Isa. 58 The Jews’ hypocrisy in their fasts, Isa. 58:1–5. A true fast described, Isa. 58:6–7. Promises to godliness, Isa. 58:8–12; to the keeping of the sabbath, Isa. 58:13–14.

The prophet having in the foregoing chapter noted and censured divers gross miscarriages of the Jews, proceeds upon the same subject in this chapter, and in God’s name expostulates with them for other misdemeanours.

They seek me daily; they cover all their wickedness with a profession of religion, from time to time resorting to my house, pretending to ask counsel of me, and to desire and seek my favour and blessing. Delight to know my ways: either, 1.

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? They complain of hard usage from God, that although they prayed, and fasted, and kept the rest of God’s ordinances, all which are synecdochically comprehended under the title of fasting, all their labour was lost, and God neither regarded nor…

Ye fast for strife and debate; your fasting days, wherein you ought in a special manner to implore the mercy of God, and to show compassion to men, you employ in a great measure in injuring or quarrelling with your brethren, your servants, or debtors, or in contriving mischief against them, as if…

That I have chosen; approve of, accept, or delight in, by a metonymy, because we delight in what we freely choose. A day for a man to afflict his soul; or, to afflict his soul for a day.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? or, approve, as before, Isa. 58:5; or, Ought not such a fast to be accompanied with such things as these? where he is now about to show the concomitants of a true fast, with reference to the thing in hand, namely, to exercise works of charity, consisting…

Is it, viz. the fast that pleaseth me, supplied from the former verse. Having showed the evil they are to abstain from in order to an acceptable fast, viz. cruelty, he here speaks of the duty that is required, viz. mercy, as a manifestation of repentance, Dan. 4:27, Luke 19:8.

Thy light: it is put in general for all happiness and prosperity; as all kind of adversity and calamity is set forth and resembled by darkness: but here more particularly for a comfortable and free estate after their dark and calamitous condition in the Babylonish captivity; for the like reason…

They make great complaint, Isa. 58:3, that God took no notice of their services, which complaint God seems now to satisfy: q.d. These conditions observed, call upon me, and thou shalt see I will regard, Ps. 34:15, Isa. 1:18.

Draw out; or, open; as when we break open a store or magazine to satisfy the wants of the needy: it implies bounty and liberality. A phrase contrary to that of shutting up of the bowels, 1 John 3:17. Thy soul; thy affection, i.e.

Shall guide thee, viz. like a shepherd, Ps. 23:1–3; or, as the Vulgate; shall give thee rest; and so it may relate to the rest that God would give them in Judea, upon their return from captivity, as answering to their complaints in Babylon, Lam. 5:5.

They that shall be of thee, i.e. either, 1. A remnant of thee among the captivity, that shall be as persons raised from the dead; or, 2. Thy posterity, expressed thus, because they sprang or proceeded from them. The old waste places, Heb. wastes of eternity, i.e.

If thou turn away thy foot: this is taken either properly, i.e. If thou take no unnecessary journeys, or do any servile works, either of hand or foot, that are forbidden on the sabbath day, the instrument being here put for the work; or metaphorically, i.e.

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord: this hath reference to the foregoing verse. If thou wilt delight thyself in the sabbath, then thou shalt delight in the God of the sabbath; or thou shalt have cause to delight in the Lord, viz.