Isaiah 52

Isaiah 52:1

AWake] He calleth upon the Church, to do that now, which she had before requested God to do for her, Chap. 51. 9. even to rouse up her self, and pluck up her spirits, Chap. 51. 12. and 60. 1.

put on thy strength] Be of good courage: and let it appear, that thou art so. See Chap. 51. 9.

put on thy beautifull garments] Heb. Thy garments of beauti. Lay aside thy mourning weed, and servile habite: Put off thy wonted raiment; and put on thy better apparel; thine estate being altered for the better. Genesis 27:15. & Genesis 41:24. Rth 3:3. Chap. 61. 10. Jeremiah 52:33. Zechariah 3:4-5.

the holy city] Heb. citie of holinesse. Chap. 48. 2.

shall no more come into thee] Heb. not adde that shall come into thee. or, unto thee. or, against thee: as Numbers 23:21; Numbers 23:23. as Chap. 29. 1. Hosea 1:6. Thou shalt no longer be possessed, nor invaded more by heathen, Chap. 63. 18. Lamentations 1:10. Or, wicked ones shall not harbour with thee, Chap. 35. 8. Revelation 21:27.

Isaiah 52:2

Shake thy self from the dust] That thou satest in before, as a mourner, Job 2:8. & Job 42:6. Or, layest along in, as a prisoner and captive, disregarded, and despightfully intreated, Chap. 51. 23. Psalms 7:5. & Psalms 44:25. & Psalms 119:25. contrary to that, which Babylon is willed to do, Chap. 47. 1.

sit down] Or, sit up. rather; as Genesis 27:19.

loose thy self] Heb. open thy self. See Chap. 51. 14.

from the bands of thy neck] Such as prisoners and captives are wont to be fastened with one to another, as beasts in a yoke, Lamentations 1:14.

Isaiah 52:3

Ye have sold your selves for nought, &c.] The Babylonians paid me nothing for you; and therefore I will take you from them again without ransome, Psalms 44:12. Chap. 45. 13. See Chap. 49. 24, 25. & 50. 1.

ye shall be redeemed without money] Heb. without silver. Chap. 45. 13. & 55. 1.

Isaiah 52:4

My people went down aforetime into Egypt] When Jacob went thither in time of famine, Genesis 46:6.

and] Or, but. as Chap. 53. 5.

the Assyrian oppressed them without cause] The Egyptians might pretend somewhat for their evill usage of my people; because they came thither for succour, and lived as sojourners with them: but the Assyrians had no colour for their tyrannising over them: and I have the more cause therefore to punish them for so doing.

Isaiah 52:5

Now therefore] Or, And now.

what have I here] What get or gain I more by the Chaldeans now, then I did by the Assyrians before? but that I am blasphemed by them both, Chap. 10. 10, 11. & 14. 13, 14. Or, what have I to do, when my people are thus oppressed, and I suffer in their oppressions? Psal. 74. 22, 23. & 89. 50, 51.

my people is taken away for nought] Vers. 3.

my name continually every day is blasphemed] I am wounded in my reputation, by the wicked, deeming me unable to deliver my people, Ezekiel 36:20. 23. Romans 2:24.

Isaiah 52:6

my people shall know my name] I will make my power known by their deliverance, Psalms 106:8. Chap. 49. 26. and 63. 14.

I am he that doth speak, behold, it is, I] Or, that do speak, saying, Lo here am I. See Chap. 65. 1. Who now foretell and promise, what I will then fulfill and perform, Chap. 42. 9. and 48. 3, 5.

Isaiah 52:7

How beautifull upon the mountains] The joyous entertainment of those, that come over the hils, wherewith Jerusalem was environed, Psalms 125:2. to bring tidings of their deliverance from the Babylonian bondage. and of those much more, that publish salvation by Christ, Nahum 1. 15. Rom. 10 15. Gal. 4. 15, 16.

the feet] Their very feet, though sweatie and dustie with travel, yet are amiable and acceptable.

that brangeth good tidings] Chap. 40. 9. & 41. 27.

that publisheth peace] Or, prosperitie, and welfare. Chap. 48. 18.

publisheth salvation] Deliverance, temporall by Cyrus: spirituall by Christ. Chap. 51. 5.

Thy God reigneth] Hath manifested and magnified his royall power, by the destruction of his enemies, and the deliverance of his people: but chiefly by the spirituall kingdome crected and exercised by Christ, Psalms 93:1. & Psalms 97:1. & Psalms 99:1. Psal. 110. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. 7. & 146. 10. Revelation 6:2. & Revelation 11:15. & Revelation 19:6.

Isaiah 52:8

Thy watchmen shall lift up the voyce] The Prophets, Ezek. 3 17. & 33. 7. Hebrews 13:17. shall with much joy publish thy deliverance; when they shall see that performed, which God by them had before promised, 1 Pet. 1. 10,—12.

they shall see cye to cye] Evidently and cleerly behold those things effected, which they had sometime foretold. See Numbers 14:14.

Isaiah 52:9

Break forth into joy] Chap. 35. 1. & 51. 3.

waste places] Heb. wasts. Chap. 49. 19.

Isaiah 52:10

made bare his holy arm] Or, stript up his arm; as ready to strike with it; in that manner, that it may appear to be his work, Chap. 26. 11. Psal. 98. 2, 3. Ezekiel 4:7.

his holy arm] Heb. arme of holinesse. Psalms 98:1.

all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God] Psalms 98:3. Luke 3:6.

Isaiah 52:11

Depart ye] Chap. 48. 20. & 62. 10. Jeremiah 50:8. & Jeremiah 51:6. 2 Corinthians 6:17. Revelation 18:4.

go ye out of the midst of her] Or, out of ber. as Chap. 5. 8.

be ye clean] He warneth the faithfull not to pollute themselves with Babylonian superstitions, since that they are called to be spirituall priests, 2 Corinthians 7:1. 1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:6.

that bear the vessels of the LORD,] That are to bear back the holy vessels, which Nebuchadnezzar had caried away to Babylon, Daniel 1:2. 2 Chronicles 36:7. Ezra 1:7-8; Ezra 1:11. Or, the priests that handle them in their ordinary ministration, Levit. 21. 6, 23. Numbers 4:5,—15. and 19. 13, 19. Ezekiel 22:26. Haggai 2:13-14.

Isaiah 52:12

ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight] As your fore-fathers did out of Egypt, Exodus 12:33. 39. as if they fled, Exodus 14:5. but freely, quictly, peaceably, by commission from authoritie, without noise, tumult, or fear, Chap. 55. 12.

the LORD will go before you] Alluding to Gods conducting, and safe-guarding them in the wildernesse, Exodus 13:21. and 14. 19, 20.

will be your rere-ward] Heb. will gather you up. Numbers 10:25. Joshua 6:9; Joshua 6:13. See Chap. 58. 8.

Isaiah 52:13

Behold] These three verses ensuing seem to belong to the next Chapter.

my servant] Christ, Chap. 42. 1. & 53. 11. by whom our spirituall deliverance is wrought, Matth 1. 21. Galatians 1:4. 1 Thessalonians 1:10. Titus 2:14. whereof that was a type.

shall deal prudently] Or, shall prosper. Jeremiah 23:5.

Isaiah 52:14

many were astonied at thee] Christ, as he came without pompe or state, Chap. 42. 2. and lived here in much affliction, Chap. 53. 3. so had he no respect or estimation in the eies of worldly men, Chap. 49. 7. & 53. 2, 3.

more then any man] Heb. then a man. as Chap. 44. 11. So that he seemed rather a worm then a man, Psalms 22:6.

Isaiah 52:15

shall he sprinkle many nations] With his spirit and bloud; working faith in them by his word, Act. 233, 38, 41. Hebrews 9:14. and Hebrews 10:22. 1 Pet. 1. 2.

kings shall shut their mouthes at him] Out of reverence and astonishment at his excellencie, Job 29. 9, 10. and 40. 4, 5. Psalms 107:42.

that which had not been them shall they see] In the ministery of the Gospel, Chap. 64. 4. & 65. 1. Rom. 15. 20, 21. & 16. 25, 26. 1 Corinthians 2:8-9.