Charles Ellicott Commentary Isaiah 54
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Isaiah 54
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Isaiah 54
"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah." — Isaiah 54:1 (ASV)
Sing, O barren ... —The words seem to carry on the jubilant strain of Isaiah 51:0, Isaiah 52:1–12, leaving the section Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12, as a mysterious episode, inserted, it may be, by the prophet to show how the restoration of Israel and the victory of righteousness had become possible. We note, as bearing on Isaiah’s studies, the parallelism with 1 Samuel 2:5. The “children of the desolate” are primarily the returning exiles, ultimately all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.
"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes." — Isaiah 54:2 (ASV)
Enlarge the place of thy tent. —Interesting parallels are found in Isaiah 33:20; Jeremiah 10:20.
"For thou shalt spread aboard on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." — Isaiah 54:3 (ASV)
On the right hand and on the left. — Compare to Genesis 28:14. Strictly speaking, the words indicate specifically the north and the south, in relation to one who stands looking towards the East. Here, of course, they mean “on every side.” The words that follow have, like others, a lower or material and a higher or spiritual meaning.
"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth; and the reproach of thy widowhood shalt thou remember no more." — Isaiah 54:4 (ASV)
You shall forget. —The shame of your youth, was the Egyptian bondage, from which Jehovah chose Israel to be His bride (Jeremiah 3:1–11; Ezekiel 16:1–14). The reproach of your widowhood was the captivity in Babylon.
"For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called." — Isaiah 54:5 (ASV)
The Lord of Hosts ... the Holy One of Israel. —We note the combination of the two names so prominent in 1 Isaiah. The “Redeemer” in this context suggests the idea of the next of kin (such, e.g., as Boaz was to Ruth), taking on himself the kinsman’s duty of protection (Ruth 4:4–6).
Jump to: