It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it: the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God.

“The desert shall rejoice, etc. In this part he sets down the effect of the prosperity following upon the Jews from the destruction of their enemies: and it is divided into two. In the first is set down a consoling promise; in the second an encouraging exhortation, "Strengthen ye the hands," etc. Concerning the first, three things. First he sets down the gladness of men, which he compares to a flowering meadow, which is also called laughing, and which indeed has beauty in its flower: hence he says: "the desert," that is, the land of the Jews, which before, the Assyrians laying it waste, was of this kind — by metonymy, that is, the men themselves — "like the lily," which is the most beautiful flower, and lasts long. Ecclesiasticus 39: "flourish, ye flowers," etc.; it has also beauty in the bud: hence he says, "budding," etc., Proverbs 11: "the just as one flourishing," etc.: for as the bud comes from the flower, so exterior gladness comes from the joy of the heart. Secondly he promises the fertility of the land: "the glory of Lebanon," etc., that is, the fertility of diverse things, which is the glory of these places, will be in the land of promise. Hosea, last chapter: "he shall be as the olive tree," etc. Thirdly, the nearness of both: "themselves," that is, it will not be deferred to the times of the sons. Above, 33: "the king in his beauty," etc. Strengthen ye. Here is set down the encouraging exhortation: and concerning this three things. And first is set down the injunction of the office for exhorting: "strengthen ye the hands," in which is weakness for working; "the trembling knees," in which is weakness for sustaining. Hebrews 12: "the hands that hang down," etc. Secondly is set down the encouragement itself: "say to the faint-hearted," etc. Luke 12: "fear not, little," etc. Thirdly the reason for the encouragement is assigned: and first as to the removal of evils, by freeing from enemies, "behold your God"; Deuteronomy 32: "the blood of the servants," etc.; and by healing from infirmities, "then shall be opened." And these are metaphorical expressions, if they are referred to the time after the destruction of the Assyrians, so that spiritual defects are understood, as above. Or literally, if they are referred to the coming of Christ in the flesh, as is said Matthew 11: "the blind see," etc. Secondly as to the conferring of four goods. First as to the abundance of waters, because "the waters are broken" (metaphorically) for consolations. Or because it will rain much, so that there is great fertility. Psalm 106: "he turned the desert into pools," etc. Secondly the beauty of the fields: "in the dens," that is, the land, which before was desert, so that these animals might dwell there, will be cultivated. "The green of reed and rush," which arise in green places. Job 40: "he sleeps under the shadow," etc. Thirdly as to the restoration of the ways, setting down the holiness of the way: "and there shall be there," in the land of Judah, a path leading to the temple. "The polluted," the gentile, as before. Or mystically, concerning the Church militant or triumphant. Apocalypse 21: "there shall not enter into it," etc.; he also sets down its straightness: "and this shall be"; "the foolish," that is, however simple, shall not err, because of the multitude of those passing by. Jeremiah 31: "I will bring them by the torrents," etc.; he also sets down the security of the way: "there shall not be there," etc. Above, 11: "they shall not hurt nor kill," etc.; and he sets down the frequenting of the ways: "and the redeemed," etc., from the aforesaid dangers. Baruch 4: "behold, thy sons come," etc. Fourthly he promises them the gladness of hearts: "everlasting gladness." Above, 25: "he shall take away the tear," etc.; is also shown the condition of the gladness of the saints in the fatherland: that it is everlasting; that it is full, "they shall obtain"; that it is pure, "sorrow shall flee." Apocalypse 21: "God shall wipe away every tear," etc. The saints are compared to lilies: because of the height of the stem, from which comes constancy in adversities. Canticle 2: "as the lily among thorns," etc.; because of the sweetness of scent, from which comes good fame. Ecclesiasticus 39: "flourish, ye flowers, as the lily," etc.; because of the greenness of its moisture, from which comes strength of mind. Ecclesiasticus 50: "as lilies by the course of water." Because of connection, from which comes the charity of the saints. Canticle 7: "thy belly is like," etc. These lilies, Christ: he clothes them as to the gifts of the virtues. Matthew 6: "consider the lilies of the field," etc.; he gathers them unto eternal rewards. Canticle 6: "my beloved is gone down into the garden," etc.; he rests in them through good pleasure. Canticle 2: "my beloved to me," etc.; and therefore he himself the lily. Canticle 2: "I am the flower of the field," etc.”

“It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing,.... A redundancy of words, to express the very flourishing estate of the church, and the great joy there shall be on that occasion, as well as because of the destruction of their enemies, and deliverance from them: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it; a mountain in Judea, famous for its choice and tall cedars, which were the glory of it; signifying hereby, that the church of God, which had been in a desolate condition, should abound with choice and excellent Christians, comparable to the cedars of Lebanon. Jarchi interprets it of the sanctuary or temple; which may be so called, because built of the wood of Lebanon. This was an emblem and type of the Gospel church; and the glory of it lay not only in its outward form and building, but in those things which were in the holy places of it, especially the most holy, which were all typical of spiritual things in Gospel times; so that all the glory of the Jewish church state and temple is brought into the Gentile church, into the Christian or Gospel church state; and which will still more appear in the latter day, when the temple of God will be opened in heaven, and the ark of the testament; see Rev 11:19, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; two places in the land of Judea, famous for fruitfulness and pasturage; and so denote the very great fruitfulness of the Gospel church; the word and ordinances of which are as green pastures for the sheep of Christ to feed upon, and by which they become fat and flourishing: they shall see the glory of our Lord, and the excellency of our God; the Targum introduces this clause thus, "the house of Israel, to whom these things are said, they shall see,'' &c.; but not Israel in a literal sense is here meant, but the Gentile church, formerly in the wilderness; or, however, converted persons, be they Jews or Gentiles, in the latter day, who shall see the glory of divine power, in the destruction of their enemies; and the excellency and beauty of divine grace, in the blessings of it bestowed upon them; they shall see the glory of the Lord, which shall then be risen upon them, Isa 60:1 the Lord our God is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord and God; the glory and excellency of whose person and offices, and of his righteousness and salvation, is seen in the Gospel, by those whose eyes are enlightened by the Spirit of God; and will be more clearly discerned, when there will be a greater effusion of the Spirit, as a spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; and to this sight of the glory and excellency of Christ, the joy and fruitfulness of the church will be greatly owing. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "my people shall see", &c.”

“glory of Lebanon--its ornament, namely, its cedars (Isa 10:34). excellency of Carmel--namely, its beauty. Sharon--famed for its fertility. see . . . glory of the Lord . . . excellency-- (Isa 40:5, Isa 40:9). While the wilderness which had neither "glory" nor "excellency" shall have both "given to it," the Lord shall have all the "glory" and "excellency" ascribed to Him, not to the transformed wilderness (Mat 5:16).”