa 40:1) is addressed to them. They who saw the redemption from afar, and comforted the church therewith (different from mebhassēr, the evangelist of the fulfilment), lift up their voice together with rejoicing; for they see Jehovah bringing back Zion, as closely as one man is to another when he looks directly into his eyes (Num 14:14). בּ is the same as in the construction בּ ראה; and שׁוּב has the transitive meaning reducere, restituere (as in Psa 14:7; Psa 126:1, etc.), which is placed beyond all doubt by שׁוּבנוּ in Psa 85:5.