56:1 Thus saith the LORD, a Keep ye judgment, and do justice:
for my salvation [is] near to come, and my b
righteousness to be revealed.
(a) God shows what he requires of them after he has
delivered them: that is, the works of charity by which
true faith is declared.
(b) Which I will declare toward you, and pour into your
hearts by my Spirit.
56:2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man
[that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the c sabbath from
profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
(c) Under the Sabbath he comprehends the whole service of
God and true religion.
56:3 Neither let the son of the foreigner, that d hath joined
himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly
separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say,
Behold, I [am] a dry tree.
(d) Let no one think himself unfit to receive the graces of
the Lord: for the Lord will take away all impediments,
and will forsake no one who will keep his true
religion, and believe in him.
56:5 Even to them will I give in my e house and within my
walls a place and a f name better than of sons and of
daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall
not be cut off.
(e) Meaning, in his Church.
(f) They will be called after my people, and be of the same
religion: yea, under Christ the dignity of the faithful
will be greater than the Jews were at that time.
56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them
joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt g offerings and
their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon my altar; for my
house shall be called an house of prayer for h all
people.
(g) By this he means the spiritual service of God, to whom
the faithful offer continual thanksgiving, yea
themselves and all that they have, as a lively and
acceptable sacrifice.
(h) Not only for the Jews, but for all others,
(Mt 21:13).
56:9 All ye i beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea], all
ye beasts in the forest.
(i) Meaning, the enemies of the Church, as the Babylonians,
Assyrians, etc thus he speaks to scare the hypocrites
and to assure the faithful that when this comes they
may know it was told to them before.
56:10 His k watchmen [are] blind: they are all ignorant, they
[are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying
down, loving to slumber.
(k) He shows that this affliction will come through the
fault of the governors, prophets and pastors, whose
ignorance, negligence, greed and obstinacy provoked
God's wrath against them.
56:12 Come ye, [say they], I will bring wine, and we will fill
ourselves with strong drink; and to l morrow shall be as
this day, [and] much more abundant.
(l) We are well yet, and to morrow will be better:
therefore let us not fear the plagues before they
come: thus the wicked contemned the admonition and
exhortations which were made to them in the Name of
God.
