Isaiah 40:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Comfort ye, &c.— These are the words of the prophet, relating what he saw, or what he heard, in this scene of the manifestation of the kingdom of God, with its signs and concomitants. He relates, that he heard the voice of Jehovah directed to certain ministers of his, commanding them to comfort his people on account of the approaching advent of the kingdom of God. This command is from the Father by the Holy Spirit, and it is directed to those teachers of the church, whose office it is to deliver the word of God, whether it be for reproof, for doctrine, or instruction, according to the various states of the church. And in this case the first preachers of the Gospel are particularly to be understood. The message they were to deliver is this:—Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people; speak ye comfortably to the heart of Jerusalem: that is to say, to the afflicted and heavy-laden; to those who had long panted for the expected salvation: proclaim ye good tidings; things pleasing to hear, and agreeable to their desires; which may deliver them from fear and anxiety, and relieve their burdened hearts. For this is the meaning of the Hebrew phrase, to speak to the heart of any one. Compare Genesis 34:3; Genesis 50:21 in the original. It is evident from the Gospel what consolation was here intended. It was that which the apostle calls everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:16. The matter of this consolation is contained in three articles. The first, in these words, Cry unto her, That her warfare is accomplished; or more properly, "That the determined time of her laborious duty or office is fulfilled." See Mark 1:15. The meaning is, that the determined time of the troublesome duty, labour, and burdensome exercise which the people of God had hitherto undergone, was now past and fulfilled; that the time of dismission into liberty, long wished and hoped for, was at length come. The prophet unquestionably alludes to the whole period of the legal oeconomy; that time which our Lord in St. Mark's gospel declares to be fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God was at hand. See Galatians 4:4. The prophet's ideas here are taken from the station and functions of the priests in the temple, who, like soldiers, had their regular times of duty and discharge from service. Hence not only this service, but almost every other kind of hardship and servitude is called warfare. See Numbers 4:23; Numbers 8:24-25 in the original. The second article is, that her iniquity is pardoned; which is fully explained by Luke 1:77 whence we learn, that a perfect remission of sins should be an attribute of that time of grace, to be opened by the great forerunner of the Messiah. Compare Acts 13:38. The third article is, she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins, There can be no doubt that this passage is to be taken in a good sense. The Chaldee paraphrast renders it, She hath received the cup of consolation from the face of the Lord, as if she had been doubly smitten for her sins: and Vatablus has it, "The Lord will confer upon her many benefits, instead of the punishments which she might have justly suffered for her sins." The full meaning, according to Vitringa is, that God, though he might with great justice punish the sins of his people more severely, yet at this time of grace he would cease from his severity, would forgive their sins, and would crown them with a double portion of his blessings; wherein the prophet seems to refer to that abundance of spiritual gifts with which God would enrich his evangelical church, and whereby believers would have a proof of perfect remission of sins through the great atonement, and a foundation of the most solid comfort. In various places of the New Testament, this abundance of grace and spiritual blessings is spoken of. See particularly 2 Peter 1:3-4.Romans 5:20. John 1:16.