1Tröstet tröstet mein Volk, spricht euer Gott, 2redet zum Herzen Jerusalems und rufet ihr zu, daß vollendet ist ihr Scharwerk, daß abgegnadet ist ihre Schuld, daß gedoppelt von SEINER Hand sie empfängt für all ihre Sündenbußen. 3Stimme eines Rufers: In der Wüste bahnt SEINEN Weg, ebnet in der Steppe eine Straße für unseren Gott! 4Alles Tal soll sich heben, aller Berg und Hügel sich niedern, das Höckrige werde zur Ebne und die Grate zum Gesenk! 5Offenbaren will sich SEIN Ehrenschein, alles Fleisch vereint wirds sehen. Ja, geredet hats SEIN Mund. 6Stimme eines Sprechers: Rufe! Es spricht zurück: Was soll ich rufen! alles Fleisch ist Gras, all seine Holdheit der Feldblume gleich! 7Verdorrt ist das Gras, verwelkt ist die Blume, da SEIN Windbraus sie angeweht hat! - Gewiß, Gras ist das Volk, 8verdorrt ist das Gras, verwelkt ist die Blume, aber für Weltzeit besteht die Rede unseres Gottes. 9Auf einen ragenden Berg steig dir als Glücksmärbringerin, Zion, schwing hoch mit Kraft deine Stimme als Glücksmärbringerin, Jerusalem, schwinge sie hoch, fürchte dich nimmer, sprich zu den Städten Jehudas: Da, euer Gott! 10da, mein Herr, ER, er kommt als der Starke, sein Arm hat für ihn gewaltet, da, bei ihm ist sein Sold, vor ihm her sein Werklohn: 11wie ein Hirt weidet er seine Herde, Lämmer hält er in seinem Arm, trägt sie an seinem Busen, die Mutterschafe leitet er sacht. 12Wer hat mit seiner Faust die Wasser gemessen, die Himmel abgegriffen mit der Spanne, mit dem Dreiling den Staub der Erde gefaßt, mit dem Schwebebalken Berge gewogen, Hügel mit dem Schalenpaar? 13Wer hat SEINEN Geistbraus begriffen, ein Mann, dem seinen Ratschluß er kundgäbe? 14mit wem hat er sich beraten, der zu unterscheiden ihm hülfe, der um den Pfad des Rechts ihn belehrte, der Erkenntnis ihn lehrte, der den Weg der Unterscheidungen ihm kundgäbe? 15Stämme da, sie sind wie vom Schöpffaß ein Tropfen, wie fürs Schalenpaar ein Korn gelten sie, Eilande da, er lüpft sie wie Flocken. 16Des Libanons wäre zum Brand nicht genug, seines Wilds nicht genug, zur Darhöhung. 17Alle Stämme sind wie Nichts vor ihm, als vom Unding und Irrsal gelten sie ihm. 18Und wem wollt ihr den Gottherrn vergleichen, was als Gleichnis ihm zupassen? 19Das Schnitzbild etwa, das der Former gegossen hat, mit Walzgold überzogen der Schmelzer, Silberketten schmelzte er aus, 20wer nur karge Hebe vermag wählte ein Holz, das nicht morscht, suchte sich einen weisen Former, ein Schnitzbild aufzurichten, das nicht wanken wird? 21Wollt ihrs nicht erkennen? wollt ihrs nicht hören? wards aus Urfrühe nicht euch gemeldet? habt ihr nicht unterschieden, was der Erde Grundfeste ist? 22Der über der Scheibe der Erde sitzt, - wie Grillen sind da ihre Sassen! der wie Flockentuch ausspannt die Himmel, - wie als Zelt zum Siedeln spreitet er sie! 23der gibt, daß Erlauchte zu Nichts werden, die Richter der Erde wie das Irrsal macht! 24kaum sind sie gepflanzt, kaum sind sie gesät, kaum wurzelt in der Erde ihr Reis, bläst er sie auch schon an, daß sie verdorren, wie Stroh trägt der Sturm sie davon. 25Wem wollt mich ihr vergleichen, daß ich ähnlich wäre? spricht der Heilige. 26Tragt zur Höhe empor eure Augen und seht: Wer hat diese geschaffen? Der ausgezählt vorführt ihre Schar, sie alle aufruft bei Namen - aus der Mächte-Vielheit, der Hünen-Heerkraft will niemand vermißt sein. 27Warum sprichst du, Jaakob, redest du, Jissrael: Verborgen vor IHM ist mein Weg, mein Recht entzieht sich meinem Gott?! 28Erkanntest du es noch nicht oder hörtest du es noch nicht: der Urzeit-Gott, ER, Schöpfer der Ränder der Erde, er ermattet nicht, er ermüdet nicht, unausforschlich ist sein Unterscheiden. 29Er gibt dem Ermatteten Kraft, dem Ohnmächtigen mehrt er Kernhaftigkeit. 30Jünglinge ermatten, ermüden, Rüstige straucheln und straucheln, 31aber die SEIN harren tauschen Kraft ein, wie die Adler treiben sie Schwingen, sie rennen und werden nicht müde, sie gehen und werden nicht matt.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SECOND PART OF THE PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. (Isa. 40:1-31)
Comfort ye, comfort ye--twice repeated to give double assurance. Having announced the coming captivity of the Jews in Babylon, God now desires His servants, the prophets (
Ησ. 52:7), to comfort them. The scene is laid in Babylon; the time, near the close of the captivity; the ground of comfort is the speedy ending of the captivity, the Lord Himself being their leader.
my people . . . your God--correlatives (
Ιερ. 31:33;
Ωσ. 1:9-
Ωσ. 1:10). It is God's covenant relation with His people, and His "word" of promise (
Ησ. 40:8) to their forefathers, which is the ground of His interposition in their behalf, after having for a time chastised them (
Ησ. 54:8).
2 comfortably--literally, "to the heart"; not merely to the intellect.
Jerusalem--Jerusalem though then in ruins, regarded by God as about to be rebuilt; her people are chiefly meant, but the city is personified.
cry--publicly and emphatically as a herald cries aloud (
Ησ. 40:3).
warfare--or, the appointed time of her misery (
Ιώβ 7:1, Margin;
Ιώβ 14:14;
Δαν. 10:1). The ulterior and Messianic reference probably is the definite time when the legal economy of burdensome rites is at an end (
Γαλ. 4:3-
Γαλ. 4:4).
pardoned--The Hebrew expresses that her iniquity is so expiated that God now delights in restoring her.
double for all her sins--This can only, in a very restricted sense, hold good of Judah's restoration after the first captivity. For how can it be said her "warfare was accomplished," when as yet the galling yoke of Antiochus and also of Rome was before them? The "double for her sins" must refer to the twofold captivity, the Assyrian and the Roman; at the coming close of this latter dispersion, and then only, can her "iniquity" be said to be "pardoned," or fully expiated [HOUBIGANT]. It does not mean double as much as she deserved, but ample punishment in her twofold captivity. Messiah is the antitypical Israel (compare
Ματθ. 2:15, with
Ωσ. 11:1). He indeed has "received" of sufferings amply more than enough to expiate "for our sins" (
Ρωμ. 5:15,
Ρωμ. 5:17). Otherwise (cry unto her) "that she shall receive (blessings) of the Lord's hand double to the punishment of all her sins" (so "sin" is used,
Ζαχ. 14:19, Margin) [LOWTH]. The English Version is simpler.
3 crieth in the wilderness--So the Septuagint and
Ματθ. 3:3 connect the words. The Hebrew accents, however, connect them thus: "In the wilderness prepare ye," &c., and the parallelism also requires this, "Prepare ye in the wilderness," answering to "make straight in the desert." Matthew was entitled, as under inspiration, to vary the connection, so as to bring out another sense, included in the Holy Spirit's intention; in
Ματθ. 3:1, "John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness," answers thus to "The voice of one crying in the wilderness." MAURER takes the participle as put for the finite verb (so in
Ησ. 40:6), "A voice crieth." The clause, "in the wilderness," alludes to Israel's passage through it from Egypt to Canaan (
Ψαλ. 68:7), Jehovah being their leader; so it shall be at the coming restoration of Israel, of which the restoration from Babylon was but a type (not the full realization; for their way from it was not through the "wilderness"). Where John preached (namely, in the wilderness; the type of this earth, a moral wilderness), there were the hearers who are ordered to prepare the way of the Lord, and there was to be the coming of the Lord [BENGEL]. John, though he was immediately followed by the suffering Messiah, is rather the herald of the coming reigning Messiah, as
Μαλ. 4:5-
Μαλ. 4:6 ("before the great and dreadful day of the Lord"), proves.
Ματθ. 17:11 (compare
Πράξ. 3:21) implies that John is not exclusively meant; and that though in one sense Elias has come, in another he is yet to come. John was the figurative Elias, coming "in the spirit and power of Elias" (
Λουκ. 1:17);
Ιωάν. 1:21, where John the Baptist denies that he was the actual Elias, accords with this view.
Μαλ. 4:5-
Μαλ. 4:6 cannot have received its exhaustive fulfilment in John; the Jews always understood it of the literal Elijah. As there is another consummating advent of Messiah Himself, so perhaps there is to be of his forerunner Elias, who also was present at the transfiguration.
the Lord--Hebrew, Jehovah; as this is applied to Jesus, He must be Jehovah (
Ματθ. 3:3).
4 Eastern monarchs send heralds before them in a journey to clear away obstacles, make causeways over valleys, and level hills. So John's duty was to bring back the people to obedience to the law and to remove all self-confidence, pride in national privileges, hypocrisy, and irreligion, so that they should be ready for His coming (
Μαλ. 4:6;
Λουκ. 1:17).
crooked--declivities.
5 see it--The Septuagint for "it," has "the salvation of God." So
Λουκ. 3:6 (compare
Λουκ. 2:30, that is, Messiah); but the Evangelist probably took these words from
Ησ. 52:10.
for--rather, "All flesh shall see that the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it" [BENGEL].
6 The voice--the same divine herald as in
Ησ. 40:3.
he--one of those ministers or prophets (see on
Ησ. 40:1) whose duty it was, by direction of "the voice," to "comfort the Lord's afflicted people with the promises of brighter days."
All flesh is grass--The connection is, "All human things, however goodly, are transitory: God's promises alone steadfast" (
Ησ. 40:8,
Ησ. 40:15,
Ησ. 40:17,
Ησ. 40:23-
Ησ. 40:24); this contrast was already suggested in
Ησ. 40:5, "All flesh . . . the mouth of the Lord."
1Πέτ. 1:24-25 applies this passage distinctly to the gospel word of Messiah (compare
Ιωάν. 12:24;
Ιακ. 1:10).
7 spirit of the Lord--rather, "wind of Jehovah" (
Ψαλ. 103:16). The withering east wind of those countries sent by Jehovah (
Ιων. 4:8).
the people--rather, "this people" [LOWTH], which may refer to the Babylonians [ROSENMULLER]; but better, mankind in general, as in
Ησ. 42:5, so
Ησ. 40:6, "all flesh"; this whole race, that is, man.
9 Rather, "Oh, thou that bringest good things to Zion; thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem." "Thou" is thus the collective personification of the messengers who announce God's gracious purpose to Zion (see on
Ησ. 40:1);
Ησ. 52:7 confirms this [Vulgate and GESENIUS]. If English Version be retained, the sense will be the glad message was first to be proclaimed to Jerusalem, and then from it as the center to all "Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth" (
Λουκ. 24:47,
Λουκ. 24:49;
Πράξ. 1:8) [VITRINGA and HENGSTENBERG].
mountain--It was customary for those who were about to promulgate any great thing, to ascend a hill from which they could be seen and heard by all (
Κρ. 9:7;
Ματθ. 5:1).
be not afraid--to announce to the exiles that their coming return home is attended with danger in the midst of the Babylonians. The gospel minister must "open his mouth boldly" (
Παρ. 29:25;
Εφεσ. 6:19).
Behold--especially at His second coming (
Ζαχ. 12:10;
Ζαχ. 14:5).
10 with strong hand--or, "against the strong"; rather, "as a strong one" [MAURER]. Or, against the strong one, namely, Satan (
Ματθ. 12:29;
Αποκ. 20:2-
Αποκ. 20:3,
Αποκ. 20:10) [VITRINGA].
arm--power (
Ψαλ. 89:13;
Ψαλ. 98:1).
for him--that is, He needs not to seek help for Himself from any external source, but by His own inherent power He gains rule for Himself (so
Ησ. 40:14).
work--or, "recompense for his work"; rather, "recompense which He gives for work" (
Ησ. 62:11;
Αποκ. 22:12).
11 feed--including all a shepherd's care--"tend" (
Ιεζ. 34:23;
Ψαλ. 23:1;
Εβρ. 13:20;
1Πέτ. 2:25).
carry--applicable to Messiah's restoration of Israel, as sheep scattered in all lands, and unable to move of themselves to their own land (
Ψαλ. 80:1;
Ιερ. 23:3). As Israel was "carried from the womb" (that is, in its earliest days) (
Ησ. 63:9,
Ησ. 63:11-
Ησ. 63:12;
Ψαλ. 77:20), so it shall be in "old age" (that is, its latter days) (
Ησ. 46:3-
Ησ. 46:4).
gently lead--as a thoughtful shepherd does the ewes "giving suck" (Margin) (
Γέν. 33:13-
Γέν. 33:14).
12 Lest the Jews should suppose that He who was just before described as a "shepherd" is a mere man, He is now described as GOD.
Who--Who else but GOD could do so? Therefore, though the redemption and restoration of His people, foretold here, was a work beyond man's power, they should not doubt its fulfilment since all things are possible to Him who can accurately regulate the proportion of the waters as if He had measured them with His hand (compare
Ησ. 40:15). But MAURER translates: "Who can measure," &c., that is, How immeasurable are the works of God? The former is a better explanation (
Ιώβ 28:25;
Παρ. 30:4).
span--the space from the end of the thumb to the end of the middle finger extended; God measures the vast heavens as one would measure a small object with his span.
dust of the earth--All the earth is to Him but as a few grains of dust contained in a small measure (literally, "the third part of a larger measure").
hills in a balance--adjusted in their right proportions and places, as exactly as if He had weighed them out.
13 Quoted in
Ρωμ. 11:34;
1Κορ. 2:16. The Hebrew here for "directed" is the same as in
Ησ. 40:12 for "meted out"; thus the sense is, "Jehovah measures out heaven with His span"; but who can measure Him? that is, Who can search out His Spirit (mind) wherewith He searches out and accurately adjusts all things? MAURER rightly takes the Hebrew in the same sense as in
Ησ. 40:12 (so
Παρ. 16:2;
Παρ. 21:2), "weigh," "ponder." "Direct," as in English Version, answers, however, better to "taught" in the parallel clause.
14 path of judgment--His wisdom, whereby He so beautifully adjusts the places and proportions of all created things.
15 of--rather, (hanging) from a bucket [MAURER].
he taketh up . . . as a very little thing--rather, "are as a mere grain of dust which is taken up," namely, by the wind; literally, "one taketh up," impersonally (
Έξ. 16:14) [MAURER].
isles--rather, "lands" in general, answering to "the nations" in the parallel clause; perhaps lands, like Mesopotamia, enclosed by rivers [JEROME] (so
Ησ. 42:15). However, English Version, "isles" answers well to "mountains" (
Ησ. 40:12), both alike being lifted up by the power of God; in fact, "isles" are mountains upheaved from the bed of the sea by volcanic agency; only that he seems here to have passed from unintelligent creatures (
Ησ. 40:12) to intelligent, as nations and lands, that is, their inhabitants.
16 All Lebanon's forest would not supply fuel enough to burn sacrifices worthy of the glory of God (
Ησ. 66:1;
1Βασ. 8:27;
Ψαλ. 50:8-
Ψαλ. 50:13).
beasts--which abounded in Lebanon.
17 (
Ψαλ. 62:9;
Δαν. 4:35).
less than nothing--MAURER translates, as in
Ησ. 41:24, "of nothing" (partitively; or expressive of the nature of a thing), a mere nothing.
vanity--emptiness.
18 Which of the heathen idols, then, is to be compared to this Almighty God? This passage, if not written (as BARNES thinks) so late as the idolatrous times of Manasseh, has at least a prospective warning reference to them and subsequent reigns; the result of the chastisement of Jewish idolatry in the Babylonish captivity was that thenceforth after the restoration the Jews never fell into it. Perhaps these prophecies here may have tended to that result (see
2Βασ. 23:26-27).
19 graven--rather, an image in general; for it is incongruous to say "melteth" (that is, casts out of metal) a graven image (that is, one of carved wood); so
Ιερ. 10:14, "molten image."
spreadeth it over--(See on
Ησ. 30:22).
chains--an ornament lavishly worn by rich Orientals (
Ησ. 3:18-
Ησ. 3:19), and so transferred to their idols. Egyptian relics show that idols were suspended in houses by chains.
20 impoverished--literally, "sunk" in circumstances.
no oblation--he who cannot afford to overlay his idol with gold and silver (
Ησ. 40:19).
tree . . . not rot--the cedar, cypress, oak, or ash (
Ησ. 44:14).
graven--of wood; not a molten one of metal.
not be moved--that shall be durable.
21 ye--who worship idols. The question emphatically implies, they had known.
from the beginning-- (
Ησ. 41:4,
Ησ. 41:26;
Ησ. 48:16). God is the beginning (
Αποκ. 1:8). The tradition handed down from the very first, of the creation of all things by God at the beginning, ought to convince you of His omnipotence and of the folly of idolatry.
22 It is he--rather, connected with last verse, "Have ye not known?"--have ye not understood Him that sitteth . . .? (
Ησ. 40:26) [MAURER].
circle--applicable to the globular form of the earth, above which, and the vault of sky around it, He sits. For "upon" translate "above."
as grasshoppers--or locusts in His sight (
Αρ. 13:33), as He looks down from on high (
Ψαλ. 33:13-
Ψαλ. 33:14;
Ψαλ. 113:4-
Ψαλ. 113:6).
curtain--referring to the awning which the Orientals draw over the open court in the center of their houses as a shelter in rain or hot weather.
23 (
Ψαλ. 107:4;
Δαν. 2:21).
judges--that is, rulers; for these exercised judicial authority (
Ψαλ. 2:10). The Hebrew, shophtee, answers to the Carthaginian chief magistrates, suffetes.
24 they--the "princes and judges" (
Ησ. 40:23) who oppose God's purposes and God's people. Often compared to tall trees (
Ψαλ. 37:35;
Δαν. 4:10).
not . . . sown--the seed, that is, race shall become extinct (
Ναούμ 1:14).
stock--not even shall any shoots spring up from the stump when the tree has been cut down: no descendants whatever (
Ιώβ 14:7; see on
Ησ. 11:1).
and . . . also--so the Septuagint. But MAURER translates, "They are hardly (literally, 'not yet', as in
2Βασ. 20:4) planted (&c.) when He (God) blows upon them."
blow--The image is from the hot east wind (simoon) that "withers" vegetation.
whirlwind . . . stubble-- (
Ψαλ. 83:13), where, "like a wheel," refers to the rotatory action of the whirlwind on the stubble.
25 (Compare
Ησ. 40:18).
26 bringeth out . . . host--image from a general reviewing his army: He is Lord of Sabaoth, the heavenly hosts (
Ιώβ 38:32).
calleth . . . by names--numerous as the stars are. God knows each in all its distinguishing characteristics--a sense which "name" often bears in Scripture; so in
Γέν. 2:19-
Γέν. 2:20, Adam, as God's vicegerent, called the beasts by name, that is, characterized them by their several qualities, which, indeed, He has imparted.
by the greatness . . . faileth--rather, "by reason of abundance of (their inner essential) force and firmness of strength, not one of them is driven astray"; referring to the sufficiency of the physical forces with which He has endowed the heavenly bodies, to prevent all disorder in their motions [HORSLEY]. In English Version the sense is, "He has endowed them with their peculiar attributes ('names') by the greatness of His might," and the power of His strength (the better rendering, instead of, "for that He is strong").
27 Since these things are so, thou hast no reason to think that thine interest ("way," that is, condition,
Ψαλ. 37:5;
Ιερ. 12:1) is disregarded by God.
judgment is passed over from--rather, "My cause is neglected by my God; He passes by my case in my bondage and distress without noticing it."
my God--who especially might be expected to care for me.
28 known--by thine own observation and reading of Scripture.
heard--from tradition of the fathers.
everlasting, &c.--These attributes of Jehovah ought to inspire His afflicted people with confidence.
no searching of his understanding--therefore thy cause cannot, as thou sayest, escape His notice; though much in His ways is unsearchable, He cannot err (
Ιώβ 11:7-
Ιώβ 11:9). He is never "faint" or "weary" with having the countless wants of His people ever before Him to attend to.
29 Not only does He "not faint" (
Ησ. 40:28) but He gives power to them who do faint.
no might . . . increaseth strength--a seeming paradox. They "have no might" in themselves; but in Him they have strength, and He "increases" that strength (
2Κορ. 12:9).
30 young men--literally, "those selected"; men picked out on account of their youthful vigor for an enterprise.
31 mount up-- (
2Σαμ. 1:23). Rather, "They shall put forth fresh feathers as eagles" are said to renovate themselves; the parallel clause, "renew their strength," confirms this. The eagle was thought to moult and renew his feathers, and with them his strength, in old age (so the Septuagint, Vulgate,
Ψαλ. 103:5). However, English Version is favored by the descending climax, mount up--run--walk; in every attitude the praying, waiting child of God is "strong in the Lord" (
Ψαλ. 84:7;
Μιχ. 4:5;
Εβρ. 12:1).