John Gill Commentary Isaiah 52:2

John Gill Commentary

Isaiah 52:2

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Isaiah 52:2

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit [on thy throne], O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion." — Isaiah 52:2 (ASV)

Shake yourself from the dust
Or "the dust from you" F7 , in which she had sat, or rolled herself as a mourner; or where she had been trampled upon by her persecutors and oppressors; but now being delivered from them, as well as from all carnal professors and false teachers, she is called upon to shake herself from the dust of debasement and distress, of false doctrine, superstition, and will worship, in every form and shape, a great deal of which adheres to those churches called reformed. Arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem ;
or "sit up", as it may be rendered; arise from your low estate, from the ground and dust where you are cast;``and sit upon the throne of your glory,'' so the Targum: it denotes the exaltation of the church from a low to a high estate, signified by the ascension of the witnesses to heaven, (Revelation 11:12) .

Some render it, "arise, O captivity"; or "captive" F8 ; so the word is used in (Isaiah 49:24Isaiah 49:25) and agrees with what follows: loose yourself from the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion ;
or loose you "the bands off your neck from you"; which seems to denote the people of God in mystical Babylon, a little before its destruction, who will be called out of it, as they afterwards are in this chapter; and to throw off the Romish yoke, and release themselves from that captivity and bondage they have been brought into by the man of sin, who now himself shall be led captive, (Revelation 13:10) .


FOOTNOTES:

  • F7: (rpem yrenth) "exute pulverem a te", Sanctius, Gataker.
  • F8: (ybv ymwq) "surge captivas", Forerius; so Ben Melech interprets it.