I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with the robe of justice he hath covered me, as a bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a bride adorned with her jewels.

“What is it that was said? "The two will be one flesh. This is a great sacrament, but I am speaking of Christ and the church." … So that you may realize that these are in some sense two persons and yet again are one by the union of marriage, he speaks as one in Isaiah: "He has bound a headband on me like a bridegroom and clothed me with an ornament like a bride." He called himself a bridegroom as the head, the bride as the body. So he speaks as one; let us hear him and let us also speak in him. May we be in his members, so that his voice can be ours also.”

“I will greatly rejoice. These are the words which Israel will then proclaim. יעטני He hath covered me. It is past of עוטה ; יעט covering (Ps. 104:2) is of the same root, though of a different form. יכהן Serveth. It is a transitive verb, and פאר ornament is the object; it is attended to by the bridegroom; compare my remark on ישרתונך shall minister unto thee (60:7). And as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels, with the chain round her neck.”

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon. Here he promises the people gladness. And it is divided into two parts. In the first he promises joy; in the second the people receive the promise and give thanks, there, "Rejoicing I will rejoice in the Lord." Concerning the first, two things. First he receives the office of announcing joy; second he foretells the reason or matter of the joy: "and they shall be called." Concerning the first, two things. First the gift of prophecy is touched upon: "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me" — Isaiah — whom he has anointed, filling him with the office of prophecy. 2 Peter 1: "for prophecy was not brought at any time by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Spirit." Or of Christ, of whom above, 11: "the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him." And in Psalm 44: "God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of exultation above your fellows." Luke 4: "This Scripture today." Second, the act of the prophet or of Christ is touched upon, which is twofold: to foretell rewards to the good, "to announce": James 1: "receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls"; and to confer remedies on the wretched. As to those who are cast down by faintheartedness: "that I might heal," by consoling, or by forgiving sins, if this is understood of Christ. Psalm 146: "who heals the contrite of heart, and binds up their bruises." And as to those who were held in captivity, to whom he announces the benefit of liberation: "and that I might preach to the captives," literally; or captive under the Devil, and in their own errors. Above, 49: "that you might say to those who are bound, Go forth." And the time of liberation: "and that I might preach the acceptable year," as to the liberation of the Jews; "of vengeance," as to the Chaldeans. Or the time of grace, in which he took vengeance on the Devil, repressing his power. John 12: "now is the judgment of the world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out." Psalm 64: "you will bless the crown," and Psalm 101: "because the time has come." And as to those who are swallowed up by sorrow, to whom he announces joy: "that I might comfort all," generally; "that I might appoint," specifically. Ecclesiasticus 48: "in a great spirit he saw the last things." And the sign of joy, when the signs of sorrow are turned into signs of gladness, and this is: "and that I might give to them." Above, 28: "in that day the Lord shall be a crown of glory." "And they shall be called." Here he foretells the matter of the joy: and first as to the restoration of the buildings, setting forth the condition of those who rebuild: "they shall be called in it" — namely, in Jerusalem, by the command and permission of Cyrus — "the mighty ones of justice," constant in doing justice, not moved by the threats of adversaries; or the apostles. Ecclesiasticus 39: "like a rose planted." And the restoration of the buildings: "and they shall build," the aforesaid men, or the apostles. Above, 58: "and the deserts of ages shall be built up in you." Second, as to the preservation of possessions: "and strangers shall stand." This could be fulfilled literally, in that some newcomers might be occupied in these lowly services, as with the Gibeonites: Hosea 9: "let them live and to use." Or mystically: the Gentiles — preachers, and afterward the simple of the Church — both guard and cultivate the Church herself by merits and teachings. Note on that word, "he has anointed me," that God the Father anoints Christ: first with the oil of priestly dignity, as a priest for offering sacrifices. Ecclesiasticus 45: "he anointed him with holy oil." Second, with the oil of royal power, as a king for governing. 2 Kings 12: "I have anointed you king and prince of my people." Third, with the oil of immense strength, as a warrior for fighting. 2 Kings 1: "How is the shield of the mighty cast away, the shield of Saul and of Jonathan, as though he were not anointed with oil?" Fourth, with the oil of surpassing gladness, as one generous in showing mercy. Psalm 111: "a pleasant man is he who shows mercy and lends." Psalm 44: "God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." Likewise the devout servant anoints Christ: first with the tears of compunction. Matthew 6: "anoint your head, and wash your face." Second, with the ointment of devotion. Luke 7: "but she has anointed my feet with ointment." Third, with the oil of pure intention. Ecclesiastes 9: "let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be lacking from your head." Fourth, with the oil of praise and thanksgiving. Genesis 28: "rising in the morning, Jacob took the stone and set it up as a memorial, and poured oil upon it," et cetera. "But you, priests." Here he foretells the matter of the joy as to the glory of men: and concerning this he does three things. First he shows the perfection of the glory, because they are glorious in spiritual things: "priests," as leading a holy life worthy of the priesthood. As 2 Kings 8, concerning the sons of David; Wisdom 5: "how they are numbered among the sons of God, and their lot is among the saints." Glorious also in temporal things: "strength" — that is, you shall be refreshed, you shall be sustained by the strength of the Persians and the Medes. "You shall glory" — you shall be exalted. Above, 60: "when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to you, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to you." Mystically, the apostles are priests, as teachers of the Gentiles, and delighted by the strength of the martyrs. And he assigns the reason for the perfection: "for confusion" — as if to say: from the lack of spiritual and temporal things you had confusion. "They shall praise" — the neighbors seeing — "the portion," the recompense of double goods made to them by God. Zechariah 9: "today also I declare that I will render double to you." Mystically the Church receives rewards in the goods of soul and body for the double confusion arising from the unbelief of the Gentiles and the Jews. Second, he touches on the duration of the glory: "everlasting joy." This is true as long as they remain in justice, as is explained in Jeremiah 18. Above, 35: "everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness." And he assigns the reason: "because I am the Lord." And the sense is: by the fact that the Lord loves justice, he will grant you to be just, so that thus you may please him; and he will make with you a covenant of everlasting joy. "Hating": Ecclesiasticus 34: "he who offers sacrifice from the substance of the poor is as one who sacrifices his own son in the sight of his own father." "An everlasting covenant." Jeremiah 31: "and I will make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah a new covenant." Third, the spreading abroad of the glory: "and it shall be known," which is to be referred either to the Jews, who were famous for the worship of religion, or to the spiritual seed of the apostles. Ecclesiasticus 44: "even forever." "Rejoicing I will rejoice." Here the people receive the promise and give thanks. And concerning this he does two things. First, in the person of the people, or of the Church, he expresses the joy of the heart: "rejoicing." Habakkuk 3: "but I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will exult in God my Jesus." Second, he confesses the divine benefit: and first under the likeness of garments, inasmuch as divine benefits protect from miseries: "because he has clothed me with the garments of salvation"; above, 52: "put on the garments of your gladness." Second, under the likeness of ornaments, inasmuch as they adorn: "as a bridegroom," mystically as to the perfect in the Church acting in the place of Christ; "as a bride," as to the imperfect. Baruch 5: "I will clothe you round about with a double garment." Third, under the likeness of sprouting plants, as to fruit: "for as the earth." Above, 35: "budding it shall bud."”

“Some make this the song of joy and praise to be sung by the prophet in the name of Jerusalem, congratulating her on the happy change of her circumstances in the accomplishment of the foregoing promises; others make it to be spoken by Christ in the name of the New Testament church triumphing in gospel grace. We may take in both, the former as a type of the latter. We are here taught to rejoice with holy joy, to God's honour, 1. In the beginning of this good work, the clothing of the church with righteousness and salvation, Isa 61:10. Upon this account I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. Those that rejoice in God have cause to rejoice greatly, and we need not fear running into an extreme in the greatness of our joy when we make God the gladness of our joy. The first gospel song begins like this, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, Luk 1:46, Luk 1:47. There is just matter for this joy, and all the reason in the world why it should terminate in God; for salvation and righteousness are wrought out and brought in, and the church is clothed with them. The salvation God wrought for the Jews, and that righteousness of his in which he appeared for them, and that reformation which appeared among them, made them look as glorious in the eyes of all wise men as if they had been clothed in robes of state or nuptial garments. Christ has clothed his church with an eternal salvation (and that is truly great) by clothing it with the righteousness both of justification and sanctification. The clean linen is the righteousness of saints, Rev 19:8. Observe how these tow are put together; those, and those only, shall be clothed with the garments of salvation hereafter that are covered with the robe of righteousness now: and those garments are rich and splendid clothing, like the priestly garments (for so the word signifies) with which the bridegroom decks himself. The brightness of the sun itself is compared to them. Psa 19:5, He is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, completely dressed. Such is the beauty of God's grace in those that are clothed with the robe of righteousness, that by the righteousness of Christ are recommended to God's favour and by the sanctification of the Spirit have God's image renewed upon them; they are decked as a bride to be espoused to God, and taken into covenant with him; they are decked as a priest to be employed for God, and taken into communion with him. 2. In the progress and continuance of this good work, Isa 61:11. It is not like a day of triumph, which is glorious for the present, but is soon over. No; the righteousness and salvation with which the church is clothed are durable clothing; so they are said to be, Isa 23:18. The church, when she is pleasing herself with the righteousness and salvation that Jesus Christ has clothed her with, rejoices to think that these inestimable blessings shall both spring for future ages and spread to distant regions. (1.) They shall spring forth for ages to come, as the fruits of the earth which are produced very year, from generation to generation. As the earth, even that which lies common, brings forth her bud, the tender grass at the return of the year, and as the garden enclosed causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth in their season, so duly, so constantly, so powerfully, and with such advantage to mankind will the Lord God cause righteousness and praise to spring forth, by virtue of the covenant of grace, as, in the former case, by virtue of the covenant of providence. See what the promised blessings are - righteousness and praise (for those that are clothed with righteousness show forth the praises of him that clothed them); these shall spring forth under the influence of the dew of divine grace. Though it may sometimes be winter with the church, when those blessings seem to wither and do not appear, yet the root of them is fixed, a spring-time will come, when through the reviving beams of the approaching Sun of righteousness they shall flourish again. (2.) They shall spread far, and spring forth before all the nations; the great salvation shall be published and proclaimed to all the world and the ends of the earth shall see it.”

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,.... These are not the words of the prophet spoken in his own person, rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord to his people and countrymen; nor of Christ; but of the church, especially the Jewish church, expressing her joy for benefits received, as declared in the preceding verses. The Targum is, "Jerusalem said, rejoicing I will rejoice in the Word of the Lord;'' not in his word of promise, but in his essential Word, his Son the Messiah; in his person, offices, fulness, righteousness, and salvation: my soul shall be joyful in my God; in Christ, in that he is God, and so able to save to the uttermost, and keep from a final and total falling, and to preserve safe to his kingdom and glory: hence his person is excellent; his blood precious; his righteousness valuable; and his sacrifice efficacious; and all matter of joy to the believer: and who also rejoices in that he is his God, "my God"; God in our nature; Immanuel, God with us; the God-man and Mediator, through whom there is access to God and acceptance with him; and who stands in near relation to his people, and has all fullness to supply their wants, and makes all he has theirs; so that, they have great reason to rejoice in him indeed. The Targum is, "my soul shall rejoice in the salvation of my God;'' the nature of this joy may be collected from the text itself: it is not a carnal one, or the joy of a carnal man in carnal things, it is spiritual; nor a pharisaical joy, a rejoicing in a man's self, in his own works of righteousness, for this "is in the Lord"; nor is it a hypocritical one, or only externally, for it is the soul that rejoices; and it is the joy of faith, or in the Lord, as "my God"; and a very great one it is, joy unspeakable, and full of glory; and is what continues, as the matter and ground of it always does, as follows: "for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation"; with salvation as garments; the salvation of Christ, which, like garments, is without men, being wrought out by Christ; and is brought near, and applied by the spirit of Christ; and is all around, and encompasses the saints as such, and like them beautifies and adorns them, and keeps them warm and comfortable, when they have the joys of it; and which secures them from the storms of divine wrath and vengeance; and the plural number being used may denote the fulness and completeness of this salvation, from all sin, from wrath, hell, and damnation, and from every enemy: and this is matter of joy to the believer interested in it, and clothed with it; since it is a salvation so great; a garment so fitting and suitable, and had at free cost; and in which the glory of all the divine perfections is so conspicuous, as well as it being so full, complete, and perfect, and an everlasting one: he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness: not with her own, that is a rag, and not a robe, and a filthy one too, Isa 64:6 and no covering, and is indeed no righteousness, properly speaking; but the righteousness of Christ, the best robe, the wedding garment, and change of raiment, which, like a robe, is upon believers, but not in them; it in Christ, and imputed to them; it covers their persons and their nakedness, and all their sins, so as not to be seen with the eye of avenging justice: to clothe and cover with it is God's act of imputation, and Christ's application of it by his Spirit, Zac 3:4, which, perceived by the believer, causes great joy; it being all of a piece, like Christ's seamless robe, and so pure and spotless, so perfect and complete, and so rich and glorious: as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments; or, "adorns" himself in a princely or priestly manner (d); for the word used signifies both. The sense is, as a bridegroom puts on the best clothes he has on his wedding day, and makes the appearance of a prince in his richest robes, or as the high priest when he had on all his sacerdotal garments; so the Targum, "as a bridegroom that flourishes in his bridechamber, and as the high priest who is adorned with his garments:'' and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels; or "implements" (e); and makes herself as fine as she can, to recommend herself to her spouse and her friends: thus richly and magnificently arrayed is the church of Christ, and every believer, being clothed with his righteousness; he and they are in the same relation; he is the bridegroom, they the bride; and they are clothed alike with the garment down to the foot; and are righteous as he is righteous; and are herewith as a bride adorned and made ready for her husband; and the joy at such a solemnity fitly expresses the mutual joy of Christ and his church; see Rev 19:7 so Christ's righteousness is compared to a wedding garment, Mat 22:12. (d) "sacerdotali more ornabit", Tigurine version; "qui sacerdotem refert ornatu", Piscator. (e) "vasis suis", Vatablus, Montanus; "instrumentis"; Junius & Tremellius, De Dieu.”

“Zion (Isa 61:3) gives thanks for God's returning favor (compare Luk 1:46-47; Hab 3:18). salvation . . . righteousness--inseparably connected together. The "robe" is a loose mantle thrown over the other parts of the dress (Psa 132:9, Psa 132:16; Psa 149:4; Rev 21:2; Rev 19:8). decketh himself with ornaments--rather "maketh himself a priestly headdress," that is, a magnificent headdress, such as was worn by the high priest, namely, a miter and a plate, or crown of gold worn in front of it [AQUILA, &c.]; appropriate to the "kingdom of priests," dedicated to the offering of spiritual sacrifices to God continually (Exo 19:6; Rev 5:10; Rev 20:6). jewels--rather, "ornaments" in general [BARNES].”

“This is the joyful calling of the Servant of Jehovah to be the messenger of such promises of God to His people. "Joyfully I rejoice in Jehovah; my soul shall be joyful in my God, that He hath given me garments of salvation to put on, hath wrapped me in the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom who wears the turban like a priest, and as a bride who puts on her jewellery. For like the land which brings forth its sprouts, and as a garde which causes the things sown in it to sprout up; so the Lord Jehovah bringeth righteousness to sprouting, and renown before all nations." The Targum precedes this last turn with "Thus saith Jerusalem." But as Isa 61:4-9 are a development of the glorious prospects, the realization of which has to be effected through the instrumentality of the person speaking in Isa 61:1-3 both in word and deed, the speaker here is certainly the same as there. Nor is it even the fact that he is here supposed to commence speaking again; but he is simply continuing his address by expressing at the close, as he did at the beginning, the relation in which he stands in his own person to the approaching elevation of His people. Exalted joy, which impels him to exult, is what he experiences in Jehovah his God (בּ denoting the ground and orbit of his experience): for the future, which so abounds in grace, and which he has to proclaim as a prophet and as the evangelist of Israel, and of which he has to lay the foundation as the mediator of Israel, and in which he is destined to participate as being himself an Israelite, consists entirely of salvation and righteousness; so that he, the bearer and messenger of the divine counsels of grace, appears to himself as one to whom Jehovah has given clothes of salvation to put on, and whom He has wrapped in the robe of righteousness. Tsedâqâh (righteousness), looked at from the evangelical side of the idea which it expresses, is here the parallel word to yeshū‛âh (salvation). The figurative representation of both by different articles of dress is similar to Isa 59:17 : yâ‛at, which only occurs here, is synonymous with ‛âtâh, from which comes ma‛ăteh, a wrapper or cloak (Isa 61:3). He appears to himself, as he stands there hoping such things for his people, and preaching such things to his people, to resemble a bridegroom, who makes his turban in priestly style, i.e., who winds it round his head after the fashion of the priestly migbâ‛ōth (Exo 29:9), which are called פּארים in Exo 39:28 (cf., Eze 44:18). Rashi and others think of the mitsnepheth of the high priest, which was of purple-blue; but יכהן does not imply anything beyond the migba‛âh, a tall mitra, which was formed by twisting a long linen band round the head so as to make it stand up in a point. כּהן is by no means equivalent to kōnēn, or hēkhı̄n, as Hitzig and Hahn suppose, since the verb kâhan = kūn only survives in kōhēn. Kı̄hēn is a denom., and signifies to act or play the priest; it is construed here with the accusative פּאר, which is either the accusative of more precise definition ("who play the priest in a turban;" A. ὡς νύμφιον ἱερατευόμενον στεφάνῳ), or what would answer better to the parallel member, "who makes the turban like a priest." As often as he receives the word of promise into his heart and takes it into his mouth, it is to him like the turban of a bridegroom, or like the jewellery which a bride puts on (ta‛deh, kal, as in Hos 2:15). For the substance of the promise is nothing but salvation and renown, which Jehovah causes to sprout up before all nations, just as the earth causes its vegetation to sprout, or a garden its seed (כ as a preposition in both instances, instar followed by attributive clauses; see Isa 8:22). The word in the mouth of the servant of Jehovah is the seed, out of which great things are developed before all the world. The ground and soil ('erets) of this development is mankind; the enclosed garden therein (gannâh) is the church; and the great things themselves are tsedâqâh, as the true inward nature of His church, and tehillâh as its outward manifestation. The force which causes the seed to germinate is Jehovah; but the bearer of the seed is the servant of Jehovah, and the ground of his festive rejoicing is the fact that he is able to scatter the seed of so gracious and glorious a future.”