With songs and everlasting joy... — The first volume of Isaiah’s prophecy closes fitly with this transcendent picture, carrying the thoughts of men beyond any possible earthly fulfilment. The outward imagery probably had its starting-point in the processions of the pilgrims who came up to the Temple singing psalms, like those known as the “songs of degrees” at their successive halting-places (Psalms 120-134).
Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. — The words have a special interest as being the closing utterance of Isaiah’s political activity, written, therefore, probably, in his old age, and in the midst of much trouble, whether he wrote at the close of Hezekiah’s reign, or the beginning of Manasseh’s, which must have been sufficiently dark and gloomy. (See 2 Chronicles 32:26; 2 Chronicles 33:1-10.) The hopes of the prophet were, however, inextinguishable, and they formed a natural starting-point for the words: “Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people,” with which the second collection opens, the intermediate Chapter s being obviously of the nature of an historical appendix. They find their echo in Revelation 7:17, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”