John Gill Commentary Isaiah 49:2

"and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close:" — Isaiah 49:2 (ASV)

And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword
Or, "he has put his words in my mouth as a sharp sword," as the Targum; namely, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and is sharper than a twoedged sword, and is said to come out of the mouth of Christ, (Ephesians 6:17) (Hebrews 4:12) (Revelation 1:16), with which he pierces into and cuts the hearts of men, and lays open all their sin and unrighteousness, and cuts down the worst and best in men, and slays all his enemies; so his mouth was as a sharp sword in the days of his flesh, to inveigh against the sins and to refute the errors of the Scribes and Pharisees; as it will be, in the latter day, to smite the nations of the earth, (Revelation 19:15Revelation 19:21):

in the shadow of his hand has he hid me; in his counsels and purposes of old, and in his providence; "in the shadow of his power has he protected me," as the Targum; thus he hid, and protected him from Herod's cruelty in his infancy; and from the rage and malice of the Scribes and Pharisees, who sought often to lay hands on him, and take away his life before his time. The Jews talk very much of the Messiah's being hid under the throne of glory. Aben Ezra's remark, that the phrase, "he has hid me", answers to the scabbard of a sword, before mentioned, is not amiss:

and made me a polished shaft;
or, "choice arrow" ^F19; which being polished at the point, or well oiled, and shining, pierces the deeper, So the doctrines of Christ, the words of his mouth, are compared to bright and sharp arrows, which make cutting work, and give great pain where they come; as they sometimes do like arrows, swiftly, suddenly, and with great force and power, (Psalms 45:5). Kimchi observes, that he speaks of a sharp sword with respect to the Jews that were near, where a sword could reach them; and of a polished shaft or arrow with respect to the Gentiles afar off, which must be cast after them:

in his quiver has he hid me,
meaning his secret purposes, and his powerful protection, as before; which he compares to a quiver, a case in which arrows are put, because mention has been made of a polished shaft or arrow before.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F19: (rwrb Ux) (belov eklekton) Sept. "sagittam electam", V. L. "telum electum", Cocceius; "sagittam nitidam vel electam", Vitringa.