Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 55:4

"Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples." — Isaiah 55:4 (ASV)

Behold, I have given him - This is evidently the language of God concerning the Messiah, or of David as representing the Messiah. Rosenmuller supposes that the name David here is used to designate the Messiah, and in support of this appeals to Ezekiel 34:23-24; Ezekiel 37:24–25; Jeremiah 30:9; and Hosea 3:5.

An examination of these passages will show that they all refer to the Messiah by the name of David. It is morally certain that in the passage before us, the name David (Isaiah 55:3) suggested the Messiah.

It seems to me that this is to be regarded as a direct address concerning the Messiah. The speaker's object here is to state a reason why he should be embraced: that God had constituted him as a leader.

The Chaldee renders this, ‘Lo, I have constituted him as a prince to the people, a king and ruler over all kingdoms.’ Kimchi says that it means that the Messiah would be a monitor or a mediator between people and him who would accuse them. Grotius supposes that Jeremiah is intended here; but in that opinion he is destined undoubtedly to stand forever alone. The almost unbroken interpretation, from the earliest times, is that which refers it directly to the Messiah.

For a witness to the people - Noyes renders this, ‘A ruler.’ Rosenmuller renders it, ‘A monitor’—one whose office it was publicly to admonish or reprove others in the presence of witnesses. Jerome renders it, ‘A witness.’ The Septuagint has Μαρτύριον Marturion—‘A testimony.’ The Chaldee (רב rab) has ‘A prince.’

The Hebrew word (עד ‛ēd) properly means “a witness” (Proverbs 19:5–9); then testimony, or witness borne (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17); then a prince, chief, lawgiver, or commander. Compare the use of the verb in 2 Kings 17:13; Psalms 50:7; Psalms 81:9; and Lamentations 2:13.

The parallelism requires us to understand it in this sense here: as one who stood forth to bear solemn testimony concerning God, his law, his claims, and his plans; and he was therefore designated to be the instructor, guide, and teacher of people.

A leader - Chaldee, ‘A king.’ The idea is, that he would sustain the relation of a sovereign. One of the important offices of the Messiah is that of king.

A commander - Or, rather, a lawgiver. He would originate the laws and institutions of his people.