John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 1:26

"and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town." — Isaiah 1:26 (ASV)

And I will restore your judges as at the first. He now speaks plainly; and having said that the source and origin of the evils was with the princes, he shows that a divine hand will purify that rank when the Lord is pleased to restore the Church to perfect health.

Indeed, when those who rule are good and holy men, public order is maintained; for when wicked men have power, everything goes to ruin. By judges and counsellors, any kind of magistrates are evidently meant; and when He promises that they will be as they were at the beginning, He reminds them of the extraordinary goodness of God, of which they had been deprived.

God had graciously raised up the throne of David, and in that government was pleased to give a bright resemblance of His own parental love. Though the authority of the family of David had degenerated into the grossest tyranny, they still continued to boast of a false title, for they still boasted of the reign of David in the same manner as the papists of the present day pride themselves on a false pretense concerning the Church. Therefore, the people are justly reminded of the happiness from which they had fallen by their own fault, so that they would not be displeased at a reduction in their numbers, through which they would again possess the order God had established.

Then you shall be called. He describes the fruit of that reformation He has spoken of as extending to the whole body. For, having said that Jerusalem, before she revolted from God, was a faithful city, full of righteousness, the Prophet now says that when she has been chastised, the same virtues will be illustriously displayed in her.

Here, too, the essence of true repentance is expressed. For by righteousness, uprightness is meant, where everyone obtains what belongs to them, and people live with each other without committing injury.

The word faithful has a still more extensive meaning. For when a city is called faithful, it means not only that justice and honesty between people are observed, but also that the purity of God’s worship is maintained; therefore, the purity and integrity of the mind are included under that designation.

However, it must also be observed that justice springs from this faithfulness. For when we adhere to truth in our mutual dealings, justice easily prevails.

Indeed, when I closely examine the whole passage, I think that the Prophet now employs the word faithfulness in a more limited sense than previously, connecting the two virtues as leading to the same end, so that while truth comes first as the cause, justice is its effect.

Isaiah promises not only that she will be righteous and faithful, but also that she will be distinguished by these commendations, meaning that the knowledge or reputation of this will be spread everywhere. We know that hypocrites, too, are adorned with honorable titles; but Isaiah, having introduced God as speaking, assumes that the city will actually be righteous, as it is foretold she will be. Meanwhile, as I have said, He describes the fruit of a true conversion, as if He had said, “When Jerusalem is brought back to true godliness, people will be persuaded that she is renewed.”