1Thus says Jehovah, Heaven is My throne, and earth My footstool. Where, then, is the house that you would build for Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2For all those My hand has made, and all those exist, says Jehovah. But to this one will I have regard: To the lowly and contrite of spirit, and the one who trembles at My Word. 3He who kills an ox is as if he killed a man; he who sacrifices a lamb is as if he broke a dog's neck; he who offers an offering is as if he offered swine's blood; he who burns incense is as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. 4I also will choose the things that delude them, and I will bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they have not obeyed. But they did evil before My eyes and have chosen that in which I have not delighted. 5Hear the Word of Jehovah, you who tremble at His Word: Your brothers who hated you, who cast you out because of My name, said, Let Jehovah be glorified. But He will appear for your joy, and they shall be ashamed. 6A roaring sound from the city, a sound from the temple, the sound of Jehovah repaying His enemies. 7Before she writhed in labor, she gave birth; before her pangs came, she delivered a male child. 8Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion had gone into labor, she had brought forth her children. 9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, says Jehovah? Shall I beget, and then restrain the womb? says your God. 10Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11that you may suckle and be satisfied with her comforting breasts; that you may suck milk and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12For thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like a flowing stream. Then you shall suckle, you shall be carried on her sides and be dandled upon her knees. 13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the grass. And the hand of Jehovah shall be known toward His servants, and His indignation toward His enemies. 15For behold, Jehovah will come with fire and with His chariots like a tempest, to refresh His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. 16For by fire and by His sword Jehovah will judge all flesh; and the slain of Jehovah shall be many. 17Those who sanctify themselves, and purify themselves to go into the garden after an idol that is in its midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall come to an end together, says Jehovah. 18For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall come to pass that I will gather all the nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19And I will set a sign among them. And those among them who escape I will send to the nations; to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud (who draw the bow), to Tubal, and Javan; to the far away coasts that have not heard of My fame, nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the nations. 20And they shall bring all your brothers for an offering to Jehovah out of all nations on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says Jehovah, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of Jehovah. 21And I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites, says Jehovah. 22For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, says Jehovah, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to bow down before Me, says Jehovah. 24And they shall go out and observe the dead corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me. For their worm does not die, nor is their fire quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE HUMBLE COMFORTED, THE UNGODLY CONDEMNED, AT THE LORD'S APPEARING: JERUSALEM MADE A JOY ON EARTH. (Isa. 66:1-24)
heaven . . . throne . . . where is . . . house . . . ye build--The same sentiment is expressed, as a precautionary proviso for the majesty of God in deigning to own any earthly temple as His, as if He could be circumscribed by space (
1Kgs 8:27) in inaugurating the temple of stone; next, as to the temple of the Holy Ghost (
Acts 7:48-
Acts 7:49); lastly here, as to "the tabernacle of God with men" (
Isa 2:2-
Isa 2:3;
Ezek 43:4,
Ezek 43:7;
Rev 21:3).
where--rather, "what is this house that ye are building, &c.--what place is this for My rest?" [VITRINGA].
2 have been--namely, made by Me. Or, absolutely, were things made; and therefore belong to Me, the Creator [JEROME].
look--have regard.
poor--humble (
Isa 57:15).
trembleth at . . . word-- (
2Kgs 22:11,
2Kgs 22:19;
Ezra 9:4). The spiritual temple of the heart, though not superseding the outward place of worship, is God's favorite dwelling (
John 14:23). In the final state in heaven there shall be "no temple," but "the Lord God" Himself (
Rev 21:22).
3 God loathes even the sacrifices of the wicked (
Isa 1:11;
Pro 15:8;
Pro 28:9).
is as if--LOWTH not so well omits these words: "He that killeth an ox (presently after) murders a man" (as in
Ezek 23:39). But the omission in the Hebrew of "is as if"--increases the force of the comparison. Human victims were often offered by the heathen.
dog's neck--an abomination according to the Jewish law (
Deut 23:18); perhaps made so, because dogs were venerated in Egypt. He does not honor this abomination by using the word "sacrifice," but uses the degrading term, "cut off a dog's neck" (
Exod 13:13;
Exod 34:20). Dogs as unclean are associated with swine (
Matt 7:6;
2Pet 2:22).
oblation--unbloody: in antithesis to "swine's blood" (
Isa 65:4).
burneth--Hebrew, "he who offereth as a memorial oblation" (
Lev 2:2).
they have chosen--opposed to the two first clauses of
Isa 66:4 : "as they have chosen their own ways, &c., so I will choose their delusions.
4 delusions-- (
2Thess 2:11), answering to "their own ways" (
Isa 66:3; so
Pro 1:31). However, the Hebrew means rather "vexations," "calamities," which also the parallelism to "fears" requires; "choose their calamities" means, "choose the calamities which they thought to escape by their own ways."
their fears--the things they feared, to avert which their idolatrous "abominations" (
Isa 66:3) were practised.
I called . . . none . . . answer--(See on
Isa 65:12;
Isa 65:24;
Jer 7:13).
did . . . chose--not only did the evil deed, but did it deliberately as a matter of choice (
Rom 1:32). "They chose that in which I delighted not"; therefore, "I will choose" that in which they delight not, the "calamities" and "fears" which they were most anxious to avert.
before mine eyes--(See on
Isa 65:3).
5 tremble at . . . word--the same persons as in
Isa 66:2, the believing few among the Jews.
cast you out for my name's sake--excommunicate, as if too polluted to worship with them (
Isa 65:5). So in Christ's first sojourn on earth (
Matt 10:22;
John 9:22,
John 9:34;
John 16:2;
John 15:21). So it shall be again in the last times, when the believing shall be few (
Luke 18:8).
Let the Lord be glorified--the mocking challenge of the persecutors, as if their violence towards you was from zeal for God. "Let the Lord show Himself glorious," namely, by manifesting Himself in your behalf; as the parallelism to, "He shall appear to your joy," requires (as in
Isa 5:19; compare
Isa 28:15;
Isa 57:4). So again Christ on the cross (
Matt 27:42-
Matt 27:43).
appear to your joy--giving you "joy" instead of your "rebuke" (
Isa 25:8-
Isa 25:9).
6 God, from Jerusalem and His "temple," shall take vengeance on the enemy (
Ezek 43:1-
Ezek 43:8;
Zech 12:2-
Zech 12:3;
Zech 14:3,
Zech 14:19-
Zech 14:21). The abrupt language of this verse marks the suddenness with which God destroys the hostile Gentile host outside: as
Isa 66:5 refers to the confounding of the unbelieving Jews.
voice of noise--that is, the Lord's loud-sounding voice (
Ps 68:33;
Ps 29:3-
Ps 29:9;
1Thess 4:16).
7 she--Zion.
Before . . . travailed . . . brought forth--The accession of numbers, and of prosperity to her, shall be sudden beyond all expectation and unattended with painful effort (
Isa 54:1,
Isa 54:4-
Isa 54:5). Contrast with this case of the future Jewish Church the travail-pains of the Christian Church in bringing forth "a man child" (
Rev 12:2,
Rev 12:5). A man child's birth is in the East a matter of special joy, while that of a female is not so; therefore, it here means the manly sons of the restored Jewish Church, the singular being used collectively for the plural: or the many sons being regarded as one under Messiah, who shall then be manifested as their one representative Head.
8 earth--rather, to suit the parallelism, "is a country (put for the people in it) brought forth in one day?" [LOWTH]. In English Version it means, The earth brings forth its productions gradually, not in one day (
Mark 4:28).
at once--In this case, contrary to the usual growth of the nations by degrees, Israel starts into maturity at once.
for--rather, "is a nation born at once, that Zion has, so soon as she travailed, brought forth?" [MAURER].
9 cause to bring forth, and shut--rather, "Shall I who beget, restrain the birth?" [LOWTH], (
Isa 37:3;
Hos 13:13); that is, Shall I who have begun, not finish My work of restoring Israel? (
1Sam 3:12;
Rom 11:1;
Phil 1:6).
shut--(compare
Rev 3:7-
Rev 3:8).
10 love . . . mourn for her-- (
Ps 102:14,
Ps 102:17,
Ps 102:20;
Ps 122:6).
11 suck-- (
Isa 60:5,
Isa 60:16;
Isa 61:6;
Isa 49:23).
abundance--Hebrew, "the ray-like flow of her opulence," that is, with the milk spouting out from her full breasts (answering to the parallel, "breast of her consolations") in ray-like streams [GESENIUS].
12 extend--I will turn peace (prosperity) upon her, like a river turned in its course [GESENIUS]. Or, "I will spread peace over her as an overflowing river" [BARNES], (
Isa 48:18).
flowing stream--as the Nile by its overflow fertilizes the whole of Egypt.
borne upon . . . sides--(See on
Isa 60:4).
her . . . her--If "ye" refers to the Jews, translate, "ye shall be borne upon their sides . . . their knees," namely, those of the Gentiles, as in
Isa 49:22; and as "suck" (
Isa 60:16) refers to the Jews sucking the Gentile wealth. However, English Version gives a good sense: The Jews, and all who love Jehovah (
Isa 66:10), "shall suck, and be borne" by her as a mother.
13 mother-- (
Isa 49:15).
comforteth-- (
Isa 40:1-
Isa 40:2).
14 bones--which once were "dried up" by the "fire" of God's wrath (
Lam 1:13), shall live again (
Pro 3:8;
Pro 15:30;
Ezek 37:1, &c.).
flourish . . . herb-- (
Rom 11:15-
Rom 11:24).
known toward--manifested in behalf of.
15 (
Isa 9:5;
Ps 50:3;
Hab 3:5;
2Thess 1:8;
2Pet 3:7).
chariots . . . whirlwind-- (
Jer 4:13).
render--as the Hebrew elsewhere (
Job 9:13;
Ps 78:38) means to "allay" or "stay wrath." MAURER translates it so here: He stays His anger with nothing but fury," &c.; nothing short of pouring out all His fiery fury will satisfy His wrath.
fury--"burning heat" [LOWTH], to which the parallel, "flames of fire," answers.
16 Rather, "With fire will Jehovah judge, and with His sword (He will judge) all flesh." The parallelism and collocation of the Hebrew words favor this (
Isa 65:12).
all flesh--that is, all who are the objects of His wrath. The godly shall be hidden by the Lord in a place of safety away from the scene of judgment (
Isa 26:20-
Isa 26:21;
Ps 31:20;
1Thess 4:16-17).
17 in . . . gardens--Hebrew and the Septuagint rather require, "for (entering into) gardens," namely, to sacrifice there [MAURER].
behind one tree--rather, "following one," that is, some idol or other, which, from contempt, he does not name [MAURER]. VITRINGA, &c., think the Hebrew for "one," Ahhadh, to be the name of the god; called Adad (meaning One) in Syria (compare
Acts 17:23). The idol's power was represented by inclined rays, as of the sun shining on the earth. GESENIUS translates, "following one," namely, Hierophant ("priest"), who led the rest in performing the sacred rites.
in . . . midst--namely, of the garden (see on
Isa 65:3-
Isa 65:4).
mouse--legally unclean (
Lev 11:29) because it was an idol to the heathen (see on
Isa 37:36;
1Sam 6:4). Translate, "the field mouse," or "dormouse" [BOCHART]. The Pharisees with their self-righteous purifications, and all mere formalists, are included in the same condemnation, described in language taken from the idolatries prevalent in Isaiah's times.
18 know--not in the Hebrew. Rather, understand the words by aposiopesis; it is usual in threats to leave the persons threatened to supply the hiatus from their own fears, owing to conscious guilt: "For I . . . their works and thoughts," &c.; namely, will punish [MAURER].
it shall come--the time is come that I will, &c. [MAURER].
gather . . . nations--against Jerusalem, where the ungodly Jews shall perish; and then the Lord at last shall fight for Jerusalem against those nations: and the survivors (
Isa 66:19) shall "see God's glory" (
Zech 12:8-
Zech 12:9;
Zech 14:1-
Zech 14:3,
Zech 14:9).
tongues--which have been many owing to sin, being confounded at Babel, but which shall again be one in Christ (
Dan 7:14;
Zeph 3:9;
Rev 7:9-
Rev 7:10).
19 sign--a banner on a high place, to indicate the place of meeting for the dispersed Jewish exiles, preparatory to their return to their land (
Isa 5:26;
Isa 11:12;
Isa 62:10).
those that escape of them--the Gentile survivors spared by God (see on
Isa 66:18;
Zech 14:16).
Isa 2:2-
Isa 2:3;
Mic 5:7; and
Zech 14:16-
Zech 14:19 represent it, not that the Jews go as missionaries to the Gentiles, but that the Gentiles come up to Jerusalem to learn the Lord's ways there.
Tarshish--Tartessus in Spain, in the west.
Pul--east and north of Africa: probably the same as Philoe, an island in the Nile, called by the Egyptians Pilak, that is, the border country, being between Egypt and Ethiopia [BOCHART].
Lud--the Libyans of Africa (
Gen 10:13), Ludim being son of Mizraim (Egypt): an Ethiopian people famous as bowmen (
Jer 46:9): employed as mercenaries by Tyre and Egypt (
Ezek 27:10;
Ezek 30:5).
Tubal--Tibarenians, in Asia Minor, south of the Caucasus, between the Black Sea and Araxes. Or, the Iberians [JOSEPHUS]. Italy [JEROME].
Javan--the Greeks; called Ionians, including all the descendants of Javan, both in Greece and in Asia Minor (
Gen 10:2-
Gen 10:4).
my glory . . . Gentiles-- (
Mal 1:11).
20 they--the Gentiles (
Isa 66:19).
bring . . . your brethren--the Jews, back to the Holy Land (
Isa 49:22). It cannot mean the mere entrance of the Jews into the Christian Church; for such an entrance would be by faith, not upon "horses, litters, and mules" [HOUBIGANT]. "Offering" is metaphorical, as in
Rom 15:16.
horses--not much used by the Jews. The Gentiles are here represented as using their modes of conveyance to "bring" the Jews to Jerusalem.
chariots--as these are not found in Oriental caravans, translate, "vehicles," namely, borne, not drawn on wheels.
litters--covered sedans for the rich.
upon swift beasts--dromedaries: from Hebrew root, "to dance," from their bounding motion, often accelerated by music [BOCHART]. Panniers were thrown across the dromedaries' back for poorer women [HORSLEY].
21 of them--the Gentiles.
priests . . . Levites--for spiritual worship: enjoying the direct access to God which was formerly enjoyed by the ministers of the temple alone (
1Pet 2:9;
Rev 1:6).
22 (
Isa 65:17;
2Pet 3:13;
Rev 21:1).
23 Literally, "As often as the new moon (shall be) in its own new moon," that is, every month (
Zech 14:16).
sabbath--which is therefore perpetually obligatory on earth.
all flesh-- (
Ps 65:2;
Ps 72:11).
before me--at Jerusalem (
Jer 3:16-
Jer 3:17).
24 go forth, and look--as the Israelites looked at the carcasses of the Egyptians destroyed at the Red Sea (
Exod 14:30; compare
Isa 26:14-
Isa 26:19;
Ps 58:10;
Ps 49:14;
Mal 4:1-
Mal 4:3).
carcasses, &c.-- (
Isa 66:16), those slain by the Lord in the last great battle near Jerusalem (
Zech 12:2-
Zech 12:9;
Zech 14:2-
Zech 14:4); type of the final destruction of all sinners.
worm . . . not die-- (
Mark 9:44,
Mark 9:46,
Mark 9:48). Image of hell, from bodies left unburied in the valley of Hinnom (whence comes Gehenna, or "hell"), south of Jerusalem, where a perpetual fire was kept to consume the refuse thrown there (
Isa 30:33). It shall not be inconsistent with true love for the godly to look with satisfaction on God's vengeance on the wicked (
Rev 14:10). May God bless this Commentary, and especially its solemn close, to His glory, and to the edification of the writer and the readers of it, for Jesus' sake!