Isa. 52 The church redeemed, and called upon to rejoice therein, Isa. 52:1–6. The universal preaching of the gospel glorious, Isa. 52:7–10. A call to free ourselves from bondage, Isa. 52:11–12. Christ’s kingdom shall be exalted, Isa. 52:13–15.

Awake, awake; put on thy strength: God biddeth his church do that which she entreated him to do, Isa. 51:9. And because God’s word is operative, and effectual, and his sayings are doings, this is a prediction and promise what she should do, that she should awake or arise out of her low estate, and…

Shake thyself from the dust, in which thou hast lain as a prisoner, or sat as a mourner. Sit down upon thy throne. Or, sit up, as this word is rendered, Gen. 27:19. Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck; the yoke of thy captivity shall be taken off from thee.

Ye have sold yourselves, by your sins, into the hands of the Chaldeans, for nought; without any price or valuable consideration paid by them, either to you or to me, your Lord and Owner. Ye shall be redeemed without money; without paying any ransom.

My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; where they had protection and sustenance, and therefore owed subjection to the king of Egypt. And yet when he oppressed them I punished him severely, and delivered them out of his hands. Which is easily understood from the following words.

What have I here? Heb. What to me here? the sense is either, 1. What do I here? Why do I sit still here, and not go to Babylon to punish the Babylonians, and to deliver my people? Or, 2.

My people shall know my name; they shall have sensible experience of my infinite power and goodness in fighting for them and against you; whereby they shall be able to put your blasphemous tongues to silence.

How beautiful! these are words of rejoicing and admiration. They are exceeding precious and acceptable. Upon the mountains of Zion and Moriah, which are sometimes mentioned as one mountain, and sometimes as two.

Thy watchmen, thy ministers, who shall descry the approach and coming of this heavenly King and kingdom, shall lift up the voice; partly to give notice to all people of these glad tidings; and partly by way of exultation, to sing forth the praises of God for this glorious day and mercy, as it here…

For you shall be restored unto your former and a far greater fertility.

Hath made bare his holy arm; hath discovered and put forth his great power, which for a long time hath lain hid, and seemed to be idle. All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God; all nations of the world shall with astonishment behold the wonderful work of God, first in bringing…

Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence; make haste, O ye banished Jews, to depart out of Babylon into your own land, that there I may meet with you, and bless you, and perform those further and greater things which I have promised there to do for you.

For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; but securely, and in triumph, being conducted by your great Captain, the Lord of hosts. And therefore you will have both the greater obligation, and the more leisure and opportunity, to cleanse yourselves from all filthiness.

This is the beginning of a new prophecy, which is continued from hence to the end of the next chapter; and therefore it is well observed by divers, both ancient and modern interpreters, that the fifty-third chapter should have begun here. My servant. Quest.

Were astonished; were struck with wonder, either, 1. At his glorious endowments, and the excellency and power of his doctrine, and his miraculous works. Or rather, 2.

So; his exaltation shall be answerable to his humiliation. Shall he sprinkle; either, 1. With his blood, which is called the blood of sprinkling, Heb. 12:24; or, shall justify them, as it follows, Isa. 53:11, which is frequently expressed by washing, as Ps. 51:2, Ps. 51:7, Ezek.