Month: March 2021

15 Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,

and the eyes of the haughty are brought low.

John Gill

Man is humbled—To hell, or the grave, as well as the rich and noble:

And each one is brought low—Laid low in the dust, and be equal to the poor; for, in the grave, princes and peasants are alike; or they shall be all alike, in the same low and miserable condition:

And the eyes of the haughty are brought low—When famine and distress, ruin and misery, come upon them, then shall the pride of those be abased, as it was; who boasted of their riches and honour, of their descent and parentage, as the children of Abraham, and as being free men, and never in bondage; of their righteousness and good works; not submitting to the righteousness of Christ; but despising it, and looking with disdain upon, and treating with contempt, such as they thought less holy than themselves. The scribes and Pharisees, the members of the council, and rulers of the people, together with the whole body of the nation, are meant; who were all of the same cast and complexion, being conceited of themselves, and proud boasters.

Rashi

Man is humbled . . . and the strong of men shall be weakened. after Jonathan. According to the Midrashic interpretation (Sotah 48a), this is the Holy One, blessed be he. They caused him to appear as a man who is stunned. The expression originates in Jer 14:9. And so Scripture states (Deu 32:18): “The Rock that begot you, you have weakened (תֶּשִׁי),” interpreting the word as originating from תָּשׁ, weak, and Scripture states further (Ecc 10:18): “Through slothfulness, the one who frames his upper chambers will become impoverished.”

Sotah 48a:21

After listing the sin of those who drink wine with musical accompaniment, the verse states their punishment: What is written afterward? “Therefore my people have gone into exile for lack of knowledge” (Isa 5:13), meaning that they cause exile to the world; “their honored men go hungry” (Isa 5:13), as they bring famine to the world; “and their multitude is parched with thirst” (Isa 5:13), that they cause the law, which is compared to water, to be forgotten by those who learn it. “Mankind is humbled, and each one is brought low” (Isa 5:15), that they cause the enemy of the Holy One, blessed be he, i.e., God himself, to be brought down, as “man” in the phrase “and man is brought low” means nothing other than the Holy One, blessed be he, as it is stated: “The Lord is a man of war” (Exo 15:3). The verse continues: “And the eyes of the haughty are brought low” (Isa 5:15), that they cause the Jewish people to be brought down. These are the five retributions.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,

John Gill

Let the lowly brother—By “the brother” is meant, not one in a natural, but in a spiritual relation; one of Christ’s brethren, and who is of that family that is named of him; of the household of faith, and is in church communion: and whereas he is said to be “lowly,” or “humble,” this regards not the affection of his mind, or his conduct and deportment, he being meek and lowly, and clothed with humility, as every brother is, or ought to be; but his outward state and condition, being, as to the things of this world, poor, and mean in his outward circumstances, and so humbled and afflicted. This appears from the rich man, who, in the next verse, is opposed unto him, and distinguished from him; see Psa 62:9 such is advised to

Boast in his exaltation—Or to “glory in his exaltation;” in that high estate, to which he is advanced; for a person may be very low and mean, as to his worldly circumstances, and yet be very high, and greatly exalted in a spiritual sense: and this height of honour and grandeur, of which he may boast and glory, amidst his outward poverty, lies in his high birth and descent, being born from above, and of God, and belonging to his family; in being an adopted son of God, and so an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, and of the heavenly inheritance and kingdom; in the present riches of grace he is possessed of, as justifying, pardoning, and sanctifying grace; and in the high titles he bears, as besides the new name, the name better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentate, even that of a son of the Lord God Almighty, his being a king, and a priest unto God, and for whom a kingdom, crown, and throne are prepared; and also in the company he daily keeps, and is admitted to, as of God, and Christ, and the holy angels: and this height of honour have all the saints, be they ever so poor in this world, who can vie with the greatest of princes for sublimity and grandeur.

10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.

11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. JAS 1:9-11

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1PE 5:5

16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice,

and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

John Gill

But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice—By the “Lord of hosts” is meant Christ, the Lord of the armies, and of the inhabitants of the earth, of angels, and of men; who, though in our nature, in his state of humiliation, was brought very low, yet is now highly exalted; and which exaltation of his is seen and known, as it is here foretold it should be, by his judgments inflicted on the Jewish nation, for their contempt and rejection of him; see Psa 9:16 so Kimchi interprets judgment of the judgment which the Lord would inflict on the ungodly of Israel: thus Christ’s exaltation is seen in their humiliation, and his kingdom and power in their destruction:

And the Holy God—Christ is truly and properly God, God over all, blessed for ever; and he is holy, both as God and man; as God he is essentially and perfectly holy; and, as man, without sin original or actual; he is the Holy One of God, and the Holy One of Israel; and of him it is said, he

Shows himself holy in righteousness—Or be declared to be holy; by the obedience and righteousness of his life, wrought out for his people, whereby he becomes their sanctification and righteousness; and by his justice, in punishing his and his people’s enemies. Were all this to be understood of Jehovah the Father, it might very well be interpreted, as it is by Cocceius, of his being exalted and honoured by the condemnation of sin in the flesh of Christ; and of his being “glorified,” as the Arabic version renders it, by the obedience and righteousness of his Son, whereby his justice is satisfied, and his law magnified, and made honourable; and by the faith of his people, laying hold on that righteousness, and receiving it to the glory of God; in all which the purity, holiness, and justice of God appears.

Rashi

But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted through justice—When he executes justice upon them, his name shall be exalted in the world.

Through justice—Jostise justice in O.F.

And the Holy God shows himself holy among the righteous remaining of you.

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ROM 2:5

17 Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,

and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. ISA 5:15-17

John Gill

Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture—That is, the people of God, the disciples of Christ, either apostles and ministers of the gospel, whom he sent forth as lambs among wolves (Luk 10:3), who fed the flock of Christ in their usual pasture, and as directed by him; even with knowledge and understanding, by the ministry of the word, and administration of ordinances; or the people of God fed by them, who are comparable to lambs for their harmlessness and innocence; and who feed in green pastures, “according as they are led;” as the word used may be rendered; or “according to their word;” the doctrine of the ministers of the gospel, by whom they are instructed and directed to feed on Christ, as he is held forth in the word and ordinances. The Targum is,

“and the righteous shall be fed as is said of them;”

and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of the righteous:

And nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich—That is, the Gentiles, who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise; the other sheep that were not of the Jewish fold (Joh 10:16; Eph 2:12), these shall come in the room of the rich of the land of Judea, the rulers, elders, scribes and Pharisees; and feed on those pastures which were despised and left desolate by them; enjoy the gospel they put away from them, and the ordinances of it, which they rejected. The Targum is,

“and they shall be multiplied, and the substance of the ungodly shall the righteous possess.”

Rashi

Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture—The righteous who are compared to a flock of ewes.

As in their pasture—Heb. כדברם. According to their habit, with equity and with a measure, guiding their affairs with justice, like these lambs. Variant reading: According to their habit, with equity and of their own, for there will no longer be wicked people in the world, who will rob them. Our Rabbis expounded כְּדָבְרָם to mean: According to all that was spoken regarding them, i.e., the consolations spoken for them.

And . . . the ruins of the rich—The houses of the wicked, who are rich.

Nomads shall eat—The righteous, who are like nomads, shall eat them.

Rich—Heb. מֵחִים, meaning “fat,” as (Psa 66:15): “Burnt offerings of fatlings will I offer.”

God’s calling out of the arrogant and oppressive is intended to humble them. He shows his holiness through his righteousness and justice, which we can never have apart from him. His call to humility always has redemption and restoration in mind. We have a choice on how to respond: to harden our hearts and continue to exalt ourselves, or yield to him as God. Jas 4:6 says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. We will find ourselves going against him if we keep a disposition of arrogance. But when we choose the route of humility, we will experience his grace and even be channels of his grace to the world. Is God still first in your heart? What are some things that take first place in your heart?

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” JAS 4:6

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

John Gill

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh—As the Lord commanded them, for what is before said to Moses was designed for Aaron also, his prophet and spokesman:

And said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews”—As the ambassadors of the God of Israel, and in his name said:

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?—To acknowledge his offence, lie low before God, and be subject to his will; he had humbled himself for a moment, but then this did not continue; what God expected of him, and complains of the want of, was such a continued humiliation before him, and such a subjection to him, as would issue in complying with what he had so often demanded of him, and is as follows:

Let my people go, that they may serve me—See Exo 9:1, 13.

Rashi

לֵעָנֹת Translate as the Targum: to humble yourself, and it is derived from עָנִי. You have refused to be humble and lowly before me.

4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,’ ” EXO 10:3-4

John Gill

For if you refuse to let my people go—He threatens him with the following plague, the plague of the locusts, which Pliny calls “denrum irae pestis;”

Behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country—According to Bishop Usher this was about the seventh day of the month Abib, that this plague was threatened, and on the morrow, which was the eighth day, it was brought; but Aben Ezra relates it as an opinion of Japhet an Hebrew writer, that there were many days between the plague of the hail, and the plague of the locusts, that there might be time for the grass and plants to spring out of the field; but this seems not necessary, for these locusts only ate of what were left of the hail, as in the following verse.

1 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,

and the writers who keep writing oppression,

Rashi

Iniquitous decrees—Notes of injustice, forged notes.

Letters—Heb. מְכַתְּבִים. This is Arabic, like מִכְתָּבִים in Hebrew.

2 to turn aside the needy from justice

and to rob the poor of my people of their right,

that widows may be their spoil,

and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

John Gill

To turn aside the needy from justice—Such laws being made as discouraged them from any application for justice; and, when they did, were harassed with such long, vexatious, and expensive suits, as obliged them to desist, and the cause being generally given against them, and for the rich:

And to rob the poor of my people of their right—For not to do justice to the poor is the same as to rob and plunder them, and take away by force what of right belongs to them; wherefore it follows:

That widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey—Who have none to protect and defend them, and whose protectors judges ought to be, in imitation of God, whom civil magistrates represent, who is the judge of the widows and the fatherless; and therefore this is observed as an aggravation of their sin, which was very great indeed: it is very wicked in a judge to pervert the judgment of the poor and needy, the widow and the fatherless, contrary to laws that are made by God and men; but to make and prescribe wicked and unrighteous laws, that wickedness may be framed, and mischief committed by a law, that the poor and the needy, the widows and fatherless, may be injured under colour and pretence of law and justice, is the height of injustice. See Psa 94:20-21.

Rashi

To turn aside through the false notes, the poor from the legal rights due them.

3 What will you do on the day of punishment,

in the ruin that will come from afar?

To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth? ISA 10:1-3

Rashi

On the day of punishment when the Holy One, blessed be he, visits upon you your iniquities.

In the ruin—Heb. וּלְשׁוֹאָה, an expression of ruin.

To whom will you flee for help—The Holy One, blessed be he, will afford you no help.

And where will you leave all the wealth you are accumulating from robbery, when you go into exile?

God sits in judgment on those who intentionally design decrees and writings for their gain, but who oppress the poor and vulnerable. Because of those actions, God says on the day of punishment, there will be no one who extends help, and nowhere to keep their wealth (Isa 10:3). How should your decisions consider the needs of the poor and vulnerable? Why is this an important consideration for us as God’s people?

And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 1KI 21:13

Sanhedrin 48b:10

The Gemara raises a difficulty: Granted, according to the one who says that the property of those executed by the king belongs to the king, that is the reason that it is written that Jezebel arranged for witnesses to falsely testify that “Naboth cursed God and the king” (1Ki 21:13). Since Naboth cursed the king, Ahab could execute him and seize his property. But according to the one who says that the property of those executed by the king belongs to their heirs, why do I need the testimony that Naboth cursed the king? It would have sufficed for the witnesses to testify that he cursed God, in which case he would have been executed by the court, and Ahab would have taken possession of the vineyard as his heir.

Your princes are rebels

and companions of thieves.

Everyone loves a bribe

and runs after gifts.

They do not bring justice to the fatherless,

and the widow’s cause does not come to them. ISA 1:23

Rashi

Rebels—Deviating from the straight path.

And runs after gifts—This word is similar to the Talmudic תַּשְׁלוּמִין. Jonathan paraphrases: One man says to another, Do me a favor in my case, and I will repay you in your case. This refers to a judge who was a robber, and the robbery victim complains about him before another judge. This one says to him, Declare me innocent today, and I will repay you when they complain about you before me. This is the meaning of running after gifts.

And the widow’s cause does not come to them—The widow comes to complain, and the fatherless is coming out, when this one meets him and asks him, What did you accomplish in your case? He replies, All day long I toiled at work, but I did not accomplish anything. And this one turns around and says, If this one, who is a man, did not accomplish anything, surely I will not. This is the meaning of, “they do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them” at all.

3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

Rashi

They have come to me from a far country—This is one of three people whom the Holy One, blessed be he, tested and found to be a chamber pot: Cain, Hezekiah, and Balaam. Hezekiah should have replied, “You are a prophet of the Omnipresent. Yet you ask me?” Instead, he commenced to become haughty, and said, “They have come to me from a far country.” Therefore, he was punished, and because he rejoiced over them and fed them on his table. Similarly, Balaam, to whom he said, “Who are these men with you?” (Num 22:9) And he replied and said, “Balak the son of Zippor sent them to me.” Similarly, Cain, to whom he said, “Where is your brother Abel?” (Gen 4:9) He should have replied, “Lord of the Universe, are not all hidden things revealed to you?” As it is stated in Tanhuma.

6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord.

Rashi

Nothing shall be left—You shall be paid in kind, corresponding to “There is nothing (v. 4).” (I.e., 

Hezekiah would be punished for showing off all his treasures, by having all those treasures carried off to Babylon.)

7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. ISA 39:3, 6-7

Rashi

And some of your own sons—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” JOH 19:6

John Gill

When the chief priests and the officers saw him—In this piteous condition, in his mock dress, and having on him all the marks of cruel usage, enough to have moved an heart of stone: and though they were the principal men of the priesthood, and who made great pretensions to religion and piety, and the officers were their servants and attendants, and all of them used to sacred employments; which might have been thought would have at least influenced them to the exercise of humanity and compassion to fellow creatures; yet instead of being affected with this sight, and wrought upon by it, to have agreed to his release, as Pilate hoped,

They cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”—Which was done in a very noisy and clamorous way; and the repetition of their request shows their malignity, vehemence, and impatience; and remarkable it is, that they should call for, and desire that kind of death the Scriptures had pointed out, that the Messiah should die, and which was predicted by Christ himself.

Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him”—This was not leave to do it, as appears from the reason he gives, in which the innocence of Christ is again asserted; nor did the Jews take it in this light, as is evident from their reply; and it is clear, that after this Pilate thought he had a power either to release or crucify him; and he did afterwards seek to release him; and the Jews made a fresh request to crucify him; upon which he was delivered to be crucified: but this was said in a way of indignation, and as abhorring the action; and is an ironical concession, and a bitter sarcasm upon them, that men that professed so much religion and sanctity, could be guilty of such iniquity, as to desire the death of one that no fault could be found in; and therefore, if such were their consciences, for his part, he desired to have no concern in so unrighteous an action; but if they would, they must even do it themselves.

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1PE 2:12

John Gill

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable—To have the conduct honorable, is to provide things honorable in the sight of God, and among men; to order the conduct aright, according to the law of God, which is a rule of walk and conduct, and as becomes the gospel of Christ; and which was the more, and rather to be attended to, because these converted Jews were “among the Gentiles,” that knew not God; idolaters, and unbelievers, profane sinners, who were watching for their halting, and that they might take an advantage against them, and the gospel, and the religion they professed, from their conversations:

So that when they speak against you as evildoers—Charging them with the grossest immoralities, as the Gentiles did the Christians in the first ages; which appears evidently from the apologies of Tertullian, Jnstin Martyr, and others; though it seems that the Jewish converts are here intended, who were accused by the Gentiles of seditious principles and practices, and of acting contrary to the laws of civil government, refusing to yield subjection to Gentile magistrates, and obedience to Gentile masters; and hence the apostle, in some following verses, enlarges on those duties, and which he exhorts them to attend unto, that they might put to silence the ignorance of such foolish accusers: and

That they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation—Or “trial,” or “examination,” as the Syriac version renders it; which may be understood either of human or divine visitation, which seems most likely, this must either design a visitation by way of judgment, or of mercy; for as the Jews say, there is “a visitation,” for good, and a visitation for evil: God sometimes visits in a way of punishment for sin, and sometimes in away of grace, for the good and welfare of men; and then the sense is, that when wicked men take notice of and observe the good works of the saints, their civil, honest, and orderly conversation, they shall glorify God on that account, who has enabled them to perform them; and acknowledge the goodness of them, and the wrong judgment they have passed upon them, and the ill measure they have measured out to them; and this will be, either when God visits them in a way of wrath, as at the day of judgment, or at the time of some temporal calamity before, or when he visits them in a way of mercy, calls them by his grace, and effectually works upon them by his Spirit: the same argument for the performance of good works is used by Christ, in Mat 5:16.

13 The Lord has taken his place to contend;

he stands to judge peoples.

John Gill

The Lord has taken his place to contend—His own cause, or the cause of his Son against the Jews that rejected him, and the scribes and Pharisees that led them to an ill opinion of him:

He stands to judge peoples—Both expressions show indignation and resentment; he rises up out of his place, and stands up in defence of his cause, and avenges himself on a wicked and ungrateful people: it seems to have reference to the judgments of God on the people of the Jews, the tribes of Israel.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment

with the elders and princes of his people:

“It is you who have devoured the vineyard,

the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

John Gill

The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people—Both civil and ecclesiastical; the princes, chief priests, and elders of the people, who set themselves and took counsel together against the Lord and his Christ; would not suffer the people to be gathered to him; sought his life, and at last took it away.

It is you who have devoured the vineyard—Or burnt it; the house of Israel, and of Judah compared to a vineyard, in a following chapter; and so the Targum, “you have oppressed my people;” these are the husbandmen our Lord speaks of, that beat the servants that were sent for the fruits of the vineyard, and at last killed the heir (Mat 21:34-41).

The spoil of the poor is in your houses—The Pharisees devoured widows’ houses, and filled their own, with the spoil of them (Mat 23:14).

15 What do you mean by crushing my people,

by grinding the face of the poor?”

declares the Lord God of hosts. ISA 3:13-15

John Gill

What do you mean by crushing my people—Reduce them to the utmost poverty; so the Targum,

“wherefore do you impoverish my people?”

as they did by exacting tithes of all that they possessed; by requiring large sums for their long prayers; and by various traditions they enjoined them to observe:

By grinding the face of the poor?—Either by smiting them on the cheek, as Christ, who became poor for our sakes, was smitten by them; or by bringing them into such low circumstances, by their exorbitant demands, that they had not sufficiency of food to eat; by which means their faces became pale, thin, and meagre:

Declares the Lord God of hosts—Who saw all their actions, and was able to plead his people’s cause, and take vengeance on their oppressors.

God sits in judgment on those who are proud and whose wealth comes from oppressing the poor. Because of their actions, God says he would take away all their accessories and fine clothing, leaving them empty. While we may think that having more finery and accumulating wealth and property is a good goal in life, God actually calls his people out on extravagance and neglecting the poor. How is this also happening today? What is an area of extravagance or pride that God is asking you to examine?

And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?” EXO 5:14

John Gill

And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them—This makes it clear, not only that the taskmasters and officers were different persons, but that the one were Egyptians appointed by Pharaoh, and the other were Israelites, of the better sort of them, who were set over the poorer sort by the taskmasters, to look after them, and take an account of their work, and the tale of their bricks, and give it in to the taskmasters; now these

Were beaten—By the taskmasters, either with a cane, stick, or cudgel, or with whips and scourges, because there was a deficiency in their accounts, and the full tale of bricks was not given in:

And were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”—The first day they were deficient they took no notice of it, did not call them to an account for it, but this being the case the second day, they not only expostulated with them about it, but beat them for it, which was hard usage. They had no need to ask them the reason of it, which they knew very well, and must be sensible that the men could not do the same work, and be obliged to spend part of their time in going about for straw or stubble; or the same number of men make the same tale of bricks, when some of them were employed to get straw for the rest, and to beat those officers for a deficiency through such means was cruel.

“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

I will now arise,” says the Lord;

“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” PSA 12:6

John Gill

Because the poor are plundered—The servants and people of God, who, for the most part, are poor in a temporal sense, and are all of them, and always, so in a spiritual sense, standing continually in need of fresh supplies of grace; and being often afflicted, as the word signifies, are mean and despicable in the eyes of the men of this world, and so oppressed by them, as the poor generally are by the rich; and as the people of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians, so are the people of God by antichrist, and by his tyrannical laws and edicts, and by such haughty and insolent persons as before described;

Because the needy groan—Who groan under their oppressions; being stripped of all good things, their friends, and worldly substance, they sigh inwardly, and cry unto the Lord, who sees their oppressions, hears their groans; and though he cannot be moved, as men are, by anything without himself, yet, according to his abundant mercy and sovereign will, he appears and exerts himself on the behalf of his people, and for their relief and assistance;

“I will now arise,” says the Lord—To have mercy on the poor and needy, and to avenge them on their oppressors, and free them from them. And this the Lord promises to do “now,” speedily, immediately; God arises in the most seasonable time, when his people are in the greatest straits, and in the utmost distress and herein displays his wisdom, power, and goodness. This is an answer to the petition of the psalmist in (Psa 12:1);

I will place him in the safety for which he longs—Or “in salvation;” in Christ the Saviour. All God’s people are put into the hands of Christ, and are preserved in him; there they are in safety, for out of his hands none can pluck them; and being built on him, the Rock, they are safe, notwithstanding the waves and winds of temptation, persecution come with ever so much force upon them. Here it seems to signify, that God would deliver his poor and needy from their oppressions, and put them into a comfortable, prosperous, safe, and happy situation, in which they will be out of the reach of their enemies; as will be the witnesses, when they shall ascend to heaven (Rev 11:11-12); “in the safety for which he longs,” even out of the reach of him that despises them, and treats them with the utmost scorn and contempt; see Psa 10:5. Or that “breathes,” or “let him breathe” threatenings and slaughters; as Saul did against the disciples of Christ (Act 9:1); or that “lays snares for him,” as the wicked do for the righteous; or that “speaks unto him” in such haughty and insolent language as before expressed. Some make this clause a proposition of itself, “for which he longs;” meaning either that he that is secure, safety puffs at his enemy, despises him, as he has been despised by him; or God, who breathes upon him, and whose breath is as a stream of brimstone, which kindles in him a fire of divine wrath, which is unquenchable; or else the sense is, God will “speak to himself,” or “to him;” in which sense the word is used (Hab 2:4); that is, good and comfortable words to the poor; or “he will give him refreshment,” or “rest:” which he will determine in himself to speak to him: or “he shall have breathing,” or “let him breathe:” he shall have times of refreshing from the Lord, and rest from adversity, from the oppositions and persecutions of his enemies.

22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate,

23 for the Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them. PRO 22:22-23

10 Do not move an ancient landmark

or enter the fields of the fatherless,

11 for their Redeemer is strong;

he will plead their cause against you. PRO 23:10-11

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah

are his pleasant planting;

and he looked for justice,

but behold, bloodshed;

for righteousness,

but behold, an outcry! ISA 5:7

John Gill

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel—This is the explication of the parable, or the accommodation and application of it to the people of Israel, by whom are meant the ten tribes; they are signified by the vineyard, which belonged to the Lord of hosts, who had chosen them to be a peculiar people to him, and had separated them from all others:

And the men of Judah are his pleasant planting—They were so when first planted by the Lord; they were plants of delight, in whom he took great delight and pleasure (Deu 10:15), these design the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, in distinction from Israel:

And he looked for justice—That the poor, and the fatherless, and the widow, would have their causes judged in a righteous manner, and that justice and judgment would be executed in the land in all respects; for which such provision was made by the good and righteous laws that were given them:

But behold, bloodshed—Or a “scab,” such as was in the plague of leprosy; corruption, perverting of justice, and oppressing of the poor: Jarchi interprets it a gathering of sin to sin, a heaping up iniquities:

For righteousness, but behold, an outcry—Of the poor and oppressed, for want of justice done, and by reason of their oppressions. Here ends the song; what has been parabolically said is literally expressed in the following part of the chapter.

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals—

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth

and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go in to the same girl,

so that my holy name is profaned; AMO 2:6-7

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, “Bring, that we may drink!” AMO 4:1

4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy

and bring the poor of the land to an end,

5 saying, “When will the new moon be over,

that we may sell grain?

And the Sabbath,

that we may offer wheat for sale,

that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great

and deal deceitfully with false balances,

6 that we may buy the poor for silver

and the needy for a pair of sandals

and sell the chaff of the wheat?” AMO 8:4-6

They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them away;

they oppress a man and his house,

a man and his inheritance. MIC 2:2

Ah, sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

offspring of evildoers,

children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the Lord,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel,

they are utterly estranged. ISA 1:4

Rashi

Ah—Every instance of הוֹי in Scripture is an expression of complaining and lamenting, like a person who sighs from his heart and cries, “Alas!” There are, however, several, which are an expression of a cry, the vocative voice, e.g., “Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north” (Zec 2:10), which the Targum renders, אַכְלוּ, an expression of announcing.

Ah—There is a reason to cry about a holy nation that turned into a sinful nation, and a people referred to by the expression, “for you are a people holy” (Deu 7:6), turned into a people with iniquity.

A people laden with iniquity—The heaviness of iniquity. The word denotes a person who is laden, pesant in French, ponderous. The word כֶבֶד is a substantive of heaviness, pesantoma in French, and is in the construct state, and is connected with the word עָוֹן, iniquity.

Offspring of evildoers—And they were offspring whom the Lord blessed (Isa 61:9). Similarly, they were children of the Holy One, blessed be he, and they became corrupt.

They have despised—Heb. נִאֲצוּ, they angered.

They are utterly estranged—The root נְזִירָה, wherever it appears, is only an expression of separation. Similarly, Scripture states: “And they abstain (וְיִנָּזְרוּ) from the holy things of the people of Israel” (Lev 22:2), “him set apart (נְזִיר) from his brothers” (Gen 49:26). Here too, they drew away from being near the Omnipresent.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. MAT 11:28

John Gill

Come to me—Christ having signified, that the knowledge of God, and the mysteries of grace, are only to be come at through him; and that he has all things relating to the peace, comfort, happiness, and salvation of men in his hands, kindly invites and encourages souls to come to him for the same: by which is meant, not a local coming, or a coming to hear him preach; for so his hearers, to whom he more immediately directed his speech, were come already; and many of them did, as multitudes may, and do, in this sense, come to Christ, who never knew him, nor receive any spiritual benefit by him: nor is it a bare coming under the ordinances of Christ, submission to baptism, or an attendance at the Lord’s supper, the latter of which was not yet instituted; and both may be performed by men, who are not yet come to Christ: but it is to be understood of believing in Christ, the going of the soul to him, in the exercise of grace on him, of desire after him, love to him, faith and hope in him: believing in Christ, and coming to him, are terms synonymous (Joh 6:35). Those who come to Christ aright, come as sinners, to a full, suitable, able, and willing Saviour; venture their souls upon him, and trust in him for righteousness, life, and salvation, which they are encouraged to do, by this kind invitation; which shows his willingness to save, and his readiness to give relief to distressed minds. The persons invited, are not “all” the individuals of mankind, but with a restriction,

All who labor and are heavy laden—Meaning, not these who are labouring in the service of sin and Satan, are laden with iniquity, and insensible of it: these are not weary of sin, nor burdened with it; not do they want or desire any rest for their souls; but such who groan, being burdened with the guilt of sin upon their consciences, and are pressed down with the unsupportable yoke of the law, and the load of human traditions; and have been labouring till they are weary, in order to obtain peace of conscience, and rest for their souls, by the observance of these things, but in vain. These are encouraged to come to him, lay down their burdens at his feet, look to, and lay hold by faith on his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; when they should enjoy that true spiritual consolation, which could never be attained to by the works of the law.

And I will give you rest—Spiritual rest here, peace of conscience, ease of mind, tranquillity of soul, through an application of pardoning grace, a view of free justification by the righteousness of Christ, and full atonement of sin by his sacrifice; and eternal rest hereafter, in Abraham’s bosom, in the arms of Jesus, in perfect and uninterrupted communion with Father, Son, and Spirit. The Jews say, that “the law is rest;” and so explain (Gen 49:15; Psa 23:2; Dan 12:13) of it: but a truly sensible sinner enjoys no rest, but in Christ; it is like Noah’s dove, which could find no rest for the soles of its feet, until it returned to the ark; and they themselves expect perfect rest in the days of the Messiah, and call his world, rest.

51 You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

John Gill

You stiff-necked—Or “hard necked,” which is a character frequently given of this people (Exo 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9), and elsewhere, and is expressive of their obstinacy, stubbornness and refractoriness; who would not submit their necks to the yoke of God’s law, and be obedient to his commands:

Uncircumcised in heart and ears—For though they had the mark of circumcision in their flesh, of which they boasted; yet they had not the true circumcision of the heart; their hearts were not circumcised to fear and love the Lord, nor their ears to hear the word of the Lord and the gospel of Christ; so that notwithstanding their confidence in carnal privileges, they were uncircumcised persons:

You always resist the Holy Spirit—The resistance made by these persons was not to the Spirit of God in them, of which they were destitute, but to the Spirit of God in his ministers, in his apostles, and particularly in Stephen; nor to any internal operation of his grace, but to the external ministry of the word, and to all that objective light, knowledge, evidence, and conviction that it gave of Jesus’ being the Messiah: and such who resist Christ’s ministers, resist him, and such who resist him, may be said to resist his Holy Spirit; and the word here used signifies a rushing against, and falling upon, in a rude and hostile way, and fitly expresses their ill treatment of Christ and his ministers, by falling upon them and putting them to death: which is the resistance here designed, as appears by the following verse: so that this passage is no proof of the resistance of the Holy Spirit, and the operations of his grace in conversion, when he is in men, and acts with a purpose and will to convert them; since it does not appear that he was in these persons, and was acting in them, with a design to convert them; and if he was, it wilt be difficult to prove that they so resisted, and continued to resist, as that they were not hereafter converted; since it is certain that one of them, Saul, was really and truly converted, and how many more we know not. Though it will be allowed, that the Holy Spirit in the operations of his grace upon the heart in conversion may be resisted, that is, opposed; but not so as to be overcome or be hindered in, or be obliged to cease from, the work of conversion, insomuch that may come to nothing:

As your fathers did, so do you—Or as “your fathers were, so are you;” as they were stiff-necked, self-willed, obstinate, and inflexible, so are you; as they were uncircumcised in heart and ears, so are you; and as they resisted the Spirit of God in his prophets, so do you resist him in the apostles and ministers of the gospel.

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ACT 7:51-52

God described the people of Israel as those who have forsaken the Lord (Isa 1:4). However, he did not just want them to come back and follow him mindlessly. God wanted a real relationship with them, and invited them to accept his offer to make their sins white as snow—as if they had never sinned. He is extending the same invitation to us today. Instead of a relationship of face-value service and faithfulness, God is seeking out a true, vibrant relationship with each of us so we can be transformed to be more and more like him. What is one time you did something you felt was unforgivable, but experienced God’s grace and forgiveness anyway?

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool. ISA 1:18

Rashi

Come now, let us reason together, I and you, and we will know who offended whom, and if you offended me, I still give you hope to repent.

Says the Lord—The verb is in the future form to denote that he always says this to you, like: (Num 9:20) “By the word of the Lord they would camp (יַחֲנוּ),” also a future form. Another explanation is: Come now, let us reason together. What is written above this? “Cease to do evil, learn to do good.” And after you return to me, come now, and let us reason together, to notify me, “We have done what is incumbent upon us; you do what is incumbent upon you;” and I say, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . .”

Though your sins are like scarlet—Stained before me like crimson red, I will make them as white as snow.

Like crimson—Heb. תּוֹלָע, lit. a worm. Dye with which they dye fabrics red. They are kernels, each one of which has a worm inside it. Hence the name תּוֹלָע.

Shabbat 89b:2

We learned in the mishna: From where is it derived that one ties a scarlet strip of wool to the scapegoat? As it says: “If your sins are like scarlet [kashanim], they will become white like snow” (Isa 1:18). The Gemara wonders at this: Why does the verse use the plural form: Kashanim? It should have used the singular form: Kashani. Rabbi Yitzḥak said that the Holy One, blessed be he, said to the Jewish people: Even if your sins are as numerous as those years [kashanim] that have proceeded continuously from the six days of creation until now, they will become white like snow. Rava taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Go please, let us reason together, the Lord will say” (Isa 1:18)? Why does the verse say: Go please? It should have said: Come please. And why does the verse say: The Lord will say? The prophet’s message is based on something that God already said. Therefore, the verse should have said: God said. Rather, the explanation of this verse is that in the future that will surely come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will say to the Jewish people: Go please to your patriarchs, and they will rebuke you.

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ACT 17:2

John Gill

And Paul went in, as was his custom—To the Jews in their synagogue; for though the Jews had put away the gospel from them, and the apostle had turned to the Gentiles; yet he still retained a great affection for his countrymen the Jews, and as often as he had opportunity, attended their synagogues, in order to preach the gospel to them;

And on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures—That is, out of the Old Testament, concerning the Messiah, the characters of him, the work that he was to do, and how he was to suffer and die for the sins of men; and this he did three weeks running, going to their synagogue every Sabbath day, when and where the Jews met for worship; and made use of books, which they allowed of, and of arguments they could not disprove.

. . . learn to do good;

seek justice,

correct oppression;

bring justice to the fatherless,

plead the widow’s cause. ISA 1:17

John Gill

Learn to do good—Which men are naturally ignorant of; to do good they have no knowledge; nor can they that are accustomed to do evil learn to do good of themselves; but the Lord can teach them to profit, and of him they should ask wisdom, and desire, under the influence of his grace, to learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, and particularly to do acts of beneficence to all men, and especially to the household of faith; and also, the following ones,

Seek justice—Seek to do justice between man and man in any cause depending, without respect of persons:

Correct oppression—The poor that are oppressed by their neighbours that are richer and mightier than they, right their wrongs, and deliver them out of the hands of their oppressors:

Bring justice to the fatherless—Do justice to them who have none to take care of them, and defend them:

Plead the widow’s cause—That is desolate, and has none to plead her cause.

Rashi

Learn—It is punctuated “raphe,” weak, without a dagesh. This is from the form לָמֹד, learn to do good. One who teaches himself is of the “kal” form. Therefore, its imperative plural is voweled with a “chirik” like שִׁמְעוּ, אִמְרוּ, but one who teaches others is of the form of the “heavy conjugation” (pi’el) with a “dagesh,” and if one comes to command a number of people, the word is voweled לַמְּדוּ. And so, דִּרְשׁוּ, from the form דְרשׁ, but אַשְּׁרוּ in which the “shin” has a “dagesh,” is from the “heavy conjugation,” and from the form אַשֵּׁר; therefore, the imperative plural is voweled with a “patach” like בַּשְּׂרוּ, סַפְּרוּ, דַּבְּרוּ.

Strengthen the robbed—This is a Mishnaic term, אֲשַׁרְנוּהִי, “we have verified it” (Ketubot 21a); “if I had strength (אֲיַשֵּׁר)” (Gittin 30b); “May your strength be strengthened (יִישַׁר)” (Shabbat 87a). Another explanation is: Lead him in the path of truth to acquire what rightfully belongs to him. An expression of: (Job 23:11) “My foot held its steps (בֲּאֲשׁוּרוֹ)”; (Pro 23:19) “And go (וְאַשֵׁר) in the way of your heart.”

The robbed—Heb. חָמוֹץ, similar to (Psa 71:4) “from the hand of the unrighteous and the robber (וּמְחַמֵּץ).”

Bring justice—So-and-so is innocent and so-and-so is guilty.

Plead the widow’s cause—Endeavor in their quarrel to plead for her, for she cannot go out to pursue her opponents.

God wants us to learn to do good and seek justice, which takes changing from the inside out. Not only this, we are to keep away from injustice as well, which takes repentance. Furthermore, we are to speak up and take personal involvement when we see injustice being done to others. God tells us that we are the salt and light of the earth (Mat 5:13-14). How did meeting Christ spur you toward acts of righteousness or justice? What act of righteousness or justice do you believe God is asking you to become personally involved in?

3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;

maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

John Gill

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless—Or, judge them; such as have no money to enter and carry on a suit, and have no friends to assist and advise them, and abide by them; these should be taken under the care and wing of judges; their cause should be attended to, and justice done them; their persons should be protected, and their property defended and secured for, since they are called gods, they ought to imitate him whose name they bear, who is the Father of the fatherless, the judge of the widows, and the helper of the poor that commit themselves to him (Psa 10:14; 68:5), such a righteous judge and good magistrate was Job; see Job 29:12,

Maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute—Or “justify” them, pronounce them righteous, give the cause for them, not right or wrong, nor because they are poor and needy, but because they are in the right; for, if wicked, they are not to be justified, this is an abomination to the Lord; see Lev 19:15; Deu 25:1; Pro 17:15.

Rashi

Maintain the right—If the poor man is right in his cause, do not reverse the verdict to condemn him in order to favor the wicked.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked. PSA 82:3-4

John Gill

Rescue the weak and the needy—From his adversary and oppressor, who is mightier than he, and draws him to the judgment seat; when it is not in his power to defend himself against him, and get out of his hands, unless a righteous judge will show a regard to him and his cause; and sometimes even an unjust judge, through importunity, will do this, as everyone ought, and every righteous one will:

Deliver them from the hand of the wicked—This was what the poor widow importuned the unjust judge for, and obtained (Luk 18:3-5).

3 Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

15 Do you think you are a king

because you compete in cedar?

Did not your father eat and drink

and do justice and righteousness?

Then it was well with him.

16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;

then it was well.

Is not this to know me?

declares the Lord. JER 22:3, 15-16

13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

John Gill

You are the salt of the earth—This is to be understood of the disciples and apostles of Christ; who might be compared to “salt,” because of the savoury doctrines they preached; as all such are, which are agreeable to the Scriptures, and are of the evangelic kind, which are full of Christ, serve to exalt him, and to magnify the grace of God; and are suitable to the experiences of the saints, and are according to godliness, and tend to promote it: also because of their savoury lives and conversations; whereby they recommended, and gave sanction to the doctrines they preached, were examples to the saints, and checks upon wicked men. These were the salt “of the earth”; that is, of the inhabitants of the earth, not of the land of Judea only, where they first lived and preached, but of the whole world, into which they were afterwards sent to preach the gospel.

But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?—The “taste” here supposed that it may be lost, cannot mean the taste of grace, or true grace itself, which cannot be lost, being an incorruptible seed; but either gifts qualifying men for the ministry, which may cease; or the savoury doctrines of the gospel, which may be departed from; or a seeming savoury conversation, which may be neglected; or that seeming taste, zeal, and affection, with which the gospel is preached, which may be dropped: and particular respect seems to be had to Judas, whom Christ had chosen to the apostleship, and was a devil; and who he knew would lose his usefulness and place, and become an unprofitable wretch, and at last be rejected of God and men; and this case is proposed to them all, in order to engage them to take heed to themselves, their doctrine and ministry. Moreover, this is but a supposition;

If salt—And proves no matter of fact; and the Jews have a saying, that all that season lose their taste, “but salt does not lose its taste.” Should it do so,

It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet—Salt is no longer good for anything except to make things savoury, and preserve from putrefacation; and when it has lost its taste, it is of no use, neither to men nor beasts, as some things are when corrupted; nor is it of any use to the land, or dunghill, for it makes barren, and not fruitful: so ministers of the word, when they have dropped the savoury doctrines of the gospel, or have quitted their former seeming savoury and exemplary conversations; as their usefulness is gone, so, generally speaking, it is never retrieved; they are cast out of the churches of Christ, and are treated with contempt by everyone.

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. LEV 2:13

Berakhot 5a:19

And that is the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The word covenant is used with regard to salt, and the word covenant is used with regard to afflictions. The word covenant is used with regard to salt, as it is written: “The salt of the covenant with your God should not be excluded from your grain offering; with all your sacrifices you shall offer salt” (Lev 2:13). And the word covenant is used with regard to afflictions, as it is written: “These are the words of the covenant” (Deu 28:69). Just as, in the covenant mentioned with regard to salt, the salt sweetens the taste of the meat and renders it edible, so too in the covenant mentioned with regard to suffering, the suffering cleanses a person’s transgressions, purifying him for a more sublime existence.

John Gill

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt—Which makes food savoury, and preserves from putrefaction; denoting the savouriness and acceptableness of Christ as a grain offering to his people, he being savoury food, such as their souls love, as well as to God the Father, who is well pleased with his sacrifice; and also the perpetuity of his sacrifice, which always has the same virtue in it, and of him as a grain offering, who is that grain which endures to everlasting life (Joh 6:27) and also the grave and gracious conversation of those that by faith feed upon him (Mar 9:50; Col 4:6),

You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering—This seems to suggest the reason why salt was used in grain offerings, and in all others, because it was a symbol of the perpetuity of the covenant, which from thence is called a covenant of salt (Num 18:19), namely, the covenant of the priesthood, to which these sacrifices belonged (Num 25:13) hence the Targum of Jonathan,

“because the twenty four gifts of the priests are decreed by the covenant of salt, therefore upon all your offerings you shall offer salt.”

With all your offerings you shall offer salt—Even those that were not to be eaten, as well as those that were; as the burnt offering of the herd, of the flock, and of fowls, and their several parts; all were obliged to be salted that were offered, excepting wine, blood, wood, and incense; hence there was a room in the temple where salt was laid up for this purpose, called “the salt room”; and which was provided by the congregation, and not by a private person; our Lord has reference to this law in Mar 9:49 the Gentiles always made use of salt in their sacrifices.

14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. MAT 5:13-14