John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 52:1

"Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean." — Isaiah 52:1 (ASV)

Awake, awake. He confirms the former doctrine, to further arouse the people who had been weighed down by grief and sorrow. These things needed to be added as spurs, so that the doctrine might more easily penetrate their drowsy and stupefied hearts. For he addresses the Church, which appeared to be in a numb and drowsy condition, and commands her to “awake,” so that she might collect her strength and revive her courage. He repeats it a second time, and very appropriately, for it is difficult to arouse and reanimate those whose hearts have been struck, and even laid prostrate, by a sense of God’s anger.

Put on your strength. As if he had said, “Formerly you were dejected, and wallowed in filth and pollution; now prepare for a happy and prosperous condition, to which the Lord will restore you.” Thus he contrasts “strength” with despondency, such as is usually found when affairs are desperate; and he contrasts garments of beauty with filth and pollution.

For henceforth there shall no longer come to you. The reason he assigned is that from now on God will not permit wicked men to indulge their sinful inclinations for destroying it. Freed from their tyranny, the Church already has cause to rejoice, and security for the future offers solid ground for joy and gladness.

Yet Isaiah exhorts us to mutual congratulation when God is reconciled to his Church. Indeed, if we have any piety in us, we ought to be deeply affected by her condition, so that we rejoice in her prosperity and are grieved in her adversity. In short, it ought to be the height of our gladness, as the Psalmist also says,

Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember you, and if you are not the crown of my gladness (Psalms 137:6).

By the word come, he means what we commonly express by the phrase (Avoir e entree,) “to have access.”

By the uncircumcised and unclean, he means all irreligious persons who corrupt the worship of God and oppress consciences by tyranny. It was customary to apply the term “uncircumcised” to all who were estranged from the Church, which had for its symbol “circumcision,” by which all believers were distinguished. But as very many people, though they bore this outward mark of the covenant, were not better than others, to remove all doubt, he added the word “unclean;” for the mark of circumcision is nothing in itself, (Galatians 5:6) and (unless, as Paul says, purity of heart is added) is even reckoned uncircumcision. (Romans 2:25).

Accordingly, he declares that from now on such people will not be admitted into the Church, so that, by the removal of corruptions and the restoration of the worship of God, she may possess perfect joy. Yet I do not object to viewing these words as applied to external foes, whom he calls by hateful names, so that even the severity of the punishment may warn the Jews of the heinousness of their offenses.