This shows that this passage has ultimate fulfillment in the very last days. Gods mercy answered to their tragic sin. However, the returned exiles appealed to King Darius, the successor to Cambyses II, the son of King Cyrus. Proud member for. Cyrus of Persia will allow them to depart under the protection of his imperial decree, and will even provide funds to help them with the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord." (D&C 133:10) choose. The Lamb's life (Isaiah 53:1-4). room to go bed frame Isaiah 53:3-4 King James . 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. When the LORD brings back Zion. Good News! In Isaiah 52 that invitation comes between the call to Awake (51:1-2, with other imperatives designed to prepare for a momentous and celebrative occasion) and Depart (52:11; note also the earlier calls to Rouse yourself in 51:17). Published: APRIL 1, 2020 16:27. More than any man does not literally mean that by appearances, Jesus was beaten more severely than any man would ever be beaten. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! The victory that is proclaimed does not belong to this or that king, to this or that country, to this or that ideology, but to God alone. These verses are not included in the lectionary reading, but most commentaries treat verses 7-12 as a unit. 9. fol. The call from God is not irresistible. 4-6). The feet is here used figuratively: beautiful refers not to the feet but to the entire messenger/message. For what had not been told them they shall see, It is difficult, sometimes hugely difficult, to leave the familiar and to step out in faith into the unfamiliar. Isaiah 52:7. Now therefore, what have I here, says the LORD, Seen on the distant hills, running rapidly, he is a beautiful object. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Yahweh returns(Hebrew: sub) to Zion. For the LORD will go before you, The Ethiopian in Acts 8:34 asked a question about Isaiah 52:13-53:12: Of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man? Gods return to Zion does not mean that God has been absent from the ruined city, but that God will closely accompany the people in their return to Jerusalem, surrounding them all the way (see verse 12). c. His visage was marred more than any man: This speaks of the cruel and vicious beating Jesus endured at the hands of His enemies. a. Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 41:27; Nahum 1:15 ). For you shall not go out in haste, neither shall you go by flight (v. 12a). To a person dying of thirst, a cup of water would be beautiful even if the cup were chipped or soiled. The ruins of the city are invited, ironically, to break forth in singing (52:9). Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. a. What does Isaiah 52:7-12 mean? When Yahweh raises up Cyrus of Persia to defeat the Babylonians and free the Judean exiles, Yahweh will be publicly vindicated. Go out of the midst of her! All reasons for battle, all reasons for warfare, all reasons for hatred, pride, self-justification are eliminated. The New King James Version rightly capitalizes Servant, because the context demonstrates this is a clear reference to Jesus. Their situation seemed hopeless and their bondage seemed to have no end. My name continually all the day is blasphemed, Yahweh says (v. 5). In some way, he conveys to the sentinels that the news is good. KJV, 1769 We often interpret that as sexual knowledge, which is true to the marriage context. This is the good news. The message is beautiful because it is for all creation. Therefore my people shall know (Hebrew: yada) my name (v. 6). Their lives have been ruined by the Babylonians, but now they can rejoice and break forth in singing because Yahweh has made possible their restoration. There is an ironic quality to this verse. All rights reserved. halcyon days! In an interlude of uncertain meaning (52:3-6), God declares that the peoples release from slavery will be accompanied by the defeat of Israels oppressors (Babylon) as had earlier been the case with Egypt and Assyria. After clicking the link below, choose "Alcoholic Beverage Code" in the . Peace, happiness, and salvation (Isaiah 52:7) God reigns (7), God returns to Zion (verse 8), God has comforted His people and redeemed Jerusalem (verse 9), God has made bare His holy arm for all the nations of the Earth to see the salvation provided by God (verse 10) This deliverance is not only for the people of Israel and Judah but also for all the earth. How good is the news! It is bad enough that the world does not know or honor God, but it is far more tragic when His own people do not know or honor Him. Where God reigns, glad tidings reign. Nor go by flight; The Christmas season always seems like a time to sing the good old songs. are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!". Put on your beautiful garmentsfor the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you: Jerusalem could put on clothes of beauty and glory because the time of judgment was over. So shall He sprinkle many nations: Sprinkling is often associated with cleansing from sin in the Old Testament (Exodus 24:8, Leviticus 3:8, Numbers 19:21, Ezekiel 36:25). Cleanse yourselves, you who bear the vessels of Yahweh. They call Zion to awake and get dressed in beautiful garments to celebrate the fact that the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer tread the streets of Jerusalem (v. 1). My people went down at first Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; 153. The ruins will not remain ruins, because Yahweh has comforted his people and has redeemed Jerusalem. You who bear the vessels of the LORD. For thus says Yahweh You were sold for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money' (v. 3). Nahum 1:15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! But I cannot see any such allusion here. So it is here. Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. Singing, this essential activity of any proclamation, brings that which identifies us most individually our voice and mixes it with many other voices. You shall be redeemed without money but it doesnt mean that it doesnt cost anything. His glory and His great work will stop every word. Yalkut Simeoni in Psal. Yahwehs bared arm serves to warn those who would oppose Yahwehs purposes. The words that best describe this new situation of the people of God are peace and comfort.. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The invitation to sing has been issued before (42:10-12) and not only human creatures, but heavens, earth, mountains, and trees have been called to join in the song (44:23). Fully, and antitypically, the Gospel (Lu 2:10, 11), "beginning at Jerusalem" (Lu 24:47), "the city of the great King" (Mt 5:35), where Messiah shall, at the final restoration of Israel, "reign" as peculiarly Zion's God ("Thy God reigneth"; compare Ps 2:6). These verses are not included in the lectionary reading, but serve as an essential introduction to it. You can check these in your browser security settings. The salvation of our God. The news had reached His people through a messenger whom the prophet pictured as running across mountains with his message (cf. When they spoke against Him before, it was in blindness, but now what had not been told them they shall see. Brueggemann, Walter, Westminster Bible Companion: Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), Hanson, Paul D., Interpretation Commentary: Isaiah 40-66, (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1995), Holladay, William, Unbound by Time: Isaiah Still Speaks (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cowley Publications, 2002), Hoppe, Leslie J., in Van Harn, Roger (ed. Worse than how they treated Gods people was their disrespect for the LORD Himself, whom they blasphemed continually every day. Who says to Zion, However, as married people can attest, the yada that comes with marriage is a knowing that goes far beyond sexual knowledge. This peace and good news and salvation are not simply for the exiles in Babylon. The world is still corrupt and the enemy still exists, but when we cling to God and obey him, we will find his peace (Isaiah 32:17). Isaiah 52:1-2 'Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion. 304.) It is an embodied peace! Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Menasseh Ben Israel, Nishmat Chayim, fol. He has laid the responsibility for the captivity squarely at the feet of the captives. Also, this does not likely mean that the sentinels see a vision of God (cf. As indicated above the scene is cast in military terms just after the battle. From the words of the prophet that begin Second Isaiah (Comfort! This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Verses 4-5 recount Israels bondage to Egypt and Assyria and the resultant effect on Yahwehs reputation. In the body of the song (53:1-9), Isaiah confessed (on behalf of his own people) that (1) Israel utterly rejected the Servant of the Lord in his life (vv. You waste places of Jerusalem! Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Isaiah's purpose was to bring back the nation of Judah - God's nation - back to the faithfulness as well as proclaim the coming of the Savior, and His future reign. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Isaiah 52:6-7 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! Make them wail, says the LORD, But really it isnt surprising. VI (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001), Tucker, Gene M. in Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holliday, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M.,Preaching Through the Christian Year, C (Valley Forge: Trinity Press, 1994), Watts, John D. W., Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 34-66 (Dallas: Word Books, 1987), Copyright 2007, 2010, Richard Niell Donovan, I tell you that if these (people) were silent, the stones would cry out, All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. To give thanks in advance is the highest form of praise (Oswalt, 370). ii. Commentary on Isaiah 52:1-12. God has acted for a particular people, for a particular city, for Jerusalem but the entire world and all people are brought into the vision and actualization of this deliverance. Egypt held them in captivity. God allows his people to experience difficulty not only as punishment for their sins, but as a normal part of a life of discipleship. And the people of God are called to go out of Babylon, the manner of their departure is directed, and something said for their encouragement, Isa 52:11,12. NRSV John 15 Jesus the True Vine 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. The watchers know of this wondrous news as they see the feet of the messenger running towards them. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. He shall be exalted and extolled means that the Messiah will triumph. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell of the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. But My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be abolished: Those tied to the earth (not to heaven) will be cast away, and even the earth will vanish away. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. For example, when Paul says, "if any man be in Christ" (2 Cor 5:17 KJV), he clearly does not mean that only males can be saved. ". Just as many were astonished at you, Hear the good news! Isaiah 52:14 "Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-". Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Ruins can live again as the people of God flow back into those spaces. Hebrews is a rich writing that presents a plethora of puzzles to the interpreter of the text. This is the source of all our singing. We may request cookies to be set on your device. They call captive Jerusalem to wake up and loose the bonds of captivity (v. 2). Awake, awake! Sentinels are trained to alert the populace to danger, but are happy to announce good news instead. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! The result was so shocking that many were astonished when they saw Jesus. The Christ will be marred more than any man yet he will be the King of kings (Isaiah 52:13-15). The exiles have dreamed of departing from Babyloniadeparting from exilebeing freed from slaveryreturning to their homeland. Jesus used similar language on Palm Sunday when the Pharisees insisted that he order his disciples to stop praising him. Turning to the text for Christmas day, the call goes out to the people to Listen! (52:8; echoing 51:1,4,7,21). He doesnt guarantee that we will have easy lives but that God will prevail. The Egyptians and Assyrians have both oppressed the Hebrews in the past, but now God is going to . He allowed Babylonia to place the people of Judah in bondage as punishment for their sins, but is now free to secure Judahs release. As the returning captives see (verse 8), so that sight is now available to all peoples. Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. 12For you shall not go out in haste, neither shall you go by flight: for Yahweh will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. For thus says the Lord GOD: Jesus was beaten so badly on His face that He hardly looked like a man. welcome the publishers of such tidings! 2. (l) "evangelizantis bonum", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; "qui nuntiat bonum", Cocceius. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!