John Gill Commentary Isaiah 58:9

John Gill Commentary

Isaiah 58:9

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Isaiah 58:9

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;" — Isaiah 58:9 (ASV)

Then you shall call, and the Lord shall answer. A spirit of grace and supplication will be poured out upon the people of God; they will then pray without a form, and call upon the Lord in sincerity and truth, with faith and fervency; and the Lord will hear and answer them, and plentifully bestow his favours on them, so that they will have no reason to complain, as in (Isaiah 58:3).

you shall cry, and he shall say, here I am. He will immediately appear to the help and relief of his people; they shall have his presence with them, to comfort and refresh them, to support and supply them, to protect and defend them.

if you take away from the midst of you the yoke of human inventions, doctrines, rites and ceremonies, as in (Isaiah 58:6); "the putting forth of the finger"; pointing at those that could not comply with them, by way of scorn and derision, as puritans, schismatics and persecuting them for it; and so is the same with smiting with the fist of wickedness, (Isaiah 58:4);

when this deriding and persecuting spirit is done away, then, and not till then, will the prayers of a people be heard, though under a profession of religion, and under the Protestant name: and speaking vanity; which also must be taken away, or desisted from; even speaking false doctrines, as the Syriac version; or which profits not, as the Vulgate Latin version; profane and vain babblings, (2 Timothy 2:14 2 Timothy 2:15), and threatening words, to such who will not receive them.