1Aj, neníť ukrácena ruka Hospodinova, aby nemohla zachovati, aniž jest obtíženo ucho jeho, aby nemohlo slyšeti. 2Ale nepravosti vaše rozloučily vás s Bohem vaším, a hříchové vaši to způsobili, že skryl tvář před vámi, aby neslyšel. 3Nebo ruce vaše jsou poškvrněné krví, a prstové vaši nepravostí; rtové vaši mluví lež, jazyk váš vynáší převrácenost. 4Není žádného, ješto by se zasadil o spravedlnost, aniž jest kdo, ješto by zastával pravdy. Doufají v marnost, a mluví daremné věci; počínají nátisk, a rodí nepravost. 5Vejce bazališková vyseděli, a plátna pavoukového natkali. Kdož by jedl vejce jejich, umře; pakli je roztlačí, vynikne ještěrka. 6Plátna jejich nehodí se na roucho, aniž se odějí dílem svým; skutkové jejich skutkové nepravosti, a dílo ukrutnosti jest v rukou jejich. 7Nohy jejich k zlému běží, a pospíchají k vylévání krve nevinné. Myšlení jejich jsou myšlení nepravá, zpuštění a setření jest na cestách jejich. 8Cesty pokoje neznají, a není žádné spravedlnosti v šlepějích jejich. Stezky své převracejí tajně; kdožkoli po nich chodí, nemívá pokoje. 9Protož vzdálil se od nás soud, a nedochází nás spravedlnost. Čekáme-li na světlo, aj, tma, pakli na blesk, v mrákotách chodíme. 10Makáme jako slepí stěnu, a jako bychom žádných očí neměli, šámáme. Urážíme se o poledni jako v soumrak, u veliké hojnosti podobni jsme mrtvým. 11Mumleme všickni my jako nedvědi, a jako holubice ustavičně lkáme. Očekáváme na soud, ale není ho, na vysvobození, ale daleké jest od nás. 12Nebo rozmnožena jsou přestoupení naše před tebou, a hříchové naši svědčí proti nám, poněvadž přestoupení naše jsou při nás, i nepravosti naše. Známeť to, 13Že jsme se zpronevěřili, a lhali Hospodinu, a odvrátili se od následování Boha svého, že jsme mluvili o nátisku a odvrácení, že jsme ukládali a vynášeli z srdce slova lživá, 14Tak že odvrácen jest nazpět soud, a spravedlnost zdaleka stojí; nebo klesla na ulici pravda, a pravost nemá průchodu. 15Nýbrž zhynula pravda, a ten, kdož se uchyluje od zlého, loupeži bývá vydán; což vidí Hospodin, a nelíbí se to jemu, že není žádného soudu. 16Když tedy viděl, že není žádného muže, až se užasl, že není žádného prostředníka. A protož vysvobození jemu způsobilo rámě jeho, a spravedlnost jeho sama jej zpodepřela. 17Nebo oblékl spravedlnost jako pancíř, a lebka spasení na hlavě jeho. Oblékl se v roucho pomsty jako v sukni, a oděl se horlivostí jako pláštěm, 18Aby podlé skutků, aby podlé nich odplacel prchlivostí protivníkům svým, odměnu nepřátelům svým, i ostrovům odplatu aby dával. 19I budou se báti na západ jména Hospodinova, a na východu slunce slávy jeho, když se přivalí jako řeka nepřítel, jejž duch Hospodinův preč zažene. 20Neboť přijde k Sionu vykupitel, a k těm, kteříž se odvracují od přestoupení v Jákobovi, praví Hospodin. 21Tatoť pak bude smlouva má s nimi, praví Hospodin: Duch můj, kterýž jest v tobě, a slova má, kteráž jsem vložil v ústa tvá, neodejdouť od úst tvých, ani od úst semene tvého, ani od úst potomků semene tvého, praví Hospodin, od tohoto času až na věky.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE PEOPLE'S SIN THE CAUSE OF JUDGMENTS: THEY AT LAST OWN IT THEMSELVES: THE REDEEMER'S FUTURE INTERPOSITION IN THEIR EXTREMITY. (Isa. 59:1-21)
hand . . . shortened--(See on
Iz 50:2).
ear heavy-- (
Iz 6:10).
2 hid--Hebrew, "caused Him to hide" (
Pl 3:44).
3 (
Iz 1:15;
Ř 3:13-
Ř 3:15).
hands . . . fingers--Not merely the "hands" perpetrate deeds of grosser enormity ("blood"), but the "fingers" commit more minute acts of "iniquity."
lips . . . tongue--The lips "speak" openly "lies," the tongue "mutters" malicious insinuations ("perverseness"; perverse misrepresentations of others) (
Jr 6:28;
Jr 9:4).
4 Rather, "No one calleth an adversary into court with justice," that is, None bringeth a just suit: "No one pleadeth with truth."
they trust . . . iniquity--(So
Jb 15:35;
Ž 7:14).
5 cockatrice--probably the basilisk serpent, cerastes. Instead of crushing evil in the egg, they foster it.
spider's web--This refers not to the spider's web being made to entrap, but to its thinness, as contrasted with substantial "garments," as
Iz 59:6 shows. Their works are vain and transitory (
Jb 8:14;
Př 11:18).
eateth . . . their eggs--he who partakes in their plans, or has anything to do with them, finds them pestiferous.
that which is crushed--The egg, when it is broken, breaketh out as a viper; their plans, however specious in their undeveloped form like the egg, when developed, are found pernicious. Though the viper is viviparous (from which "vi-per" is derived), yet during gestation, the young are included in eggs, which break at the birth [BOCHART]; however, metaphors often combine things without representing everything to the life.
6 not . . . garments--like the "fig leaves" wherewith Adam and Eve vainly tried to cover their shame, as contrasted with "the coats of skins" which the Lord God made to clothe them with (
Iz 64:6;
Ř 13:14;
Ga 3:27;
Fp 3:9). The artificial self-deceiving sophisms of human philosophy (
1Tm 6:5;
2Tm 2:16,
2Tm 2:23).
7 feet--All their members are active in evil; in
Iz 59:3, the "hands, fingers, lips, and tongue," are specified.
run . . . haste-- (
Ř 3:15). Contrast David's "running and hasting" in the ways of God (
Ž 119:32,
Ž 119:60).
thoughts--not merely their acts, but their whole thoughts.
8 peace--whether in relation to God, to their own conscience, or to their fellow men (
Iz 57:20-
Iz 57:21).
judgment--justice.
crooked--the opposite of "straightforward" (
Př 2:15;
Př 28:18).
9 judgment far--retribution in kind because they had shown "no judgment in their goings" (
Iz 59:8). "The vindication of our just rights by God is withheld by Him from us."
us--In
Iz 59:8 and previous verses, it was "they," the third person; here, "us . . . we," the first person. The nation here speaks: God thus making them out of their own mouth condemn themselves; just as He by His prophet had condemned them before. Isaiah includes himself with his people and speaks in their name.
justice--God's justice bringing salvation (
Iz 46:13).
light--the dawn of returning prosperity.
obscurity--adversity (
Jr 8:15).
10 grope--fulfilling Moses' threat (
Dt 28:29).
stumble at noon . . . as . . . night--There is no relaxation of our evils; at the time when we might look for the noon of relief, there is still the night of our calamity.
in desolate places--rather, to suit the parallel words "at noonday," in fertile (literally, "fat";
Gn 27:28) fields [GESENIUS] (where all is promising) we are like the dead (who have no hope left them); or, where others are prosperous, we wander about as dead men; true of all unbelievers (
Iz 26:10;
L 15:17).
11 roar--moan plaintively, like a hungry bear which growls for food.
doves-- (
Iz 38:14;
Ez 7:16).
salvation--retribution in kind: because not salvation, but "destruction" was "in their paths" (
Iz 59:7).
12 (
Da 9:5, &c.).
thee . . . us--antithesis.
with us--that is, we are conscious of them (
Jb 12:3, Margin;
Jb 15:9).
know--acknowledge they are our iniquities.
13 The particulars of the sins generally confessed in
Iz 59:12 (
Iz 48:8;
Jr 2:19-
Jr 2:20). The act, the word, and the thought of apostasy, are all here marked: transgression and departing, &c.; lying (compare
Iz 59:4), and speaking, &c.; conceiving and uttering from the heart.
14 Justice and righteousness are put away from our legal courts.
in the street--in the forum, the place of judicature, usually at the gate of the city (
Za 8:16).
cannot enter--is shut out from the forum, or courts of justice.
15 faileth--is not to be found.
he that departeth . . . prey--He that will not fall in with the prevailing iniquity exposes himself as a prey to the wicked (
Ž 10:8-
Ž 10:9).
Lord saw it--The iniquity of Israel, so desperate as to require nothing short of Jehovah's interposition to mend it, typifies the same necessity for a Divine Mediator existing in the deep corruption of man; Israel, the model nation, was chosen to illustrate his awful fact.
16 no man--namely, to atone by his righteousness for the unrighteousness of the people. "Man" is emphatic, as in
1Kr 2:2; no representative man able to retrieve the cause of fallen men (
Iz 41:28;
Iz 63:5-
Iz 63:6;
Jr 5:1;
Ez 22:30).
no intercessor--no one to interpose, "to help . . . uphold" (
Iz 63:5).
his arm-- (
Iz 40:10;
Iz 51:5). Not man's arm, but His alone (
Ž 98:1;
Ž 44:3).
his righteousness--the "arm" of Messiah. He won the victory for us, not by mere might as God, but by His invincible righteousness, as man having "the Spirit without measure" (
Iz 11:5;
Iz 42:6,
Iz 42:21;
Iz 51:8;
Iz 53:11;
1J 2:1).
17 Messiah is represented as a warrior armed at all points, going forth to vindicate His people. Owing to the unity of Christ and His people, their armor is like His, except that they have no "garments of vengeance" (which is God's prerogative,
Ř 12:19), or "cloak of zeal" (in the sense of judicial fury punishing the wicked; this zeal belongs properly to God,
2Kr 10:16;
Ř 10:2;
Fp 3:6; "zeal," in the sense of anxiety for the Lord's honor, they have,
Nu 25:11,
Nu 25:13;
Ž 69:9;
2K 7:11;
2K 9:2); and for "salvation," which is of God alone (
Ž 3:8), they have as their helmet, "the hope of salvation" (
1Te 5:8). The "helmet of salvation" is attributed to them (
Ef 6:14,
Ef 6:17) in a secondary sense; namely, derived from Him, and as yet only in hope, not fruition (
Ř 8:24). The second coming here, as often, is included in this representation of Messiah. His "zeal" (
J 2:15-
J 2:17) at His first coming was but a type of His zeal and vengeance against the foes of God at His second coming (
2Te 1:8-10;
Zj 19:11-
Zj 19:21).
18 deeds--Hebrew, "recompenses"; "according as their deeds demand" [MAURER]. This verse predicts the judgments at the Lord's second coming, which shall precede the final redemption of His people (
Iz 66:18,
Iz 66:15-
Iz 66:16).
islands--(See on
Iz 41:1). Distant countries.
19 (
Iz 45:6;
Mal 1:11). The result of God's judgments (
Iz 26:9;
Iz 66:18-
Iz 66:20).
like a flood-- (
Jr 46:7-
Jr 46:8;
Zj 12:15).
lift up a standard--rather, from a different Hebrew root, "shall put him to flight," "drive him away" [MAURER]. LOWTH, giving a different sense to the Hebrew for "enemy" from that in
Iz 59:18, and a forced meaning to the Hebrew for "Spirit of the Lord," translates, "When He shall come as a river straitened in its course, which a mighty wind drives along."
20 to Zion--
Ř 11:26 quotes it, "out of Zion." Thus Paul, by inspiration, supplements the sense from
Ž 14:7 : He was, and is come to Zion, first with redemption, being sprung as man out of Zion. The Septuagint translates "for the sake of Zion." Paul applies this verse to the coming restoration of Israel spiritually.
them that turn from-- (
Ř 11:26). "shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob"; so the Septuagint, Paul herein gives the full sense under inspiration. They turn from transgression, because He first turns them from it, and it from them (
Ž 130:4;
Pl 5:21).
21 covenant with them . . . thee--The covenant is with Christ, and with them only as united to Him (
Žd 2:13). Jehovah addresses Messiah the representative and ideal Israel. The literal and spiritual Israel are His seed, to whom the promise is to be fulfilled (
Ž 22:30).
spirit . . . not depart . . . for ever-- (
Jr 31:31-
Jr 31:37;
Mt 28:20).
An ode of congratulation to Zion on her restoration at the Lord's second advent to her true position as the mother church from which the Gospel is to be diffused to the whole Gentile world; the first promulgation of the Gospel among the Gentiles, beginning at Jerusalem [
L 24:47], is an earnest of this. The language is too glorious to apply to anything that as yet has happened.