Isaiah 52

Isaiah 52:1

The lords - The Assyrians or Chaldeans, the great rulers of the eastern nations. Plants - The choicest vines. Under which one particular he seems to understand, not only all other fruits and goods, but even their choicest people. They - The lords of the heathen are come as far as Jazer, which is the utmost border of Moab. Wandered - The Moabites fled for their lives, and wandered hither and thither in the wilderness of Moab. Branches - Her people, called plants before. Stretched - Driven from their own homes, and dispersed into several countries. The sea - Over the Dead - sea, which was the border of Moab. They were forced to flee out of their own country to save their lives.

Isaiah 52:2

Sibmah - I will bewail Sibmah, as I did bewail Jazer, which was destroyed before Sibmah. Fallen - Those joyful shouts which were customary in the time of harvest and vintage, shall cease.

Isaiah 52:3

Treaders - In those times they used to squeeze out the juice of their grapes by treading them with their feet.

Isaiah 52:4

My bowels - Thro’ compassion. In excessive grief, the bowels are sometimes rolled together, so as to make an audible noise.

Isaiah 52:5

When - When it shall appear that all their other devotions are vain. His sanctuary - To the temple of his great god Chemosh. But - His god can neither hear nor help him.

Isaiah 52:6

Since - Since the beginning of God’s revelation to me concerning Moab, hitherto.

Isaiah 52:7

The Lord - Hath made this farther discovery of his mind to me. Three years - This may well be understood of some great blow given to the Moabites, either by Sennacherib, or his son Esarhaddon, from which notwithstanding they recovered and flourished again ’till Nebuchadnezzar compleated their destruction. Hireling - Within three years precisely counted; for hirelings are very punctual in observing the time for which they are hired. The glory - Their strength, and wealth, and other things in which they glory, shall be made contemptible to those who formerly admired them. With - With the great numbers of their people, of which they boasted.

Isaiah 52:9

Damascus - Both of that city and kingdom. A heap - This was fulfilled by Tiglath - pilneser, 2 Kings 16:9, although afterwards it was re - edified.

Isaiah 52:10

Aroer - Of that part of Syria, called Aroer, from a great city of that name. These cities were possessed by the Reubenites and Gadites, whom Tiglath - pilneser carried into captivity, 1 Chronicles 5:26. These he mentions here, as he doth Ephraim in the next verse, because they were confederate with Syria against Judah. Afraid - Because the land shall be desolate, and destitute of men who might disturb them.

Isaiah 52:11

The fortress - All their fortresses; the singular number being put for the plural. Remnant - The remainders of Damascus and Syria shall be an headless body, a people without a king. Of Israel - Syria shall have as much glory as Israel; that is, neither of them shall have any at all.

Isaiah 52:13

Gathereth - Taking care, as far as may be, that all may be gathered in, and nothing left. So shall the whole body of the ten tribes be carried away captive, some few gleanings only being left. Rephaim - A very fruitful place near Jerusalem.

Isaiah 52:14

Yet - Some few Israelites were left after their captivity, who joined themselves to Judah, and were carried captive to Babylon with them, from whence also they returned with them.

Isaiah 52:15

A man - Those few men that are left. Look - They shall sincerely respect, and trust, and worship God, and God only.