View Isaiah 56 in the note window.
The blessedness of the Godly without any respect of persons, ver. 1 - 8.
Blind watchmen shall be destroyed, ver. 9 - 12.
1: My salvation - That eminent salvation by the Messiah, and in
which, without this you shall have no share. Is near - So the scripture
often speaks of things which are at a great distance, as if they were
present or at hand, (Hab 2:3,Jam 5:8,9,Re 22:20).
My righteousness - The same thing which he called salvation.
2: The man - Every man not only Jews but Gentiles, as it is
explained in the following verses. The sabbath - The sabbath seems to
be put here, as sacrifice is elsewhere, for the whole worship of God.
3: The stranger - The stranger, the Gentile, who by birth is a
stranger to God, that hath turned from dumb idols to the living God.
The eunuch - Who is here joined with the stranger, because he was
forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord, (De 23:1).
Under these two instances he understands all those, who either by birth,
or by any ceremonial pollution, were excluded from church privileges, and
so he throws open the door to all true believers. A dry tree - A fruitless
tree, accursed by God with the curse of barrenness.
4: Take hold - That stedfastly keep the conditions of my covenant.
5: In mine house - In my temple. Better - A far greater blessing
and honour than that of having posterity, even my favour, and my
spirit, and eternal felicity.
7: Mountain - To my house, which stood upon mount Zion.
Joyful - By accepting their services, and comforting their hearts with
the sense of my love. Accepted - They shall have as free access to mine
house and altar, as the Jews themselves, and their services shall be
as acceptable to me. Evangelical worship is here described under such
expressions as agreed to the worship of God which then was in use.
8: The Lord - Who will gather to himself, and bring into their own
land, those that are cast out of their own land. Yet - I will make a far
more comprehensive gathering of the Gentiles.
9: Come - This is a prediction of Israel's destruction by their
cruel enemies. The prophet having largely discoursed concerning the
Messiah, and his kingdom, and having encouraged the Gentiles with
God's gracious promises made to them, now proceeds to terrify the
unbelieving Jews, and to shew that as the Gentiles would believe,
and be saved, so they would reject their Messiah, and be destroyed.
10: His - Israel's. Watchmen - Priests and teachers; he
mentions only the teachers, because ignorance was most shameful
in them, but hereby he supposes the gross ignorance of the people.
Bark - They are also slothful and negligent in instructing the people,
and do not faithfully reprove them for their sins.
11: They look - They regard neither God's glory, nor the peoples good,
but only the satisfaction of their own base desires. Quarter - In their
several stations.
12: Say they - Unto their brethren, fellow - priests, or other jolly
companions. Fill ourselves - We will drink not only to delight, but even
to drunkenness, as the word signifies, which shews their dreadful security
and contempt of God, and their abandoning of all care of their own or
peoples souls.
