Isa. 26 A song of praise and confidence in God, for the blessings of righteousness, judgments on their enemies, and favour to his people: their chastisement, repentance, and hope.

In that day, when God shall do such glorious works for the comfort of his people, and for the ruin of his and their enemies, as he hath described in the foregoing chapter.

Open ye the gates of the city, mentioned Isa. 26:1. The righteous nation; either, 1. Those godly Jews who are returning from Babylon; or, 2. The whole body of righteous and holy men, whether Jews or Gentiles.

Heb. The fixed thought or mind (i.e. the man whose mind and thoughts are fixed and settled upon thee by faith as the next clause explains it, the qualifications being put for the person so qualified, as folly and wisdom are put for a fool and a wise man, Prov. 24:9, Mic.

For ever; in all times and conditions. Everlasting strength, Heb. the Rock of ages; a sure refuge to all those that trust in him, through all generations; therefore you may safely trust in him, and that for ever.

He bringeth down, Heb. he hath brought down, which yet may be put for the future, he will bring down, &c. You may trust him; for he can and doth raise some, and throw down others, according to his own good pleasure.

God will bring it under the feet of his poor, and weak, and despised people.

Is uprightness; or, most even or plain. Heb. evenness or plainness. Which is understood either, 1. Of the rectitude or goodness of his actions or course; or rather, 2. Of the good success of his affairs; for this suits best with the coherence.

Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee: and as we thy people have loved and served thee when thou hast made our way plain and easy for us; so we have not forsaken thee, but waited upon thee, when thou hast made it rugged and troublesome by thy judgments.

With my soul; sincerely and most affectionately, as Ps. 63:1, and elsewhere. Have I: the prophet speaks this in the name of all God’s people, by comparing this with the foregoing verse. In the night; either, 1.

Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness, this is the carriage of thy people; but the course of wicked men is directly contrary in all conditions; for if thou dost spare them, when thou punishest thine own people, they will not accept of that gracious invitation to…

When thy hand is lifted up, they will not see; and they are guilty of the same obstinate blindness when thou dost smite and punish them, which is commonly signified by lifting up the hand, as Ezek. 44:12, Mic. 5:9, 2 Sam. 20:21, 1 Kings 11:26.

Thou wilt ordain peace for us; as thou wilt destroy thine and our enemies, so thou wilt bless us thy people with peace and prosperity. All our works; either, 1. All the good works done by us, which are the effects of thy grace; or rather, 2.

Other lords beside thee; others besides thee, who art our only Judge, and King, and Lawgiver, Isa. 33:22, and besides those governors who have been set up by thee, and have ruled us for thee, and in subordination to thee, even foreign and heathenish lords, such as the Philistines, and lately the…

They shall not rise; those tyrants and enemies are utterly and irrecoverably destroyed, so as they shall never live or rise again to molest us. Possibly he speaks of the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib’s army before Jerusalem.

Thou hast increased the nation, Heb. Thou hast added to the nation; which may be understood either, 1. In way of mercy, of adding to their numbers, as our translation takes it; and so we have in effect the same phrase 2 Sam. 24:3, The Lord add to the people, &c., and Ps.

They, to wit, thy people, as appears both from the matter of this verse, and from the following verses. Visited thee; come into thy presence, with their prayers and supplications, as the next clause explains it.

So have we been, such was our anguish and danger, in thy sight; whilst thou didst only look upon us like a mere spectator, without affording us the least degree of pity or help.

We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have had the torment of a woman in child-bearing, but not the comfort of a living child, John 16:21, for we have brought forth nothing but wind; all our labours and hopes were vain and unsuccessful.

Thy dead men shall live. The prophet here turneth his speech to God’s people, and gives them a cordial to support them in their deep distress, expressed in the foregoing verse. Thy dead men are not like those Isa. 26:14, for they shall not live, as I there said; but thine shall live.

Having foretold the wonderful deliverance and great happiness of God’s people, and the utter destruction of their enemies, lest they should think they were now entering into the possession of this felicity, he adds what here follows, and intimates, that for the present they were to expect storms,…

Cometh out of his place; cometh down from heaven; which God in Scripture is frequently said to do, when he undertaketh any great and glorious work, either of delivering his people, or of destroying their enemies.