Isaiah 49:1-13 NOTES

Isaiah 49:1-13 - EXEGESIS

WIDER CONTEXT-Servant Songs: Chapters 42-53 of the book of Isaiah contain four Servant Songs. The Servant is God's agent to do God's work in the world.
• The first song (42:1-4) tells of the call of the Servant to "bring justice to the nations" (42:1).
• This song, the second song (49:1-6), further defines the Servant's mission. The Servant is "to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel" (49:6a). Furthermore, God says, "I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth" (49:6b).
• The third song (50:4-9) doesn't use the word, "servant," but nevertheless describes the work and tenacious faith of the Servant. God has given the Servant a tongue to teach and encourage the people (50:4). God has given the servant an ear to hear God and to hear the people (50:5). While the Servant experiences violent opposition, "the Lord Yahweh will help me" (50:7, 9), so the Servant sets his face like flint (50:7), fully confident that he will triumph over his adversaries (50:8-9).
• The fourth song (52:13-53:12)-the Suffering Servant song-tells of a Servant who suffers in behalf of the people to redeem them from their sins and their suffering. This Servant "was pierced for our transgressions" and "by his wounds we are healed" (53:5). "He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn't open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter..., he didn't open his mouth" (53:7). "They made his grave with the wicked" (53:9), but "My righteous servant will justify many by knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities" (53:11).

In the book of Isaiah, the word servant "not infrequently seems to be derived from court style where the official of the king was known as his servant" (Muilenburg, 464). An official of this sort would exercise considerable power on the king's authority. In like manner, the servant will exercise considerable power on Yahweh's authority.

The identity of the servant, who seems to be an individual in some places and a group in others, has been a subject of scholarly debate-with little consensus. Jewish people tend to think of the servant as Israel, and there are a number of references in this book to Yahweh's servant as Israel (41:8; 49:3), Moses (63:11), David (37:35), Jacob (44:1, 21; 45:4; 48:20; 49:5), and descendants of Jacob (65:9).

However, the prophet might have an individual in mind-such as Hezekiah, who is mentioned positively in chapters 36-39, or Cyrus, whom Yahweh chose to free Israel from bondage (44:28; 45:1, 13) (see Blenkinsopp, 210, 212; Watts, 660).

Chapters 54 and 55 continue to flesh out the work of the Servant. They call the people to rejoice, because "the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer" (54:5). They promise that God's "loving kindness shall not depart from you" (54:10). They invite those who thirst, "Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (55:1). They counsel, "Seek Yahweh while he may be found" (55:6). They promise, "For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace (55:12).

IMMEDIATE CONTEXT: Isa. 49:1-6 is a major turning point.... So far the addressee has been Jacob-Israel. Henceforth it will be Jerusalem-Zion. So far Yahweh's promise has thus concerned the fall of Babylon and the end of the Judeans' enforced residence there. Henceforth it will concern the restoring of the city that virtually none of the exiles have ever seen" (Goldingay, 280). These verses focus on the call and the mission of the servant. Then follows Yahweh's promise to bring his children home (49:8-50:3).

ISAIAH 49:1-4. YAHWEH HAS CALLED ME FROM THE WOMB

1 Listen to Me, you islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. 2 He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a sharpened arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver.

3 He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In whom I will show My glory." 4 But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and futility; Nevertheless, the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward is with My God."

"Listen, islands, to me; and listen, you peoples, from far" (v. 1a). The first question is the identity of the one who is speaking. Verses 1b-3 make it clear that it is the servant. However, as noted above, the servant has many identities. Who is this servant? We cannot determine this with precision, but see below on verse 3.
• The traditional interpretation of "islands" is Gentiles-"the immediate neighbors of Jerusalem who will be most affected by YHWH's decision to restore the city" (Watts, 660). Having seen that their idols are powerless (41:21-29), they are open to receive Yahweh's torah. They will welcome Yahweh's teaching. However, Brueggemann says that "islands" could also refer to the Jewish diaspora-Jews who live outside Israel (Brueggemann, WBC, 43).
• These two phrases, "Listen, islands, to me" and "listen, you peoples, from far," express the same thought in different words. This kind of parallel structure is common in Hebrew poetry. Commentaries often call this kind of parallel structure "apposition." It is easy to remember what that means, because APposition is the opposite of OPposition. APposition strengthens or reinforces by repetition. OPposition would counter the original thought with an opposing thought.

"Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name" (v. 1b). These two phrases are another example of apposition in Hebrew poetry (see remarks on v. 1a).
• It is at Yahweh's initiative that the servant serves. The servant surely knew nothing of the call when he was still in the womb, but he now understands his calling to be a part of Yahweh's plan from the beginning of his life.
"and he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand, he has hidden me: and he has made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he kept me close" (v. 2). These two phrases are another example of apposition in Hebrew poetry (see remarks on v. 1a).
• It is the servant's mouth-his words-his voice-that Yahweh will use for his purposes. The first chapter of Genesis revealed that God's words have great power. "God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). "God said, 'Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so" (Genesis 1:9). Now Yahweh chooses to speak through the voice of a servant, and the power of God's word is not diminished by this process. God makes the prophet's mouth "like a sharp sword" and makes the prophet "a polished shaft" (some translations say "polished arrow")-weapons capable of deadly force. It is God's purpose to use the prophet to save instead of to destroy. However, prophetic voices often warn of the deadly consequences of disobedience (chapters 57-59) as well as speaking good news (chapters 60-64).
"a polished shaft" (v. 2). Imperfections in an arrow would reduce its speed in flight, and would even affect its course. A polished arrow would fly fast and true. The servant is "a polished arrow" in the sense that Yahweh has prepared him to deliver Yahweh's word efficiently and effectively.
• "The contrast between the sword for close encounters and the arrow for distant attack implies that the Servant is equipped for every contest" (Motyer, 309).
"in his quiver he has kept me close" (v. 2). Those who have weapons do not always brandish them. Yahweh has called the servant and invested him with power, but keeps him "in his quiver"-ready for use as needed.
"and he said to me, 'You are my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified'" (v. 3). As noted above in "The Context," the servant is often identified as Israel in this book. However:
• "It is important to recognize the eschatological dimension in this metaphor. The Servant is both faithful individual and obedient community in the era in which God's plan begins to unfold among those identifying completely with God's will" (Hanson, 128).
• Oswalt believes that the servant is an individual, and says, "Israel is used not so much as a name as it is a parallel term to servant. It is as though the Lord had said, 'You are my Israel, in whom I will be glorified.' Thus it is the function, not the identity, of Israel that is emphasized. This Servant is going to function as Israel." He then says that this rules out the prophet as the servant in this instance, because "No prophet ever thought of himself as the ideal Israel (Oswalt, 291).
• Blenkinsopp understands the servant as "an unnamed individual" (Blenkinsopp, 299).
• Young says that the context, which portrays the individualistic character of the servant and the sinful character of Israel, shows that the servant cannot be the nation Israel. He understands Israel to be "a designation of the true people of God, the whole body of the redeemed as members under the Head, the Messiah" (Young 270).
• Brueggemann notes that the servant is identified as Israel (v. 3), but that the servant has a mission to Israel (v. 6). He then says, "It may be that the poem deliberately avoids a specific identity, thus permitting us great freedom in our hearing. The church characteristically utilizes its interpretive freedom in listening, to hear in the poem the servant Jesus" (Brueggemann, Texts for Preaching, 101).

"But I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity'" (v. 4a). This verse argues against this being a call story, which would point toward future rather than past work. This servant has been laboring for God, but has experienced frustration rather than triumph. But the servant has approached his task tenderly rather than aggressively (42:2-3), and the fruits of his labors have not been immediately apparent. Every servant of God can relate to that. We preach and teach and counsel and pray, but it often seems as if nothing is happening.

"yet surely the justice due to me (mispat) is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God" (v. 4b). The operative word in this verse is "yet." "YET surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh." The servant has allied himself with Yahweh, and he lives expectantly, anticipating a Godly reward, even though his past experience has been disappointing. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). This servant is walking in faith.
• The Hebrew word mispat is usually translated "justice" or "judgment." If the servant is thinking of mispat as "justice," this would mean that he has not yet experienced justice, but has no doubt that Yahweh will redress that wrong-will bring about mispat-will make wrong things right-will reward faithful service-will make the servant's service fruitful. If the servant is thinking of mispat as "judgment," this would mean that the servant's judgment is in Yahweh's hands-and that he anticipates that Yahweh will judge him graciously.

ISAIAH 49:5-6. I WILL ALSO GIVE YOU FOR A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS

5 And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), 6 He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant, To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the protected ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations, So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

"And says Yahweh who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel be gathered to him" (v. 5a). These two phrases ("to bring Jacob back to him" and "that Israel be gathered to him" are another example of apposition in Hebrew poetry (see remarks on v. 1a)
• Now the servant summarizes the mission that Yahweh planned for him from before his birth. The words "Jacob" and "Israel" are synonymous here. Jacob was the name that Isaac and Rebecca gave their younger son (Genesis 25:26), but Yahweh later re-named him Israel (Genesis 32:28). Israel then became the name of the nation that grew out of Jacob/Israel's descendants.
• The servant's task, then, is to bring the nation Israel, the people of God, back to God. Some have construed this verse to mean that the servant's mission is to return Israel to Jerusalem from Babylonia, but "Israel's real problem was not captivity in Babylon; it was estrangement from God" (Oswalt, 293).
"for I am honorable (kabod) in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God has become my strength" (v. 5b). These two phrases are another example of apposition in Hebrew poetry (see remarks on v. 1a).
• Kabod is a word more usually translated "glory" (the KJV translates this phrase, "yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord"). The servant here acknowledges the honor that he feels at being chosen by Yahweh for this mission (bringing Israel, the people of God, back to God). Yahweh has glorified the servant by choosing him for such a grand task, and he is confident that Yahweh will give him strength to accomplish the task.

"yes, he says, 'It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel'" (v. 6a). These two phrases ("to raise up the tribes of Jacob" and "to restore the preserved of Israel") are another example of apposition in Hebrew poetry (see remarks on v. 1a).
• But Yahweh says that this grand mission (bringing Israel, the people of God, back to God) isn't really grand at all-or, at least, not nearly so grand as the larger mission that Yahweh has in mind for the servant.

"I will also give you for a light to the nations (goyim), that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth'" (v. 6b). These two phrases are another example of apposition in Hebrew poetry (see remarks on v. 1a).
• Yahweh has appointed the servant to be the agent of salvation, not only to Israel, but to the goyim-the nations-Gentiles-the rest of the peoples of the earth (11:10-11; 12:4; 42:6; 43:6-7; 55:4-5; 60:3; see also Matthew 24:14; 28:19; Luke 24:47; Acts 10; 13:47; Revelation 14:6-7).

ISAIAH 49:7. YAHWEH, WHO IS FAITHFUL, HAS CHOSEN YOU

7 This is what the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, Says to the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers: "Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You."

"Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nations abhor, to a servant of rulers" (v. 7a). Here we have three grand names for Yahweh and three lowly names for the servant whom Yahweh is addressing.
• "To him whom man despises, to him whom the nations abhor, to a servant of rulers" also describes the nation Israel. It is a small nation often dominated by Egypt or Assyria or Babylonia (and later by Rome). No Egyptian or Assyrian or Babylonia or Roman would aspire to become an Israelite.
• But this humble state is not the way the story will end. Continue reading!

"Kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall worship" (v. 7b). Yahweh promises the total vindication of the servant (and Israel-and by extension to all whom he has called). They have been perceived as lowly, but God will reveal their true glory. Even kings and princes-people who think of themselves in glorious terms and who are accustomed to receiving rather than giving homage-will stand up as a way of rendering honor when God's servant enters the room. They will prostrate themselves before God's servant.

"because of Yahweh, who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you" (v. 7c). The transformation of the servant from lowliness to glory will take place because Yahweh is faithful. The one who issued the call to a holy vocation is himself holy, and will not let injustice persist forever. Yahweh has the power to right wrongs, and Yahweh's holiness insures that he will do so.

THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT vv. 8-13: Verses 1-6 focus on the call and the mission of the servant. Now follows
Yahweh's promise to bring his children home (49:8-50:3). Verse 7 is Yahweh's promise of the total vindication of the servant. Kings and princes who once despised him will pay him homage. These verses are clearly intended to encourage the exiles who are having trouble believing that Yahweh will soon free them from their exile and lead them back to their homeland. "The prophet wants to convince his people that the approaching political and military triumph of Cyrus over Babylon is much more than it appears to be. It is nothing less than God's liberation of the Jewish exiles" (Hoppe, 355).

ISAIAH 49:8-10. HE WHO HAS MERCY ON THEM WILL LEAD THEM

8 This is what the LORD says: "At a favorable time I answered You, And on a day of salvation I helped You; And I will watch over You and make You a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands; 9 Saying to those who are bound, 'Go free,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' They will feed along the roads, And their pasture will be on all bare heights. 10 They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them, And He will guide them to springs of water.

"Thus says Yahweh, 'In an acceptable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you'" (v. 8a). Earlier in this chapter, the servant complained, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity" (v. 4a). Yahweh began answering that complaint in verses 5-7, and continues the answer in this verse.
• "An acceptable time" and "a day of salvation" are parallel phrases that indicate historical particularity-Yahweh has answered and saved on particular occasions-has granted salvation according to a particular plan.
• Some scholars (Oswalt, 297; Young, 278) link the phrase "an acceptable time" to the Year of Jubilee-a year when "each of you shall return to your own property, and each of you shall return to your family" (Leviticus 25:10).

"and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people" (v. 8b). A covenant is an agreement between two parties, outlining what is expected of both sides. Covenants between equals are typically quid pro quo agreements, where each party agrees to give something in exchange for something else-usually giving something equal in value to what they expect to receive.
• However, covenants between God and humans are not covenants between equals, but are covenants between a superior (God) and an inferior (humans). God initiates these covenants and dictates their terms-in every case terms favorable to the humans. God established a covenant with Abram in which he required Abram to leave his home and family to go to a land that God would show him. In return, God promised, "I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you" (Genesis 12:2-3). This was the foundational covenant for the Hebrew nation.
• Now Yahweh has given the servant "as a covenant of the people" (v. 8b). Given that Yahweh always specifies covenant terms favorable to the humans, this conveys the sense that Yahweh will bless the people through the work of the servant.

"to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage" (v. 8c). The people have suffered a lengthy exile in Babylonia. Now Yahweh is preparing for their return to their homeland.
• When Israel first entered the Promised Land, God outlined in great detail how the land would be apportioned among the various tribes (Joshua 13-19). That land was given in perpetuity. However, following their lengthy exile-an exile sufficiently lengthy that it will be the children and grandchildren of the original exiles who will return to a land that they have never seen-the problem of apportionment must be revisited. The servant will be responsible for reapportioning the heritage that has stood desolate for so long.

"saying to those who are bound, 'Come out!'; to those who are in darkness" (v. 9a). The servant is to call prisoners out of their darkness. This has a double meaning. The servant is to announce freedom to the Jewish exiles in Babylonia. The servant is also to call sinners out of the darkness of sin into a holy light.

"'Show yourselves'" (v. 9b). When the prisoners/sinners emerge from the darkness of their prison/sin, they will be seen by others. It can be a frightening proposition for people accustomed to darkness to come out into the light-to expose themselves to public view. It will take faith for them to show themselves. By doing so, they will not only demonstrate their faith, but will also act as witnesses to those who observe them. There are few things that compel attention more dramatically than a prisoner/sinner who has emerged from darkness and who can say, "This is the Lord's doing!"

"They shall feed in the ways, and on all the bare heights shall be their pasture" (v. 9c). There are several things worthy of note in this portion of verse 9 and the following verses. We have been hearing allusions to the return of the exiles to the Promised Land-land that was promised to the ancestors of the exiles long ago-land that their ancestors occupied for many years-land that they forfeited through their sin and lack of faith.
• Now we hear of a journey-the journey that the exiles will take to return to their homeland. This journey is reminiscent of the Exodus which led to the original occupation of the Promised Land by Israel. Yahweh is promising the Promised Land to the Jewish exiles once again, and is also promising to lead them there.
This journey is more than geographical. It is spiritual as well. The prisoners are coming out of a dark exile (v. 9a), but they are also emerging into the light from the darkness of sinful lives. The Lord is present to guide them both geographically and spiritually.
• The metaphor of verses 9c-11 is that of a shepherd leading a flock of sheep. These verses are reminiscent of Psalm 23, where David spoke of the Lord making him to lie down in green pastures and leading him beside still waters. Now Yahweh promises to provide for these exiles as they return to their homeland. They will find food along the road, and will find pasture even on barren heights that would not normally provide sustenance. This is the promise of a miraculous provisioning.

"They shall not hunger or thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun shall strike them" (v. 10a). Not only will Yahweh provide food and water for the journey, but he will also protect them from exposure to the elements. This is an important provision for people crossing significant expanses of desert wilderness. On a journey of this sort, a large group of people would normally expect to bury a number of its members along the way-victims of heat, wind, exertion, accidents, starvation, and dehydration. This group, however, will be different, because its members enjoy Yahweh's protection.

"for he who has mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water he will guide them" (v. 10b). It is not the worthiness of the exiles that accounts for the favor that Yahweh will show them. It is Yahweh's nature, his compassion, that causes him to lead them safely through the desert to their homeland. It is his pity that causes him to guide them by springs of life-giving water.
• Note again that this journey is more than geographical. It is also spiritual. The exiles will return to their homeland, but, more importantly, they will return to Yahweh.

ISAIAH 49:11-13.I WILL MAKE ALL MY MOUNTAINS A WAY

11 I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up. 12 Behold, these will come from
afar; And behold, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Aswan."
13 Shout for joy, you heavens! And rejoice, you earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, mountains! For the
LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.
"I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted" (v. 11). On a wilderness journey, travelers can expect to be confronted by many obstacles. Mountains can present a serious challenge to people who have no mountaineering experience. Wadis and canyons can be equally challenging. Ordinary travelers must decide whether to try to cross such obstacles or to find a way around them.
• These exiles will be at a real disadvantage, because they will include large numbers of women and children who will be especially vulnerable. However, Yahweh promises to turn his mountains into a road and to raise up highways for the exiles to use. Yahweh can do this, because the mountains and roads are his. He who created the mountains and roads can raise or lower them at will.

"Behold, these shall come from far; and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim" (v. 12). Jewish people will come, not just from Babylonia (east of the Promised Land), but also from the other three points of the compass-from the north and west-and "from the land of Sinim," which is probably Aswan in southern Egypt, far to the south. This will be a great ingathering of Jewish people so that they can once again claim their inheritance in the Promised Land.

"Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth; and break forth into singing, mountains" (v. 13a). It is not just the freed exiles who will rejoice, but all of nature-the heavens, the earth, and the mountains. The cause of rejoicing goes beyond the freeing of the exiles to the restoration of things as God has created it to be-the setting right of a world that has been out of kilter.

"For Yahweh has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted" (v. 13b). We heard of Yahweh's pity or compassion in verse 10b. Now we hear of it again. It is clear that Yahweh has taken no pleasure in the disciplining of his people, but has suffered in their suffering.

Isa. 49:1-13 - PULPIT COMMENTARIES

SECTION III. THE MISSION OF THE SERVANT OF THE LORD (CH. 49-53).

EXPOSITION

The connection of the present section is especially with Isaiah 42:1-7, where the mission of the Servant of Jehovah was first announced. That mission was there described with extreme brevity. It has now to be fully set forth, for the instruction, consolation, and comfort of all Israel, which is represented as sunk in despondency, deeming itself forgotten of God and forsaken by him (Isaiah 42:13, Isaiah 42:14). In the present chapter Jehovah's attestation of his Servant's mission is set forth (Isaiah 42:1-12), and Zion is comforted in her despondency (Isa 42:13 -26).

Isaiah 49:1-12

JEHOVAH'S ATTESTATION OF HIS SERVANT'S MISSION. Jehovah called his Servant from the womb; mentioned him by name; made his mouth a sharp sword; held him in his hand; caused him to be a polished weapon; appointed him his Servant; assured him of a right and a recompense; appointed him, not only to restore and recover Israel, but to be a Light to the Gentiles, and to give salvation to the ends of the world (Isaiah 49:1-6); chose him (Isaiah 49:7); will help him (Isaiah 49:8); through him will both deliver the captive everywhere (Isaiah 49:9), and cause joy to break out in every part of heaven and earth (Isaiah 49:11-13). It is quite impossible that these things can be said of aught but a person, or of any person other than him in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

Isaiah 49:1: Listen, O isles (comp. Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 42:4, Isaiah 42:6). Since the beginning of Isaiah 43:1-28. Israel alone has been addressed. Now that the mission of the Servant of Jehovah is to be treated of, all the world must be summoned to hear, for all the world is directly interested. Ye people; rather, ye peoples, or ye nations. The Lord hath called me from the womb. Isaiah could not have said this of himself, for his "call" took place when he was of mature age. But Christ was designated for his office from the womb (Luke 1:31-33). He was also still "in the womb of his mother" when the name of Jesus was given to him (Matthew 1:21, Luke 1:31).

Isaiah 49:2: He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews says that "the Word of God" generally "is ... sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow" (Hebrews 4:12). Christian experience testifies that tiffs keen, searching, cutting power attaches in an especial way to the sayings of Jesus, which pierce the heart as no other words can do, and rankle in the soul, which is quite unable to forget them. The imagery recurs in the Revelation of St. John (John 1:16; John 2:12, John 2:16; John 19:15, John 19:21). In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me. Either keeping him safe from the malice of his enemies, or reserving him until, "in the fulness of time," it would be fitting to reveal him to the world. And made me a polished shaft, A weapon even keener than a sword, smoothed and polished, so as to make it pierce the deeper, and kept hid in God's quiver until the time came when it could be launched with most effect against the hearts of ungodly men.

Isaiah 49:3: Thou art my Servant, O Israel. That the literal "Israel," is not intended appears plainly from Isaiah 49:5. The Servant himself is addressed as "Israel," because he "would stand as a new federal head to the nation" (Kay), which would be summed up in him, and also because he would be, in a truer sense than any other, an "Israel," or "Prince with God." In whom I will be glorified (comp. John 13:31, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him"). He who is "the Brightness of the Father's glory" sets forth that glory
before men, and causes them to glorify him, both with their tongues and in their lives.

Isaiah 49:4: Then I said, I have laboured in vain; rather, and I, for my part, had said. The Servant had momentarily desponded, seeing the small results of all his efforts to reclaim Israel, and had felt a natural human regret at so much labour apparently expended in vain; but his despondency had been soon checked by the thought that God would not suffer any "labour of love" to be wholly in vain, but would give it the recompense which it merited. The verse brings strongly out the true humanity of the "Servant," who feels as men naturally feel, but restrains himself, and does not allow his feelings to carry him away. Compare with this despondency the grief exhibited by our Lord on two occasions (Matthew 23:37; John 11:35), and the depression which extorted from him the memorable words, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matthew 27:46). My work; rather, my reward, or my recompense.

Isaiah 49:5: And now, saith the Lord, etc.; rather, and now the Lord hath said-he that formed me from the womb to be a Servant to him, that I might bring back Jacob to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him; for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is become my Strength-he hath said-It is a light thing, etc. The whole of Isaiah 49:5, after the words, "and now the Lord hath said," is parenthetic. (On the service which our Lord continually rendered, while on earth, to the Father, see Luke 2:49; Luke 4:43; John 4:34; John 6:38; John 17:4.) The Revelation of St. John shows that in heaven he is still engaged in carrying out his Father's behests. Though Israel be not gathered. This reading, as Mr. Cheyne remarks, "entirely spoils the symmetry of the verse." The practice of writing fresh copies of the Scripture from dictation is answerable for the double reading of לֹא and לוֹ both here and in other places. Yet shall I be glorious. The "Servant" would receive glory even by such a partial conversion of the Jews as took place through his ministry. It is never to be forgotten that all the original twelve apostles were Jews, that Matthias was a Jew, that Paul and Barnabas were Jews, and that the original Church was a Church of Jews (Acts 2:41-47). All that was truly spiritual in Judaism flowed into the Church of Christ, as into its natural home, and the Jewish element in the Church, if not numerically great, was yet the predominant and formative element.

Isaiah 49:6: It is a light thing. God rewards his servants according to their works. He is supremely just. He was not content that even Nebuchadnezzar should be insufficiently rewarded for the service that he rendered against Tyre (Ezekiel 29:18), and he therefore gave him Egypt in addition as his recompense (Ezekiel 29:20). It would have been "a light thing"-"too light a thing" (Kay, Cheyne)-to have rewarded the labours of Jesus with the conversion of the Jews only. God therefore gave him as his recompense the gathering in of the Gentiles also, and made him a means of salvation even to the uttermost ends of the earth. The preserved of Israel; i.e. the "remnant" that had not perished through previous judgments. I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles (comp. Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 34:1; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 55:5, etc.). Greeks Ἕλληνες were brought into contact with our Lord himself shortly before his crucifixion (John 12:20). He wrought a miracle for a Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:25-30). His apostles, after a little time, understood that the gospel was for the world at large, and declared that in Christ there was no difference between Jew and Greek, nay! between Jew and barbarian. Christ had died for all-had come to be a Light to all, would have all come into his Church and obtain salvation through union with him. That thou mayest be my Salvation. Christ is called "Salvation," as the Bearer of salvation-he through whom alone can any man be saved (Acts 4:12). So he is called "Peace" (Micah 5:5), as the Giver of peace.

Isaiah 49:7: His Holy One; i.e. "the Holy One of Israel." To him whom man despiseth; literally, who is despised of souls. This is the first place in the prophecies of Isaiah where this note of the Messiah is brought forward. It is found earlier in the Psalms, as especially in Psalms 22:6, et seq; "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people;" and later on it is expanded into a chapter (Psalms 53:1-6.). Whom the nation abhorreth; rather, whom mankind abhorreth. The term used is goi, which points to the Gentiles rather than to the Jews. Mankind at large dislikes a "Holy One," since he is a perpetual reproach to it (see Isaiah 30:11; and comp. Plut; 'Republ.,' 7.2, ad fin.). It is not the Jews only who exclaim in such a case, "Away with him! away with him!" (John 19:15). There is such an antagonism between sin and holiness, that the ungodly everywhere and in all ages detest the godly and virtuous. A servant of rulers; or, a slave of despots; treated as a slave, i.e. by such irresponsible rulers as Herod (Luke 23:11) and Pontius Pilate (John 19:1, John 19:16). The "King of kings" bowed himself to a slave's death. Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship (comp. Psalms 72:10, Psalms 72:11; Isaiah 52:15; Isaiah 50:3, Isaiah 50:10,Isaiah 50:11, etc.). According to a tradition-which, however, cannot be traced back to any very ancient source-the Magi who came to worship our Lord at Bethlehem were "kings." The prophecy is, however, to be regarded as having its main fulfilment in the coming to Christ of so many kings and princes, since his ascension into heaven (comp Psalms 22:23). And the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee; rather, the Holy One of Israel, that hath chosen thee. Kings will rise from their thrones, and prostrate themselves before Messiah, convinced that Jehovah is faithful in the performance of his promises, and has chosen the Son of Mary to be the Redeemer so long announced as about to appear on earth.

Isaiah 49:8: In an acceptable time; literally, in a time of good pleasure; i.e. the time fixed by my good pleasure from the creation of the world. Heard thee ... helped thee. The Father "heard" and "helped" the only begotten Son through the whole period of his earthly ministry (Luke 2:40, Luke 2:52; John 3:2; John 8:28; John 12:28; John 14:10, etc.). I will give thee for a Covenant of the people (comp. Isaiah 42:6, and the comment, ad loc.). To establish the earth; rather, as in Isaiah 49:6, to raise up the earth, to lift it out of its existing condition of meanness and degradation. To cause to inherit the desolate heritages; i.e. to cause the desolate heritages of the earth-the places devoid of trite religion-to be possessed, and as it were "inherited," by those who would introduce into them the true knowledge of God. As Israel inherited Canaan (Deuteronomy 3:28; Joshua 1:6), so would Christian nations inherit many "desolate heritages," where ignorance and sin prevailed, with the result that light would penetrate into the dark regions, and, ultimately, all flesh see the salvation of God.

Isaiah 49:9: That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth, "The prisoners" here are not the captives in Babylon, but the servants of sin throughout the world. Christ would say to them, "Go forth." He would summon them by his messengers to repent ,and be converted, and quit the service of sin, and "go forths" from the kingdom of darkness, and "show themselves" as lights of the world (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15), walking "as children of the light" (Ephesians 5:8). It is a narrow exegesis which confines the prophet's forecast to the mere return of the exiles to Palestine, and their re-settlement on their ancestral estates. They shall feed in the ways, etc. The returning "prisoners" are now represented as a flock of sheep (comp. Isaiah 40:11), whom the good Shepherd will "lead" and "guide" by ways in which they will find sufficient pasture, which shall not fail them even when they pass over bare "hill-tops" (see John 10:11-16; John 21:15-17).

Isaiah 49:10: They shall not hunger nor thirst (cf. John 4:14; John 6:35). God's grace is sufficient for his faithful ones. They are content with the sustenance which he awards them, and neither "hunger" nor "thirst." Neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; rather, neither shall the glowing sand nor the sun smite them (see Isaiah 35:7). To those who walk at noonday over the "glowing sand" of the desert, the heat which "smites them" seems to come as much from below as from above, the white ground reflecting the sun's rays with a force almost equal to that wherewith the rays themselves beat down upon them from the sky. The Lord's faithful ones, in their passage through the wilderness of life, shall be free Item these fearful trials. "The sun shall not smite them by day, neither the moon by night" (Psalms 121:6) He that hath mercy on them; or, that hath compassion on them-that sympathizes with their sufferings, and pities them in their trials (comp. Isaiah 49:13 and Isaiah 49:15). Shall lead them (comp. Psalms 23:2; Isaiah 40:11). The Oriental shepherd for the most part goes before his flock.

Isaiah 49:11: I will make all my mountains a way. No obstacles shall prevent the return of the wanderers. Mountains shall he as roads, and as highways lifted up.

Isaiah 49:12: These shall come from far. The nations shall flow in from all sides to the Redeemer's kingdom (Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 60:1-5, etc.). They shall come from the north and from the west; literally, from the north and from the sea, which generally means "the west," but which, in one enumeration of the points of the compass (Psalms 107:3), is certainly "the south." They shall also come from the land of Sinim by which most recent interpreters understand China. But it is highly improbable that an ethnic name which was not known to the Greeks till the time of Ptolemy should have recoiled Palestine by b.c. 700. And if "the sea" means "the south" in the preceding clause, the Sinim may be these of Phoenicia (Genesis 10:17), who were among the furthest inhabitants of Asia towards the west. In any case, the reference is, not to the dispersed Jews, but to the remote Gentiles, who would pass from all quarters lute the kingdom of the Redeemer.

Isaiah 49:13

ZION COMFORTED IN HER DESPONDENCY. While the future is thus glorious, both for the "Servant of the Lord" and for his people Israel, the present is gloom and misery. Zion-not here the city, but the people of God-desponds and says, "Jehovah has forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14). This burst of grief, though arising from weakness of faith, is forgiven by the compassion of God, and "afflicted" Israel is "comforted" and consoled through the remainder of the chapter (Isaiah 49:15-26).

Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens (comp. Isaiah 44:23). Heaven and earth are called upon to rejoice and "break forth into singing" (1) because of the glory that awaits the Redeemer (Isaiah 49:5-12); and (2) because of the gracious intentions of God with respect to Israel (Isaiah 49:16-26).

O mountains The majesty of mountains seems to have deeply impressed Isaiah. Throughout his writings they are continually introduced as the grandest of the works of God (comp. Isaiah 2:2, Isaiah 2:14; Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 13:4; Isaiah 14:25; Isaiah 22:5; Isaiah 30:25; Isaiah 34:3; Isaiah 37:24; Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 40:12; Isaiah 41:15; Isaiah 42:11, Isaiah 42:15, etc.). He expects them to be especially ready to sympathize with man. Such a feeling would be natural to one accustomed to the hill-country of Palestine and the lofty heights of Hermon and Lebanon, but could scarcely have been developed in an exile of the time of Cyrus, born and brought up in the dead level of Babylonia. Hath comforted ... will have mercy. Both verbs designate the same action, which is really future, but in God's counsels is already accomplished. The perfect is thus, once more, that of prophetic certitude.