Isaiah 54:1-17 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

LIV. Zion shall be Restored to her Place as Yahweh's Wife, Never again to be Rejected. The poet pictures Zion as a barren wife, left desolate by her husband. Let her break into transports of joy, for Yahweh promises that her children shall yet be more than the children of a wife not deserted so many that her tent must be enlarged. He bids her stretch forth her tent-hangings (so LXX), without stint lengthening the cords and strengthening the tent-pegs to support the larger tent. For Zion's inhabitants shall overflow south and north, overrunning other nations and peopling the deserted cities. Let Zion not blush for shame: the shame of her early days as Yahweh's bride the Egyptian captivity and her widowhood the exile, when her husband, Yahweh, forsook her shall be forgotten. For Yahweh has called her to Him, as a husband summons to his favour a wife neglected and dejected the Heb. forsaken and grieved is an assonance. A wife of youth that she should be utterly rejected! it cannot be (such seems to be the meaning) saith thy God. The underlying idea is that of a wife in a harem, neglected for other wives, to whom, as his first bride, the husband inevitably returns. The time of exile shall seem but a moment when Zion looks back from the standpoint of the exiles gathered in their mother city. In anger (delete overflowing) He has turned from her, but with everlasting kindness He will compassionate her. His promise is like that He made in the days (mg.) of Noah, that never again should a deluge come, more steadfast than the everlasting hills.

Isaiah 54:3. Heb. uses right and left where we use south and north.

Isaiah 54:5. Probably a gloss.

Isaiah 54:11-17. The Glories of the New Jerusalem. Yahweh pictures for the disconsolate Zion the beauties of the rebuilt city. He will set her bases (so read for stones) in malachite (so emending fair colours), her foundations in sapphires. Her pinnacles shah be rubies, her gates carbuncles, her encircling wall of precious stones. All the builders of the state (Yahweh Himself rebuilds the city) shall be instructed by Yahweh; her prosperity and welfare shall be great and permanent. She shall be far from being oppressed, for there shall be nought for her to fear (Isaiah 54:15 is a gloss capable of many translations; the general idea is that Zion's enemies shall be conquered), because Yahweh hath made equally the smith who as a matter of craftsmanship (so render for his work) forges weapons, and the destroying tyrant who uses them on his ravaging expeditions, and having created them to serve His purposes can control them. No weapon can be forged that shall hurt Zion: her enemy in the court of justice she shall prove to be in the wrong (Isaiah 54:17 b is a gloss. Read mg.).

Related Commentaries of Isaiah 54:1

Isaiah 54:1-17

1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.