1 כה אמר יהוה שמרו משפט ועשו צדקה כי קרובה ישועתי לבוא וצדקתי להגלות׃
2 אשרי אנוש יעשה זאת ובן אדם יחזיק בה שמר שבת מחללו ושמר ידו מעשות כל רע׃
3 ואל יאמר בן הנכר הנלוה אל יהוה לאמר הבדל יבדילני יהוה מעל עמו ואל יאמר הסריס הן אני עץ יבש׃
4 כי כה אמר יהוה לסריסים אשר ישמרו את שבתותי ובחרו באשר חפצתי ומחזיקים בבריתי׃
5 ונתתי להם בביתי ובחומתי יד ושם טוב מבנים ומבנות שם עולם אתן לו אשר לא יכרת׃
6 ובני הנכר הנלוים על יהוה לשרתו ולאהבה את שם יהוה להיות לו לעבדים כל שמר שבת מחללו ומחזיקים בבריתי׃
7 והביאותים אל הר קדשי ושמחתים בבית תפלתי עולתיהם וזבחיהם לרצון על מזבחי כי ביתי בית תפלה יקרא לכל העמים׃
8 נאם אדני יהוה מקבץ נדחי ישראל עוד אקבץ עליו לנקבציו׃
9 כל חיתו שדי אתיו לאכל כל חיתו ביער׃
10 צפו עורים כלם לא ידעו כלם כלבים אלמים לא יוכלו לנבח הזים שכבים אהבי לנום׃
11 והכלבים עזי נפש לא ידעו שבעה והמה רעים לא ידעו הבין כלם לדרכם פנו איש לבצעו מקצהו׃
12 אתיו אקחה יין ונסבאה שכר והיה כזה יום מחר גדול יתר מאד׃
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE PREPARATION NEEDED ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO WISH TO BE ADMITTED TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (
Isa 56:1-
Isa 56:12)
judgment--equity. John the Baptist preached similarly a return to righteousness, as needed to prepare men for Messiah's first coming (
Luke 3:3,
Luke 3:8-
Luke 3:14). So it shall be before the second coming (
Mal 4:4-
Mal 4:6).
near to come-- (
Matt 3:2;
Matt 4:17), also as to the second coming (
Isa 62:10-
Isa 62:11;
Luke 21:28,
Luke 21:31;
Rom 13:11-
Rom 13:12;
Heb 10:25).
righteousness--answering to "salvation" in the parallel clause; therefore it means righteousness which bringeth salvation (
Isa 46:13;
Rom 3:25-
Rom 3:26).
2 (
Luke 12:43).
the man--Hebrew, enosh, "a man in humble life," in contradistinction to Hebrew, ish, "one of high rank." Even the humblest, as "the stranger" and "the eunuch" (
Isa 56:4,
Isa 56:6), are admissible to these privileges.
this . . . it--what follows: "keeping the Sabbath," &c. (
Isa 58:13-
Isa 58:14;
Ezek 20:12). A proof that the Sabbath, in the spirit of its obligation, was to be binding under the Gospel (
Isa 66:23). That gospel times are referred to is plain, from the blessing not being pronounced on the man who observed the sacrificial ritual of the Jewish law.
layeth hold--image from one grasping firmly some precious object which he is afraid of having forcibly snatched from him. The "Sabbath" here includes all the ordinances of divine worship under the new gospel law.
keepeth . . . hand . . . from . . . evil--The observance of the second table of the law; as the "Sabbath" referred to the first table. Together, they form the whole duty of man, the worship of God and a holy life.
3 God welcomes all believers, without distinction of persons, under the new economy (
Acts 10:34-
Acts 10:35).
joined . . . to . . . Lord-- (
Num 18:4,
Num 18:7). "Proselytes."
separated--Proselytes from the Gentiles were not admitted to the same privileges as native Israelites. This barrier between Jews and Gentiles was to be broken down (
Eph 2:14-
Eph 2:16).
eunuch-- (
Acts 8:27, &c.). Eunuchs were chamberlains over harems, or court ministers in general.
dry tree--barren (compare
Luke 23:31); not admissible into the congregation of Israel (
Deut 23:1-
Deut 23:3). Under the Gospel the eunuch and stranger should be released from religious and civil disabilities.
4 please me--sacrifice their own pleasure to mine.
take hold--so "layeth hold" (see on
Isa 56:2).
5 in mine house--the temple, the emblem of the Church (
1Tim 3:15). They shall no longer be confined as proselytes were, to the outer court, but shall be admitted "into the holiest" (
Heb 10:19-
Heb 10:20).
a place--literally, "a hand."
than of sons--Though the eunuch is barren of children (
Isa 56:3), I will give him a more lasting name than that of being father of sons and daughters (regarded as a high honor among the Hebrews) (
John 1:12;
John 10:3;
1John 3:1;
Rev 2:17;
Rev 3:12).
6 join . . . Lord-- (
Jer 50:6). Conditions of admission to the privileges of adoption.
7 Even them-- (
Eph 2:11-
Eph 2:13).
to my holy mountain--Jerusalem, the seat of the Lord's throne in His coming kingdom (
Isa 2:2;
Jer 3:17).
joyful-- (
Rom 5:11).
burnt offerings . . . sacrifices--spiritual, of which the literal were types (
Rom 12:1;
Heb 13:15;
1Pet 2:5).
accepted-- (
Eph 1:6).
altar-- (
Heb 13:10), spiritually, the Cross of Christ, which sanctifies our sacrifices of prayer and praise.
house . . . for all people--or rather, "peoples." No longer restricted to one favored people (
Mal 1:11;
John 4:21,
John 4:23;
1Tim 2:8). To be fully realized at the second coming (
Isa 2:2-
Isa 2:4). No longer literal, but spiritual sacrifice, namely, "prayer" shall be offered (
Ps 141:2;
Ps 51:17;
Mal 1:11;
Matt 21:13).
8 Jehovah will not only restore the scattered outcasts of Israel (
Isa 11:12;
Ps 147:2) to their own land, but "will gather others ('strangers') to him (Israel), besides those gathered" (Margin, "to his gathered"; that is, in addition to the Israelites collected from their dispersion), (
John 10:16;
Eph 1:10;
Eph 2:19).
9 beasts--Gentile idolatrous nations hostile to the Jews, summoned by God to chastise them (
Jer 12:7-
Jer 12:9;
Jer 50:17;
Ezek 34:5): the Chaldeans and subsequently the Romans. The mention of the "outcasts of Israel" (
Isa 56:8) brings in view the outcasting, caused by the sins of their rulers (
Isa 56:10-
Isa 56:12).
to devour--namely, Israel.
10 His watchmen--Israel's spiritual leaders (
Isa 62:6;
Ezek 3:17).
dumb dogs--image from bad shepherds' watchdogs, which fail to give notice, by barking, of the approach of wild beasts.
blind-- (
Matt 23:16).
sleeping, lying down--rather, "dreamers, sluggards" [LOWTH]. Not merely sleeping inactive, but under visionary delusions.
loving to slumber--not merely slumbering involuntarily, but loving it.
11 greedy--literally, "strong" (that is, insatiable) in appetite (
Ezek 34:2-
Ezek 34:3;
Mic 3:11).
cannot understand--unable to comprehend the wants of the people, spiritually: so
Isa 56:10, "cannot bark."
look to . . . own way--that is, their own selfish interests; not to the spiritual welfare of the people (
Jer 6:13;
Ezek 22:27).
from his quarter--rather, "from the highest to the lowest" [LOWTH]. "From his quarter"; that is, from one end to the other of them, one and all (
Gen 19:4).
12 fetch wine--language of the national teachers challenging one another to drink. BARNES translates, "I will take another cup" (
Isa 5:11).
to-morrow, &c.--Their self-indulgence was habitual and intentional: not merely they drink, but they mean to continue so.
In the midst of the excesses of the unfaithful watchmen (
Isa 56:10-
Isa 56:12), most of the few that are godly perish: partly by vexation at the prevailing ungodliness; partly by violent death in persecution: prophetical of the persecuting times of Manasseh, before God's judgments in causing the captivity in Babylon; and again those in the last age of the Church, before the final judgments on the apostasy (
2Kgs 21:16;
Matt 23:29-
Matt 23:35,
Matt 23:37;
Rev 11:17). The Hebrew for "perisheth," and "is taken away," expresses a violent death (
Mic 7:2).
