อิสยาห์ 49:23 วิจารณ์

Glorious things had been spoken in the previous chapters concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon; but lest any should think, when it was accomplished, that it looked much greater and brighter in the prophecy than in the performance, and that the return of about 40,000 Jews in a poor condition out of Babylon to Jerusalem was not an event sufficiently answering to the height and grandeur of the expressions used in the prophecy, he here comes to show that the prophecy had a further intention, and was to have its full accomplishment in a redemption that should as far outdo these expressions as the other seemed to come short of them, even the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, of whom not only Cyrus, who was God's servant in foretelling it, was a type. In this chapter we have, I. The designation of Christ, under the type of Isaiah, to his office as Mediator (Isa 49:1-3). II. The assurance given him of the success of his undertaking among the Gentiles (Isa 49:4-8). III. The redemption that should be wrought by him, and the progress of that redemption (Isa 49:9-12). IV. The encouragement given hence to the afflicted church (Isa 49:13-17). V. The addition of many to it, and the setting up of a church among the Gentiles (Isa 49:18-23). VI. A ratification of the prophecy of the Jews' release out of Babylon, which was to be the figure and type of all these blessings, (Isa 49:24-26). If this chapter be rightly understood, we shall see ourselves to be more concerned in the prophecies relating to the Jews' deliverance out of Babylon than we thought we were.

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 49 This is a prophecy concerning Christ, and redemption by him; and of the enlargement of the church in the latter day, by the conversion of Jews and Gentiles; which the isles, and people afar off, are exhorted to listen and hearken to, delivered out by the prophet, in the person of Christ; who gives an account of his call to his office, and the time of it; of what the Lord did for him, and said unto him, Isa 49:1, then follows a complaint of his labouring in vain, and a correction of it, Isa 49:4 and a further declaration of his call and appointment to office, and of each of the parts of the work assigned him, with encouragement to it, Isa 49:5. Christ is again represented under discouraging circumstances, as despised of men, abhorred by the nation, and a servant of rulers; who is encouraged by divine promises that kings should rise up before him, and worship him; that God would be faithful to his promise to him, and yet choose him, hear and help him, at a proper time; preserve him, and give him for a covenant to the people, to the establishment of the earth, and making it habitable, Isa 49:7 for the release of prisoners, and feeding, leading, and guiding them, and removing all difficulties out of the way, Isa 49:9 when the calling of the Gentiles is foretold, which would occasion great joy in the world, Isa 49:12 yet the church is introduced as complaining that she was forsaken of God, Isa 49:14 which is denied, and the contrary affirmed; being dear to the Lord as a sucking child to its mother, and more so; never forgotten by him, and always under his care, Isa 49:16, and, for her comfort, she is assured that those who had destroyed and made her waste should be removed; and that she should have converts that would be an ornament to her, and these numerous, insomuch that the place of their habitation would be too strait and narrow, and which would be matter of astonishment to her, Isa 49:17 and, besides those that would be converted in the land of Judea, there would be great numbers in the Gentile world converted by the power of God accompanying his Gospel, set up as a standard there, kings and queens countenancing and encouraging the interest of Christ, Isa 49:22 and yet still it is questioned whether the church should be delivered from her oppressors, Isa 49:24 to which it is answered, that she should be delivered, and her persecutors destroyed; by which it would be known that the Lord is the Redeemer and Saviour of his people, Isa 49:25.

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers,.... Who shall show favour and respect to the church and people of God, grant them liberty, and protect and defend them in their religious privileges: for this is to be understood not figuratively of apostles and apostolical men, as Jerom, who are kings and priests unto God, and who feed the church with the milk of the word, and the breasts of ordinances; but literally of the kings and queens of the earth; and is thought to have had its fulfilment, at least in part, in Cyrus, Ahasuerus, Esther, and others; but more so in Christian kings and queens, as Constantine and Helena, Theodosius and Placilla, and others; and will have a far greater accomplishment in the latter day glory; see Isa 60:3, they shall bow down toward thee with their faces toward the earth; which expresses the great veneration and respect these great personages shall have for the church of God, and their entire submission and subjection to the Gospel of Christ, and the ordinances of it, and to the laws and discipline of his house; for they shall now become members of the Christian church, and be entirely under the government of it, as to religious things; see Rev 3:9. and lick up the dust of thy feet; the allusion is to the eastern nations, especially the Persians, who, in the adoration of their kings, used to kiss the ground they stood on, and seemed to lick, if they did not, the dust that was about them; and it expresses the very low submission of kings and princes to the church, and their high veneration of it; their willingness to do the meanest office for the good of it, and their great regard and affection for the meanest of its members, the dust of Zion; see Psa 72:9, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who has the hearts of all men, even of kings, in his hands, and can turn them, and bring them to a thorough submission to his will; and who is able to accomplish all his promises, and is true and faithful to them; this will be known and owned by the church, when the above things have their accomplishment: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me; or for my salvation, as the Targum; for favours from him; for the light of his countenance; for the discoveries and application of pardoning grace; for the performance of promises; for answers of prayer; for his spiritual coming, and for eternal glory and happiness; these shall not be ashamed of him for whom they wait, nor of their hope and expectation of him, nor at his coming.

(Verse 22, 23.) Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will raise my hand to the nations, and I will exalt my sign to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. And kings shall be your foster fathers, and queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, those who wait for me shall not be put to shame. LXX: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will raise my hand against the nations, and raise my signal against the islands; they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame. And the Church said: Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away. I, abandoned and alone, where were they? The Lord answered: Are you surprised why these things have happened? You will not be surprised when you hear, for I have raised my hand against the nations. It is of this that the Holy One speaks: You formed me and laid your hand upon me (Ps. 138:4). And the Savior himself: No one can snatch from the hand of my Father (John 10:29). And the Apostle Peter: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6). This hand lifted up towards the nations is the same of which the Prophet spoke: Jesse's root will arise to be the ruler of nations; in him the nations will place their hope (Isa. XI, 10). Not only will he lift up his hand towards the nations, but he will also exalt his sign among the peoples. Undoubtedly, the banner of the cross, so that what is written may be fulfilled: the earth is filled with his praises. And again: his wonderful name is praised in all the earth (Ps. VIII, 1). Then they shall bring in their arms, or on their shoulders, the sons of Zion, and her daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Such was Lazarus, and all the saints who rest in the bosom of Abraham (Luke XVI), and the souls of the believers, to whom the Apostle Paul spoke: I have fed you with milk (I Cor. III, 2). And elsewhere: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you (Galat. IV, 19). And in another place: As a nurse cherishes her children: so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls (I Thess. II, 8). Moreover, it is ridiculous according to Jewish custom to carry grown-up sons and daughters on one's shoulders and arms. But kings are nursing fathers, and queens and princes are nursing mothers, clearly showing the Apostles and Apostolic men: such was also Abraham, to whom it is said, 'You are a king from God among us' (Gen. 23:6), and those whose heart is in the hand of God (Prov. 21): who say to believers: 'Desire the pure milk like newborn infants, rationally and without deceit' (1 Pet. 2:2). Also the prince, that is, the ruler, which signifies Sarah's name; and the queen, or queen, of whom it is sung in the forty-fourth psalm: The queen stood at your right hand in a gold embroidered garment, she nourishes Christ's little ones daily, and leads them to perfect age: and every age, sex, and dignity, will adore Zion because of Him who dwells in it. For if Christ is the head of the Church, the head is worshiped in the body. And if it is said to some: Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at the footstool of His feet (not that the footstool is to be worshiped; but that the majesty of His feet is revealed), why should not the Church, which embraces the whole body of Christ, be worshiped, so that what is written in Zephaniah may be fulfilled: They shall worship Him every one from his place: all the islands of the nations (Zep. 2:11), so that not according to the Jewish custom, tribes come to Jerusalem three times a year: but worshiping the Lord in their own place, they possess Jerusalem. And what follows: and they shall lick the dust of thy feet, signifies that kings and princes should wipe and wash away with their words whatever earthly work adheres to the feet of the Church. Hence, it is commanded to the Apostles that they shake off the dust from their feet. And it is said to Peter that he who is once washed needs only to wash his feet. (Matthew 10; John 13). Through all these things the Church learns that there is no other Lord besides Him, and those who have awaited Him will possess eternal glory.

Then they will carry on their sides or at the breast the sons of Zion, and they will carry her daughters on their shoulders—as for Lazarus and all the saints who rest on the breast of Abraham and the souls of believers, to whom the apostle Paul said, “I have given you milk to drink.”Every day the queen [church] feeds Christ’s little ones and leads them to maturity; and people, no matter their age, sex and position, will adore Zion on account of him who dwells in it. For if Christ is the head of the church, the head is adored in the body. And if it can be said to some, “Exalt the Lord our God and adore his footstool,” not that a footstool is to be adored but that it is a means of showing the greatness of his feet, why not adore the church, which embraces the whole body of Christ? “They will lick the dust of your feet.” This means that kings and princes will support the church in its progress with earthly works and wipe and lap up its word.… Through all this the church learns that it is to have no other lord than he whom they who await eternal glory will possess.

And all, even to our own day, stream toward Jerusalem, driven by the desire to see the three longed-for places of the cross, the resurrection and the ascension. Thus, it is from this church, gathered from across the earth and sea, that kings have become foster fathers and rulers providers of nourishment; the first offer firstfruits and the second tithes. These kings, for their part, are even granted an allocation of food for those consecrated to the God of the universe.… The rest of the passage teaches this with clarity. “With their faces to the earth, they prostrate themselves before you and lick the dust off your feet. You will know that I am the Lord.” We see these things happening every day. In all the churches the faithful approach with their foreheads bowed to the ground and their lips on the doors to demonstrate their respect for God.

And kings shall be your nursing fathers, providing for you in necessities: the Lord will bring them to you exalted with honor as children of the kingdom (Bar 5:6); third, as to the exaltation of the liberated people: they shall worship you with their face toward the earth, especially in the time of the Maccabees, below: they shall come bowing down to you (Isa 60:14); fourth, he assigns the reason for this: and you shall know that I am the Lord: in you, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion (Ps 70[71]:1).

This chapter is a collection of prophecies relating to several nations in the neighborhood of Judea; and, like those preceding, are supposed to have been fulfilled by the ministry of Nebuchadnezzar during the thirteen years' siege of Tyre. The chapter opens with a prophecy concerning the Ammonites, whose chief city, Rabbah, shall be destroyed; and Malcom, the supreme divinity of the people, with all his retinue of priests and officers, carried into captivity, Jer 49:1-5. Promise that the Ammonites shall be restored to their liberty, Jer 49:6. Prophecy against the Edomites, (very like that most dreadful one in the thirty-fourth chapter of Isaiah against the same people), who shall be utterly exterminated, after the similitude of Sodom and Gomorrah, vv. 7-22. Prophecy against Damascus, Jer 49:23-27; and against Kedar, Jer 49:28, Jer 49:29. Utter desolation of the kingdoms of Hazor foretold, Jer 49:30-33. The polity of the Elamites shall be completely dissolved, and the people dispersed throughout the nations, Jer 49:34-38. The Elamites shall be delivered from their captivity in the latter days, Jer 49:39. It wilt be proper here to observe that these predictions should not be so explained as if they admitted of merely a private interpretation; for, as Bishop Lowth remarks upon Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Idumeans, "by a figure very common in the prophetical writings, any city or people, remarkably distinguished as enemies of the people and kingdom of God, is put for those enemies in general;" therefore, it is under the Gospel dispensation that these prophecies shall be accomplished to their fullest extent upon all the antichrtstian nations that have sinned after the similitude of the ancient enemies of the people of God under the Mosaic economy.

With their face toward the earth "With their faces to the earth" - It is well known that expressions of submission, homage, and reverence always have been and are still carried to a great degree of extravagance in the eastern countries. When Joseph's brethren were introduced to him, "they bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth," Gen 42:6. The kings of Persia never admitted any one to their presence without exacting this act of adoration; for that was the proper term for it. Necesse est, says the Persian courtier to Conon, si in conspectum veneris, venerari te regem; quod προσκυνειν illi vocant. "It is necessary, if thou shouldest come in sight, to venerate thee as king; which they call worshipping." - Nepos in Conone. Alexander, intoxicated with success, affected this piece of oriental pride: Itaque more Persarum Macedonas venerabundos ipsum salutare, prosternentes humi corpora. "The Macedonians after the manner of the Persians, saluted their monarch with the ceremony of prostration." - Curtius, lib. 8. The insolence of eastern monarchs to conquered princes, and the submission of the latter, is astonishing. Mr. Warmer, Observ. 2:43, gives the following instance of it from D'Herbelot: "This prince threw himself one day on the ground, and kissed the prints that his victorious enemy's horse had made there; reciting some verses in Persian, which he had composed, to this effect: - "The mark that the foot of your horse has left upon the dust, serves me now for a crown." "The ring which I wear as the badge of my slavery, is become my richest ornament." "While I shall have the happiness to kiss the dust of your feet, I shall think that fortune favors me with its tenderest caresses, and its sweetest kisses." These expressions therefore of the prophet are only general poetical images, taken from the manners of the country, to denote great respect and reverence: and such splendid poetical images, which frequently occur in the prophetical writings, were intended only as general amplifications of the subject, not as predictions to be understood and fulfilled precisely according to the letter. For the different kinds of adoration in the east, see the note on Isa 44:17.

SIMILAR TO CHAPTER 42 (Isa 49:1-9). (Isa. 49:1-26) O isles--Messiah is here regarded as having been rejected by the Jews (Isa 49:4-5), and as now turning to the Gentiles, to whom the Father hath given Him "for a light and salvation." "Isles" mean all regions beyond sea. from the womb-- (Isa 44:2; Luk 1:31; Joh 10:36). from . . . bowels . . . mention of my name--His name "Jesus" (that is, God-Saviour) was designated by God before His birth (Mat 1:21).

lick . . . dust--that is, kiss thy feet in token of humble submission. for they . . . not . . . ashamed . . . wait for me--The restoration of Israel shall be in answer to their prayerful waiting on the Lord (Isa 30:18-19; Psa 102:16-17; Zac 12:10; Zac 14:3).

Such affectionate treatment does the church receive, which is assembling once more upon its native soil, whilst kings and their consorts hasten to serve the re-assembled community. "And kings become thy foster-fathers, and their princesses they nurses: they bow down their face to thee to the earth, and they lick the dust of thy feet; and thou learnest that I am Jehovah, He whose hoping ones are not put to shame." As foster-fathers devote all their strength and care to those entrusted to them, and nurses nourish children from the very marrow of their own life, so will kings become the shelterers of Zion, and princesses the sustainers of her growth. All that is true in the regal headship of the church will be realized, and all that is false in regal territorialism will condemn itself: "vultu in terram demisso adorabunt te et pulverem pedum tuorum lingent" (Jerome). They do homage to the church, and kiss the ground upon which she stands and walks. According to Isa 45:14, this adoration belongs to the God who is present in the church, and points the church itself away from all thought of her own merits to Jehovah, the God of salvation, cui qui confidunt non pudefient (וידעתּ with an auxiliary pathach, like יגעתּ in Isa 47:15; Ges. 65, 2: אשׁר with the first person made into a relative as in Isa 41:8; Ges. 123, 1, Anm. 1). Observe, however, that the state will not be swallowed up by the church - a thing which never will occur, and is never meant to occur; but by the state becoming serviceable to the church, there is realized a prelude of the perfected kingdom of God, in which the dualism of the state and the church is entirely abolished.