Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 52:2

"Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit [on thy throne], O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion." — Isaiah 52:2 (ASV)

Shake yourself from the dust - To sit on the ground, to sit in the dust, is an expression descriptive of mourning (Job 2:13). Jerusalem is here called on to arise and shake off the dust, indicating that the days of her grief were ended and that she was about to be restored to her former beauty and splendor.

Arise and sit down - There is an incongruity in this expression in our translation which does not occur in the original. The idea in the Hebrew is not that which seems to be implied in this expression—to arise and sit down in the same place—but it means to arise from the dust and sit in a more elevated or honorable place. She had been represented as sitting on the earth, where her loose, flowing robes would be supposed to become covered with dust. She is here called on to arise from that humble condition and to occupy the divan, or a chair of dignity and honor. Lowth renders this, ‘Ascend your lofty seat,’ and supposes it means that she was to occupy a throne or an elevated seat of honor, and he quotes oriental customs to justify this interpretation.

Noyes renders it, ‘Arise and sit erect.’ The Chaldee renders it, ‘Rise, sit upon the throne of your glory.’ The following quotation from Jowett’s Christian Researches will explain the custom alluded to here: ‘It is no uncommon thing to see an individual, or group of persons, even when very well dressed, sitting with their feet drawn under them, upon the bare earth, passing whole hours in idle conversation.

Europeans would require a chair, but the natives here prefer the ground. In the heat of summer and autumn, it is pleasant for them to while away their time in this manner under the shade of a tree. Richly adorned females, as well as men, may often be seen amusing themselves this way. As may naturally be expected, with whatever care they may choose their place when first sitting down, yet the flowing dress gradually gathers up the dust. As this occurs, they from time to time arise, adjust themselves, shake off the dust, and then sit down again.

The captive daughter of Zion, therefore, brought down to the dust of suffering and oppression, is commanded to arise and shake herself from that dust, and then, with grace, and dignity, and composure, and security, to sit down; to take, as it were, her seat and rank again among the company of the nations of the earth, which had previously afflicted her and trampled her to the earth.’

Loose yourself from the bands of your neck - Jerusalem had been a captive and confined as a prisoner. She is now called on to cast off these chains from her neck and to be at liberty again. In captivity, chains or bands were attached to various parts of the body. They were usually affixed to the wrists or ankles, but it would seem also that sometimes collars were affixed to the neck. The idea is that the Jews, who had been held captive for so long, were about to be released and restored to their own land.