King James Version
Isaiah 66
24 verses with commentary
Judgment and Hope
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool : where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
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KJV Study Commentary
God's rhetorical questions 'where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?' challenge all human presumption to contain or serve God. The cosmic vision 'The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool' establishes God's transcendent greatness - no temple (even Solomon's) adequately houses Him. Yet verse 2 shows He dwells with contrite hearts - God is simultaneou...
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LXVI.
(1) **The heaven is my throne . . .**—We are left to conjecture the historical starting-point of this utterance of a Divine truth. Was the prophet condemning in advance the restoration of the temple on the return from Babylon, or, as some critics have supposed, the intention of some of the exiles to build a temple in the land of their captivity, as others did afterwards at Leontopolis in Egy...
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27. The husbandman uses the same discretion in threshing. The dill ("fitches") and cummin, leguminous and tender grains, are beaten out, not as wheat, &c., with the heavy corn-drag ("threshing instrument"), but with "a staff"; heavy instruments would crush and injure the seed.
**cart wheel--**two iron wheels armed with iron teeth, like a saw, joined together by a wooden axle. The "corn-drag"...
Read full commentary →For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
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The declaration 'to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word' identifies God's chosen dwelling place - not temples but humble hearts. The three characteristics (poor, contrite, trembles at word) describe brokenness over sin and reverence for Scripture. This echoes the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3) - 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' - establishing...
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(2) **All those things . . .**—The sequence of thought runs thus:—God, the Maker of the universe, can need nothing that belongs to it. The most stately temple is to Him as the infinitely little. What He does delight in is something which is generically different, the spiritual life which answers to His own, the “contrite heart,” which is the true correlative of His own holiness. He who offers that...
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**28. Bread corn--**corn of which bread is made.
**bruised--**threshed with the corn-drag (as contrasted with dill and cummin, "beaten with the staff"), or, "trodden out" by the hoofs of cattle driven over it on the threshing-floor [G. V. Smith], (De 25:4; Mi 4:13).
**because--**rather, "but" [Horsley]; though the corn is threshed with the heavy instrument, yet he will not always be thus thres...
Read full commentary →He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. lamb: or, kid burneth: Heb. maketh a memorial of
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God condemns empty ritualism with shocking comparisons: "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol." The Hebrew structure equates legitimate sacrifices performed with wrong heart to abominations—murder, dog sacrifice (prohibi...
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(3) **He that killeth an ox . . .**—The truth of the previous verse is emphasised by iteration, each clause presenting a distinct illustration of it. Chapter Isaiah 65:3-11 had pointed to tendencies, not yet extinct, which led to open apostasy. Now the prophet declares that there may be as real an apostasy beneath an orthodox creed and an irreproachable ritual. Each act of the hypocrite’s worship ...
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**29. This also--**The skill wherewith the husbandman duly adjusts his modes of threshing is given by God, as well as the skill (Is 28:26) wherewith he tills and sows (Is 28:24, 25). Therefore He must also be able to adapt His modes of treatment to the several moral needs of His creatures. His object in sending tribulation (derived from the Latin tribulum, a "threshing instrument," Lu 22:31; Ro 5:...
Read full commentary →I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. delusions: or, devices
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Divine judgment follows: "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them." The Hebrew <em>ta'alaleihem</em> (delusions/mockeries) suggests God giving them over to what they've chosen—judicial hardening. This echoes Romans 1:24, 26, 28 where God gives rebels over to their sinful desires. Their fears will be realized—what they dreaded will come. Why? "Because when I called,...
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(4) **I also will choose their delusions . . .**—The Hebrew noun conveys the thought of the turnings and windings of fortune—what has been called the irony of history. These are the instruments with which God, as it were, mocks and has in derision those who mock Him by their hypocrisy. Their choice did not delight Him; what He chooses will be far other than delightful for them. (Comp. Psalm 2:4; P...
Read full commentary →Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
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God addresses the faithful remnant: "Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word." The Hebrew <em>charadim</em> (tremble) describes reverential fear and responsive obedience—those who take God's word seriously. These face opposition: "Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be as...
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(5) **Hear the word of the Lord . . .**—The prophet turns from the hypocrites to the persecuted remnant. The self-righteous, self-exalting Pharisee (comp. Isaiah 65:5) repudiates, and, as it were, excommunicates, the true worshippers, and taunts them with their devotion to a God who does not help them. In words which find an echo in Matthew 27:42, they said, “Let Jehovah glorify Himself, that we m...
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CHAPTER 29 Is 29:1-24. Coming Invasion of Jerusalem: Its Failure: Unbelief of the Jews.
This chapter opens the series of prophecies as to the invasion of Judea under Sennacherib, and its deliverance.
**1. Ariel--**Jerusalem; Ariel means "Lion of God," that is, city rendered by God invincible: the lion is emblem of a mighty hero (2Sa 23:20). Otherwise "Hearth of God," that is, place where the a...
Read full commentary →A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.
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A mysterious voice announces judgment: "A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies." Three parallel phrases build intensity—noise from the city, voice from the temple, then revealed as the LORD's voice. The Hebrew <em>qol</em> (voice) and <em>shaon</em> (noise/tumult) suggest a loud, decisive announcement. God renders <em>g...
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(6) **A voice of noise . . .**—The form reminds us of Isaiah 13:4. The words represent dramatically the wonder with which men will behold the great judgments of God, proceeding, as with the thunders of Sinai (Amos 1:2; Joel 3:16), from the city and the temple, that seemed to have been given over to destruction.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. Yet--**rather, "Then."
**heaviness ... sorrow--**rather, preserving the Hebrew paronomasia, "groaning" and "moaning."
**as Ariel--**either, "the city shall be as a lion of God," that is, it shall emerge from its dangers unvanquished; or "it shall be as the altar of burnt offering," consuming with fire the besiegers (Is 29:6; Is 30:30; 31:9; Le 10:2); or best, as Is 29:3 continues the thre...
Read full commentary →Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
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<strong>Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.</strong><br><br>This remarkable verse presents a supernatural birth - delivery without labor pains, defying natural order. The Hebrew word <em>terem</em> ("before") emphasizes the unprecedented timing. <em>Chul</em> ("travailed") refers to the writhing pains of childbirth, while <em>yalad</em> ...
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(7) **Before she travailed . . .**—The mother, as the next verse shows, is Zion; the man-child, born at last without the travail-pangs of sorrow, is the new Israel, the true Israel of God. The same figure has met us in Isaiah 49:17-21; Isaiah 54:1, and is implied in Matthew 24:8. Its antithesis is found in Isaiah 37:3.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. I--**Jehovah, acting through the Assyrian, &c., His instruments (Is 10:5).
**mount--**an artificial mound formed to out-top high walls (Is 37:33); else a station, namely, of warriors, for the siege.
**round about--**not fully realized under Sennacherib, but in the Roman siege (Lu 19:43; 21:20).
**forts--**siege-towers (De 20:20).
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
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Rhetorical questions express astonishment at rapid fulfillment: "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?" The Hebrew <em>ka'zot</em> (such a thing) and <em>kaeleh</em> (such things) emphasize the unprecedented nature of what follows. The questions build—can earth bring forth in one day? Can a nati...
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(8) **Shall the earth be made . . .**—Better, *Shall a land be made to travail. *The usually slow processes of national development are contrasted with the supernatural rapidity of the birth and growth of the new Israel.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. Jerusalem shall be as a captive, humbled to the dust. Her voice shall come from the earth as that of the spirit-charmers or necromancers (Is 8:19), faint and shrill, as the voice of the dead was supposed to be. Ventriloquism was doubtless the trick caused to make the voice appear to come from the earth (Is 19:3). An appropriate retribution that Jerusalem, which consulted necromancers, should be...
Read full commentary →Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. not: or, not beget?
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God answers His own rhetorical questions: "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God." Two questions affirm God's faithfulness to complete what He begins. The Hebrew <em>ashbir</em> (bring to birth) and <em>olid</em> (cause to bring forth) emphasize God's active role in conception and delivery. The quest...
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(9) **Shall I bring to the birth . . .**—The implied thought is that God will not leave His work of national restoration unfinished. There shall not be that frustration of hopes when they seem just on the point of being fulfilled which the history of the world so often records. (Comp. Isaiah 37:3.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. Moreover--**rather, "Yet"; yet in this extremity help shall come, and the enemy be scattered.
**strangers--**foreign enemies, invaders (Is 25:2).
**it shall be--**namely, the destruction of the enemy.
**at an instant--**in a moment (Is 30:23).
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
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The call to rejoice: "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her." Three imperatives—rejoice (<em>simchu</em>), be glad (<em>gilu</em>), rejoice for joy (<em>sisu mesos</em>)—emphasize exuberant celebration. Those addressed are lovers of Jerusalem and mourners for her—the faithful who grieved over her destruction and l...
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(10) **Rejoice ye with Jerusalem . . .**—The holy city is still thought of as a mother rejoicing in her new-born child; friends and neighbours (*i e., *the nations friendly to Israel) who had shown pity for her sufferings are now invited to participate in her joy.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. Thou--**the Assyrian army.
**thunder, &c.--**not literally, in the case of the Assyrians (Is 37:36); but figuratively for an awful judgment (Is 30:30; 28:17). The ulterior fulfilment, in the case of the Jews' foes in the last days, may be more literal (see as to "earthquake," Zec 14:4).
That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. abundance: or, brightness
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KJV Study Commentary
The nursing imagery returns with rich meaning: "That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." The Hebrew <em>yanaq</em> (suck/nurse) and <em>matsah</em> (milk out) describe infants nursing—complete dependence and satisfaction. The "breasts of consolations" (<em>shedei tanchumeiha</em>) provide comfo...
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(11) **That ye may suck . . .**—The figure takes a new and bolder form. The friends who visit the rejoicing mother are invited to take their place with the new-born child, and to share his nurture. The underlying thought is, of course, that the heathen nations who had been friendly to Zion were to become converts, and be incorporated with her citizens.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. munition--**fortress.
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
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God promises comprehensive blessing: "For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream." The imagery is abundant—peace (<em>shalom</em>) like a river (<em>nahar</em>), Gentile glory like a flowing stream (<em>nachal shotef</em>). Rivers and streams suggest continuous, abundant, life-giving flow. Peace encompasses total we...
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(12) **Ye shall be borne upon her sides.**—Better, *upon the side, *or *upon the knee, or hip. *(See Note on Isaiah 60:4.) The outward figure is now presented as in an inverted form, to express a new spiritual fact. The children of Zion will find a maternal tenderness and care at the hands of the heathen nations, who are to be as their “nursing mothers.” (Comp. 60:16.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. Their disappointment in the very height of their confident expectation of taking Jerusalem shall be as great as that of the hungry man who in a dream fancies he eats, but awakes to hunger still (Psa 73:20); their dream shall be dissipated on the fatal morning (Is 37:36).
**soul--**simply his appetite: he is still thirsty.
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
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God makes an extraordinary promise: "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." The comparison to maternal comfort is tender and intimate. The Hebrew <em>nacham</em> (comfort) appears three times, emphasizing certainty and completeness. God Himself provides the comfort, comparing His care to a mother consoling her child. This reveals divine c...
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(13) **One whom his mother comforteth . . .**—The image of maternal love, with which the prophet’s mind is full, is presented in yet another aspect. The love which Zion *gives, *the love which her children receive from the nations, are both but shadows of the infinite tenderness of Jehovah. In this instance the object of the mother’s love that comforts is not the child at the breast, but the full-...
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**9. Stay--**rather, "Be astounded"; expressing the stupid and amazed incredulity with which the Jews received Isaiah's announcement.
**wonder--**The second imperative, as often (Is 8:9), is a threat; the first is a simple declaration of a fact, "Be astounded, since you choose to be so, at the prophecy, soon you will be amazed at the sight of the actual event" [Maurer].
**cry ... out ... cry--...
Read full commentary →And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
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KJV Study Commentary
The promise continues: "And when ye see it, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb." The response to God's comfort is profound—heart rejoicing and bones flourishing. "Bones" (<em>atsam</em>) represent the whole person, especially physical vitality. The simile "like herb" (<em>ka'deshe</em>) suggests green, vigorous growth—comprehensive restoration. Then comes distinct...
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(14) **Your bones shall flourish . . .**—“Heart” and “bones” stand respectively as symbols of the inner and outer life. The “bones,” the branches, so to speak, of the body, which had been dry and sere, should revive as with the sap of a new life, and be as the succulent herbage. His “hand,” *i.e., *His manifested power, will show itself in love to His people, in indignation to their enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. Jehovah gives them up judicially to their own hardness of heart (compare Zec 14:13). Quoted by Paul, with variations from the Septuagint, Ro 11:8. See Is 6:10; Psa 69:23.
**eyes; the prophets, &c.--**rather, "hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads (Margin; see also Is 3:2), the seers, He hath covered." The Orientals cover the head to sleep; thus "covered" is parallel to "clo...
Read full commentary →For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
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KJV Study Commentary
The prophecy shifts to theophany and judgment: "For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." Multiple images of consuming judgment—fire, chariots, whirlwind, fury, flames. Fire represents God's holiness consuming sin (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29). Chariots like whirlwind (<em>suphah</em>) ...
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(15) **With his chariots . . .***—i.e., *the storm-clouds sweeping on their way, while the lightnings and the winds do their work. (Comp. Psalm 18:10; Psalm 68:33)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. of all--**rather, "the whole vision." "Vision" is the same here as "revelation," or "law"; in Is 28:15, the same Hebrew word is translated, "covenant" [Maurer].
**sealed--**(Is 8:16), God seals up the truth so that even the learned, because they lack believing docility, cannot discern it (Mt 13:10-17; 11:25). Prophecy remained comparatively a sealed volume (Da 12:4, 9), until Jesus, who "a...
Read full commentary →For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
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The judgment continues: "For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many." God "pleads" (<em>shaphat</em>—judges/contends) with all flesh using fire and sword—instruments of warfare and judgment. The comprehensive scope "all flesh" (<em>kol-basar</em>) emphasizes universal judgment—no one escapes scrutiny. "The slain of the LORD shall be man...
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(16) **Will the Lord plead . . .**—Better, *will the Lord hold judgment. *The thoughts of the seer pass on to the retributive side of the Divine righteousness. Fire and sword have been used by the enemies of God against His people, and shall, in turn, be the instruments of His vengeance. The “sword” may, however, be the symbol of the Divine judgment, apart from any reference to its human instrumen...
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12. The unlearned succeed no better than the learned, not from want of human learning, as they fancy, but from not having the teaching of God (Is 54:13; Jr 31:34; Joh 6:45; 1Co 2:7-10; 1Jo 2:20).
They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. behind: or, one after another
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KJV Study Commentary
Specific sins are condemned: "They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD." The Hebrew describes syncretistic worship—self-sanctification rituals (<em>mitqadshim umittaharim</em>) in gardens (pagan sacred groves), following cultic leaders ("behi...
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(17) **They that sanctify themselves . . .**—Better, *they that consecrate themselves **. . .*** As in Isaiah 65:3-4, the prophet has in his thoughts the apostates, who gloried in mingling heathen rites with the worship of Jehovah. Such a blending of incompatible elements was, as we have seen, eminently characteristic of the reign of Manasseh. We have no trace of anything corresponding to it among...
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**13. precept of men--**instead of the precepts of God, given by His prophets; also worship external, and by rule, not heartfelt as God requires (Joh 4:24). Compare Christ's quotation of this verse from the Septuagint.
For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
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KJV Study Commentary
A crucial transitional verse: "For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory." God's comprehensive knowledge—<em>ma'aseihem umachsheroteihem</em> (works and thoughts)—establishes His just judgment (nothing hidden). Then comes promise: He will gather all nations (<em>goyim</em>) and tongues (<em>leshonot</...
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(18) **For I know their works . . .**—The Hebrew has no verb, either—as in the *Quos ego ***. . .** of Virgil, *Æn., 1:1*39—for the sake of emphasis, or through an accidental omission in transcription. *I know *is supplied by many versions and commentators; *I will punish *or *I have seen *by others. The thought, in any case, is that the eye of Jehovah sees the evil things that are done in the sec...
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14. (Ha 1:5; Ac 13:41). The "marvellous work" is one of unparalleled vengeance on the hypocrites: compare "strange work," Is 28:21. The judgment, too, will visit the wise in that respect in which they most pride themselves; their wisdom shall be hid, that is, shall no longer appear, so as to help the nation in its distress (compare 1Co 1:19).
And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
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KJV Study Commentary
God explains His plan: "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles." The "sign" (<em>ot</em>) may refer to a remnant preserved through judgment or a mi...
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(19) **I will set a sign among them . . .**—The “sign” may be one of supernatural terror in the work of judgment, or, as the context makes more probable, of supernatural deliverance. The thought of a “remnant” to be saved is still characteristically dominant, and that “remnant” is to act as heralds of Jehovah to the far-distant nations who had not been sharers in any open antagonism to Israel, and...
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**15. seek deep to hide--**rather, "That seek to hide deeply," &c. (compare Is 30:1, 2). The reference is to the secret plan which many of the Jewish nobles had of seeking Egyptian aid against Assyria, contrary to the advice of Isaiah. At the same time the hypocrite in general is described, who, under a plausible exterior, tries to hide his real character, not only from men, but even from God.
And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. litters: or, coaches
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KJV Study Commentary
The mission continues: "And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD." Multiple transportation modes—horses, chariots, litters, mules, s...
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(20) **They shall bring all your brethren . . .**—The offering is the *minchah, *the bloodless meatoffering of the Levitical law (Leviticus 2:1-2). The underlying thought is that the returning exiles would be the most acceptable offering that could be brought to Jehovah. The same idea appears in Zephaniah 3:10, and a similar one, transferred, however, to the Gentile converts, in Romans 15:16.
**Up...
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16. Rather, "Ah! your perverseness! just as if the potter should be esteemed as the clay!" [Maurer]. Or, "Ye invert (turn upside down) the order of things, putting yourselves instead of God," and vice versa, just as if the potter should be esteemed as the clay [Horsley], (Is 45:9; 64:8).
And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
An astonishing promise: "And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD." The Hebrew <em>megam mehem eqach lakohanim lalviyyim</em> means God will select from these Gentile converts to serve as priests and Levites—previously exclusive Jewish roles. This demolishes ethnic privilege in God's kingdom. Under the old covenant, only Aaronic descendants could be priests, only Le...
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(21) **I will also take of them for priests . . .**—We are left to determine whether the promise is that even Gentile converts should be enrolled among the priests and Levites of the new Jerusalem, or that Israelites of the non-priestly tribes should be so enrolled. Was the prophet breaking down in thought the middle wall of partition, or clinging to its maintenance? Isaiah 61:6 seems in favour of...
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**17. turned--**as contrasted with your "turnings of things upside down" (Is 29:16), there shall be other and better turnings or revolutions; the outpouring of the Spirit in the latter days (Is 32:15); first on the Jews; which shall be followed by their national restoration (see on Is 29:2; Zec 12:10) then on the Gentiles (Joe 2:28).
**fruitful field--**literally, "a Carmel" (see on Is 10:18). T...
Read full commentary →For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
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KJV Study Commentary
God grounds His promises in His creative power: "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain." The Hebrew <em>hashamayim hachadashim veha'arets hachadashah</em> (the new heavens and the new earth) explicitly references the final state described in Revelation 21:1. God promises to create (<em>oseh</em>—...
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(22) **As the new heavens and the new earth . . .**—The transformation of Isaiah 65:17 is pre-supposed, but that future kingdom of God shall perpetuate the historical continuity of that which has preceded it. Israel (the prophet’s range of vision seems limited to the outward Israel, while St. Paul extends it to the spiritual) shall still exist. The ideal represented by that name will have an indes...
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**18. deaf ... blind--**(Compare Mt 11:5). The spiritually blind, &c., are chiefly meant; "the book," as Revelation is called pre-eminently, shall be no longer "sealed," as is described (Is 29:11), but the most unintelligent shall hear and see (Is 35:5).
And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. from one new: Heb. from new moon to his new moon, and from sabbath to his sabbath
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KJV Study Commentary
Universal worship is promised: "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD." The Hebrew <em>midei-chodesh bechodsho umidei shabbat beshabbato</em> (from new moon in its time, from sabbath in its time) suggests regular, continuous worship—monthly and weekly cycles. "All flesh" (<em>kol-basa...
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(23) **From one new moon to another . . .**—Under the Mosaic law Israelites were bound, at least in theory, to attend the temple at the three great feasts. In the new Jerusalem, as the prophet thought of it, the pilgrimages would be both more frequent and more universal. Every sabbath and new moon would witness not Israel only, but “all flesh,” thronging into the courts of the temple. It lies in t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. meek--**rather, the afflicted godly: the idea is, virtuous suffering (Is 61:1; Psa 25:9; 37:11) [Barnes].
**poor among men--**that is, the poorest of men, namely, the pious poor.
**rejoice--**when they see their oppressors punished (Is 29:20, 21), and Jehovah exhibited as their protector and rewarder (Is 29:22-24; Is 41:17; Jas 2:5).
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
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KJV Study Commentary
The book ends with sobering judgment: "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." The righteous witnessing the wicked's judgment is unsettling but scripturally attested. "Their worm shall not die" (<em>tolatam lo tamut</em>) and ...
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(24) **And they shall go forth . . .**—As at the close of Isaiah 48, 57, each ending a great section of the volume, so here, the vision of restoration and blessedness is balanced by that of the righteous condemnation of the wicked. The outward imagery is suggested, as in Joel 3:12; Zechariah 14:12, by that of the great battle of the Lord (Isaiah 66:15-16). Those who are slain in that battle are th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. terrible--**namely, the persecutors among the Jewish nobles.
**scorner--**(Is 28:14, 22).
**watch for--**not only commit iniquity, but watch for opportunities of committing it, and make it their whole study (see Mi 2:1; Mt 26:59; 27:1).