Enlarge the place of thy tent, and stretch out the skins of thy tabernacles, spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.

“Enlarge the place of thy tent, because of the larger number of thy children. יטו Let them stretch forth. Let the children of the desolate stretch forth, or let people stretch forth; comp. ויאמר and one said (Gen. 48:1). אל תחשכי Prevent not, the people from stretching forth the curtains of thy tent. Thy cords. The cords of thy tent.—The restoration of the towns and villages is meant by this figure.”

“Sing, O barren one. Here, against the casting down of things, he promises the remedy of exaltation: and first he promises a multitude against a paucity; second, the restoration of honor against confusion, do not fear; third, prosperity against former adversity, poor little one. Concerning the first he does three things. First he foretells the multitude of children, indicating the praise of thanksgiving: "O barren one" — Jerusalem, who do not bear; "because forsaken" — deserted; "sing" — to God, for the benefits granted. The gladness of those who praise: "sing forth praise" — for a song is the exultation of the mind broken forth into voice; and the greatness of the gladness: "neigh" — in the manner of a horse, unable because of the greatness to form a voice to express it. Jer. 31: Exult in gladness, Jacob. Ps. 146: Let praise of our God be pleasant and comely. And promising the multitude of children: "because many" — as if to say, your children will be multiplied more, although you are deserted, than that of the cities which have husbands for begetting. 1 Reg. 2: until the barren woman has borne very many, and she who had many children is weakened. Second he exhorts to the enlargement of the place, under the metaphor of a tent: "enlarge the place" — as to the ground on which it is extended; "the skins" — by which it is covered; "the cords" — by which the pegs are bound; "the nails" — by which the boards are joined, or the pegs themselves. And these are read to have been in the tabernacle of the covenant: Exod. 26, and 36. On account of this multitude of men it is fitting to seek a greater dwelling than the land of promise is. Above, 49: still the children of barrenness say, etc. Third he foretells the fulfillment of the exhortation: "for to the right hand" — as if to say, you shall spread yourself on every side: which was fulfilled in the time of the Maccabees, when certain cities from the region of Samaria, and from others, were added to the kingdom of the Jews. Gen. 24: may your seed possess the gates of your enemies. Do not fear. Here he promises the restoration of former honor, against the confusion which they had previously endured. Second, the firmness of the promise: as in the days of Noah. Concerning the first he does two things. First he promises the forgetting of the former confusion: "you shall not be confounded" — inwardly; "you shall not blush" — outwardly. "You shall be ashamed" — from the consideration of your baseness; "you shall forget" — because of the abundance of glory; "of youth" — when you sinned in the desert; "of widowhood" — when you were separated from God in the captivity of Babylon. Above, 45: you shall not be confounded, nor shall you blush. Sopho. 3: in that day you shall not be confounded for all your devisings. Second he promises the restoration of former honor: and first he sets down the restoration as to dominion, "because he shall rule"; above, 26: O Lord, they have possessed us; and as to marriage, "a forsaken wife." Jerem. 3: if a man put away his wife, and she depart from him and marry another man, shall she return to him any more? Second he promises the enlargement of honor as to the multitude of honors: "says the Lord" — "in a little" — you have suffered little in respect of the things which I, having mercy, shall bestow on you. 2 Corinth. 4: for that which is at present is momentary. And as to duration, "in a moment" — as if to say: for a brief time you have felt my anger, in respect of that in which I will have mercy on you. Above, 26: hide yourself a little while. But all these things that have been said are expounded mystically of the calling of the Gentiles: because the Gentile world, barren at first, afterward gathered many children, according to the Gloss. As in the days. Here he shows the firmness of the promise. And first from the likeness of the former promise: "I have sworn" — I have firmly determined, provided, however, that you remain in my precepts. Gen. 9: I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you. Eccli. 44: the covenants of the age. Second, from the working of stable creatures: "for the mountains" — as if to say: it is easier for mountains and hills to be changed than for my words to be made void. Or by mountains and hills, the powerful of the world. Ps. 45: we will not fear, while the earth is troubled. Note on that word, "sing, O barren one," that there is a barrenness, first, of perverse action. Job 15: the congregation of the hypocrite is barren. Second, of sacred contemplation. Genes. 29: Rachel was barren. Third, of temporal tribulation. Above, 49: the children of barrenness shall still say in your ears. Likewise note, on that phrase "enlarge the tent," that the heart must be enlarged, first, on account of the greatness of the guest. Jerem. 23: do not I fill heaven and earth, says the Lord? Second, on account of the multitude of gifts. Below, 60: you shall see, and abound, and your heart shall be enlarged. Third, on account of the fulfilling of the way. Psalm. 118: I have run the way of your commandments. Likewise on that phrase "in great mercies," that the mercies to come are great: first because they are intrinsic. Rom. 8: I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come that shall be revealed in us. Second, because they are eternal. 2 Cor. 4: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Third, because they are perfect. Luc. 1: for behold, from now on all generations shall call me blessed. Fourth, because they are extended to many. Luc. 14: a certain man made a great supper, and invited many. Fifth, because they are whole. Apoc. 21: God shall wipe away every tear from the eyes of the saints. Poor little one. Here he promises prosperity against adversity: and first he recalls the former adversity: "poor little one" — Jerusalem despoiled of goods; "by tempest" — by adversity. Above, 18: to a nation rent and torn I will send you. Second he promises future prosperity, both as to the abundance of goods, setting forth a metaphor: "behold I will lay" — as it were in a pavement, by the "stones," "precious," signifying men eminent in virtues, "in order," each one in his own order: Tob. 13: the gates of Jerusalem; and explaining it as to the doctrine of divine knowledge: "all" — Jer. 31: I will give my law in their bowels, and write it in their heart. As to the abundance of peace: "multitude." Psalm. 118: much peace have they that love your law. And as to the justice of works: "and in justice." Above, 1: Sion shall be redeemed in judgment; and they shall bring her back in justice. Second, as to the freedom from evils, promising first the escape from dangers: "depart" — that is, you shall depart, because you shall not suffer calumny. Ps. 71: he shall humble the slanderers. Second, the adherence of strangers: "behold, the sojourner" — because many from among the Gentiles going forth from captivity adhered. Below, 56: let not the son of the stranger, who adheres to the Lord, say: the Lord will divide me by separation from his people. Third, promising the destruction of enemies: "behold I." And first he shows the power of the one promising, setting forth a comparison: "the smith" — the persecutor, who blows upon the vessels in the fire of tribulation, adversaries, according to his own will: Job 41: his breath, coals; and explaining it: "I have created." 1 Reg. 2: the Lord kills and makes alive. Second he sets forth the promise: "every vessel" — that is, he will scatter every thing formed, as to those who assail by deeds; and "every tongue," as to those who assail by words. Above, 41: and they shall be as if they were not.”

“Enlarge the place of thy tent,.... To which the church is compared, because of its uncertain and movable condition, being sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; and because of its outward meanness and weakness, as well as its small extent; but now it is signified that it should be enlarged, and room be made for an accession of in habitants to it; or, in other words, that the Gospel church state should not be confined to Jerusalem, but should take place in other parts of Judea, and in Galilee, and in Samaria; hence we read of churches in those places, Act 9:31, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation; alluding to the curtains of which tents or tabernacles were made, which used to be stretched out on poles or stakes, in order to make more room, and hold more people. This may respect the spreading of the Gospel by the apostles, who may be here meant, and the success of it, especially among the Gentiles; who may be said to stretch out the curtains of the tent, the church, when, according to their commission, they went and preached the Gospel to every creature. First they travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching to the Jews only; but when they wholly rejected the Gospel, they turned to the Gentiles, and went everywhere preaching the word, Act 11:19, and their ministry was blessed to the conversion of multitudes, and Gospel churches were set up in all parts of the world. The Apostle Paul was an eminent instrument of stretching these curtains, who went from Jerusalem, round about to Illyricum, fully preaching the Gospel of Christ, Rom 15:19, spare not: any cost or pains, to spread the Gospel, enlarge the interest of Christ, and increase his church and people; as did not the apostles of Christ, who may be supposed to be the persons here addressed: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; the curtains being stretched out, it was necessary the cords, to which they were fastened, should be lengthened, that they might reach further, and take in a greater compass; and the wider the tent is made by such means, the stronger should be the staves, and the more surely should they be drove and fixed in the earth, to hold the cords with the curtains bound unto them; all which express the enlargement of the church in the Gentile world, by means of the Gospel ministry and discipline. The Targum is, "multiply the people of thy camp, and strengthen the governors.''”

“(Isa 49:19-20; Jer 31:31-36, Jer 31:38-39). Thy children shall be so many that thy borders must be extended to contain them. curtains--the cloth forming the covering of the tent. spare not--give abundantly the means for the enlargement of the Church (Co2 9:5-7). cords . . . stakes--The more the tent is enlarged by lengthening the cords by which the cloth covering is fastened to the ground, the more the stakes supporting the tent need to be strengthened; the Church is not merely to seek new converts, but to strengthen those she has in the faith. The image is appropriate, as the tabernacle was the symbol of the old Israelitish Church (see on Isa 33:20).”

“With this prospect before her, even her dwelling-place would need enlarging. "Enlarge the space of thy tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of thy habitations; forbid not! lengthen thy cords, and fasten thy plugs." She is to widen out the space inside her tent, and they (יטּוּ has no definite subject, which is often the case where some subordinate servant is to be thought of) are to spread out far and wide the coverings of the framework of her dwelling, which is called mishkenōth (in the plural) on account of its roominess and magnificence: she is not to forbid it, thinking in her weakness of faith, "It is good enough as it is; it would be too large." The cords which hold up the walls, she is to lengthen; and the plugs, to which the cords are fastened, she is to ram fast into the earth: the former because the tent (i.e., the holy city, Jer 31:38-40, and the dwelling-place of the church generally, Isa 26:15) has to receive a large number of inhabitants; the latter because it will not be broken up so soon again (Isa 33:20).”