Isaiah 44:3-5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

For I will pour water— A general promise of help and protection appearing less efficacious, God promises something more great and sublime to his church: for when that church might appear to apprehend nothing but destruction amid so many calamities, the Almighty promises to it, both a remarkable enlargement of its body, that is, the mystical body of Christ, and also the spiritual blessings of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, to be poured forth abundantly upon the enlarged church. This promise is two-fold: In the third verse we have, first, the spiritual blessing to be imparted to the seed of the church; and secondly, the fruit of that blessing, in the wonderful increase of the church; which consists of two articles; the former of which describes this increase of the spiritual state of believers metaphorically, Isaiah 44:4 and the latter literally, without any figure, Isaiah 44:5. See on chap. xllii. 7. Every one must clearly discern the completion of this prophesy in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the wonderful effusion of the Spirit upon the first believers, with its reference particularly to that covenant in baptism, when the baptized in effect subscribe with their hand unto the Lord, and surname themselves with the name of Christian. But the prophesy probably includes also the great out-pouring of the Spirit in the latter days. See Vitringa.

Isaiah 44:3-5

3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.