Isaiah Chapter 32

From The Open Bible Project

32:1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

• (a) This prophecy is of Hezekiah, who was a figure of Christ, and therefore it should chiefly be referred to him.
• (b) By judgment and justice is meant an upright government, both in policy and religion.

32:2 A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary land.

• (c) Where men are weary with travelling for lack of water.

32:3 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

• (d) He promises to give the true light which is the pure doctrine of God’s word, and understanding, and zeal of the same, are contrary to the threatenings against the wicked, (Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 29:10).

32:4 The heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

32:5 The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

• (e) Vice will no more be called virtue, nor virtue esteemed by power and riches.

32:6 For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against Yahweh, To make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

32:7 The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

32:8 But the noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.

32:9 Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!

• (f) He prophecies of such calamity to come that they will not spare the women and children, and therefore wills them to take heed and provide.

32:10 For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage shall fail. The harvest won't come.

• (g) Meaning that the affliction would continue long and when one year was past, yet they should look for new plagues.
• (h) God will take from you the means and opportunities, which made you contemn him: that is, abundance of worldly goods.

32:11 Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be troubled, you careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.

32:12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

• (i) By the breasts he means the plentiful fields, by which men are nourished as children with the breast: or, the mothers for sorrow and heaviness will lack milk.

32:13 Thorns and briars will come up on my people's land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

32:14 For the palace will be forsaken. The populous city will be deserted. The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks;

32:15 Until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest.

• (k) That is, when the Church will be restored, thus the prophets after they have denounced God’s judgments against the wicked, used to comfort the godly, lest they should faint.
• (l) The field which is now fruitful, will be but as a barren forest in comparison to what it will be then as in (Isaiah 29:17) which will be fulfilled in Christ’s time, for then they who were before as the barren wilderness, being regenerate will be fruitful and they who had some beginning of godliness, will bring forth fruit in such abundance, that their former life will seem but as a wilderness where no fruit was.

32:16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field.

32:17 The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

32:18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

32:19 Though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.

• (m) They will not need to build it in high places for fear of the enemy: for God will defend it, and turn away the storms from hurting their conveniences.

32:20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.

• (n) That is, upon fat ground and well watered, which brings forth in abundance, or in places which before were covered with waters, and now made dry for your uses.
• (o) The fields will be so rank, that they will send out their cattle to eat up the first crop, which abundance will be signs of God’s love and favour toward them.