John Gill Commentary Isaiah 62

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's
sake I will not rest By Zion and Jerusalem, the church in Gospel times is meant, as it often is in this book, and elsewhere; see (Hebrews 12:22) , for whose glory, prosperity, and safety, a concern is here expressed. Some take them to be the words of God himself, as the Targum and Kimchi; who seems to be silent and at rest, and even as it were asleep, when he does not arise and exert himself on the behalf of his people; but here he declares he would not be as one silent and at rest, nor let the kingdoms and nations of the world be at rest until the deliverer of his people was come, either Cyrus the type, or Christ the antitype: others take them to be the words of Israel in captivity, as Aben Ezra; though he afterwards observes they are the words of God, or of the church of God, soliciting her own restoration, prosperity, and glory.

but they are the words of the prophet, expressing his great love and affection for the church, and his importunate desire of her happiness, intimating that he would never leave off praying for it till it was completed; not that he expected to live till the Messiah came, or to see the glory of the latter day, and of the church in it; but the sense is, that he would continue praying for it without ceasing as long as he lived, and he knew his prayers and his prophecies would live after he was dead; and that there would be persons raised up in the church that would succeed him in this work, till all the glorious things promised and prophesied of should be accomplished:

until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness ; meaning either till the church's innocence is made as clear as the brightness of the sun at noonday, and she is vindicated from the calumnies and reproaches cast upon her, and open vengeance is taken on her enemies by the Lord, from whom her righteousness is, and by whom her wrongs will be righted; or until the righteousness of Christ, which is by imputation her righteousness, is wrought out by him and revealed in the Gospel, and she appears to all to be clothed with it, as with the sun, (Revelation 12:1) , which will be the case when to her shall be given to be arrayed openly with that fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints, and will be the time of her open marriage to the Lamb, (Revelation 19:7–9) ,

and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth ; which gives light, and is seen afar off; her open deliverance from all her enemies, Pagan, Papal, and Mahometan; and her salvation by Jesus Christ, which will be more clearly published in the Gospel ministry in the latter day, and more openly seen and enjoyed in the effects of it.

The Vulgate Latin version of this and the preceding clause is, ``until her righteous one goes forth as brightness, and her Saviour as a lamp that burneth;'' meaning Christ the righteous, and the Saviour of his body the church, who in his first coming was as a burning and shining light, even like the sun, the light of the world; and whose spiritual coming will be in such a glorious manner, that he will destroy antichrist with the brightness of it, and is therefore very desirable, (2 Thessalonians 2:8) .

The Targum of the whole is, ``till I work salvation for Zion, I will give no rest to the people; and till consolation comes to Jerusalem, I will not let the kingdoms rest, till her light is revealed as the morning, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth.''

And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness
The innocence of her case, and the justness of her cause, and the vengeance taken on her enemies, all being so clear as before declared; as well as her justifying righteousness, which being published in the Gospel to the Gentiles, they shall see it, embrace it, and shall be justified by it, (Romans 1:17) (3:30) or "your righteous One", as the Vulgate Latin version, Christ:

and all kings your glory ;
or, "your glorious One", as the same version; her Lord in whom she glories, and who is a glory to her, whom kings shall fall down before and worship, (Psalms 72:10Psalms 72:11) or the glorious state of the church, which shall draw the eyes of kings unto it, and who shall promote it by bringing their glory into it, (Isaiah 60:1–3) (49:23) (Revelation 21:24) .

Vitringa thinks all this refers to the times of Constantine, before which kings had not seen the glory of the church, nor had she seen kings subject to her; but now they began to see the glory of the kingdom of Christ: but it is better to interpret it of the latter day, when not only kings begin to see, not a few of them, but all in general shall see it:

and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord
shall name ;
either "Jehovah Shammah", "The Lord is there"; his presence being among his church and people at this time in a remarkable manner, (Ezekiel 48:35) or Jehovah our righteousness; this being most clearly revealed, as before observed, (Jeremiah 33:16) or Christ, to whom she is so closely united, and so nearly allied, as to have his name on her, (1 Corinthians 12:12) or the church, and church of God, and of Christ, names only to be met with in the New Testament, and under the Gospel dispensation; or the name of Christians from Christ, (Acts 11:26) , or, as is more commonly received, the name of the sons of God, which the church of converted Jews shall have in the latter day, when the name of "Loammi" is taken off from them, (Hosea 1:10) , and to this passage there may be an allusion in (Revelation 2:17) (3:12) .

This name is a new name; a renewed one, at the time of regeneration and faith, which was anciently provided in predestination, and bestowed in the covenant of grace; a renowned one, better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentates, and attended with various privileges; a wonderful name, an instance of marvellous grace in God, who stood in no need of adopted ones, and to them so unworthy of it; and which is ever new, and will always continue; this blessing of grace is of God, and not of men, and is to be ascribed to the grace of God, Father, Son and Spirit.

Kimchi makes this new name to be "Hephzibah", (Isaiah 62:4) , not amiss.

You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord ,
&c.] The church and her members are glorious in themselves, through the righteousness of Christ put uponthem; through the grace of Christ wrought in them; and through the honour they are raised to, being madekings and priests to God, all which will be more manifest in the latter day: and they are a glory to theLord; there is a glory arises to him from their election, redemption, sanctification, and glorification, andfrom the ascriptions of glory made to him; and they are regarded by him as a crown is by a prince; as acrown of massy gold, stuck with jewels, is rich and valuable, so are they in the eyes of Christ; they aredear and precious to him; high in his esteem; which he will not suffer to be trampled upon, or to be takenaway from him, no more than a prince will suffer his crown to be so used or lost: and these are "in" his"hand" as such, which he holds in his hand, and looks at with pleasure and delight, and which he preservesand keeps safe and secure:

or, "by the hand of the Lord" ^F6 ; and then the sense is, that thechurch and its members should become so glorious, through his hand communicating grace and glory to them,through the operations of his hand, and the wonderful effects of his power on them:

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God ;
the same thing expressed in different words, for the further confirmation and illustration of it.

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: (hwhy dyb) "per manum Jovae", Gataker.

You shall no more be termed Forsaken
That is, of the Lord her God, as she had seemed to be to others, and thought to be so by herself, (Isaiah 49:14); not having so much of his gracious presence as is desirable; sensible communion with him being withheld; the word and ordinances not owned and blessed, or very little; and few souls converted; and the interest of Christ, labouring under many difficulties and discouragements, under the reproaches and persecutions of men, and so looked as if forsaken of God.

But in the latter day all these complaints shall be removed; and the presence of God will be very manifest in his churches, and among his people; and they will appear to be his care and charge; see (Isaiah 60:15):

neither shall your land any more be termed Desolate ;
as the Gentile world was before the preaching of the Gospel in it; and as the land of Israel now is, and the Jewish people are, having rejected the Messiah, and continuing in impenitence and unbelief; and as the church of Christ is, when the word and ordinances are neglected, or little success attends them.

But now more shall be the children of the desolate than of the married wife; many souls shall be born again in Zion, and many sons and daughters brought there, and brought up there, and therefore shall not be called desolate, (Isaiah 49:19–21) (54:1) :

but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ;
the former of these was the name of Hezekiah's mother, (2 Kings 21:1) and a fit name for the church of Christ, who is pleasant to him for delights, (Song of Solomon 7:6) and the latter well agrees with her being married to Christ. The meaning of these names is explained in the next clause; or the reason of their being given: for the Lord delights in you, and your land is married ;
the former explains "Hephzibah", which signifies "my delight is in her"; Christ delighted in his church from everlasting, as they were the objects of his own and his Father's love; as chosen in him, and given to him as his spouse and bride, (Proverbs 8:31) and he delights in them in time, as clothed with his righteousness, washed in his blood, and adorned with the graces of his Spirit; he delights in their company, to hear their voice, and see their countenance; they are the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight, (Psalms 16:2) , and he will delight in them hereafter, in the spiritual reign, when he will glorify and beautify them, and make them an eternal excellency, (Isaiah 60:7Isaiah 60:13Isaiah 60:15) , and in the personal reign, when they shall be as a bride adorned for her husband, and his tabernacle shall be among them, and he will reign with them, and they with him; during which time he will be presenting them to himself, and delighting in them, as a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, (Revelation 21:2Revelation 21:3) (Ephesians 5:27) and in heaven to all eternity.

The latter clause explains "Beulah", which signifies "married", as the church secretly was to Christ from all eternity; in the latter day the espousals of her to him will be more open and manifest; then the marriage of the Lamb will be come, and it will more clearly appear that she is in such a state, by the numerous converts in her, or sons and daughters that will be born in her to Christ, both of Jews and Gentiles, (Revelation 19:7Revelation 19:8) (Isaiah 66:8) .

For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry thee
As a young man, having married a virgin, possesses and enjoys her, and lives and dwells with her in great harmony and love, having a delight and complacency in her, there being a suitableness in her person and age; so those that are born in Zion, and brought up there, have communion with the church, and enjoy the ordinances of it; dwell and continue with her, and delight in her fellowship, ways, and worship; and have their hearts knit in love to her, professing the same faith, joining in the same worship, and walking with her in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

So the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it ^F7 , "as a young man dwells with a virgin, so your sons shall dwell in thee"; as does the Targum in like manner; and so Jarchi interprets it; for it seems exceeding disagreeable for sons to marry their mother; nor can there be an allusion to such an incestuous practice; rather it should be rendered, "as a young man has a virgin, your sons shall have thee" ^F8 ; have union to and communion with the church, and share in all the pleasures, privileges, and immunities of it:

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God
rejoice over thee ;
Christ is the Lord God of his church and people; Immanuel, God with us; and he stands in the relation of a bridegroom to them, and they in the relation of a bride to him; and as such he rejoices over them with exceeding great joy, and that to do them good; so he rejoiced over them from all eternity, when first betrothed to him; and so he does in time, in redemption: this was the joy set before him, which animated him to bear the cross, and despise the shame of it; namely, that those would be redeemed, and saved by him, and brought to glory; he rejoices at the conversion of them, and will present them to himself with joy in the spiritual and personal reign, and to his Father at the last day; and particularly, what is meant here, there will be such a profusion of blessings on the church in the latter day, as will abundantly show the joy of Christ in his people.

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: (kai wv bunoikwn neaniskov paryenw, outw katoikhsousin oi uioi bou) , Sept.; "habitabit enim juvenis cum virgine, et habitabunt in te filii tui", V. L.
• F8: "Nam ut habet juvenis virginem, habebunt te filii tui", Cocceius.