And the places that have been desolate for ages shall be built in thee: thou shalt raise up the foundations of generation and generation: and thou shalt be called the repairer of the fences, turning the paths into rest.

“ובנו ממך And they that shall be of thee shall build. The foundations of many generations, that is, a building standing on a foundation, which will last for generations. תקומם Thou shalt raise up. It is Polel like תשובב (Ps. 60:3). The restorer of paths to dwell in. After people had ceased to tread them, thou wilt restore them, that people will dwell therein.”

“Cry out, do not cease. Here he excludes the useless remedy by which they wished to prepare themselves for salvation. And first he enjoins the office of denunciation, setting down the manner of denouncing: that it be loud, without a fear that weighs down: cry out. Above, 40: lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Zion. That it be continuous: do not cease. Below, 62: upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they shall not be silent. That it be clear and open, as a trumpet. Hosea 8: let there be a trumpet in your throat. And the word of denunciation: declare crimes — as to the greater ones; sins — as to the common ones. Above, 16: to those who rejoice over the walls of baked brick, speak of their wounds. Secondly the prophet excludes, in the person of the Lord, the useless remedy: for indeed me. And concerning this he does two things. First he excludes the remedy in which they trusted; secondly he exhorts to those things in which they were lacking: is not this. Concerning the first, two things. First he shows the presumption of their confidence as to three things in which they trusted: namely, in the inquiry of sacred knowledge: for indeed they seek me — in the Scriptures — my ways, my precepts and my wills, as a nation, that is, as if they were prepared to do them. Ezekiel 33: they say, one to another. Again in prayer: they ask of me judgments, that is, that I should judge for them against their adversaries, to draw near, with the mouth. Above, 29: this people draws near with its mouth. Again they trusted in the observance of fasts: why have we fasted, and you have not regarded it, as if it were pleasing; we have humbled ourselves — as to the circumstance surrounding the fast, in exterior humiliation — you have not known, with the knowledge of approval. Malachi 3: vain is he who serves God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his precepts? Secondly he shows the reprobation of the goods just mentioned. And first the cause of the reprobation, which is the fault of pleasure: behold, in the day — the will, in those things which please the flesh. Ecclesiasticus 18: go not after your lusts. Likewise the fault of cruelty: and all debtors — literally, so that they might persist for a long time in pursuing lawsuits, or with reference to what follows from it. James 4: you quarrel and you fight. Likewise the fault of vanity: do not fast that you may be heard — for the sake of human praise. Matthew 6: but when you pray, enter into your chamber, and having shut the door, pray to your Father. Or, that it may be heard; that is, if you wish that your prayer be heard by God. Psalm 101: Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you. Secondly he shows the insufficiency of the goods: is such — because God does not choose your punishment for its own sake, nor for the affliction of the flesh, which he touches in what he says: through the day, the whole day, to afflict. Nor as to the abjection of exterior humility, which he touches in what he says, as a circle; that is, bowing the head to the feet, or turning it about, as monks do, not insofar as it is ordered to the virtue of the mind. Matthew 6: when you fast, do not become sad like the hypocrites. Joel 2: rend your hearts, and not your garments. Is not this. Here he applies useful counsel: and first as to the zeal of piety toward one's neighbor; secondly as to the worship of religion toward God, if you turn away. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the counsel of piety, that they should give up calumny: bonds — false causes, by which they cunningly bound the poor as usurers do; bundles — the same, weighing down, as to the penalties to which they bound them. Who are broken — by long servitude; burden — of servitude. Matthew 23: they bind heavy and unbearable burdens; but with their own finger they are unwilling to move them. And that they may attend to mercy, exhorting to mercy: as to the hungry, break — that is, even if you have but little; as to the wandering, and the needy; as to the naked, when you see. Job 31: if I have denied what they wished. And he sets down the cause of the exhortation: and the flesh — because, namely, it is of the same species as you. Job 5: visiting your species. Secondly he shows the fruit of the counsel: and it shall break forth. And first as to the efficacy of merits. Then as to the works of virtue: as the morning, your light; that is, your merits shall clearly appear in their rewards, which now you complain are not regarded by the Lord. It shall gather — from captivity, or in the protection of mercy. Psalm 36: he will bring forth your justice as the light. Then as to the support of prayer: then you shall call upon. Above, 30: at the voice of your cry, as soon as he hears it, he will answer you. Secondly as to the attainment of goods. And first he resumes the merit: if you take away the chain — with which you oppress the poor; to stretch out the finger — by detracting and threatening; when you shall have poured out — through compassion; you shall have filled — through the supplying of necessities. Secondly he promises the reward: it shall rise. And first as to the multiplication of goods, setting down deliverance from evils: it shall rise in the darkness — adversity shall be changed into the light of prosperity, ignorance into the light of knowledge, or sin into the light of knowledge, as to spiritual things. And rest — as to temporal evils. 2 Corinthians 4: God, who said, out of darkness. The multiplication of interior spiritual goods: he will fill with splendors — namely, with virtues or consolations; and your bones — as to bodily things. Ecclesiasticus 30: a splendid and good heart. And of exterior goods: and you shall be as a garden — on account of prosperity, or the unfailingness of all goods. Numbers 24: how beautiful are your tabernacles, Jacob. Secondly as to the rebuilding of the homeland: and there shall be built, after the return from captivity, of the ages — that is, the cities deserted in former ages — you shall raise up, by building upon the ancient foundations. Above, 44: who say to Jerusalem, you shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, you shall be built. Thirdly as to the restoration of reputation: and you shall be called the builder of hedges, that is, of the obstacles of sin; of iniquities; or into rest — namely, converting the paths of sin into rest. Hosea 2: I will hedge up your ways with thorns. If you turn away. Here he sets down counsel as to the worship of religion in the observance of the sabbath. And first he sets down the counsel: the foot — lest you do forbidden works. You shall be called the sabbath, that is, one celebrating this sabbath, as to the exercise of good works. Exodus 20: remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Another text has: you shall have called; and the sense is the same. Secondly he sets down the fruit: then you shall delight — as to spiritual goods; I will lift you up — by bringing you back into your land, which is mountainous; I will feed you — as to the enjoyment of the goods of the land. Job 22: then you shall abound with delights over the Almighty. Note, on that word, lift up like a trumpet, that preaching is a trumpet. First, because it rouses to the state of life. 1 Corinthians 15: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise incorrupt. Secondly, because it exhorts to battle. 1 Corinthians 14: if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle? Thirdly, because it announces the approach of a man. Above, 27: it shall be sounded with trumpets. Fourthly, because it calls to counsel. Hosea 8: let there be a trumpet in your throat. Fifthly, because it invites to a feast. Psalm 80: blow the trumpet at the new moon. Likewise note, on that passage, if you take away from your midst the chain, what a chain is. First, of piety. Ephesians, last chapter: for which I perform an embassy in this chain. Secondly, of iniquity. Wisdom 17: for they were all bound together by one chain of darkness. Thirdly, of poverty. Job 36: if they shall have been bound. Fourthly, of servitude. Jeremiah 28: wooden chains. Fifthly, of prison. Ecclesiastes 4: for out of prison and chains one sometimes comes forth to a kingdom.”

“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places,.... As the cities in Israel and Judea, which had been long laid waste by the Assyrians and Chaldeans, were rebuilt by those of the Jewish nation, who returned from the captivity of Babylon, to which there is at least an allusion; and as the church of God, the tabernacle of David, which was fallen down, and had lain long in ruins, through corruptions in doctrine and worship, to the times of Christ, when the apostles, who were of the Jews, those wise masterbuilders, were instruments of raising it up again, and repairing its ruins: so, in the latter day, "the waste places of the world" (n), as the words may be rendered, shall be built by a set of men, that shall be of the church of God, who shall be instruments in his hand of converting many souls, and so of peopling it with Christians; such places as before were desolate, where before there was no preaching of the word, no administration of ordinances, nor any Gospel churches: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; either such foundations as have been razed up, and lay so for ages past; or raise up such as shall continue for generations to come. It may allude to the raising the foundations of the city and temple of Jerusalem; but rather refers to the founding of churches in Gospel times, which, as it was done in the first times of it by the apostles in the Gentile world, so shall be again in the latter day, which will continue for many ages: and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, and the restorer of paths to dwell in; that is, the church and her builders, that shall be of her, shall be so called; the Jews and Gentiles will be converted in great numbers, and coalesce in the same Gospel church state, and so the breach between them will be repaired. Christians of various denominations, who now break off and separate one from another, will be of the same sentiment and judgment in doctrine and discipline; they shall see eye to eye, and cement together, and all breaches will be made up, and there will be no schism in the body; and they shall dwell together in unity, and walk in the same paths of faith and duty, of truth and holiness; and such who will be the happy instruments of all this will have much honour, and be called by these names. The Targum is, "they shall call thee one that confirms the right way, and converts, the ungodly to the law.'' (n) "desolata seculi", Munster, Vatablus, Vitringa; "deserta seculi", Pagninus, Montanus.”

“they . . . of thee--thy people, the Israelites. old waste places--the old ruins of Jerusalem (Isa 61:4; Eze 36:33-36). foundations of many generations--that is, the buildings which had lain in ruins, even to their foundations, for many ages; called in the parallel passage (Isa 61:4), "the former desolations"; and in the preceding clause here, "the old waste places." The literal and spiritual restoration of Israel is meant, which shall produce like blessed results on the Gentile world (Amo 9:11-12; Act 15:16-17). be called--appropriately: the name truly designating what thou shalt do. breach--the calamity wherewith God visited Israel for their sin (Isa 30:26; Ch1 15:13). paths to dwell in--not that the paths were to be dwelt in, but the paths leading to their dwellings were to be restored; "paths, so as to dwell in the land" [MAURER].”