54:1 Sing, O a barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth
into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail
with child: for more [are] the children of the b desolate
than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
(a) After he has declared the death of Christ, he speaks to
the Church, because it would feel the fruit of the
same, and calls her barren, because in the captivity
she was a widow without hope to have any children.
(b) The Church in this her affliction and captivity will
bring forth more children, than when she was free, or
this may be spoken by admiration, considering the great
number that would come from her. Her deliverance under
Cyrus was as her childhood, and therefore this was
accomplished when she came of age, which was under the
gospel.
54:2c Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them extend the
curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords,
and strengthen thy stakes;
(c) Signifying that for the great number of children that
God would give her, she would seem to lack room to
lodge them.
54:4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou
confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou
shalt forget the shame of thy d youth, and shalt not
remember the reproach of thy e widowhood any more.
(d) The afflictions which you suffered at the beginning.
(e) When you were refused for your sins, (Isa 50:1).
54:5 For thy f Maker [is] thy husband; the LORD of hosts [is]
his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God
of the whole g earth shall he be called.
(f) That regenerated you by his Holy Spirit.
(g) His glory will shine through the whole world, which
seemed before to be shut up in Judea.
54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and
grieved in spirit, and a h wife of youth, when thou wast
refused, saith thy God.
(h) As a wife who was forsaken in your youth.
54:9 For this [is as] the i waters of Noah to me: for [as] I
have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more overflow
the earth; so have I sworn that I will not be angry with
thee, nor rebuke thee.
(i) As sure as the promise that I made to Noah, that the
waters would no longer overflow the earth.
54:11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, [and] not
comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with k fair
colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
(k) By this he declares the excellent estate of the Church
under Christ.
54:13 And all thy children [shall be] l taught from the LORD;
and great [shall be] the peace of thy children.
(l) By the hearing of his word and inward moving of his
spirit.
54:14 In m righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt
be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from
terror; for it shall not come near thee.
(m) In stability and sureness, so that it will stand
forever.
54:15 Behold, they shall surely assemble, [but] not by n me:
whoever shall assemble o against thee shall fall for thy
sake.
(n) And therefore will not prevail.
(o) Meaning, the domestic enemies of the Church, as are
the hypocrites.
54:16 Behold, I have created the p smith that bloweth the
coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument
for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
(p) Signifying by this that man can do nothing, but so far
as God gives power: for seeing that all are his
creatures, he must govern and guide them.
