Isaiah Chapter 56
From The Open Bible Project
56:1 Thus says Yahweh, "Keep justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
- (a) God shows what he requires of them after he has delivered them: that is, the works of charity by which true faith is declared.
- (b) Which I will declare toward you, and pour into your hearts by my Spirit.
56:2 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."
- (c) Under the Sabbath he comprehends the whole service of God and true religion.
56:3 Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to Yahweh, speak, saying, "Yahweh will surely separate me from his people;" neither let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
- (d) Let no one think himself unfit to receive the graces of the Lord: for the Lord will take away all impediments, and will forsake no one who will keep his true religion, and believe in him.
56:4 For thus says Yahweh, "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant:
56:5 to them I will give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
- (e) Meaning, in his Church.
- (f) They will be called after my people, and be of the same religion: yea, under Christ the dignity of the faithful will be greater than the Jews were at that time.
56:6 Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh, to minister to him, and to love the name of Yahweh, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant;
56:7 even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
- (g) By this he means the spiritual service of God, to whom the faithful offer continual thanksgiving, yea themselves and all that they have, as a lively and acceptable sacrifice.
- (h) Not only for the Jews, but for all others, (Matthew 21:13).
56:8 The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet will I gather [others] to him, besides his own who are gathered."
56:9 All you animals of the field, come to devour, [yes], all you animals in the forest.
- (i) Meaning, the enemies of the Church, as the Babylonians, Assyrians, etc thus he speaks to scare the hypocrites and to assure the faithful that when this comes they may know it was told to them before.
56:10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they can't bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
- (k) He shows that this affliction will come through the fault of the governors, prophets and pastors, whose ignorance, negligence, greed and obstinacy provoked God�s wrath against them.
56:11 Yes, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds who can't understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
56:12 "Come," [say they], "I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, [a day] great beyond measure."
- (l) We are well yet, and to morrow will be better: therefore let us not fear the plagues before they come: thus the wicked contemned the admonition and exhortations which were made to them in the Name of God.
