Strengthen ye the feeble hands, and confirm the weak knees.

“The sick of the palsy is healed, and that in public, in the sight of the people. For, says Isaiah, "they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellence of our God." What glory, and what excellence? "Be strong, you weak hands and feeble knees" refers to the palsy. "Be strong; fear not." "Be strong" is not vainly repeated, nor is "fear not" vainly added; because with the renewal of the limbs there was to be, according to the promise, a restoration also of bodily energies: "Arise, and take up your couch"; and likewise moral courage not to be afraid of those who should say, "Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"”

“Now we have this prophecy fulfilled in the Gospels, partly, when they brought to our Lord and Savior a paralytic lying on a bed, who he made whole with a word; and partly, when many that were blind and possessed with demons, yes, laboring under various diseases and weaknesses, were released from their sufferings by his saving power. Nor should we forget how even now throughout the whole world multitudes bound by all forms of evil, full of ignorance of Almighty God in their souls, are healed and cured miraculously and beyond all argument by the medicine of his teaching. Except that now we call him God as we should, as one who can work thus, as I have already shown in the evidence of his divinity. Yes, surely it is right now to acknowledge him to be God, since he has given proof of power divine and truly inspired.For it was specifically God's work to give strength to the paralyzed, to give life to the dead, to supply health to the sick, to open the eyes of the blind, to restore the lame and to make the tongue-tied speak plainly, all of which things were done by our Savior Jesus Christ, because he was God. And they have been witnessed to by many throughout all the world that preach him—whose evidence unvarnished and truthful is confirmed by trial of torture, and by persistence even to death, which they have shown forth before kings and rulers and all nations, witnessing to the truth of what they preach.”

“Strengthen weak hands (חַזְּקוּ) All the prophets who brought tidings of salvation consoled Israel and strengthened their weak hands. (The word) is in the intensive conjugation, and its meaning is (the causative, i.e.,) strengthen others. If he intended to say, “Be strong, you whose hands are weak,” it would be vowelized like (2 Chron. 32:7) “Be strong (חִזְקוּ) and be firm (וְאִמְצוּ).” Now that he says to them to strengthen others and to make others firm, it is vowelized, חַזְּקוּ, אַמְּצוּ. “Be strong (חִזְקוּ), do not fear” is vowelized חִזְקוּ, a form of the ‘kal’ conjugation, meaning ‘you be strong by yourselves,’ as one says to singular (Jos. 1:6), “Be strong and be firm (חֲזַק ֶמָץ),” and he does not say, חַזֵּק.”

“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.”

“Strengthen ye the weak hands,.... These are the words of the prophet, as the Targum, "the prophet said, strengthen the weak hands;'' or rather of God, by the prophet, to the converted Gentiles, to those who saw the glory of the Lord; particularly to the ministers of the Gospel, who have to do with weak and feeble persons, who can scarcely lift up their hands, or stand upon their legs, under a sense of sin, in a view of wrath, and immediate ruin and destruction, ready to sink and faint, because of their enemies, or through want of food; and their business is to comfort and strengthen them, by preaching the Gospel, and pointing out the promises of it to them: and confirm the feeble knees; that so they may keep their ground against their enemies; shake off their fears and trembling; go on their way courageously and rejoicing; run, and not be weary; walk, and not faint: "hands" and "knees" are mentioned particularly, because a man's strength lies greatly in them; and his weakness is seen by the languor and trembling of them.”

“Strengthen . . . hands . . . confirm . . . knees--The Hebrew for "strengthen" refers to the strength residing in the hand for grasping and holding a thing manfully; "confirm," to the firmness with which one keeps his ground, so as not to be dislodged by any other [MAURER]. Encourage the Jews, now desponding, by the assurance of the blessings promised.”

“The prophet now exclaims to the afflicted church, in language of unmixed consolation, that Jehovah is coming. "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and make the trembling knees strong! Say to those of a terrified heart, Be strong! Fear ye not! Behold, your God will come for vengeance, for a divine retribution: He will come, and bring you salvation." Those who have become weak in faith, hopeless and despairing, are to cheer up; and the stronger are to tell such of their brethren as are perplexed and timid, to be comforted now: for Jehovah is coming nâqâm (i.e., as vengeance), and gemūl 'Elōhı̄m (i.e., as retribution, such as God the highly exalted and Almighty Judge inflicts; the expression is similar to that in Isa 30:27; Isa 13:9, cf., Isa 40:10, but a bolder one; the words in apposition stand as abbreviations of final clauses). The infliction of punishment is the immediate object of His coming, but the ultimate object is the salvation of His people (וישעכם a contracted future form, which is generally confined to the aorist).”