Isaiah 4:4 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth, &c. This shall be accomplished when God shall have thoroughly cleansed the Jewish nation from their sins; and shall have purged away the blood of Jerusalem The sins of cruelty and oppression, (Isaiah 5:7,) or of bloodshed and murder, particularly in killing the prophets, and persecuting God's servants. By the spirit of judgment and burning By the effects of his justice and wrath in punishing them severely; by making them pass through the furnace of affliction, as it is expressed Isaiah 48:10: or the Holy Spirit's influences may be chiefly intended, especially as this mode of purification is opposed to the legal way, which was by water. The Holy Spirit may well be called a spirit of judgment, because he executes judgment in the church, and in the consciences of men, convincing sinners of sin, leading them to judge and condemn themselves, and humbling them before God. And the same Spirit may be properly called a spirit of burning, because he burns up and consumes the dross which is in the church, and in the hearts of sinners, operates like refiners' fire, purges believers as gold and silver are purged, (Malachi 3:3,) inflames their souls with love to God and zeal for his glory, and transforms them into his holy nature and image. This was effectually done with respect to those Jews that embraced the gospel in the early days of Christianity.