1Veseliti se budou z toho poušť a pustina, plésati, pravím, bude poušť, a zkvetne jako růže. 2Ušlechtile zkvetne, ano i radostně plésati bude s prozpěvováním. Sláva Libánská dána jí bude, okrasa Karmelská a Sáronská. Tyť věci uzří slávu Hospodinovu, důstojnost Boha našeho. 3Posilňtež rukou opuštěných, a kolena klesající utvrďte. 4Rcete těm, kteříž jsou bázlivého srdce: Posilňte se, nebojte se. Aj, Bůh váš s pomstou přijde, s odplatou Bůh sám přijde, a spasí vás. 5Tehdáž otevrou se oči slepých, otevrou se též i uši hluchých. 6Tehdáž poskočí kulhavý jako jelen, a jazyk němého prozpěvovati bude; nebo se vyprýští vody na poušti, a potokové na pustinách. 7A obrátí se místo vyprahlé v jezero, a žíznivé v prameny vod; v doupatech draků, v pelešech jejich tráva, třtí a sítí. 8Bude také tam silnice a cesta, kteráž cestou svatou slouti bude. Nepůjde po ní nečistý, ale bude samých těchto; tou cestou jdoucí i nejhloupější nezbloudí. 9Nebude tam lva, a lítá zvěř nebude choditi po ní, aniž tam nalezena bude, ale půjdou po ní ti, jenž budou vysvobozeni. 10Vykoupení, pravím, Hospodinovi navrátí se, a přijdou na Sion s prozpěvováním, a veselé věčné bude na hlavě jejich; radosti a veselé dojdou, zámutek pak a úpění uteče od nich.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CONTINUATION OF THE PROPHECY IN THE THIRTY-FOURTH CHAPTER. (
Ησ. 35:1-
Ησ. 35:10)
solitary place--literally, "a dry place," without springs of water. A moral wilderness is meant.
for them--namely, on account of the punishment inflicted according to the preceding prophecy on the enemy; probably the blessings set forth in this chapter are included in the causes for joy (
Ησ. 55:12).
rose--rather, "the meadow-saffron," an autumnal flower with bulbous roots; so Syriac translation.
2 glory of Lebanon--its ornament, namely, its cedars (
Ησ. 10:34).
excellency of Carmel--namely, its beauty.
Sharon--famed for its fertility.
see . . . glory of the Lord . . . excellency-- (
Ησ. 40:5,
Ησ. 40:9). While the wilderness which had neither "glory" nor "excellency" shall have both "given to it," the Lord shall have all the "glory" and "excellency" ascribed to Him, not to the transformed wilderness (
Ματθ. 5:16).
3 Strengthen . . . hands . . . confirm . . . knees--The Hebrew for "strengthen" refers to the strength residing in the hand for grasping and holding a thing manfully; "confirm," to the firmness with which one keeps his ground, so as not to be dislodged by any other [MAURER]. Encourage the Jews, now desponding, by the assurance of the blessings promised.
4 fearful--"hasty," Margin; that is, with a heart fluttered with agitation.
with--the Hebrew is more forcible than the English Version: "God will come, vengeance! even God, a recompense!" The sense is the same.
5 Language figuratively, descriptive of the joy felt at the deliverance from Assyria and Babylon; literally, true of the antitypical times of Messiah and His miracles (see Margin references,
Ματθ. 11:5;
Λουκ. 7:2;
2Ιωάν. 1:5,
2Ιωάν. 1:8;
Πράξ. 3:2).
6 leap--literally, "fulfilled" (
Πράξ. 3:8;
Πράξ. 14:10).
sing--joyful thanksgiving.
in . . . wilderness . . . waters-- (
Ησ. 41:18).
7 parched ground--rather, "the mirage (Hebrew, Sharab, 'the sun's heat') shall become a (real) lake." The sun's rays refracted on the glowing sands at midday give the appearance of a lake of water and often deceive the thirsty traveller (compare
Ιερ. 2:13;
Ησ. 41:18).
dragons--rather, "jackals."
each--namely, jackal.
grass--rather, "a dwelling or receptacle (answering to the previous habitation) for reeds," &c. (which only grow where there is water,
Ιώβ 8:11). Where once there was no water, water shall abound.
8 highway--such a causeway (raised way, from a Hebrew root, "to cast up") as was used for the march of armies; valleys being filled up, hills and other obstructions removed (
Ησ. 62:10; compare
Ησ. 40:3-
Ησ. 40:4).
way of holiness--Hebraism for "the holy way." HORSLEY translates, "the way of the Holy One;" but the words that follow, and
Ησ. 35:10, show it is the way leading the redeemed back to Jerusalem, both the literal and the heavenly (
Ησ. 52:1;
Ιωήλ 3:17;
Αποκ. 21:27); still Christ at His coming again shall be the Leader on the way, for which reason it is called, "The way of the Lord" (
Ησ. 40:3;
Μαλ. 3:1).
it shall be for those: the wayfaring men--rather, "He (the Holy One) shall be with them, walking in the way" [HORSLEY].
though fools--rather, "And (even) fools," that is, the simple shall not go astray, namely, because "He shall be with them" (
Ματθ. 11:25;
1Κορ. 1:26-28).
9 No lion--such as might be feared on the way through the wilderness which abounded in wild beasts, back to Judea. Every danger shall be warded off the returning people (
Ησ. 11:6-
Ησ. 11:9;
Ιεζ. 34:25;
Ωσ. 2:18). Compare spiritually,
Παρ. 3:17.
10 Language: literally, applying to the return from Babylon; figuratively and more fully to the completed redemption of both literal and spiritual Israel.
joy upon . . . heads-- (
Ψαλ. 126:2). Joy manifested in their countenances. Some fancy an allusion to the custom of pouring oil "upon the head," or wearing chaplets in times of public festivity (
Εκκλ. 9:8).
This and the thirty-seventh through thirty-ninth chapters form the historical appendix closing the first division of Isaiah's prophecies, and were added to make the parts of these referring to Assyria more intelligible. So Jer. 52:1-34; compare 2Ki. 25:1-30. The section occurs almost word for word (
2Βασ. 18:13,
2Βασ. 18:17-20; 2Ki. 19:1-37);
2Βασ. 18:14-16, however, is additional matter. Hezekiah's "writing" also is in Isaiah, not in Kings (
Ησ. 38:9-
Ησ. 38:20). We know from
2Χρ. 32:32 that Isaiah wrote the acts of Hezekiah. It is, therefore, probable, that his record here (Isa. 36:1-39:8) was incorporated into the Book of Kings by its compiler. Sennacherib lived, according to Assyrian inscriptions, more than twenty years after his invasion; but as Isaiah survived Hezekiah (
2Χρ. 32:32), who lived upwards of fifteen years after the invasion (
Ησ. 38:5), the record of Sennacherib's death (
Ησ. 37:38) is no objection to this section having come from Isaiah; 2Ch. 32:1-33 is probably an abstract drawn from Isaiah's account, as the chronicler himself implies (
2Χρ. 32:32). Pul was probably the last of the old dynasty, and Sargon, a powerful satrap, who contrived to possess himself of supreme power and found a new dynasty (see on
Ησ. 20:1). No attempt was made by Judah to throw off the Assyrian yoke during his vigorous reign. The accession of his son Sennacherib was thought by Hezekiah the opportune time to refuse the long-paid tribute; Egypt and Ethiopia, to secure an ally against Assyria on their Asiatic frontier, promised help; Isaiah, while opposed to submission to Assyria, advised reliance on Jehovah, and not on Egypt, but his advice was disregarded, and so Sennacherib invaded Judea, 712 B.C. He was the builder of the largest of the excavated palaces, that of Koyunjik. HINCKS has deciphered his name in the inscriptions. In the third year of his reign, these state that he overran Syria, took Sidon and other Phśnician cities, and then passed to southwest Palestine, where he defeated the Egyptians and Ethiopians (compare
2Βασ. 18:21;
2Βασ. 19:9). His subsequent retreat, after his host was destroyed by God, is of course suppressed in the inscriptions. But other particulars inscribed agree strikingly with the Bible; the capture of the "defensed cities of Judah," the devastation of the country and deportation of its inhabitants; the increased tribute imposed on Hezekiah--thirty talents of gold--this exact number being given in both; the silver is set down in the inscriptions at eight hundred talents, in the Bible three hundred; the latter may have been the actual amount carried off, the larger sum may include the silver from the temple doors, pillars, &c. (
2Βασ. 18:16).