Isaia 12:8 Commento

The salvation promised in the foregoing chapter was compared to that of Israel "in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt;" so that chapter ends. Now as Moses and the children of Israel then sang a song of praise to the glory of God (Exo 15:1) so shall the people of God do in that day when the root of Jesse shall stand for an ensign of the people and shall be the desire and joy of all nations. In that day, I. Every particular believer shall sing a song of praise for his own interest in that salvation (Isa 12:1, Isa 12:3). "Thou shalt say, Lord, I will praise thee." Thanksgiving-work shall be closet-work. II. Many in concert shall join in praising God for the common benefit arising from this salvation (Isa 12:4-6): "You shall say, Praise you the Lord." Thanksgiving-work shall be congregation-work; and the praises of God shall be publicly sung in the congregations of the upright.

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 12 This chapter contains a song of praise and thanksgiving for redemption and salvation by Christ, of which the preceding chapter Isa 11:1 is a famous prophecy. It begins with an account of the church's former uncomfortable and now comfortable state and condition, Isa 12:1 the foundation of whose comfort was Christ her salvation and strength, and so her song, which engaged her trust, and dispelled her fears, Isa 12:2 hence encouragement to others to apply to the fulness of Christ for grace, and fresh supplies of it, to be had with joy, Isa 12:3 and then follow certain mutual exhortations to praise, exalt, and glorify Christ, with reasons enforcing them, Isa 12:4.

This chapter is connected with the foregoing. The prophet expostulates with God concerning the ways of Providence in permitting the wicked to prosper, Jer 12:1-4. It is intimated to him that he must endure still greater trials, Jer 12:5, from his false and deceitful brethren, Jer 12:6; but that still heavier judgments awaited the nation for their crimes, Jer 12:7-13. That God, however, would at length have compassion on them; restore them to their land; and turn his judgments against those that oppressed them, if not prevented by their becoming converts to the true religion, Jer 12:14-17.

THANKSGIVING HYMN OF THE RESTORED AND CONVERTED JEWS. (Isa 12:1-6) Lord JEHOVAH--Jah, Jehovah. The repetition of the name denotes emphasis, and the unchangeableness of God's character. strength . . . song . . . salvation--derived from Exo 15:2; Psa 118:14. The idea of salvation was peculiarly associated with the feast of tabernacles (see Isa 12:3). Hence the cry "Hosanna," "Save, we beseech thee," that accompanied Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on that day (the fifteenth of the seventh month) (Mat 21:9; compare with Psa 118:25-26); the earnest of the perfected "salvation" which He shall bring to His people at His glorious second appearance at Jerusalem (Heb 9:28). "He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Compare Rev 21:3, "The tabernacle of God is with men." Compare Luk 9:33, "three tabernacles: one for thee," &c. (the transfiguration being a pledge of the future kingdom), (Psa 118:15; Zac 14:16). As the Jew was reminded by the feast of tabernacles of his wanderings in tents in the wilderness, so the Jew-Gentile Church to come shall call to mind, with thanksgiving, the various past ways whereby God has at last brought them to the heavenly "city of habitation" (Psa 107:7).

As Israel, when redeemed from Egypt beyond the Red Sea, sang songs of praise, so also will the Israel of the second redemption, when brought, in a no less miraculous manner, across the Red Sea and the Euphrates. "And in that day thou wilt say, I thank Thee, O Jehovah, that Thou wast angry with me: Thine anger is turned away, and Thou hast comforted me. Behold, the God of my salvation; I trust, and am not afraid: for Jah Jehovah is my pride and song, and He became my salvation." The words are addressed to the people of the future in the people of the prophet's own time. They give thanks for the wrath experienced, inasmuch as it was followed by all the richer consolation. The formation of the sentence after כּי is paratactic; the principal tone falls upon 1b, where yâshōb is written poetically for vayyâshob (cf., Deu 32:8, Deu 32:18; Psa 18:12; Hos 6:1). We hear the notes of Psa 90:13; Psa 27:1, resounding here; whilst Isa 12:2 is the echo of Exo 15:2 (on which Psa 118:14 is also founded). עזי (to be read ‛ozzi, and therefore also written עזי) is another form of עזּי, and is used here to signify the proud self-consciousness associated with the possession of power: pride, and the expression of it, viz., boasting. Zimrath is equivalent in sense, and probably also in form, to zimrâti, just as in Syriac zemori (my song) is regularly pronounced zemōr, with the i of the suffix dropped (see Hupfeld on Psa 16:6). It is also possible, however, that it may be only an expansion of the primary form zimrath = zimrâh, and therefore that zimrath is only synonymous with zimrâti, as chēphetz in Sa2 23:5 is with chephtzi. One thing peculiar to this echo of Exo 15:2 is the doubling of the Jah in Jâh Jehōvâh, which answers to the surpassing of the type by the antitype.