Hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at his word: Your brethren that hate you, and cast you out for my name’s sake, have said: Let the Lord be glorified, and we shall see in your joy: but they shall be confounded.

“"Your brothers who hate you." Consider them as your brothers, he says, even though they hate you because of your faith, and lead them to the fear of God, so that "the Lord may be glorified in you." According to Henana, consider them to be execrable and evil, he says, even though they are your brothers by nature. "When they are cast out for my name, the Lord will be glorified" in you, "and they will be put to shame," and maybe, he says, they will be put to shame because of that and will abstain from evil actions.”

“who quake at His word The righteous who hasten with quaking to draw near to His words. Your brethren...said The transgressors of Israel mentioned above. Another explanation: Your brethren... who cast you out, said Who said to you (Lam. 4:15), “Turn away, unclean one.” who hate you, who cast you out Who say (supra 65:5), “Keep to yourself, do not come near me.” [Because of the confusion, we quote other readings. Some manuscripts, as well as K’li Paz, read:] Your brethren... said The transgressors of Israel mentioned above. who hate you, who cast you out who say (supra 65: 5), “Keep to yourself, do not come near me.” Another explanation: Your brethren...said The children of Esau. who cast you out Who said to you (Lam. 4:15), “Turn away, unclean one.” For the sake of my name, the Lord shall be glorified With our greatness, the Holy One, blessed be He, is glorified, for we are closer to Him than you are. but we will see your joy The prophet says, But it is not so as their words, for “we will see your joy, and they shall be ashamed.” Why? For sound a sound of their stirring has come before the Holy One, blessed be He, from what they did in His city, and a sound emanates from His Temple and accuses those who destroyed it, and then the voice of the Lord, recompensing His enemies.”

“מנדיכם That cast you out. Comp. ינדוהו they chase him (Job 18:18). Some render it those in whose eyes you are considered as doomed. Your brethren is added, because this circumstance, that they are brethren, gives greater force to the offence. יכבד יי R. Moses Hakkohen says, that it means, the Lord is heavy; that is, it is difficult to them to remember Him and to keep His commandments; as a proof of the correctness of this explanation he adds, that only the Niphal of כבד is found in the meaning of to be honoured, as e.g. נכבדת Thou art glorified (26:15); but he did not think of יִבְבְּדוּ they are honoured, which is the opposite of יצערו they are little (Job 14:21). According to this explanation the sense of the verse is clear. After יכבד יי the Lord is heavy the word yet must be supplied once, yet, or are the corruption of ותחסר מלת עוד, as adopted for the translation., as if the prophet said, yet a time will come, when we shall see your rejoicing, while they, that cast you out, will be confounded. But I think that these are the words of your brethren that cast you out, and that the whole verse must be explained thus: Your brethren say, For my name’s sake let the Lord be honoured [יכבד being derived from כבוד honour (11:10)], we wish it that the Lord be honoured, then we shall see your rejoicing and be ashamed; this is the meaning of the words והם יבשו and they shall be ashamed. They say it ironically and mean to indicate, that God will not be able to show His glory. In this way there is a connection between this verse and the next. Those that take these words, not as uttered by your brethren etc., but spoken by God, understand the plural in נראה as pluralis majestatis, like the plural in נעשה let us make (Gen. 1:26), or refer it to both, to God and the prophet together.”

“Thus says the Lord. Here he determines the manner of the execution of the sentence already given: and first specifically as regards the Jews; second universally as regards all: but I, their works and thoughts. The first is divided into two: in the first he excludes false confidence; second he sets forth and determines the sentence given, as to the manner of its execution: Hear the word of the Lord. Concerning the first there are two parts. First he excludes false confidence in the holiness of the temple, showing that the temple is not the place of God: both from the greatness of God, who fills all things — whose seat heaven is called, because it shares abundantly in his goodness, just as a seat holds the greater part of the one sitting; while earth is his footstool, because the earth shares least in his goodness, just as the outermost part reaches only to the footstool — or by heaven the saints are meant, and by earth the earthly-minded. 3 Kings 8: if heaven and the heaven of heavens do not contain you. Jeremiah 23: I fill heaven and earth. Acts 17: not in the hand-made things of the temple. Then from rest: because each thing rests in the place that is its own place; but God does not rest in anything, rather all things rest in him, as made by him. And what is his place? Above, ch. 40: lift up on high. And he gives a useful remedy: but to whom — the poor one, that is, the humble man who considers himself small as to the present; the contrite, as to past sins; the trembling, as to his resolve concerning what is to be done in the future. Ecclesiasticus 15: his eyes are upon those who fear him. Second, he excludes the confidence they had conceived from the rite of sacrifices: and first he sets down their reprobation: he who sacrifices an ox — as if he were to say: their sacrifices are so abominable, as if they were doing something against the law, because they were offering the same things to idols. He who blesses — that is, praises and venerates. Above, ch. 1: do not offer sacrifice any more. Second, he shows the reason for the reprobation, first setting down their fault: they have chosen all these things — namely, the sacrifices — walking in their own ways, evil ones. Proverbs 2: they rejoice when they have done evil, and exult in the worst of things. Second, he threatens punishment: hence, and I — Proverbs 3: he himself will mock the mockers. Job 3: the fear that I feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. Third, he charges the sinners with hardness of heart: because I called — Proverbs 1: I called, and you refused. Hear the word of the Lord. Here he carries out the manner of executing the sentence already given: and first as to the rewards of the good; second as to the punishments of the wicked: and it shall be known. The first is in two parts. First he rouses attention: you who tremble, out of reverence for his words. Ecclesiasticus 2: you who fear the Lord, believe in him. Second, he pursues the promise: and first as to vengeance upon the mockers, setting down their mockery: your brothers have said. Let him be glorified — as if to say: let the glory of the Lord appear, which you expect — as if to say: it will never appear. Above, ch. 5: he will come quickly and swiftly, he will not fail nor grow weary in it. And foretelling their confusion: but they shall be confounded, in this way: a voice of the people, fearing; a voice of the Lord, as to the tumult of enemies. Zephaniah 1: the voice of the day of the Lord is bitter. Second, he carries out the promise as to the abundance of good things: and first as to the reuniting of the people, setting down the promise: before she was in labor — that is, suddenly, and at once, the children of Jerusalem shall be gathered to her, just as if a woman should suddenly bring forth a son, with no labor going before. Above, ch. 37: the children have come as far as the birth. Mystically it is expounded of the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin, and of the childbearing of the Church in the conversion of the faithful, and of the bringing-forth of the eternal generation. And he introduces a question of wonder: who has ever heard such things? Above, ch. 49: who has begotten for me? And he sets down the answer in the person of the Lord: shall not I myself bring forth? — gathering the Jews, or converting the faithful, or the Son from eternity. Similarly, Psalm 93: he who planted the ear, shall he not hear? Or he who formed the eye, does he not consider? And these arguments hold, if that which is of perfection in creatures is attributed to him, with everything that belongs to imperfection removed. Second, he promises immense consolation to those gathered. And first he invites others to rejoice with them: rejoice with Jerusalem — in her, as in the object of joy — setting down the condition of those who rejoice together, as to affection: you who love. Canticle of Canticles 5: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, dearest ones. As to the sign of affection: you who mourn. Matthew 5: blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. And the fruit of that shared rejoicing, as to the sharing of gladness, or of peace: that you may suck — Canticle of Canticles 1: your breasts are better than wine. As to the sharing of glory: that you may milk it out, as those who milk out milk. Job 22: then you shall abound in delights over the Almighty. Second, he promises a copious bestowal of peace: for thus says the Lord: I will turn — so that it may be called an overflow, like a river which, though it comes down with great force, does not overflow. And of glory, and as it were a torrent. Above, ch. 48: it would have been made like a river. Third, he promises the full reception of consolation. First as to the administering of the nations: which you shall suck — unto the glory of the nations, because the kings of the nations themselves shall comfort you, and shall sustain you. Hence there follows, at the breasts. Mystically he speaks of the apostles, who rejoiced in the glory of the nations swiftly converted, and carried them, as it were, to the breasts by gentle admonitions. Above, ch. 60: you shall suck milk. Second, as to the divine protection: as if to someone, a mother. Hebrews 12: you have forgotten the consolation. Third, as to the enjoyment of good things: you shall see — the good things given you by God; your bones — you who in adversity were like dry bones. Ezekiel 37: dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Or, you shall see the divine essence. Ecclesiastes 11: light is sweet, and it is delightful for the eyes to see the sun. Bones, unto the resurrection. And it shall be known. Here he promises punishments to the wicked: and first he threatens punishment, setting down the indignation of the judge: the hand, afflicting the wicked among his servants. Or, the hand of consolation, among his servants, through its effect. Above, ch. 27: there is no indignation in me. He also sets down the greatness of the punishment: for behold, the Lord — in fire, by which the city was to be burned, or by which the world was to be purged. Chariots — the army of the Chaldeans, in which God comes, as it were; or the Angels who will come with him to judgment. Psalm 96: fire shall go before him. Amos 9: they shall perish by the sword of God. He also sets down the multitude of those punished: they shall be multiplied. Above, ch. 34: for the victim of the Lord is in Bosra, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Second, he reproaches their guilt: who were sanctifying themselves, thinking to cleanse themselves from uncleanness by waters, or even by the sacrifices of idols, in the gardens, in which they worshipped idols, or gave themselves over to pleasure, after one, coupling with women after the manner of beasts. Or, behind the door — literally, the mouse, the dormouse, against the law, Leviticus 11. Above, ch. 65: they eat swine's flesh, and unclean broth. But I. Here he pursues the manner of the discernment as regards all in common: and first he proclaims the universal judgment: their works and thoughts — judging, as it were, for both together; I come, on the day of judgment. Or, the various kingdoms of your enemies, and destroying the wicked among you. They shall come, to Jerusalem after your return, or to judgment, or to the faith. Joel 3: behold, I will raise them up out of the place in which you sold them. Second, he sets down the summons: and I will set among them — that is, among the Jews who shall be with Zerubbabel and the other leaders — a sign, the edict of Cyrus, to the nations, to which the Jews had been scattered; to Lydia, those who hold the arrow, because they are good archers; my glory, which shall appear in your deliverance. Above, ch. 11: he shall lift up a sign among the nations. Or, he sets the sign of the cross among the apostles, that all may be turned to God, as it were preparing them for judgment. Third, he sets down the preparation of those who are to be judged: and first as to the good; second as to the wicked: and they shall go forth, and shall see. The first is in two parts. First, as to the Jews, setting down their honorable return: they shall bring them on horses — by which are signified the aids which those returning had from the Gentiles. Baruch 5: the Lord shall bring these to you. Or there are signified the various conditions of those who are converted to the faith, as the Gloss expounds. Second, the exaltation of their return, first as to dignity: and I will take — which was fulfilled literally in the Jews, and also in the apostles. Above, ch. 61: you shall be called the priests of the Lord; it shall be said of you, ministers of our God. Second, as to the preservation of their offspring: for as the new heavens, as above, ch. 65 — so shall it stand, forever. Jeremiah 31: if these laws shall fail before me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall fail. Or, the saints shall stand forever, renewed like heaven and earth. Third, as to the duration of their glory: and it shall be month — as though month shall succeed month, and feast shall succeed feast, in your prosperity. Above, ch. 29: year has been added to year, and the solemnities have run their course. Mystically, the Church after the end; spiritual rest after carnal. Second, as to the Gentiles: and all shall come — because from the various nations they came to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Psalm 85: all the nations shall come and shall adore before you, O Lord. Or, on the day of judgment: and they shall go forth. Here he sets down the second judgment, as regards the wicked: and first the outflow of the punishment: and they shall go forth, coming to Jerusalem, and they shall see, in the ancient tombs, and in the fields, the bones of their dead fathers. Above, ch. 34: their slain shall be cast out, and from their carcasses a stench shall rise. Or, the saints shall see the damned falling into damnation. Second, he sets down the duration of the punishment: their worm — of conscience, by which even the dead shall be tormented; and fire — of hell. Judith 16: he will give fire and worms into their flesh. Third, the delight taken in these punishments, as regards those who see them: and they shall be unto satiety to all flesh — that is, to the saints. Psalm 57: the just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge. From these punishments may he free us, who has granted both to begin and to complete. And thus ends the sentence and the literal exposition on Isaiah according to Brother Thomas Aquinas, which Brother Iacobinus of Asti, of the province of Lombardy, at that time a student in the general house of studies at Naples, transcribed into legible letters, completing the authorities. He also arranged collations at certain places upon each of the lectures, and this he did for the benefit of the friars of our order, and that copies of the said writings might be had. Therefore, praise be to him who granted both to begin and to complete. Amen.”

“The prophet, having denounced God's judgments against a hypocritical nation, that made a jest of God's word and would not answer him when he called to them, here turns his speech to those that trembled at his word, to comfort and encourage them; they shall not be involved in the judgments that are coming upon their unbelieving nation. Ministers must distinguish thus, that, when they speak terror to the wicked, they may not make the hearts of the righteous sad. Bone Christiane, hoc nihil ad te - Good Christian, this is nothing to thee. The prophet, having assured those that tremble at God's word of a gracious look from him (Isa 66:2), here brings them a gracious message from him. The word of God has comforts in store for those that by true humiliation for sin are prepared to receive them. There were those (Isa 66:4) who, when God spoke, would not hear; but, if some will not, others sill. If the heart tremble at the word, the ear will be open to it. Now what is here said to them? I. Let them know that God will plead their just but injured cause against their persecutors (Isa 66:5): Your brethren that hated you said, Let the Lord be glorified. But he shall appear to your joy. This perhaps might have reference to the case of some of the Jews at their return out of captivity; but nothing like it appears in the history, and therefore it is rather to be referred to the first preachers and professors of the gospel among the Jews, to whose case it is very applicable. Observe, 1. How the faithful servants of God were persecuted: Their brethren hated them. The apostles were Jews by birth, and yet even in the cities of the Gentiles the Jews they met with there were their most bitter and implacable enemies and stirred up the Gentiles against them. The spouse complains (Sol 1:6) that her mother's children were angry with her. Pilate upbraided our Lord Jesus with this, Thy own nation have delivered thee unto me, Joh 18:35. Their brethren, who should have loved them and encouraged them for their work's sake hated them, and cast them out of their synagogues, excommunicated them as if they had been the greatest blemishes, when they were really the greatest blessings, of their church and nation. This was a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman. Those that hated Christ hated his disciples, because they supported his kingdom and interest (Joh 15:18), and they cast them out for his name's sake, because they were called by his name, and called upon his name, and laid out themselves to advance his name. Note, It is no new thing for church censures to be misapplied, and for her artillery, which was intended for her defence, to be turned against her best friends, by the treachery of her governors. And those that did this said, Let the Lord be glorified; they pretended conscience and a zeal for the honour of God and the church in it, and did it with all the formalities of devotion. Our Saviour explains this, and seems to have reference to it, Joh 16:2. They shall put you out of their synagogues, and whosoever kills you will think that he does God service. In nomine Domini incipit omne malum - In the name of the Lord commences evil of every kind. Or we may understand it as spoken in defiance of God: "You say God will be glorified in your deliverance; let him be glorified then; let him make speed and hasten his work (Isa 5:19); let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." Some take it to be the language of the profane Jews in captivity, bantering their brethren that hoped for deliverance, and ridiculing the expectations they often comforted themselves with, that God would shortly be glorified in it. They thus did what they could to shame the counsel of the poor, Psa 14:6. 2. How they were encouraged under these persecutions: "Let your faith and patience hold out yet a little while; your enemies hate you and oppress you, your brethren hate you and cast you out, but your Father in heaven loves you, and will appear for you when no one else will or dare. His providence shall order things so as shall be for comfort to you; he shall appear for your joy and for the confusion of those that abuse you and trample on you; they shall be ashamed of their enmity to you." This was fulfilled when, upon the signals given of Jerusalem's approaching ruin, the Jews' hearts failed them for fear; but the disciples of Christ, whom they had hated and persecuted, lifted up their heads with joy, knowing that their redemption drew nigh, Luk 21:26, Luk 21:28. Though God seem to hide himself, he will in due time show himself. II. Let them know that God's appearances for them will be such as will make a great noise in the world (Isa 66:6): There shall be a voice of noise from the city, from the temple. Some make it the joyful and triumphant voice of the church's friends, others the frightful lamenting voice of her enemies, surprised in the city, and fleeing in vain to the temple for shelter. These voices do but echo to the voice of the Lord, who is now rendering a recompence to his enemies; and those that will not hear him speaking this terror shall hear them returning the alarms of it in doleful shrieks. We may well think what a confused noise there was in the city and temple when Jerusalem, after a long siege, was at last taken by the Romans. Some think this prophecy was fulfilled in the prodigies that went before that destruction of Jerusalem, related by Josephus in his History of the Wars of the Jews (4.388 and 6.311), that the temple-doors flew open suddenly of their own accord, and the priests heard a noise of motion or shifting in the most holy place, and presently a voice, saying, Let us depart hence. And, some time after, one Jesus Bar-Annas went up and down the city, at the feast of tabernacles, continually crying, A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the temple, a voice against all this people. III. Let them know that God will set up a church for himself in the world, which shall be abundantly replenished in a little time (Isa 66:7): Before she travailed she brought forth. This is to be applied in the type to the deliverance of the Jews out of their captivity in Babylon, which was brought about very easily and silently, without any pain or struggle, such as was when they were brought out of Egypt; that was done by might and power (Deu 4:34), but this by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, Zac 4:6. The man-child of the deliverance is rejoiced in, and yet the mother was never in labour for it; before her pain came she was delivered. This is altogether surprising, uncommon, and without precedent, unless in the story which the Egyptian midwives told of the Hebrew women (Exo 1:19), that they were lively and were delivered ere the midwives came in unto them. But shall the earth be made to bring forth her fruits in one day? No, it is the work of some weeks in the spring to renew the face of the earth and cover it with its products. Some read this to the same purport with the next clause, Shall a land be brought forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? Is it to be imagined that a woman at one birth should bring children sufficient to people a country and that they should in an instant grow up to maturity? No; something like this was done in the creation; but God has since rested from all such works, and leaves second causes to produce their effects gradually. Nihil facit per saltum - He does nothing abruptly. Yet, in this case, as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth. Cyrus's proclamation was no sooner issued out than the captives were formed into a body and were ready to make the best of their way to their own land. And the reason is given (Isa 66:9), because it is the Lord's doing; he undertakes it whose work is perfect. If he bring to the birth in preparing his people for deliverance, he will cause to bring forth in the accomplishment of the deliverance. When every thing is ripe and ready for their release, and the number of their months is accomplished, so that the children are brought to the birth, shall not I then give strength to bring forth, but leave mother and babe to perish together in the most miserable case? How will this agree with the divine pity? Shall I begin a work and not go through with it? How will that agree with the divine power and perfection? Am I he that causes to bring forth (so the following clause may be read) and shall I restrain her? Does God cause mankind, and all the species of living creatures, to propagate, and replenish the earth, and will he restrain Zion? Will he not make her fruitful in a blessed offspring to replenish the church? Or, Am I he that begat, and should I restrain from bringing forth? Did God beget the deliverance in his purpose and promise, and will he not bring it forth in the accomplishment and performance of it? But this was a figure of the setting up of the Christian church in the world, and the replenishing of that family with children which was to be named from Jesus Christ. When the Spirit was poured out, and the gospel went forth from Zion, multitudes were converted in a little time and with little pains compared with the vast product. The apostles, even before they travailed, brought forth, and the children born to Christ were so numerous, and so suddenly and easily produced, that they were rather like the dew from the morning's womb than like the son from the mother's womb, Psa 110:3. The success of the gospel was astonishing; that light, like the morning, strangely diffused itself till it took hold even of the ends of the earth. Cities and nations were born at once to Christ. The same day that the Spirit was poured out there were 3000 souls added to the church. And, when this glorious work was once begun, it was carried on wonderfully, beyond what could be imagined, so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. He that brought to the birth in conviction of sin caused to bring forth in a thorough conversion to God. IV. Let them know that their present sorrows shall shortly be turned into abundant joys, Isa 66:10, Isa 66:11. Observe, 1. How the church's friends are described; they are such as love her, and mourn with her and for her. Note, All that love God love Jerusalem; they love the church of God, and lay its interest very near their heart. They admire the beauty of the church, take pleasure in communion with it, and heartily espouse its cause. And those that have a sincere affection for the church have a cordial sympathy with her in all the cares and sorrows of her militant state. They mourn for her; all her grievances are their griefs; if Jerusalem be in distress, their harps are hung on the willow-trees. 2. How they are encouraged: Rejoice with her, and again and again I say, Rejoice. This intimates that Jerusalem shall have cause to rejoice; the days of her mourning shall be at an end, and she shall be comforted according to the time that she has been afflicted. It is the will of God that all her friends should join with her in her joys, for they shall share with her in those blessings that will be the matter of her joy. If we suffer with Christ and sorrow with his church, we shall reign with him and rejoice with her. We are here called, (1.) To bear our part in the church's praises: "Come, rejoice with her, rejoice for joy with her, rejoice greatly, rejoice and know why you rejoice, rejoice on the days appointed for public thanksgiving. You that mourned for her in her sorrows cannot but from the same principle rejoice with her in her joys." (2.) To take our part in the church's comforts. We must suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation. The word of God, the covenant of grace (especially the promises of that covenant), the ordinances of God, and all the opportunities of attending on him and conversing with him, are the breasts, which the church calls and counts the breasts of her consolations, where her comforts are laid up, and whence by faith and prayer they are drawn. With her therefore we must suck from these breasts, by an application of the promises of God to ourselves and a diligent attendance on his ordinances; and with the consolations which are drawn hence we must be satisfied, and not be dissatisfied though we have ever so little of earthly comforts. It is the glory of the church that she has the Lord for her God, that to her pertain the adoption and the service of God; and with the abundance of this glory we must be delighted. We must take more pleasure in our relation to God and communion with him than in all the delights of the sons and daughters of men. Whatever is the glory of the church must be our glory and joy, particularly her purity, unity, and increase. V. Let them know that he who gives them this call to rejoice will give them cause to do so and hearts to do so, Isa 66:12-14. 1. He will give them cause to do so. For, (1.) They shall enjoy a long uninterrupted course of prosperity: I will extend, or am extending, peace to her (that is, all good to her) like a river that runs in a constant stream, still increasing till it be swallowed up in the ocean. The gospel brings with it, wherever it is received in its power, such peace as this, which shall go on like a river, supplying souls with all good and making them fruitful, as a river does the lands it passes through, such a river of peace as the springs of the world's comforts cannot send forth and the dams of the world's troubles cannot stop nor drive back nor its sand rack up, such a river of peace as will carry us to the ocean of boundless and endless bliss. (2.) There shall be large and advantageous additions made to them: The glory of the Gentiles shall come to them like a flowing stream. Gentiles converts shall come pouring into the church, and swell the river of her peace and prosperity; for they shall bring their glory with them; their wealth and honour, their power and interest, shall all be devoted to the service of God and employed for the good of the church: "Then shall you suck from the breasts of her consolations. When you see such crowding for a share in those comforts you shall be the more solicitous and the more vigorous to secure your share, not for fear of having the less for others coming in to partake of Christ" (there is no danger of that; he has enough for all and enough for each), "but their zeal shall provoke you to a holy jealousy." It is well when it does so, Rom 11:14; Co2 9:2. (3.) God shall be glorified in all, and that ought to be more the matter of our joy than any thing else (Isa 66:14): The hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants, the protecting supporting hand of his almighty power, the supplying enriching hand of his inexhaustible goodness; the benefit which his servants have by both these shall be known to his glory as well as theirs. And, to make this the more illustrious, he will at the same time make known his indignation towards his enemies. God's mercy and justice shall both be manifested and for ever magnified 2. God will not only give them cause to rejoice, but will speak comfort to them, will speak it to their hearts; and it is he only that can do that, and make it fasten there. See what he will do for the comfort of all the sons of Zion. (1.) Their country shall be their tender nurse: You shall be carried on her sides, under her arms, as little children are, and shall be dangled upon her knees, as darlings are, especially when they are weary and out of humour, and must be got to sleep. Those that are joined to the church must be treated thus affectionately. The great Shepherd gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in his bosom, and so must the under-shepherds, that they may not be discouraged. Proselytes should be favourites. (2.) God will himself be their powerful comforter: As one whom his mother comforts, when he is sick or sore, or upon any account in sorrow, so will I comfort you; not only with the rational arguments which a prudent father uses, but with the tender affections and compassions of a loving mother, that bemoans her afflicted child when it has fallen and hurt itself, that she may quiet it and make it easy, or endeavours to pacify it after she has chidden it and fallen out with it (Jer 31:20): Since I spoke against him, my bowels are troubled for him; he is a dear son, he is a pleasant child. Thus the mother comforts. Thus you shall be comforted in Jerusalem, in the favours bestowed on the church, which you shall partake of, and in the thanksgivings offered by the church, which you shall concur with. (3.) They shall feel the blessed effects of this comfort in their own souls (Isa 66:13): When you see this, what a happy state the church is restored to, not only your tongues and your countenances, but your hearts shall rejoice. This was fulfilled in the wonderful satisfaction which Christ's disciples had in the success of their ministry. Christ, with an eye to that, tells them (Joh 16:22), Your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man taketh from you. Then your bones, that were dried and withered (the marrow of them quite exhausted), shall recover a youthful strength and vigour and shall flourish like a herb. Divine comforts reach the inward man; they are marrow and moistening to the bones, Pro 3:8. The bones are the strength of the body; those shall be made to flourish with these comforts. The joy of the Lord will be your strength, Neh 8:10.”

“Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word,.... This is said to the comfort of the believing Jews, who are thus described; See Gill on Isa 66:2, your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake; as the unbelieving Jews, the Pharisees; and so Jarchi interprets it of the children of the Pharisee, that say, Depart, ye defiled; who were brethren to them that believed in Christ, by blood, by birth, by country, yet hated them, though without cause; as they did Christ, in whom they believed; and cast them out of their affections, and company, and conversation; out of their own houses, and out of the synagogues; excommunicated them from fellowship with them, and that for the sake of their believing in Christ, and professing his name; having made a law, that whoever confessed him should be put out of the synagogue, or excommunicated; and the word here used signifies that excommunication among the Jews called "niddui"; see Joh 15:19 these said, let the Lord be glorified; that is, they pretended, by all this hatred of and aversion to those of their brethren that believed in Christ, and by their persecution of them, that all their desire and design were the glory of God, imagining that, in so doing, they did God good service; see Joh 16:2. R. Moses the priest (not the Egyptian, or Maimonides, as some commentators suggest) thinks the sense is, that these unbelievers complained, as if the Lord was "heavy" unto them, and imposed burdensome precepts and commands upon them they were not able to perform; and which, he says, is always the sense of the word when in this form; but Aben Ezra observes, that he forgot the passage in Job 14:21, where it is used in the sense of honour and glory. This sense Kimchi also takes notice of; but seems not to be the sense of the passage; and, were it so, it was a false suggestion of those unbelievers; for Christ's "yoke is easy, and his burden light", Mat 11:30, see Joh 6:60, but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed: that is, the Lord shall appear, either in a providential way, as he did for the Christians at Jerusalem, before the destruction of it; directing them to go out from thence, as they did, to a place called Pella, where they were safe, and had a sufficiency of good things; while the unbelieving Jews were closely besieged, and reduced to the greatest straits and miseries, and so to shame and confusion: or else this may respect the second coming, the glorious appearance of Christ, which will be to the joy of those believing Jews, and of all his people; since he will appear to their salvation, and they shall appear with him in glory, and see him as he is, Heb 9:28, and to the shame, confusion, and destruction of those that have pierced him, despised and rejected him, and persecuted his people, Rev 1:7.”

“tremble at . . . word--the same persons as in Isa 66:2, the believing few among the Jews. cast you out for my name's sake--excommunicate, as if too polluted to worship with them (Isa 65:5). So in Christ's first sojourn on earth (Mat 10:22; Joh 9:22, Joh 9:34; Joh 16:2; Joh 15:21). So it shall be again in the last times, when the believing shall be few (Luk 18:8). Let the Lord be glorified--the mocking challenge of the persecutors, as if their violence towards you was from zeal for God. "Let the Lord show Himself glorious," namely, by manifesting Himself in your behalf; as the parallelism to, "He shall appear to your joy," requires (as in Isa 5:19; compare Isa 28:15; Isa 57:4). So again Christ on the cross (Mat 27:42-43). appear to your joy--giving you "joy" instead of your "rebuke" (Isa 25:8-9).”

“From the heathenish majority, with their ungodly hearts, the prophet now turns to the minority, consisting of those who tremble with reverential awe when they hear the word of God. They are called to hear how Jehovah will accept them in defiance of their persecutors. "Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye that tremble at His word: your brethren that hate you, that thrust you from them for my name's sake, say, 'Let Jehovah get honour, that we may see your joy:' they will be put to shame." They that hate them are their own brethren, and (what makes the sin still greater) the name of Jehovah is the reason why they are hated by them. According to the accents, indeed (מנדיכם rebia, סמי pashta), the meaning would be, "your brethren say ... 'for my name's sake (i.e., for me = out of goodness and love to us) will Jehovah glorify Himself,' - then we shall see your joy, but - they will be put to shame." Rashi and other Jewish expositors interpret it in this or some similar way; but Rosenmller, Stier, and Hahn are the only modern Christian expositors, who have done so, following the precedent of earlier commentators, who regarded the accents as binding. Luther, however, very properly disregarded them. If סמי למען be taken in connection with יכבד, it gives only a forced sense, which disturbs the relation of all the clauses; whereas this is preserved in all respects in the most natural and connected manner if we combine שמי למען with מנדּיכם שׂנאיכם, as we must do, according to such parallels as Mat 24:9. נדּה from נר, to scare away or thrust away (Amo 6:3, with the object in the dative), corresponds to ἀφορίζειν in Luk 6:22 (compare Joh 16:22, "to put out of the synagogue"). The practice of excommunication, or putting under the ban (niddūi), reaches beyond the period of the Herodians (see Eduyoth v. 6), (Note: Compare Wiesner: Der Bann in seiner gesch. Entwickelung auf dem Boden des Judenthums, 1864.) at any rate as far back as the times succeeding the captivity; but in the passage before us it is quite sufficient to understand niddâh in the sense of a defamatory renunciation of fellowship. To the accentuators this שמי למען מנדיכם appeared quite unintelligible. They never considered that it had a confessional sense here, which certainly does not occur anywhere else: viz., "for my name's sake, which ye confess in word and deed." With unbelieving scorn they say to those who confess Jehovah, and believe in the word of the true redemption: Let Jehovah glorify Himself (lit. let Him be, i.e., show Himself, glorious = yikkâbēd, cf., Job 14:21), that we may thoroughly satisfy ourselves with looking at your joy. They regard their hope as deceptive, and the word of the prophet as fanaticism. These are they, who, when permission to return is suddenly given, will desire to accompany them, but will be disappointed, because they did not rejoice in faith before, and because, although they do now rejoice in that which is self-evident, they do this in a wrong way.”