Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 32

Behold, a king - That is, Hezekiah. That it refers to him is apparent from the connection. The reign of Ahaz had been one of oppression and idolatry. This was to be succeeded by the reign of one under whom the rights of the people would be secured, and under whom there would be a state of general prosperity. This may have been uttered while Ahaz was on the throne, or it may have been when Hezekiah began to reign. Perhaps the latter is the more probable, as Ahaz might not have tolerated anything that would have looked like a reflection on his own reign; nor, perhaps, while he was on the throne would Isaiah have given a description that would have been a contrast between his reign and that of his successor.

Shall reign in righteousness - That is, a righteous king shall reign; or his administration shall be one of justice, and strongly in contrast with that of his predecessor. This was certainly the general characteristic of the reign of Hezekiah.

And princes shall rule - Hebrew, ‘For princes,’ or, ‘as to princes’ (לשׂרים l ᵉ s'ârı̂ym). Lowth proposes to read this without the ל (l), as the ancient versions do. But it is not necessary to change the text. It may be rendered, ‘As to princes, they shall rule’ . The ‘princes’ here denote the various officers of government, or those to whom the administration was confided.

In judgment - That this is a just description of the reign of Hezekiah is apparent from the history, see 2 Kings 18:3–6: He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the grove. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him, for he clave unto the Lord, and departed not from following him.

And a man - That is, evidently, the man referred to in the previous verse, namely, Hezekiah.

Shall be as a hiding-place from the wind - A place where one may take refuge from a violent wind and tempest (see the note at Isaiah 25:4).

A covert - A place of shelter and security. Wind and tempest are emblematic of calamity and oppression; and the sense is that Hezekiah would be the protector of his people and would save them from the calamities to which they had been subjected in former reigns.

As rivers of water - This figure is often used in Isaiah (and the notes at Isaiah 41:18). It means that the blessings of such a reign would be as grateful and refreshing as gushing fountains and running streams were to a thirsty traveler. Here it refers to the benefits that would be conferred by the reign of Hezekiah—a reign which, compared with that of his father, would be like a refreshing fountain to a weary pilgrim in a pathless desert.

As the shadow of a great rock - In a burning desert of sand, nothing is more grateful than the cooling shade of a far-projecting rock. It not only excludes the rays of the sun, but it has itself a refreshing coolness that is most grateful to a weary traveler. The same figure is often used by classical writers (see Virgil, Georg. iii, 145; Hesiod, ii. 106).

In a weary land - This refers to a land where there is fatigue and weariness. It probably denotes a land destitute of trees, groves, and pleasant abodes—a land where one expects weariness and fatigue without any refreshment and shelter.

The following description from Campbell’s Travels in Africa will explain this: ‘Well does the traveler remember a day in the wilds of Africa, where the country was chiefly covered with burning sand; when, scorched with the powerful rays of an almost vertical sun, the thermometer in the shade standing at 100 degrees (Fahrenheit). He remembers long looking here and there for something that would afford protection from the almost insupportable heat, and where the least motion of air felt like a flame coming against the face. At length he spied a huge loose rock leaning against the front of a small cliff which faced the sun. At once he fled for refuge underneath its inviting shade. The coolness emitted from this rocky canopy he found exquisitely exhilarating. The wild beasts of the deserts had all fled to their dens, and the feathered songsters were all roosting among the thickest foliage they could find of the evergreen trees. The whole creation around seemed to groan, as if their vigor had been entirely exhausted. A small river was providentially at hand, to the side of which, after a while, he ventured, and sipped a little of its cooling water, which tasted better than the best Burgundy, or the finest old hock in the world. During all this enjoyment, the relevant text mentioned above was the interesting subject of the traveler’s meditation, though the allusion as a figure must fall infinitely short of that which is meant to be prefigured by it.’

(The whole of this passage is capable of beautiful application to the Messiah and His times. While the language of the second verse cannot be supposed descriptive of any creature, it is so associated in our minds with the character and functions of the Divine Redeemer that we cannot easily acquiesce in any inferior application.

‘To interpret the sublime imagery of this verse (Isaiah 32:2) in application to a mere human being would be quite repugnant to the spirit of the sacred writers, by whom Yahweh alone is represented as the source of protection and refreshment to His people, and all trust in creatures solemnly interdicted’ (Henderson).

Doubtless, if Hezekiah is at all intended, it is in a typical or inferior sense only. A greater than Hezekiah is here. The language and figures used are precisely such as are elsewhere by the prophet applied to Yahweh (Isaiah 4:6; Isaiah 25:4), while the particulars characteristic of the times predicted are just such as elsewhere he connects with gospel times (Isaiah 35:5).

According to this view, the things predicted are:

1. A righteous administration under Messiah the Prince (Isaiah 32:1).
2. Protection and refreshment to His subjects: protection from the wrath of God, the temptations of Satan, and the rage of the world; refreshment by the consolations and graces of His Spirit, which are as rivers of water in this dry land (Isaiah 32:2).
3. A desire for knowledge and such facility in its acquisition that even persons ordinarily supposed disqualified should both clearly understand and easily and accurately express the truth (Isaiah 32:3–4).
4. A just appreciation of character and estimation of people in accordance therewith (Isaiah 32:5).
5. And finally, the prevalence of a loving, liberal spirit, setting itself to devise and execute plans of benevolence on a scale previously unprecedented (Isaiah 32:8; Psalms 110:3; Acts 2:44–45; 2 Corinthians 8:1, 4; 2 Corinthians 9:2).)

And the eyes of them that see ... - The sense of this verse is that, under the reign of this wise and pious prince, there will be from the prophets and teachers a clear view of divine truth, and from the people who hear a willingness to listen and to pay attention to it. The phrase ‘of them that see,’ probably refers to the prophets, as those who were called seers (see the notes at Isaiah 29:10; Isaiah 30:10; compare to 1 Samuel 9:9), or those who had visions (see the note at Isaiah 1:1) of the things that God would communicate to people.

The word translated ‘be dim’ (תשׁעינה tishe‛eynâh) is derived from שׁעה shâ‛âh — which usually means “to see, to look,” but it also has a meaning similar to שׁעע shâ‛a‛ — “to spread over, to close, to make blind.” Lowth seems not to have been aware of this fact when he proposed, without the authority of any manuscript, to change the text. The meaning is that those who were prophets and religious teachers would no longer see obscurely, but would have clear and just views of divine truth.

And the ears of them that hear - Of the people who were instructed by their religious teachers.

Shall hearken - It will be a characteristic of those times that they will be inclined to pay attention to the truth of God.

The heart also of the rash - Margin, ‘Hasty.’ The Hebrew word denotes those who hasten; that is, those who are precipitate in forming a judgment, or deciding on a course of action. They do not take time to deliberate, and consequently they are led headlong into error, and into improper courses of life.

Shall understand knowledge - They shall take time to deliberate; and they shall consequently form a more enlightened judgment.

And the tongue of the stammerers - The ‘stammerers’ (compare the note at Isaiah 28:11) seem here to denote those who had indistinct and confused views of subjects, or who were incapable of expressing clear and intelligible views of divine truth.

Shall be ready to speak plainly - Margin, ‘Elegantly.’ The Hebrew is צתות tsâthôth ‘clear,’ ‘white,’ usually applied to a bright, clear, white light. The sense is, that there should be no indistinctness or obscurity in their views and modes of utterance.

The vile person - In Hebrew, ‘Fool.’ However, the context requires us to understand this term as the opposite of liberal. It signifies a person who is stingy, miserly, narrow-minded, and covetous. Such a person is very appropriately designated as a fool.

Shall be no more called liberal - It is probable that under the reign of former princes, when all views of right and wrong had been perverted, unprincipled people were subjected to flattery, and virtues were attributed to them by their friends and admirers. However, this would not be the case under the virtuous reign of the prince celebrated here. Things would be called by their proper names, and flattery would not be permitted to attribute to people qualities that they did not possess.

Nor the churl - The word ‘churl’ properly means a rude, surly, ill-bred man, and then a miser or a stingy person. The Hebrew word properly means a deceiver, a fraudulent man (Gesenius). The word avaricious, however, seems to suit the context. Lowth renders it ‘miser.’ Noyes, ‘crafty.’

Bountiful - Flattery will no longer ascribe to a miserly man a character that does not belong to him.