John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 45:8

"Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I, Jehovah, have created it." — Isaiah 45:8 (ASV)

Drop down dew from above. Some think that a form of prayer is added here, which believers were to use while they were waiting for the redemption described. They connect this verse with the preceding one as follows: “The Lord will not deliver you so quickly, but it is still your duty to be diligently engaged in prayer.” However, I interpret it differently. The Prophet consistently speaks in the name of God, who, exercising His authority, calls on heaven and earth to contribute their services to the restoration of the Church.

This verse is powerfully suited to confirm the godly in the hope of future redemption. For the people, wherever they looked, saw nothing but despair. If they turned their eyes toward heaven, there they beheld the wrath of God; if toward the earth, there they also saw afflictions and chastisements. Therefore, nothing that could lead them to have favorable hope was visible. On this account, the Prophet confirms them and commands heaven and earth—which offered nothing but threatenings and terrors—to bring forth salvation and righteousness. This is more emphatic than if he merely promised that it will be so, for here all the elements, ready to obey God, receive orders about what He wishes them to do. In this way, the discourse flows continuously, whereas it would be abruptly broken if we understood this passage as a prayer.

And let the clouds drop righteousness. This type of expression is frequently used in Scripture. For example: And the mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills righteousness (Psalms 72:3).

And again: Piety and truth met together, righteousness and peace kissed each other; truth shall spring from the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven (Psalms 85:10–11). David uses this to describe the kingdom of Christ and its prosperity, showing that in it “righteousness, peace, mercy, and truth, shall be joined together.” This passage from Isaiah also addresses the same subject.

There is an allusion here to the ordinary food of people, who subsist on bread and other products of the soil, as their life requires such sustenance. For the earth to bring forth fruit, it must receive its vigor from heaven and draw water from the clouds to be made fertile; then it will produce herbs and fruits for both humans and animals.

By the word righteousness, the Prophet means nothing other than the faithfulness with which the Lord defends and preserves His people. The Lord thus drops down from heaven righteousness—that is, well-established order, of which salvation is the fruit. For the Prophet speaks of the deliverance of the people from Babylon, in which the Lord shows that He will be their protector. Yet, while we understand the Prophet’s natural meaning, we must also consider the kingdom of Christ, to which these words undoubtedly carry spiritual significance. God does not limit these promises to a few years but continues His favors until the coming of Christ, in whom all these things were abundantly fulfilled. There can be no doubt, therefore, that the Prophet also celebrates that eternal righteousness and salvation brought to us by Christ. However, we should first note the straightforward interpretation concerning the return from the Babylonian captivity.