1Takto praví Hospodin: Nebe jest mi stolice, a země podnože noh mých. Kdež ten dům bude, kterýž mi vzděláte? Aneb kde bude místo odpočívání mého? 2Nebo všecko to ruka má učinila, a jí stojí všecko, praví Hospodin. I však na toho patřím, kdož jest chudý a skroušeného ducha, a třese se před slovem mým. 3Sic jinak ten, kdož zabijí vola, zabil člověka; kdo zabijí hovádko, psa sťal; kdo obětuje obět suchou, krev sviňskou obětoval; kdo kadí kadidlem, dary dával modle. To oni vyvolili na cestách svých, proto že, v ohavnostech svých duše jejich se kochá. 4I jáť také vyvolím za nešlechetnosti jejich, a to, čehož se strachují, na ně uvedu, proto že, když jsem volal, žádný se neohlásil, když jsem mluvil, neslyšeli, ale činili to, což zlého jest před očima mýma, a to, čehož neoblibuji, vyvolili. 5Slyšte slovo Hospodinovo, kteříž se třesete před slovem jeho: Říkávají bratří vaši, v nenávisti majíce vás, a vypovídajíce vás pro jméno mé: Nechť se zjeví sláva Hospodinova. Ukážeť se zajisté ku potěšení vašemu, ale oni zahanbeni budou. 6Hlas hřmotu z města, hlas z chrámu, hlas Hospodinův, an odplatu dává nepřátelům svým. 7Prvé než pracovala ku porodu, porodila; prvé než přišla na ni bolest, porodila pacholátko. 8Kdo slýchal co takového? Kdo vídal co podobného? Zdaliž může způsobeno býti, aby země zplodila lid dne jednoho? Zdaliž zplozen bývá národ pojednou? Ale Sion jen počal pracovati ku porodu, a porodil syny své. 9Což bych já, kterýž otvírám život matky, neplodil? praví Hospodin. Což bych já, kterýž činím to, aby rodily, zavřín byl? praví Bůh tvůj. 10Veselte se s Jeruzalémem, a plésejte v něm všickni, kteříž jej milujete. Radujte se s ním velice, kteříž jste koli kvílili nad ním, 11Proto že ssáti budete, a sytiti se z prs potěšení jeho, ssáti budete, a rozkoš míti v blesku slávy jeho. 12Nebo takto praví Hospodin: Aj, já obrátím na něj jako řeku pokoj, a jako potok rozvodnilý slávu národů. I budete ssáti, na rukou pěstováni a na klíně rozkošně chováni budete. 13Jako ten, kteréhož matka jeho těší, tak já vás těšiti budu, a tak v Jeruzalémě potěšováni budete. 14Uzříte zajisté, a radovati se bude srdce vaše, a kosti vaše jako bylinka zkvetnou. I seznána bude ruka Hospodinova při služebnících jeho, a prchlivost proti nepřátelům jeho. 15Nebo aj, Hospodin v ohni přijde, a jako vichřice budou vozové jeho, aby vypustil v prchlivosti hněv svůj, a žehrání své v plameni ohně. 16Hospodin, pravím, ohněm mstíti bude, a mečem svým nad všelikým tělem, tak že mnoho bude zbitých od Hospodina. 17I ti, kteříž se posvěcují a očišťují v zahradách, jeden po druhém zjevně, kteříž jedí maso sviňské, a věc ohavnou i myši, též konec vezmou, praví Hospodin. 18Nebo já, když skutkové a myšlení jejich přijdou, shromáždím všecky národy a jazyky. I přijdou, a uzří slávu mou. 19A položím na ně znamení, a pošli z nich, kteříž zachováni budou, k národům do Tarsu, Pul a Lud, jenž natahují lučiště, do Tubal a Javan, na ostrovy daleké, kteříž neslýchali pověsti o mně, aniž vídali slávy mé. I budou zvěstovati slávu mou mezi národy. 20A přivedou všecky bratří vaše ze všech národů za dar Hospodinu, na koních a na vozích, a na nůších a na mezcích, a na dromedářích, na horu svatosti mé do Jeruzaléma, praví Hospodin, tak jako přinášejí synové Izraelští dar v nádobě čisté do domu Hospodinova. 21A z těchť také vezmu za kněží a za Levíty, praví Hospodin. 22Nebo jakož ta nebesa nová, a země ta nová, kterouž já učiním, stane přede mnou, praví Hospodin, tak stane símě vaše a jméno vaše. 23I stane se, že od novměsíce do novměsíce, od soboty do soboty přicházeti bude všeliké tělo, aby se klanělo přede mnou, praví Hospodin. 24A vyjdouce, uzří těla mrtvá lidí těch, kteříž se mi zpronevěřili; nebo červ jejich neumře, a oheň jejich neuhasne. I budouť v ošklivosti všelikému tělu.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE HUMBLE COMFORTED, THE UNGODLY CONDEMNED, AT THE LORD'S APPEARING: JERUSALEM MADE A JOY ON EARTH. (Isa. 66:1-24)
heaven . . . throne . . . where is . . . house . . . ye build--The same sentiment is expressed, as a precautionary proviso for the majesty of God in deigning to own any earthly temple as His, as if He could be circumscribed by space (
1.Kön 8:27) in inaugurating the temple of stone; next, as to the temple of the Holy Ghost (
Apg 7:48-
Apg 7:49); lastly here, as to "the tabernacle of God with men" (
Jes 2:2-
Jes 2:3;
Hes 43:4,
Hes 43:7;
Off 21:3).
where--rather, "what is this house that ye are building, &c.--what place is this for My rest?" [VITRINGA].
2 have been--namely, made by Me. Or, absolutely, were things made; and therefore belong to Me, the Creator [JEROME].
look--have regard.
poor--humble (
Jes 57:15).
trembleth at . . . word-- (
2.Kön 22:11,
2.Kön 22:19;
Esr 9:4). The spiritual temple of the heart, though not superseding the outward place of worship, is God's favorite dwelling (
Joh 14:23). In the final state in heaven there shall be "no temple," but "the Lord God" Himself (
Off 21:22).
3 God loathes even the sacrifices of the wicked (
Jes 1:11;
Spr 15:8;
Spr 28:9).
is as if--LOWTH not so well omits these words: "He that killeth an ox (presently after) murders a man" (as in
Hes 23:39). But the omission in the Hebrew of "is as if"--increases the force of the comparison. Human victims were often offered by the heathen.
dog's neck--an abomination according to the Jewish law (
5.Mo 23:18); perhaps made so, because dogs were venerated in Egypt. He does not honor this abomination by using the word "sacrifice," but uses the degrading term, "cut off a dog's neck" (
2.Mo 13:13;
2.Mo 34:20). Dogs as unclean are associated with swine (
Mt 7:6;
2.Pet 2:22).
oblation--unbloody: in antithesis to "swine's blood" (
Jes 65:4).
burneth--Hebrew, "he who offereth as a memorial oblation" (
3.Mo 2:2).
they have chosen--opposed to the two first clauses of
Jes 66:4 : "as they have chosen their own ways, &c., so I will choose their delusions.
4 delusions-- (
2.Thes 2:11), answering to "their own ways" (
Jes 66:3; so
Spr 1:31). However, the Hebrew means rather "vexations," "calamities," which also the parallelism to "fears" requires; "choose their calamities" means, "choose the calamities which they thought to escape by their own ways."
their fears--the things they feared, to avert which their idolatrous "abominations" (
Jes 66:3) were practised.
I called . . . none . . . answer--(See on
Jes 65:12;
Jes 65:24;
Jer 7:13).
did . . . chose--not only did the evil deed, but did it deliberately as a matter of choice (
Röm 1:32). "They chose that in which I delighted not"; therefore, "I will choose" that in which they delight not, the "calamities" and "fears" which they were most anxious to avert.
before mine eyes--(See on
Jes 65:3).
5 tremble at . . . word--the same persons as in
Jes 66:2, the believing few among the Jews.
cast you out for my name's sake--excommunicate, as if too polluted to worship with them (
Jes 65:5). So in Christ's first sojourn on earth (
Mt 10:22;
Joh 9:22,
Joh 9:34;
Joh 16:2;
Joh 15:21). So it shall be again in the last times, when the believing shall be few (
Lk 18:8).
Let the Lord be glorified--the mocking challenge of the persecutors, as if their violence towards you was from zeal for God. "Let the Lord show Himself glorious," namely, by manifesting Himself in your behalf; as the parallelism to, "He shall appear to your joy," requires (as in
Jes 5:19; compare
Jes 28:15;
Jes 57:4). So again Christ on the cross (
Mt 27:42-
Mt 27:43).
appear to your joy--giving you "joy" instead of your "rebuke" (
Jes 25:8-
Jes 25:9).
6 God, from Jerusalem and His "temple," shall take vengeance on the enemy (
Hes 43:1-
Hes 43:8;
Sach 12:2-
Sach 12:3;
Sach 14:3,
Sach 14:19-
Sach 14:21). The abrupt language of this verse marks the suddenness with which God destroys the hostile Gentile host outside: as
Jes 66:5 refers to the confounding of the unbelieving Jews.
voice of noise--that is, the Lord's loud-sounding voice (
Ps 68:33;
Ps 29:3-
Ps 29:9;
1.Thes 4:16).
7 she--Zion.
Before . . . travailed . . . brought forth--The accession of numbers, and of prosperity to her, shall be sudden beyond all expectation and unattended with painful effort (
Jes 54:1,
Jes 54:4-
Jes 54:5). Contrast with this case of the future Jewish Church the travail-pains of the Christian Church in bringing forth "a man child" (
Off 12:2,
Off 12:5). A man child's birth is in the East a matter of special joy, while that of a female is not so; therefore, it here means the manly sons of the restored Jewish Church, the singular being used collectively for the plural: or the many sons being regarded as one under Messiah, who shall then be manifested as their one representative Head.
8 earth--rather, to suit the parallelism, "is a country (put for the people in it) brought forth in one day?" [LOWTH]. In English Version it means, The earth brings forth its productions gradually, not in one day (
Markus 4:28).
at once--In this case, contrary to the usual growth of the nations by degrees, Israel starts into maturity at once.
for--rather, "is a nation born at once, that Zion has, so soon as she travailed, brought forth?" [MAURER].
9 cause to bring forth, and shut--rather, "Shall I who beget, restrain the birth?" [LOWTH], (
Jes 37:3;
Hos 13:13); that is, Shall I who have begun, not finish My work of restoring Israel? (
1.Sam 3:12;
Röm 11:1;
Phil 1:6).
shut--(compare
Off 3:7-
Off 3:8).
10 love . . . mourn for her-- (
Ps 102:14,
Ps 102:17,
Ps 102:20;
Ps 122:6).
11 suck-- (
Jes 60:5,
Jes 60:16;
Jes 61:6;
Jes 49:23).
abundance--Hebrew, "the ray-like flow of her opulence," that is, with the milk spouting out from her full breasts (answering to the parallel, "breast of her consolations") in ray-like streams [GESENIUS].
12 extend--I will turn peace (prosperity) upon her, like a river turned in its course [GESENIUS]. Or, "I will spread peace over her as an overflowing river" [BARNES], (
Jes 48:18).
flowing stream--as the Nile by its overflow fertilizes the whole of Egypt.
borne upon . . . sides--(See on
Jes 60:4).
her . . . her--If "ye" refers to the Jews, translate, "ye shall be borne upon their sides . . . their knees," namely, those of the Gentiles, as in
Jes 49:22; and as "suck" (
Jes 60:16) refers to the Jews sucking the Gentile wealth. However, English Version gives a good sense: The Jews, and all who love Jehovah (
Jes 66:10), "shall suck, and be borne" by her as a mother.
13 mother-- (
Jes 49:15).
comforteth-- (
Jes 40:1-
Jes 40:2).
14 bones--which once were "dried up" by the "fire" of God's wrath (
Klgl 1:13), shall live again (
Spr 3:8;
Spr 15:30;
Hes 37:1, &c.).
flourish . . . herb-- (
Röm 11:15-
Röm 11:24).
known toward--manifested in behalf of.
15 (
Jes 9:5;
Ps 50:3;
Hab 3:5;
2.Thes 1:8;
2.Pet 3:7).
chariots . . . whirlwind-- (
Jer 4:13).
render--as the Hebrew elsewhere (
Hi 9:13;
Ps 78:38) means to "allay" or "stay wrath." MAURER translates it so here: He stays His anger with nothing but fury," &c.; nothing short of pouring out all His fiery fury will satisfy His wrath.
fury--"burning heat" [LOWTH], to which the parallel, "flames of fire," answers.
16 Rather, "With fire will Jehovah judge, and with His sword (He will judge) all flesh." The parallelism and collocation of the Hebrew words favor this (
Jes 65:12).
all flesh--that is, all who are the objects of His wrath. The godly shall be hidden by the Lord in a place of safety away from the scene of judgment (
Jes 26:20-
Jes 26:21;
Ps 31:20;
1.Thes 4:16-17).
17 in . . . gardens--Hebrew and the Septuagint rather require, "for (entering into) gardens," namely, to sacrifice there [MAURER].
behind one tree--rather, "following one," that is, some idol or other, which, from contempt, he does not name [MAURER]. VITRINGA, &c., think the Hebrew for "one," Ahhadh, to be the name of the god; called Adad (meaning One) in Syria (compare
Apg 17:23). The idol's power was represented by inclined rays, as of the sun shining on the earth. GESENIUS translates, "following one," namely, Hierophant ("priest"), who led the rest in performing the sacred rites.
in . . . midst--namely, of the garden (see on
Jes 65:3-
Jes 65:4).
mouse--legally unclean (
3.Mo 11:29) because it was an idol to the heathen (see on
Jes 37:36;
1.Sam 6:4). Translate, "the field mouse," or "dormouse" [BOCHART]. The Pharisees with their self-righteous purifications, and all mere formalists, are included in the same condemnation, described in language taken from the idolatries prevalent in Isaiah's times.
18 know--not in the Hebrew. Rather, understand the words by aposiopesis; it is usual in threats to leave the persons threatened to supply the hiatus from their own fears, owing to conscious guilt: "For I . . . their works and thoughts," &c.; namely, will punish [MAURER].
it shall come--the time is come that I will, &c. [MAURER].
gather . . . nations--against Jerusalem, where the ungodly Jews shall perish; and then the Lord at last shall fight for Jerusalem against those nations: and the survivors (
Jes 66:19) shall "see God's glory" (
Sach 12:8-
Sach 12:9;
Sach 14:1-
Sach 14:3,
Sach 14:9).
tongues--which have been many owing to sin, being confounded at Babel, but which shall again be one in Christ (
Dan 7:14;
Zeph 3:9;
Off 7:9-
Off 7:10).
19 sign--a banner on a high place, to indicate the place of meeting for the dispersed Jewish exiles, preparatory to their return to their land (
Jes 5:26;
Jes 11:12;
Jes 62:10).
those that escape of them--the Gentile survivors spared by God (see on
Jes 66:18;
Sach 14:16).
Jes 2:2-
Jes 2:3;
Mich 5:7; and
Sach 14:16-
Sach 14:19 represent it, not that the Jews go as missionaries to the Gentiles, but that the Gentiles come up to Jerusalem to learn the Lord's ways there.
Tarshish--Tartessus in Spain, in the west.
Pul--east and north of Africa: probably the same as Philoe, an island in the Nile, called by the Egyptians Pilak, that is, the border country, being between Egypt and Ethiopia [BOCHART].
Lud--the Libyans of Africa (
1.Mo 10:13), Ludim being son of Mizraim (Egypt): an Ethiopian people famous as bowmen (
Jer 46:9): employed as mercenaries by Tyre and Egypt (
Hes 27:10;
Hes 30:5).
Tubal--Tibarenians, in Asia Minor, south of the Caucasus, between the Black Sea and Araxes. Or, the Iberians [JOSEPHUS]. Italy [JEROME].
Javan--the Greeks; called Ionians, including all the descendants of Javan, both in Greece and in Asia Minor (
1.Mo 10:2-
1.Mo 10:4).
my glory . . . Gentiles-- (
Mal 1:11).
20 they--the Gentiles (
Jes 66:19).
bring . . . your brethren--the Jews, back to the Holy Land (
Jes 49:22). It cannot mean the mere entrance of the Jews into the Christian Church; for such an entrance would be by faith, not upon "horses, litters, and mules" [HOUBIGANT]. "Offering" is metaphorical, as in
Röm 15:16.
horses--not much used by the Jews. The Gentiles are here represented as using their modes of conveyance to "bring" the Jews to Jerusalem.
chariots--as these are not found in Oriental caravans, translate, "vehicles," namely, borne, not drawn on wheels.
litters--covered sedans for the rich.
upon swift beasts--dromedaries: from Hebrew root, "to dance," from their bounding motion, often accelerated by music [BOCHART]. Panniers were thrown across the dromedaries' back for poorer women [HORSLEY].
21 of them--the Gentiles.
priests . . . Levites--for spiritual worship: enjoying the direct access to God which was formerly enjoyed by the ministers of the temple alone (
1.Pet 2:9;
Off 1:6).
22 (
Jes 65:17;
2.Pet 3:13;
Off 21:1).
23 Literally, "As often as the new moon (shall be) in its own new moon," that is, every month (
Sach 14:16).
sabbath--which is therefore perpetually obligatory on earth.
all flesh-- (
Ps 65:2;
Ps 72:11).
before me--at Jerusalem (
Jer 3:16-
Jer 3:17).
24 go forth, and look--as the Israelites looked at the carcasses of the Egyptians destroyed at the Red Sea (
2.Mo 14:30; compare
Jes 26:14-
Jes 26:19;
Ps 58:10;
Ps 49:14;
Mal 4:1-
Mal 4:3).
carcasses, &c.-- (
Jes 66:16), those slain by the Lord in the last great battle near Jerusalem (
Sach 12:2-
Sach 12:9;
Sach 14:2-
Sach 14:4); type of the final destruction of all sinners.
worm . . . not die-- (
Markus 9:44,
Markus 9:46,
Markus 9:48). Image of hell, from bodies left unburied in the valley of Hinnom (whence comes Gehenna, or "hell"), south of Jerusalem, where a perpetual fire was kept to consume the refuse thrown there (
Jes 30:33). It shall not be inconsistent with true love for the godly to look with satisfaction on God's vengeance on the wicked (
Off 14:10). May God bless this Commentary, and especially its solemn close, to His glory, and to the edification of the writer and the readers of it, for Jesus' sake!