Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Ver. 1. Who hath believed our retort?] q.d., The Gentiles, some of them, even of their potentates, have believed our report concerning the Messiah: Isa 52:13-15 but, Lord, how few Jews will give credit to what we have said? Albeit this chapter may not unfitly be called "The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Isaiah"; a and things are here set down so plainly that Augustine thinks they need no exposition; yet those buzzards, the later Rabbis, cannot, or rather will not, see that the prophet speaketh here all along concerning Christ; but do strangely writhe, wring, and wrest his words to a wrong sense, applying them, some to Moses, some to Ezra, some to Joshua, the son of Josadak, &c. John Isaac, indeed, the Jew, confesseth of himself, as hath been said before, that by pondering upon this chapter he was converted to the Christian religion. The like we read of some few others in Andreas Bayna and Cornelius a Lapide. But the Jews themselves will tell you, falsely and maliciously, that such pretended proselytes are not of them, but poor Christians hired by us to impersonate their part. Such a thick veil is still before their eyes, such a hard hoof upon their hearts, till God pleases, by his own holy arm made bare, to remove it. "They could not" - that is, they would not - "believe." Joh 12:39 "They have not all" - nay, scarce any in comparison - "obeyed the gospel," Rom 10:16 but blasphemously call it Avengelaion, a volume of vanity, scorning to be saved by a crucified God, although by mighty miracles wrought among them he showed himself to be the Son of God, and an arm to save all who believe in his name. Joh 12:37
And to whom is the arm of the Lord?] i.e., His gospel, which is his power to salvation, Rom 1:16 and is hid only to them that perish. 2Co 4:3
a Lib. i. De Consens. Evang., cap. 31.