1In that dayH3117 shall this songH7892 be sungH7891 in the landH776 of JudahH3063; We have a strongH5797 cityH5892; salvationH3444 will God appointH7896 for wallsH2346 and bulwarksH2426. 2OpenH6605 ye the gatesH8179, that the righteousH6662 nationH1471 which keepethH8104 the truthH529 may enter inH935 . 3Thou wilt keepH5341 him in perfectH7965 peaceH7965, whose mindH3336 is stayedH5564 on thee: because he trustethH982 in thee. 4TrustH982 ye in the LORDH3068 for everH5703: for in the LORDH3050 JEHOVAHH3068 is everlastingH5769 strengthH6697: 5For he bringeth downH7817 them that dwellH3427 on highH4791; the loftyH7682 cityH7151, he layeth it lowH8213 ; he layeth it lowH8213, even to the groundH776; he bringethH5060 it even to the dustH6083. 6The footH7272 shall tread it downH7429, even the feetH7272 of the poorH6041, and the stepsH6471 of the needyH1800. 7The wayH734 of the justH6662 is uprightnessH4339: thou, most uprightH3477, dost weighH6424 the pathH4570 of the justH6662. 8Yea, in the wayH734 of thy judgmentsH4941, O LORDH3068, have we waitedH6960 for thee; the desireH8378 of our soulH5315 is to thy nameH8034, and to the remembranceH2143 of thee. 9With my soulH5315 have I desiredH183 thee in the nightH3915; yea, with my spiritH7307 withinH7130 me will I seek thee earlyH7836 : for when thy judgmentsH4941 are in the earthH776, the inhabitantsH3427 of the worldH8398 will learnH3925 righteousnessH6664. 10Let favour be shewedH2603 to the wickedH7563, yet will he notH1077 learnH3925 righteousnessH6664: in the landH776 of uprightnessH5229 will he deal unjustlyH5765, and will notH1077 beholdH7200 the majestyH1348 of the LORDH3068. 11LORDH3068, when thy handH3027 is lifted upH7311, they will not seeH2372 : but they shall seeH2372, and be ashamedH954 for their envyH7068 at the peopleH5971; yea, the fireH784 of thine enemiesH6862 shall devourH398 them. 12LORDH3068, thou wilt ordainH8239 peaceH7965 for us: for thou also hast wroughtH6466 all our worksH4639 in us. 13O LORDH3068 our GodH430, other lordsH113 besideH2108 thee have had dominionH1166 over us: but by thee only will we make mentionH2142 of thy nameH8034. 14They are deadH4191, they shall not liveH2421 ; they are deceasedH7496, they shall not riseH6965 : therefore hast thou visitedH6485 and destroyedH8045 them, and made all their memoryH2143 to perishH6 . 15Thou hast increasedH3254 the nationH1471, O LORDH3068, thou hast increasedH3254 the nationH1471: thou art glorifiedH3513 : thou hadst removed it farH7368 unto all the endsH7099 of the earthH776. 16LORDH3068, in troubleH6862 have they visitedH6485 thee, they poured outH6694 a prayerH3908 when thy chasteningH4148 was upon them. 17LikeH3644 as a woman with childH2030, that draweth nearH7126 the time of her deliveryH3205, is in painH2342, and crieth outH2199 in her pangsH2256; so have we been in thy sightH6440, O LORDH3068. 18We have been with childH2029, we have been in painH2342, we have as it wereH3644 brought forthH3205 windH7307; we have not wroughtH6213 any deliveranceH3444 in the earthH776; neitherH1077 have the inhabitantsH3427 of the worldH8398 fallenH5307 . 19Thy deadH4191 men shall liveH2421, together with my dead bodyH5038 shall they ariseH6965 . AwakeH6974 and singH7442, ye that dwellH7931 in dustH6083: for thy dewH2919 is as the dewH2919 of herbsH219, and the earthH776 shall cast outH5307 the deadH7496. 20ComeH3212, my peopleH5971, enterH935 thou into thy chambersH2315, and shutH5462 thy doorsH1817 about thee: hideH2247 thyself as it were for a littleH4592 momentH7281, until the indignationH2195 be overpastH5674 . 21For, behold, the LORDH3068 cometh outH3318 of his placeH4725 to punishH6485 the inhabitantsH3427 of the earthH776 for their iniquityH5771: the earthH776 also shall discloseH1540 her bloodH1818, and shall no more coverH3680 her slainH2026 .
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CONNECTED WITH THE TWENTY-FOURTH AND TWENTY-FIFTH CHAPTERS. SONG OF PRAISE OF ISRAEL AFTER BEING RESTORED TO THEIR OWN LAND. (Isa. 26:1-21)
strong city--Jerusalem, strong in Jehovah's protection: type of the new Jerusalem (
Ps 48:1-
Ps 48:3), contrasted with the overthrow of the ungodly foe (
Isa 26:4-
Isa 26:7,
Isa 26:12-
Isa 26:14;
Rev 22:2,
Rev 22:10-
Rev 22:12, &c.).
salvation . . . walls-- (
Isa 60:18;
Jer 3:23;
Zech 2:5). MAURER translates, "Jehovah makes His help serve as walls" (
Isa 33:20-
Isa 33:21, &c.).
bulwarks--the trench with the antemural earthworks exterior to the wall.
2 Address of the returning people to the gates of Jerusalem (type of the heavenly city,
Heb 12:22); (
Ps 24:7,
Ps 24:9;
Ps 118:19). Antitypically (
Rev 22:14;
Rev 21:25,
Rev 21:27).
righteous nation--that had not apostatized during the captivity. HORSLEY translates, "The nation of the Just One," namely, the Jews.
3 mind . . . stayed-- (
Ps 112:7-
Ps 112:8). Jesus can create "perfect peace" within thy mind, though storms of trial rage without (
Isa 57:19;
Mark 4:39); as a city kept securely by a strong garrison within, though besieged without (so
Phil 4:7). "Keep," literally, "guard as with a garrison." HORSLEY translates, (God's) workmanship (the Hebrew does not probably mean "mind," but "a thing formed,"
Eph 2:10), so constantly "supported"; or else "formed and supported (by Thee) Thou shalt preserve (it, namely, the righteous nation) in perpetual peace."
4 Lord JEHOVAH--Hebrew, Jah, Jehovah. The union of the two names expresses in the highest degree God's unchanging love and power (compare
Ps 68:4). This passage, and
Isa 12:2;
Exod 6:3;
Ps 83:18, are the four in which the English Version retains the JEHOVAH of the original. MAURER translates, "For JAH (the eternal unchangeable One,
Exod 3:14) is JEHOVAH, the rock of ages" (compare
Isa 45:17;
Deut 32:15;
1Sam 2:2).
5 lofty city--Babylon; representative of the stronghold of the foes of God's people in all ages (
Isa 25:2,
Isa 25:12;
Isa 13:14).
6 poor-- (
Isa 25:4), the once afflicted Jewish captives. "Foot shall tread," is figurative for exulting in the fall of God's enemies (
Rev 18:20).
7 uprightness--rather, "is direct," that is, is directed by God to a prosperous issue, however many be their afflictions in the meantime (as in the case of the Jewish exiles); the context requires this sense (
Ps 34:19;
Pro 3:6;
Pro 11:5), [MAURER]: thus "way" means God's dealings with the righteous (
Ps 37:23).
most upright-- (
Deut 32:4).
dost weigh-- (
1Sam 2:3;
Pro 5:21). Rather, "thou dost make plain and level" [MAURER], removing all obstacles (
Isa 40:3-
Isa 40:4).
8 way of thy judgments--We have waited for Thy proceeding to punish the enemy (
Isa 26:9-
Isa 26:10) [MAURER]. HORSLEY translates
Isa 26:7-
Isa 26:8, "The path of the Just One is perfectly even; an even road Thou wilt level for the Just One, even the path of Thy laws, O Jehovah. We have expected Thee."
name . . . remembrance--the manifested character of God by which He would be remembered (
Isa 64:5;
Exod 3:15).
9 With, . . . soul . . . I--literally, "I . . . my soul," in apposition; the faithful Jews here speak individually. The overthrow of the foe and the restoration of the Jews are to follow upon prayer on the part of the latter and of all God's people (
Isa 62:1-
Isa 62:4,
Isa 62:6-
Isa 62:7;
Ps 102:13-
Ps 102:17).
in the night-- (
Ps 63:6;
Song 3:1).
world . . . learn . . . righteousness--the remnant left after judgments (
Ps 58:10-
Ps 58:11;
Zech 14:16).
10 uprightness--rather, as in
Isa 26:7, "prosperity," answering to "favor" in the parallelism, and in antithesis to "judgments in the earth" (
Isa 26:9); where prosperity attends the wicked as well as the just, "he will not learn righteousness," therefore judgments must be sent that he may "learn" it [MAURER].
11 lifted up--to punish the foes of God's people. They who will not see shall be made to "see" to their cost (
Isa 5:12).
their envy at the people--that is, "Thy people." LOWTH translates, "They shall see with confusion Thy zeal for Thy people."
fire of . . . enemies--that is, the fire to which Thine enemies are doomed (
Isa 9:18).
12 peace--God's favor, including all blessings, temporal and spiritual, opposed to their previous trials (
Ps 138:8).
13 other lords--temporal; heathen kings (
2Chr 12:8;
2Chr 28:5-6), Nebuchadnezzar, &c. Spiritual also, idols and lusts (
Rom 6:16-
Rom 6:18).
by thee only--It is due to Thee alone, that we again worship Thee as our Lord [MAURER]. "(We are) Thine only, we will celebrate Thy name" [HORSLEY]. The sanctifying effect of affliction (
Ps 71:16;
Ps 119:67,
Ps 119:71).
14 They--The "other lords" or tyrants (
Isa 26:13).
shall not live--namely, again.
deceased--Hebrew, "Rephaim"; powerless, in the land of shades (
Isa 14:9-
Isa 14:10).
therefore--that is, inasmuch as. Compare "therefore" (
Gen 18:5;
Gen 19:8).
15 hast--prophetical preterite (
Isa 9:3).
hast removed . . . far . . . ends of . . . earth--rather, "Thou hast extended far all the borders of the land" [VITRINGA].
16 visited--sought.
poured out-- (
Ps 62:8), as a vessel emptying out all its contents.
prayer--literally, "a whispered prayer," Margin, "a secret sighing" to God for help (compare
Jer 13:17;
Deut 8:16).
17 An image of anguish accompanied with expectation, to be followed by joy that will cause the anguish utterly to be forgotten. Zion, looking for deliverance, seemingly in vain, but really about to be gloriously saved (
Mic 4:9-
Mic 4:13;
Mic 5:1-
Mic 5:3;
John 16:21-
John 16:22).
18 brought forth wind--MICHAELIS explains this of the disease empneumatosis. Rather, "wind" is a figure for that which proves an abortive effort. The "we" is in antithesis to "Thy," "my" (
Isa 26:19), what we vainly attempt, God will accomplish.
not wrought . . . deliverance in . . . earth--literally, "the land (Judea) is not made security," that is, is not become a place of security from our enemies.
neither . . . world fallen--The "world" at large, is in antithesis to "the earth," that is, Judea. The world at enmity with the city of God has not been subdued. But MAURER explains "fallen," according to Arabic idiom, of the birth of a child, which is said to fall when being born; "inhabitants of the world (Israel,
Isa 24:4; not the world in general) are not yet born"; that is, the country as yet lies desolate, and is not yet populated.
19 In antithesis to
Isa 26:14, "They (Israel's foes) shall not live"; "Thy (Jehovah's) dead men (the Jews) shall live," that is, primarily, be restored, spiritually (
Isa 54:1-
Isa 54:3), civilly and nationally (
Isa 26:15); whereas Thy foes shall not; ultimately, and in the fullest scope of the prophecy, restored to life literally (
Ezek 37:1-
Ezek 37:14;
Dan 12:2).
together with my dead body--rather, "my dead body," or "bodies" (the Jewish nation personified, which had been spiritually and civilly dead; or the nation, as a parent, speaking of the bodies of her children individually, see on
Isa 26:9, "I," "My"): Jehovah's "dead" and "my dead" are one and the same [HORSLEY]. However, as Jesus is the antitype to Israel (
Matt 2:15), English Version gives a true sense, and one ultimately contemplated in the prophecy: Christ's dead body being raised again is the source of Jehovah's people (all, and especially believers, the spiritual Israelites) also being raised (
1Cor 15:20-22).
Awake-- (
Eph 5:14), spiritually.
in dust--prostate and dead, spiritually and nationally; also literally (
Isa 25:12;
Isa 47:1).
dew--which falls copiously in the East and supplies somewhat the lack of rain (
Hos 14:5).
cast out . . . dead--that is, shall bring them forth to life again.
20 enter . . . chambers--When God is about to take vengeance on the ungodly, the saints shall be shut in by Him in a place of safety, as Noah and his family were in the days of the flood (
Gen 7:16), and as Israel was commanded not to go out of doors on the night of the slaying of the Egyptian first-born (
Exod 12:22-
Exod 12:23;
Ps 31:20;
Ps 83:3). The saints are calmly and confidently to await the issue (
Exod 14:13-
Exod 14:14).
21 (
Mic 1:3;
Jude 1:14).
disclose . . . blood-- (
Gen 4:10-
Gen 4:11;
Job 16:18;
Ezek 24:7-
Ezek 24:8). All the innocent blood shed, and all other wrongs done, so long seemingly with impunity, shall then be avenged (
Rev 16:6).
At the time when Israel shall be delivered, and the ungodly nations punished, God shall punish also the great enemy of the Church.