Month: May 2021

The Passover with the Disciples

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

Rashi

And you shall keep it—This expresses the idea of examining, that it requires examination against any blemish during the four days before the four days before slaughter (Pesachim 96a). And why did he did not command in respect to the Passover sacrifice of later generations? Rabbi Mathia the son of Charash, said, in answer: Behold, it (Scripture) says (Eze 16:8), “When I passed by you . . . and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love”—there had arrived the time to fulfil the oath which I had sworn to Abraham to redeem his children. They, however, possessed no divine commands in which to engage in order that they be redeemed—as it is said (Eze 16:7) “yet you were naked and bare.” He therefore gave them two commands, the blood of the Passover and the blood of the circumcision—for that night they circumcised themselves, as it is said (Eze 16:6) “wallowing in your blood (בְּדָמָיִ‏),” with the two kinds of blood. Further it states (Zec 9:11) “As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Moreover, they were sunk in idolatry. He said to them (v. 21), “Withdraw”—withdraw from idolatry; “and take for yourselves” lambs to fulfil a divine command (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:2:1).

The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel—This means the assembly, the congregation, and Israel. From here, they (the Rabbis) said: the communal Passover sacrifices are to be slaughtered in three groups, one after the other—the first group entered and the doors of the court were closed, etc. as is to be found in Pesachim 64a.

Shall kill their lambs etc.—But did they all slaughter it? But we derive from this statement that a man’s agent is as himself (Kiddushin 41b; Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:6:2).

At twilight—From six hours after sunrise and forward is called בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:6:5), because the sun then inclines in the direction of the place of its setting to become darkened. The darkening of the day is at the beginning of the seventh hour, when the shadows of evening decline; and the darkening of the night at the commencement of the night. עֶרֶב is an expression for gloom and darkness, like “all joy has grown dark” (Isa 24:11).

8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Rashi

The flesh—But not the sinews and bones (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:8:1).

With unleavened bread and bitter herbs—Every bitter herb is called מָרוֹר. He commanded them to eat something bitter as a reminder of (Exo 1:14): “And made their lives bitter” (Pesachim 116b).

18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. EXO 12:6, 8, 18

13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,

John Gill

And he sent two of his disciples—Peter and John, as appears from Luk 22:8;

And said to them, “Go into the city”—The city of Jerusalem; for there only the Passover might be eaten (Deu 26:2);

And a man carrying a jar of water will meet you—A servant of the master of the house that was sent for water, to mix with the wine, at the Passover:

Follow him—Into the house to which he goes.

14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

John Gill

And wherever he enters—Into wherever house he shall enter, go in after him:

And say to the master of the house—The owner, and master of it, who might be Nicodemus, or Joseph of Arimathea, or some man of note and wealth in Jerusalem, that might have some knowledge of Christ, and faith in him, though he did not openly profess him; since by only saying what follows, he would at once, as he did, direct them to a suitable and convenient room;

The Teacher says—The Syriac and Persic versions read, our Teacher says: he that is yours, and ours, our Teacher Jesus; though that is not expressed, yet it was understood by the master of the family; which confirms the above conjecture, that he was a secret disciple of Christ.

Where is my guest room—The room provided for guests that might be expected at the Passover:

Where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? Where it might be done conveniently, and in a proper and comfortable manner (See Gill on Mat 26:18).

15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”

John Gill

And he will show you a large upper room—A room in the highest part of the house, large enough for such a company, for thirteen persons, which was the number of Christ and his disciples:

Furnished and ready—With a table, and a sufficient number of couches to sit, or lie upon, and with all proper vessels necessary on such an occasion:

There prepare for us—The Passover.

16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.

18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

14 But it is you, a man, my equal,

my companion, my familiar friend.

Rashi

A man, my equal—A man as important as I.

My familiar friend—Like my companion, an expression of Exo 33:17: “and I recognized you,” which is translated “and I made you great.” Menachem (p. 94), however, explained that “For no enemy would revile me that I should bear” is connected to (verse 7): “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” If I could raise my wings, I would fly away and wander on account of the distress of the wicked inflicted upon me, for when I would leave the midst of the assembly of the profligate to lodge in the desert forever, then no enemy would revile me; I would not have to bear my disgrace and my shame, and I would not hide from him as I hid from them when I was among them. However, this interpretation is impossible, because of the verses following it, namely: But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend (verse 14); we used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng (verse 15). Therefore, Dunash (p. 94) interprets it in another manner, and this is its interpretation: For it is not an enemy who reviles me—then I could bear my abuse, and it is not an adversary who opens his mouth wide against me, but my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. This thing is known, that the abuse of a friend is harder for a person to bear than the abuse of an enemy. Moreover, one can hide from his enemy, but one cannot hide from his friend when he tells him all that is in his heart. The context corroborates this interpretation.

15 We used to take sweet counsel together;

within God’s house we walked in the throng. PSA 55:14-15

Rashi

Together we used to take sweet counsel in the law and within God’s house we walked בְרָגֶשּׁ, in the throng.

Within God’s house—In the study-halls.

19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”

20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.

John Gill

He said to them—In order to relieve their minds, and point out the particular person:

It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me—Just at that very instant (see Gill on Mat 26:23).

21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. EXO 12:11

Rashi

Your belt fastened—Ready for the way i.e., for travel (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:11).

In haste—This is an expression denoting hurry and haste, similar to (1Sa 23:26), “and David was hurrying” (2Ki 7:15) “that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste.”

It is the Lord’s Passover—The offering is called פֶּסַח in allusion to the springing and passing over—because the Holy One, blessed be he, passed over the houses of the Israelites in between the houses of the Egyptians and sprang from Egyptian to Egyptian, whilst the Israelite who was between them escaped. “The Lord’s” thus implies you, therefore, do every act of sacrificial service connected with it in honour of heaven by way of springing and leaping over (i.e., in haste), as a reminder of its name, which is called, Passover, and also in old French pasche, pasque, pasca, an expression of stepping over.

23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

and wine to gladden the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine

and bread to strengthen man’s heart. PSA 104:15

Berakhot 57a:21

The tanna who recited mishnayot before Rabbi Yohanan taught: One who sees any kind of drink in a dream it is a good omen, except for wine, as there is one who drinks it in adream and it is a good omen for him, and there is one who drinks it in a dream and it is a bad omen for him. The Gemara elaborates: There is one who drinks wine and it is a good omen for him, as it is stated: “And wine that makes glad the heart of man” (Psa 104:15), and there is one who drinks it in a dream and it is a bad omen for him, as it is stated: “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress” (Pro 31:6).

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

John Gill

And when they had sung a hymn—The hymn, used at the Passover:

They went out to the Mount of Olives—Christ, and eleven of his disciples; for Judas now separated from them, and went to the chief priests to acquaint them how things were, where Jesus was going, and where they might apprehend him (see Gill on Mat 26:30).

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him,

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. MAL 3:1

Rashi

Behold, I send my messenger to put the wicked away.

And he will prepare the way of the wicked.

The Lord whom you seek—The God of justice.

And the messenger of the covenant who avenges the revenge of the covenant.

and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. JOH 10:23

John Gill

And Jesus was walking in the temple—To keep himself warm, and to secure him the better from the inclemency of the weather:

In the colonnade of Solomon—Which was covered over, and the outside of it was enclosed with a wall, which made it very convenient for such a purpose: this was on the outside of the temple eastward, and was a very magnificent structure: the account Josephus gives of it is this;

“There was a colonnade without the temple, overlooking a deep valley, supported by walls of four hundred cubits, made of four square stone, very white; the length of each stone was twenty cubits, and the breadth six; the work of King Solomon who first founded the whole temple.”

Now, though this was not the colonnade that was built by Solomon, yet as it was built on the same spot, and in imitation of it, it bore his name; mention is made of it in Act 3:11; 5:12.

28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?”

John Gill

And they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things?”—Enter into the temple, as if he was Lord of it; and correct in such a magisterial way every thing he thought an abuse in it; do the miracles he did, as healing the lame, and blind; and take upon him to instruct the people, a work he was now engaged in:

Or who gave you this authority to do them? (See Gill on Mat 21:23).

He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” EXO 2:14

John Gill

He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” God had designed him for one, and so he appeared to be afterwards; but this man’s meaning is, that he was not appointed by Pharaoh’s order then, and so had nothing to do to interfere in their differences and quarrels; though Moses did not take upon him to act in an authoritative way, but to exhort and persuade them to peace and love, as they were brothers:

Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? If this was Dathan, or however the same Hebrew that he had defended and rescued from the Egyptian, it was very ungenerous in him to upbraid him with it; or if that Hebrew had made him his confident, and acquainted him with that affair, as it was unfaithful to betray it, since it was in favour of one of his own people, it was ungrateful to reproach him with it:

Then Moses was afraid—Lest the thing should be discovered and be told to Pharaoh, and he should suffer for it: this fear that possessed Moses was before he fled from Egypt, and went to Midian, not when he forsook it, and never returned more, at the departure of the children of Israel, to which the apostle refers (Heb 11:27), and is no contradiction to this:

And thought, “Surely the thing is known”—He said this within himself, he concluded from this speech, that either somebody had seen him commit the fact he was not aware of, or the Hebrew, whose part he took, had through weakness told it to another, from whom this man had it, or to himself; for by this it seems that he was not the same Hebrew, on whose account Moses had slain the Egyptian, for then the thing would have been still a secret between them as before; only the other Hebrew this was now contending with must hereby come to the knowledge of it, and so Moses might fear, that getting into more hands it would come out, as it did (see Gill on Act 7:27-29).

Rashi

Who made you, and you are yet only a boy (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 10).

Do you mean to kill me—From this we may learn that he had killed him by by the mere utterance of the “ineffable name” (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 10; Shemot Rabbah 1:30).

Moses was afraid—Explain it in its literal sense: he was afraid of Pharaoh. Midrashically, it is interpreted to mean that he felt distressed because he saw that there were wicked men among the Israelites—informers. He said: Since this is so, perhaps they are not worthy to be delivered from bondage (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 10).

Surely the thing is known—Explain it in its literal sense: the fact that I have killed the Egyptian is known. Its midrashic interpretation, however, is: now there is known to me that matter about which I have been puzzled—how has Israel sinned more than all the seventy nations, that they should be oppressed by this crushing labor? But now I see that they deserve this (Shemot Rabbah 1:30).

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” MAT 21:23

29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

John Gill

Jesus said to them—Being not in the least intimidated by such a body of men:

I will ask you one question—Or “one word,” or “one thing”:

Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things (See Gill on Mat 21:24).

Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.” MAT 21:24

John Gill

Jesus answered them—Not by replying directly to their question, but by putting another question to them, whereby he escaped the snare he saw they laid for him:

I also will ask you one question—Word,

And if you tell me—Honestly, and plainly answer to it,

I also will tell you by what authority I do these things—Which was putting the thing upon such a foot, and in such a form, as they could not well object to; for Christ promises, that if they would return a plain answer to the question he had to put to them, and which was no unreasonable, nor impertinent one, he would thoroughly satisfy them in this point; and expressly declare his commission and authority, what it was, and from whence he had it. The question is as follows:

30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.”

John Gill

Was . . . from heaven or from man? Was it from divine or from human institution?

The baptism of John—The doctrine of which he was the first preacher, and the ordinance of which he was the first administrator:

Answer me—Directly and plainly, without any shuffling, or evasion: it is a fair question, and may be answered; and the answer to it our Lord suggests would naturally lead to a proper one to their question (See Gill on Mat 21:25).

31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

John Gill

And they discussed it with one another, saying—Privately; perhaps, they withdrew at a little distance for a short time, and consulted among themselves what answer to return; and the amount of their reasonings were this;

If we say, “From heaven,” he will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” That is, should they say that John had a divine commission for what he said and did, they were aware that Christ would reply, why did you not give credit to him? and had you done so, seeing he testified of me, you would have had no occasion to have put the above question (See Gill on Mat 21:25).

32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet.

John Gill

But shall we say, “From man?”—That John’s baptism was an human invention, and he had no authority from God to preach and administer it,

They were afraid of the people—Lest being enraged thereby they should, at once, rise up, and destroy them:

For they all held that John really was a prophet—A real prophet, one truly sent from God, and had his commission and credentials from him: this was the general sentiment of the people (See Gill on Mat 21:26).

5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,

John Gill

Then Jerusalem . . . were going out to him—The uncommon appearance of this person, the oddness of his dress, the austerity of his life, together with the awfulness and importance of his doctrine, and the novelty of the ordinance of baptism he administered, and the Jews having had no prophet for some hundreds of years, and imagining he might be the Messiah, quickly drew large numbers of people to him. Some copies read “all Jerusalem”: that is, the inhabitants of that city, a very large number of them;

And “all Judea”—A great number of people from all parts of that country. “All” is here put for “many.”

And all the region about the Jordan—Multitudes from thence, which seems to be the same country with that which is called “beyond the Jordan” (Mat 4:25) and is distinguished from Judea as here. The Septuagint in 2Ch 4:17 use the same phrase the evangelist does here, and likewise in Gen 13:10-11.

6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. MAT 3:5-6

33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

Rashi

Answer not a fool with words of quarrel and contention lest you be like him.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes. PRO 26:4-5

Rashi

Answer not in a matter in which you will be like him if you answer him.

Answer a fool in a matter in which he will be wise in his own eyes if you do not answer him.

Answer a fool who comes to win you over to idolatry; let him know his folly.

Lest he be wise in his own eyes—The meaning of these two verses is explained in the verses themselves.

So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” MAT 21:27

John Gill

So they answered Jesus, “We do not know”—They saw the dilemma they were brought into; they chose rather therefore to speak against their own consciences, and tell a wilful lie, and incur the reproach of ignorance: who, at other times, took upon them to judge of a prophet, whether he was a true or a false one, and by what authority he acted, whether of God, or man: but now being reduced to this wretched condition, contrary to their office and character, declare they did not know, and could not tell from whence John had his commission, and who gave him his authority:

And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things”—Since, according to the proposal of Christ, and the agreement he entered into with them, they did not give him a direct answer to his question, he looked upon himself under no obligation to inform them, what was his authority, and from whence he had it; though by the question he put to them he tacitly suggests, that he had his authority not from man, but from God; and by this his answer signifies, that since John preached and baptized without their authority and approbation, so might he; nor was he dependent on them, or accountable to them.

I Never Knew You

21 Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

1 Hear this, O house of Jacob,

who are called by the name of Israel,

and who came from the waters of Judah,

who swear by the name of the Lord

and confess the God of Israel,

but not in truth or right.

Rashi

Hear this—The two tribes destined to go in exile to Babylon.

O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel—That is the tribe of Benjamin, who are not called by the tribe of Judah, but by the general name of the tribes of Israel.

And who came from the waters of Judah—And the tribe of Judah who emanated and ran from the waters of Judah’s pail, as Scripture states (Num 24:7): “Water shall run out of his pails.”

But not in truth—As Jeremiah said, (5:2) “Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ surely they swear falsely,” i.e., you were unworthy of being redeemed, but since they were called as being from the holy city, and that caused them not to be exiled with the ten tribes in the time of Sennacherib, to Halah and Habor, for they have no redemption.

2 For they call themselves after the holy city,

and stay themselves on the God of Israel;

the Lord of hosts is his name. ISA 48:1-2

Rashi

And stay themselves on the God of Israel in the days of Hezekiah, about whom it is written (2Ki 18:5): “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel.” That caused them not to be exiled except in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, who exiled them to Babylon, and they had a redemption through Cyrus.

22 On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?”

John Gill

On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord”—That is, in the last day, the day of judgment, the great and famous day, fixed by God, unknown to angels and men, which will be terrible to some, and joyful to others; the day in which the faithful ministers of the gospel shall be owned by Christ, and received into the kingdom of heaven: “many,” not of the common people only, but of the preachers of the word, who have filled up the highest station in the church below; not one, or two, or a few of them only, but many of them “will say to me”; to Christ, who will appear then as the judge of quick and dead, to which he is ordained by his Father,

Lord, Lord—Not “my Lord, my Lord,” as the Syriac version reads it; for they will not be able to claim any interest in him, though they will be obliged to own his dominion, power, and authority over them. The word is repeated to show their importunity, sense of danger, the confusion they will be in, the wretched disappointment they will have; and therefore speak as persons amazed and confounded, having expected they would have been the first persons that should be admitted into heaven. Their pleas follow;

Did we not prophesy in your name? This may be understood either of foretelling things to come; which gift wicked men may have, who have never had any experience of the grace of God, as Balaam, and Caiaphas, and others; or rather of preaching the word, which is sometimes called prophesying (Rom 12:6; 1Co 13:9; 14:1-5), and which may be done in the name of Christ, pretending mission and authority from him, and to be preachers of him, and yet be no better than “sounding brass,” or “a tinkling cymbal”; yea, nothing at all as to true grace, or spiritual experience.

And cast out demons in your name? Diabolical possessions were very frequent in the times of Christ; no doubt but they were suffered, that Jesus might have an opportunity of showing his power over Satan, by dispossessing him from the bodies, as well as the souls of men; and of giving proof of his deity, divine sonship and Messiahship: and this power of casting out demons was given to others, not only to the twelve apostles, among whom Judas was, who had the same power with the rest, and to the seventy disciples; but even to some who did not follow him, and his disciples (Mar 9:38), and some did this in the name of Jesus, who do not appear to have any true faith in him, and knowledge of him; as the itinerant Jewish exorcists, and the seven sons of Sceva (Act 19:13-14). An awful consideration it is, that men should be able to cast out demons, and at last be cast to the devil.

And do many mighty works in your name? That is, many miracles; not one, or a few only, but many; such as speaking with tongues, removing mountains, treading on serpents and scorpions, and drinking any deadly thing without hurt, and healing all manner of diseases and sicknesses. Judas, for one, was capable of pleading all these things; he had the gift of preaching, and a call from Christ to it, and yet a castaway; he had the power of casting out demons, and yet could not prevent the devil from entering into him; he could perform miracles, do wonders in Christ’s name, and yet, at last, was the betrayer of him. These pleas and arguments will be of no use to him, nor of any avail to any at the great day. It may be observed, that these men lay the whole stress of their salvation upon what they have done in Christ’s name; and not on Christ himself, in whom there is salvation, and in no other: they say not a syllable of what Christ has done and suffered, but only of what they have done. Indeed, the things they instance in, are the greatest done among men; the gifts they had were the most excellent, excepting the grace of God; the works they did were of an extraordinary nature; whence it follows, that there can be no salvation, nor is it to be expected from men’s works: for if preaching the word, which is attended with so much study, care, and labour, will not be a prevailing argument to admit men into the kingdom of heaven; how can it be thought that ever reading, or hearing, or any other external performance of religion, should bring persons there?

23 And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Build Your House on the Rock

24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And he said to man,

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,

and to turn away from evil is understanding.” JOB 28:28

Rashi

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom—One requires the other, and wisdom is unseemly without the fear of the Lord.

Shabbat 31b:3

The Gemara remarks: Conclude that Rabbi Elazar is the one who said that he is praiseworthy because he is a man who fears sin, as elsewhere he also spoke in praise of fear. As Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: The Holy One, Blessed be He, has in His world only fear of Heaven alone, as it is stated: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God” (Deu 10:12). And it is written: “And he said to man, ‘Behold [hen], the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28), as in the Greek language they call one hen. Apparently, fear of God is of primary importance. The Gemara concludes: Indeed, conclude that Rabbi Elazar is the one who said so.

25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

14 They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

Rashi

Planted—The righteous will be planted in the house of the Lord.

15 They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

16 to declare that the Lord is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. PSA 92:14-16

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: “I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,” but now the Lord declares: “Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” 1SA 2:30

Rashi

I promised—Twice I assigned greatness to the sons of Ithamar: Concerning the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, it is stated, “Under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.” (Num 4:33). And Eli was one of the descendants of Ithamar. This explanation I saw in Midrash Shmuel. I have, however, heard a more fitting explanation: “I had indeed decreed that your family and your father’s family . . .” Originally I made gave the high priesthood to Eleazar the priest, as it is stated, “And remove from Aaron his garments and put them on Eleazar his son” (Num 20:26). At the time of the concubine (see Jdg 19, 21), when the Israelites divested themselves of most of the commandments. And who was to blame for this? Phinehas and his colleagues, who should have gone around from city to city to reprove them. I therefore took the high priesthood away from them, and gave it to you, for you are of Ithamar’s descendants, and I said, that they shall walk before me forever; for when greatness is assigned to a person, it is assigned to him and to his generations forever.

For those who honor me I will honor—Phinehas’ descendants who honored me at Shittim (Num 25:7-8). And this happened in the days of Solomon, that when the temple was built, Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being a priest to the Lord, fulfilling the word of the Lord which he had spoken concerning Eli’s family (1Ki 2:27). And Zadok became high priest, because he was of Phinehas’ descendants; he is so listed in the genealogical records in the Book of Chronicles.

And those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed—By themselves, when I will withdraw myself from them.

27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

The Authority of Jesus

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

You are the most handsome of the sons of men;

grace is poured upon your lips;

therefore God has blessed you forever. PSA 45:3

Rashi

You are the most handsome of the sons of men who engage in the work of transitory life. Why? Because grace is poured upon your lips to instruct according to the halachah. הוּצַק means “poured,” as (Exo 38:27): “to cast (לצקת)”; (Gen 28:18), “and poured (ויצק) oil.”

Therefore . . . blessed you as it is stated (below 29:11): “May the Lord give strength to his people!” And what is their reward? “May the Lord bless his people with peace!”

and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” MAT 13:54

29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. MAR 16:14

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?” NUM 14:11

Rashi

How long—Until when.

Despise me—Heb. יְנַאֲצֻנִי, anger me.

In spite of all the signs—In spite of all the signs that I have done for them they ought to have believed that I possess the ability to fulfill my promise.

Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, DEU 1:32

Rashi

Yet in spite of this word that he promised you to bring you to the land, you did not believe in him.

17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him. PSA 2:12

Sanhedrin 92a:1

“The people [leom] curse him [yikkevuhu], but a blessing is on the head of him who provides” (Pro 11:26). And the term leom is referring to nothing other than fetuses, as it is stated: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one leom shall overcome the other leom” (Gen 25:23). And kabbo is referring to nothing other than curse, as it is stated in the statement of Balaam: “How can I curse one who is not cursed [kabbo] by God?” (Num 23:8). And bar is referring to nothing other than the law, as it is stated: “Pay homage to bar lest he be angry” (Psa 2:12), i.e., observe the law to avoid God’s wrath.

40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.

Rashi

יִשַׁק—The Targum renders it by יִתְּזַּן which means shall order themselves—All my people’s needs shall be provided through you. Similar are (15:2) “the heir of my house (בֶּן מֶשֶׁק),” and (Psa 2:12) “Kiss (נַשְׁקוּ) the Son” old French garnis(s) on.

Only as regards the throne—That I will be called king.

The throne is a term for royal rank, like (1Ki 1:37) “and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Bava Batra 4a:5

The Gemara explains: What is the meaning of the word reikha? It denotes royalty, as it is written: “I was today a tender [rakh] and anointed king” (2Sa 3:39). And if you wish, say that the meaning of the word is learned from here, from the term describing Joseph after he was appointed viceroy to the king: “And they called out before him, ‘Avrekh’ ” (Gen 41:43).

Rashi

מִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִשְׁנֶה means—the chariot second in order to his chariot—that which drove next to his own.

Bow the knee—Render this as the Targum does: Bow the knee. The word in Aramaic (some editions read in Latin) means king (rex). In the chapter beginning with“The partners” (Bava Batra 4a) we have: “neither a noble nor the son of a noble.” In the Aggadah (Sifrei Devarim 1:1) Rabbi Judah explained: Joseph was “a father” in wisdom and “tender” in years. Whereupon Rabbi Jose said to him: “How much longer will you pervert for us the meaning of Scripture? The word is only a term denoting knees, for all came in and went forth only by his permission, just as it states “thus he set him, etc.”

44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” GEN 41:40, 43-44

Rashi

I am Pharaoh—I have the power to enact a decree upon my kingdom, and I decree that no one should raise his hand, etc.

And without your consent—I.e., without your permission. Another explanation: I shall be king, and without your consent etc. It is exactly similar in meaning to (v. 40) “only as regards the throne.”

Hand or foot—Understand it as the Targum does: no man shall raise his hand to gird on a sword or raise his foot to mount a horse.

Sotah 36b:19

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yohanan says: When Pharaoh said to Joseph: “And without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt” (Gen 41:44), Pharaoh’s astrologers said: You will appoint a slave whose master bought him for twenty silver coins to rule over us? He said to them: I perceive royal characteristics in him and see that he was not initially a slave.

that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. JOH 5:23

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

20 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said:

“I have granted help to one who is mighty;

I have exalted one chosen from the people.”

Rashi

To your godly one—Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer.

“I have granted help”—On David, to help him constantly.

28 And I will make him the firstborn,

the highest of the kings of the earth. PSA 89:20, 28

Rashi

Will make him the firstborn—I will make him great.

1 The Lord says to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand,

until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Rashi

The Lord says to my Lord—Our Rabbis interpreted it as referring to Abraham our father, and I shall explain it according to their words (Mid. Psa 110:1): The Lord says to Abraham, whom the world called “my Lord,” as it is written (Gen 23:6): “Hearken to us, my master.”

“Sit at my right hand”—Wait for my salvation and hope for the Lord. The root ישיבה means only waiting, as Scripture states (Deu 1:46): “So you stayed (ותשבו) at Kadesh for many days.”

At my right hand—At the salvation of my right hand.

Until I make your enemies—Amraphel and his allies.

7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

Rashi

Your throne, O God—Your throne, O prince and God, shall exist forever and ever, as the matter that is stated (Exo 7:1): “I have made you a judge to Pharaoh.” And why? Because “a scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness,” that your judgments are true, and you are fit to govern.

8 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; PSA 45:7-8

Rashi

Anointed you with the oil of gladness—Every expression of greatness is depicted by the anointment of oil, as is the custom of the kings.

2 The Lord sends forth from Zion

your mighty scepter.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

John Gill

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter—His royal and powerful scepter, called the scepter of righteousness (Psa 45:7), and is no other than the gospel, the power of God to salvation; and which is mighty through him, for the reducing souls to the obedience of Christ; when it comes with power, and works effectually. This was first preached in Zion, or Jerusalem, and went out from thence into all parts of the world; the first ministers of it had their commission there, and were sent from thence to publish it all over the world; see Isa 2:3; Luk 24:47; Act 1:4; 8:4, by means of which the kingdom of Christ was set up and spread in the world; with this scepter in his hand, he went forth with his ministers, conquering and to conquer (Rev 6:2). The Jews own this scepter to be a scepter in the hand of the Messiah, which they seem to understand literally; and have a fabulous notion of its being the same that Jacob, Judah, Moses, Aaron, David, and so every king of Judah, had, down to the destruction of the temple: the Targum in the king’s Bible is,

“the Word of the Lord shall send”

the essential Word.

Rule in the midst of your enemies—Or, “you shall rule,” as the Targum and Arabic version; in the hearts of those who, in their unregenerate state, are enemies: but the arrows of his word being sharp in them, they are brought to submit to him; the everlasting doors are caused to open; he enters in, takes possession of their hearts, and rules there. Or this may be understood of his church in the world, which is his kingdom, and lies surrounded with enemies on all hands; but, in spite of them, and all their opposition, he will support his kingdom and interest.

Rashi

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter—When you return from the war and your men are weary and in pursuit, the Lord will send you Melchizedek king of Salem, to bring out bread and wine (Gen 14:14).

Scepter—This is an expression of support, as (above 105:16): “all supply of bread.”

Rule in the war.

In the midst of your enemies safely.

3 Your people will offer themselves freely

on the day of your power,

in holy garments;

from the womb of the morning,

the dew of your youth will be yours. PSA 110:1-3

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. LUK 1:32-33

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

28 All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

Rashi

Shall remember and turn to the Lord—The nations shall remember the evil that befell us when they see the good and turn to the Lord.

29 For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations. PSA 22:28-29

Rashi

For kingship belongs to the Lord—For they will see that the kingship and the rule has returned to you.

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” MAT 3:16-17

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

Rashi

That the Lord was with him—The name of God was a familiar word in his mouth (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 8).

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. GEN 39:2-3, 21

Rashi

And showed him steadfast love—So that he was liked by all who saw him. We have the expression חָסֶד in a like sense in the Mishnah: “a handsome bride liked by all (וַחִסוּדָה)” (Ketubot 17a).

39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous MAT 13:39-40, 49

20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

Rashi

A remnant will return—The remnant of them will return to the Holy One, blessed be he.

The mighty God who demonstrated his might against Sennacherib.

And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field.” ISA 7:3

Rashi

And Shear-jashub your son—The small remnant that will return to me through you, and they are like your sons.

At the end of the conduit—There you will find him. תְּעָלַת is fosed a ditch in O.F.

The upper pool—A type of gathering of water that is made for fish.

Upper—On the incline of the mountain, and there is one below it at its base.

The Washer’s Field—A field in which the washers spread out laundry to dry. So did Jonathan render this. Our Rabbis expounded that Ahaz humbled himself before Isaiah and placed on his head a washer’s utensil, i.e., he inverted a vessel on his head i.e., a perforated vessel used by the washers, with which they sprinkle water on the clothing.

5 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Rashi

For to us a child is born—Although Ahaz is wicked, his son who was born to him many years ago nine years prior to his assuming the throne to be our king in his stead, shall be a righteous man, and the authority of the Holy One, blessed be he, and his yoke shall be on his shoulder, for he shall engage in the law and observe the commandments, and he shall bend his shoulder to bear the burden of the Holy One, blessed be he.

And his name shall be called—The Holy One, blessed be he. who gives wonderful counsel, is a Mighty God and an Everlasting Father, called Hezekiah’s name, “the prince of peace,” since peace and truth will be in his days.

Sanhedrin 94a:11

The verse states: “Therefore shall the Master, the Lord of hosts, send among his stout warriors [mishmanav] wasting sickness” (Isa 10:16). What is the meaning of the phrase “send wasting sickness among his stout warriors”? The meaning is that the Holy One, blessed be he, said: Let Hezekiah, who has eight [shemona] names, come, and exact retribution from Sennacherib, who has eight names. The Gemara elaborates: The eight names of Hezekiah are as it is written: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:5). The Gemara asks: But isn’t there an additional name, Hezekiah? The Gemara explains: That was not a given name; rather, it is an appellation based on the fact that God strengthened him [ḥizzeko]. Alternatively, he was called Hezekiah due to the fact that he strengthened the devotion of the Jewish people to their Father in heaven.

12 The people did not turn to him who struck them,

nor inquire of the Lord of hosts. ISA 9:5, 12

Rashi

To him who struck them—To the Holy One, blessed be he, who brings these afflictions upon them.

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,” ROM 9:27

but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. ACT 26:20

22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

Rashi

For though your people—The prophet says to Hezekiah, Though your people are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them that return to do good, will wash away the destruction sentenced to come upon them, and prevent it from coming, through the righteousness with which they will behave.

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? GEN 18:25

Avodah Zarah 4a:15

The Gemara continues discussing the manner in which God metes out punishment. Rabbi Abba Bar Kahana says: What is the meaning of that which is written as part of Abraham’s prayer to God, when God informed him that He was going to destroy Sodom: “Far be it [ḥalila] from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked” (Gen 18:25)? This is what Abraham said before the Holy One, blessed be he: Master of the universe, it is a sacrilege [ḥullin] for you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked.

Rashi

Far be it from you—It is a profanation (חוּלִין) of yourself. People will say, “That is what he usually busies himself with: He destroys every one, righteous and wicked alike”—and thus did you indeed do to the generation of the flood and to that of the dispersal of nations (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 8).

Such a thing—Neither this nor anything like it (Bereishit Rabbah 49:10).

Far be that from you—In the world to come.

Shall . . . the Judge of all the earth—The “hey” of הֲשֹׁפֵט is punctuated with a chataf pattach because the words express a question: Shall he who judges not do true justice?!

11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”

And he said:

“Until cities lie waste

without inhabitant,

and houses without people,

and the land is a desolate waste,”

Rashi

How long will they make their heart heavy and not listen?

And he said—I know that they will not repent until retribution comes upon them and they go into exile, and the cities will lie waste without inhabitants.

Is a desolate waste—An expression of solitude, without an inhabitant.

13 And though a tenth remain in it,

it will be burned again,

like a terebinth or an oak,

whose stump remains

when it is felled.

The holy seed is its stump. ISA 6:11, 13

Rashi

And though a tenth remain—And when they are diminished to one out of ten (Rashi ms.) even upon this remnant will I return my hand as a purge after a purge, and it will be burned until only completely righteous men will remain, who will repent wholeheartedly.

Like a terebinth or an oak which, at the time of their casting, when they cast off their leaves during the fall, one casting after another casting, until nothing is left in it except the stump, they too, the holy seed found in its midst, adhering to their holiness, they will be to me as the stump; another explanation of מַצַּבְתָּהּ is: its planting. Therefore, I will not destroy them, for I planted them as holy seed. Some explain that there was the gate of Shallecheth in Jerusalem, as it is stated in Ezra (1Ch 26:16, written by Ezra), and there, terebinths and oaks were planted.

because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. ACT 17:31

John Gill

Because he has fixed a day—The day of judgment is fixed by God in his eternal purposes, and is sure and certain, and will come, though it is not known by men or angels; and this is a reason why God will have the doctrine of repentance everywhere published, both to Jews and Gentiles, since all must come to judgment: and the day for it is appointed by him,

On which he will judge the world in righteousness—The whole world will be judged, and every individual in it, good and bad, righteous and wicked; and this judgment will be a righteous one; it will proceed according to the strict rules of justice and equity, and upon the foot of the righteousness of Christ, as that has been received or rejected by men, or as men are clothed with, or are without that righteousness:

By a man whom he has appointed—Beza’s ancient copy reads, “the man Jesus”: not that the apostle means that Christ is a mere man; for then he would not be fit to be a judge of quick and dead, and to pass and execute the definitive sentence; which requires omniscience and omnipotence: but preaching to mere Gentiles, he chose not at once to assert the deity of Christ, though he tacitly suggests it: but intended, by degrees, to open the glories of his nature and office to them, he being the person God had from all eternity appointed, and in time had signified, should have all judgment committed to him, and by whom the last judgment shall be managed and transacted:

And of this he has given assurance to all—Or full proof, both of his being the judge, and of his fitness to be one, and also of the righteousness, according to which he will judge:

By raising him from the dead—Whereby he was declared to be the Son of God; and when all power in heaven and in earth was given to him; and which was done for the justification of all those for whose offences he was delivered: and this seems to be the reason why the apostle calls Christ the judge a man, that he might have the opportunity of mentioning his resurrection from the dead.

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

23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

Rashi

A full end—You shall see that the Holy One, blessed be he, executes upon the wicked, and you shall humble yourselves and return to him.

26 This is the purpose that is purposed

concerning the whole earth,

and this is the hand that is stretched out

over all the nations.

Rashi

Over all the nations—Over Assyria in its time and over Babylon in its time.

27 For the Lord of hosts has purposed,

and who will annul it?

His hand is stretched out,

and who will turn it back? ISA 14:26-27

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ROM 1:6-7

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ROM 8:28, 31

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did.

25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.” ISA 10:20-25

You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

that you might comfort me.” ISA 12:1

Isaiah spoke this prophecy after God had already pronounced judgment on his people because of their pride, arrogance, self-centeredness, and acts of social injustice. To bring judgment on Israel, God used a different nation: Assyria. God would then punish Assyria as well because of their wickedness and refusal to turn to him. However, God showed his faithfulness in preserving a remnant for himself from Israel. Today, we will look at some things we can learn from the judgment on the people of God.

You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

that you might comfort me. ISA 12:1

Rashi

You will say when you see the nations being sentenced to disgrace and abhorrence.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me and you exiled me, and my exile atoned for me, and now, amends have been made for my iniquity. Your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Jonathan renders: I will confess before you, O Lord, that I sinned before you, and, therefore, you were angry with me, and were it not for your mercy, I would not be worthy to have your anger turn away and comfort me, and behold, your anger has turned away from me.

In the end, we will see that all things come together for God’s greater purposes, which transcend our lifetime and our own problems. Isaiah’s prophecy assured the Israelites that he would leave a remnant and they would ultimately thank the Lord for turning away his anger and giving them comfort. As we undergo challenges in life, we can thank God for his sovereignty and love that molds our character and draws us close, put our trust in him, and be assured of his deliverance and comfort. How have you experienced the comfort of God even as you go through challenges?

1 And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you,

John Gill

And when all these things come upon you—Declared, pronounced, foretold, and prophesied of in the three preceding chapters, especially in (Deu 28:1-68);

The blessing and the curse, which I have set before you—The blessings promised to those that pay a regard to the will of God and obey his voice, and curses threatened see Deu 28:1-20;

And you shall call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you—Recollect the promises and the threatenings, and observe the exact accomplishment of them in their captivities, and especially in this their last and present captivity.

But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” LUK 15:17

2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul,

John Gill

And return to the Lord your God—By repentance, acknowledging their manifold sins and transgressions, particularly their disbelief and rejection of the Messiah, now seeking him and salvation by him; see Hos 3:5;

You and your children, . . . in all that I command you today—Which was to love the Lord, and walk in his ways, directed to in the gospel, and which were to be regarded from a principle of love to God and the blessed Redeemer; see Deu 30:6, 16;

And obey his voice—In the gospel, yielding the obedience of faith to that; embracing the gospel, and submitting to the ordinances of it:

With all your heart and with all your soul—That is, both their return to the Lord, and their obedience to his voice or word, should be hearty and sincere; which being the case, the following things would be done for them.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1JN 1:9

3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. DEU 30:1-3

Megillah 29a:4

It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai says: Come and see how beloved the Jewish people are before the Holy One, blessed be he. As every place they were exiled, the divine presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt, and the divine presence went with them, as it is stated: “Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt?” (1Sa 2:27). They were exiled to Babylonia, and the divine presence went with them, as it is stated: “For your sake I send to Babylonia” (Isa 43:14). So too, when, in the future, they will be redeemed, the divine presence will be with them, as it is stated: “Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes” (Deu 30:3). It does not state: He will bring back, i.e., He will cause the Jewish people to return, but rather it says: “He will restore,” which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, will return together with them from among the various exiles.

Rashi

The Lord your God will restore your fortunes—The Lord your God will (himself) return (with) your fortunes. Although the meaning of the verse is indeed, “The Lord your God will restore your fortunes,” our Rabbis learned from here which alludes to God himself returning, that the glory resides among Israel, as it were, in all the misery of their exile, and when the Jews are redeemed from their exile, God writes in Scripture an expression of redemption for himself to allude to the fact that he has also been redeemed, as it were, so that he himself returns along with Israel’s exiles (Megillah 29a). Furthermore the following may be said from the strange form of the verb which expresses “to restore the fortunes”—that the day of the gathering of the exiles is so important and is attended with such difficulty that it is as though he (God) himself must actually seize hold of each individual’s hands dragging him out of his place in exile. We see the same concept brought up in Scripture, when the verse says, “And you will be gathered up, one by one, O people of Israel” (Isa 27:12). We find, however, the same expression in connection with the gathering of the exiles of other nations also, as e.g. (Jer 48:47): “Yet I shall bring back the exiles of Moab.”

23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

John Gill

And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief—The apostle suggests that the Jews also might be recovered and brought into a gospel church state, provided they did not continue in infidelity; but inasmuch as they seem to lie under invincible ignorance, obstinacy, and unbelief, and were such bitter enemies to the gospel, and abhorrers of gospel ordinances, and a gospel church state; yea, that they must and will abide in unbelief, unless the Spirit of God convinces them of it, and it is given to them to believe in Christ, and they are powerfully drawn by the Father to come to the Son, there is no possibility or likelihood that they

Will be grafted in—Or taken into a gospel church state; to which the apostle answers, and argues for their ingrafting, and the possibility of it from the power of God:

For God has the power to graft them in again—As many of them were in the times of the apostles, and some since, for nothing is impossible with God; he can remove their unbelief, knock off the shackles and fetters in which they are held, and bring, them out of the prison of infidelity, in which they are shut up; he is able to take away the blindness of their minds, and the hardness of their hearts, the veil that is over them, and turn them to the Lord; he can by his mighty power work faith in them, and cause them to look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn in an evangelical manner; he can bring them to Christ, and into his churches, and among his people, and fold them with the rest of his sheep; so that there one fold of Jew and Gentile, under one shepherd, Jesus Christ.

26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. ROM 11:23, 26, 31

For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning. PSA 30:6

Avodah Zarah 4b:6

The Gemara further discusses this matter: And how long does his indignation last? It lasts a moment. And how long is a moment? Ameimar, and some say Ravina, said: It lasts as long as it takes to say the word moment. The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that God’s anger lasts for only a moment? As it is written: “His anger is but for a moment, and his favor, for a lifetime” (Psa 30:6). And if you wish, say instead that it is derived from here: “Hide yourself for a brief moment, until the anger has passed by” (Isa 26:20), meaning that God’s anger passes in a mere moment.

Rashi

For . . . for a moment—For his anger is but for a short moment.

His favor is for a lifetime, there is long life in appeasing and placating him.

Sanhedrin 105b:7

That is what Balaam said to Balak: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn, whom God has not condemned?” (Num 23:8). Since God did not become angry, Balaam was unable to curse the Jewish people. It is written: “And God is angry every day” (Psa 7:12). And how long is the duration of his anger? It is one moment, as it is stated: “For his anger endures but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime” (Psa 30:6).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. MAT 5:4

2 Lord, you were favorable to your land;

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

Rashi

Lord, you were favorable to your land, etc.—If you restored the fortunes of Jacob and forgave their iniquity, and covered their sin and withdrawn your wrath from them and turned from your fierce anger, then you were favorable to your land, and your world will be appeased. But as long as you do not do this, your land and your world will not be appeased.

Taanit 7b:3

Rabbi Oshaya likewise said: The day of rain is great, as rain even facilitates salvation, which is fruitful and multiplies on that day. It is a time of God’s favor, when salvation is brought forth into the world, as it is stated: “Let the earth open, that salvation . . . may bear fruit” (Isa 45:8). Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai said: Rain falls only if the Jewish people’s transgressions have been forgiven, as it is stated: “Lord, you have been favorable to your land; you have restored the fortunes of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of your people; you have covered all their sin. Selah” (Psa 85:2-3). This chapter proceeds to discuss rainfall: “And righteousness has looked down from the sky” (Psa 85:12), in the form of rain.

3 You forgave the iniquity of your people;

you covered all their sin.

4 You withdrew all your wrath;

you turned from your hot anger. PSA 85:2-4

17 I have heard Ephraim grieving,

“You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,

like an untrained calf;

bring me back that I may be restored,

for you are the Lord my God.

18 For after I had turned away, I relented,

and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;

I was ashamed, and I was confounded,

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

19 Is Ephraim my dear son?

Is he my darling child?

For as often as I speak against him,

I do remember him still.

Therefore my heart yearns for him;

I will surely have mercy on him,

declares the Lord. JER 31:17-19

In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. ISA 10:20

Rashi

Lean on him who struck them—i.e., lean on the kings of Egypt, who were the first to oppress them.

Before God brought his judgment on his people, the Israelites were putting others on a pedestal and finding security in them. But God’s desire is for us to trust and depend on him above all. There are times that God must take away the things we get security from to replace it with trust in himself, the only truly stable foundation. How have different trials in life caused you to trust even more in God alone?

When Ephraim saw his sickness,

and Judah his wound,

then Ephraim went to Assyria,

and sent to the great king.

But he is not able to cure you

or heal your wound. HOS 5:13

Rashi

His wound—Heb. מְזֹרוֹ, an expression of illness.

Then Ephraim went to Assyria—This is Hoshea son of Elah, who was his vassal and then rebelled against him (2Ki 17:4).

And sent—i.e., Judah sent.

To the great king—This refers to Ahaz, who gave a bribe to Tiglath-pileser to assist him against Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah (2Ki 16:8).

But he is not able to cure you from the many bands of Philistines and Arabs that attacked Ahaz, as is related in 2Ch 28:21: “For Ahaz divided the house of the Lord etc. and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.”

Or heal your wound—Heb. וְלֹא יִגְהֶה מִכֶּם מָזוֹר. And I say that it is one of the words whose radicals are transposed. This is an expression similar to (2Sa 20:13) “When he was taken out (הוֹגָה) of the highway”; (Isa 59:13) “conceiving and uttering (והוֹגוֹ) from the heart”; (Pro 25:4), “take away (הָגוֹ) the dross from the silver.”

Assyria shall not save us;

we will not ride on horses;

and we will say no more, “Our God,”

to the work of our hands.

In you the orphan finds mercy. HOS 14:4

Rashi

Assyria shall not save us—Say this also before him, “We no longer seek the aid of man, neither from Assyria nor from Egypt.”

We will not ride on horses—This is the aid from Egypt, who would send them horses, as they said to Isa (30:16), “No! We will flee upon horses . . . We will ride upon swift steeds.”

And we will say no more to the work of our hands that they are our God.

In you alone shall our hope be, you who grant mercy to the orphans.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 2CH 16:7

Rashi

Escaped—You did not prevail against them. Why not? Because you did not trust in the Holy One, blessed be he. For had you trusted in the Holy One, blessed be he, when the king of Israel and the king of Aram made a treaty against you, as you trusted in him when the Cushites attacked you, they would not have escaped from your hand, and you would have defeated them all, and you would not have lost your money, which you gave him in order that he abrogate his treaty with Baasha. Now that you did not trust in the Holy One, blessed be he, you lost your money, and the king of Aram escaped from your hand.

12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

John Gill

That we . . . might be to the praise of his glory—This is the end of predestination to the inheritance; and the sense is, either that the praise of the glory of God, in his grace and goodness, might be discovered and made known to the saints, as it is displayed in election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and eternal salvation; or that they should praise and glorify him on account of these things, by ascribing all to his grace, and nothing to themselves; by giving him thanks for all his benefits; by ordering their conversations aright as become the gospel; and by doing all things with a view to his glory:

Who were the first to hope in Christ—The Jews, the apostle, and others of the Jewish nation as the words may be rendered; who hoped in Christ before the Gentiles did; and indeed the people of Israel hoped for Christ before he came; the promises of the Messiah were made to them, and he was the peculiar hope and expectation of that people; and to them he first came, and to them the gospel was first preached; and some of them first believed in Christ, and trusted in him, and not in their own righteousness, strength, wisdom, and riches, nor in their own hearts, nor in any mere creature, nor in their carnal privileges; all which they renounced confidence in, and dependence on, when they came to the knowledge of Christ; in whose person they trusted for acceptance, and in his righteousness for justification, and in his blood for pardon, and in his fulness for supply, and in his power for protection and perseverance: this supposes knowledge of him, and a sense of the frailty and vanity of all other objects; and was a betaking themselves to him, a leaning and staying on him, a committing all to him, and an expectation of all good things from him.

12 And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,

even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ROM 15:12-13

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, EPH 1:12-13

Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for,

and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:

when he makes all the stones of the altars

like chalkstones crushed to pieces,

no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing. ISA 27:9

John Gill

Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for—Or “expiated”; not that afflictions are atonements for sin, or give satisfaction to divine justice for it; but they are the means of bringing the Lord’s people to a sense of their sins, and to repentance and humiliation for them, and confession of them, and of leading them to the blood and sacrifice of Christ, by which they are expiated and atoned, and which the Spirit of of God brings near, and applies to them; whereby their sins, they are convicted of by means of afflictions, and which lay heavy upon their consciences, are purged away, and removed from them:

And this will be the full fruit of the removal of sin—This is the design and use of afflictions, the profit and advantage of them to the saints, that, being humbled for their sins, they depart from them, leave and forsake them; as well as the guilt of them is taken away from their consciences, through the application of pardoning grace, upon their repentance; see Job 36:8-10 this shows another difference between the afflictions of God’s people and of others: namely, in the use and end of them. The sin of idolatry seems to be particularly designed by what follows; unless the sin of the present Jews, in their disbelief and rejection of the Messiah, should be rather intended; which, through their long affliction, they will be convinced of in the latter day, and it will be taken away from them, and be purged and expiated through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the Savior and Deliverer, they will embrace (Rom 11:25-26):

When he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces—That is, when Jacob, or the people of the Jews, being convinced of their idolatry by their afflictions, shall pull down all their idolatrous altars; perhaps particularly referring to that which Ahaz made (2Ki 16:10-12) and remove the stones thereof, and break them to pieces, as chalkstones for lime, which is easily done:

The Asherim and the incense altars will not stand up—Erect, to be worshiped; but shall be thrown down, demolished, and broke to pieces; and, by thus abandoning their idols and idolatrous practices, they will show the sense they have of their sins, and the sincerity of their repentance; and it is to be observed, that the Jews, after their return from the Babylonish captivity, never practised idolatry more, not in the literal sense; perhaps some respect may be had here to the time when they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn; and when they shall renounce all their legal sacrifices, traditions of the elders, and their own righteousness, their idols, and look alone to the sacrifice of Christ, and declare against all the idolatry of the church of Rome, and all antichristian worship.

Rashi

Therefore—Now, too, by this the guilt of Jacob would be atoned for, to merit to be redeemed as then.

And this will be the full fruit that is best for me to remove his sin, if he makes all the stones of the altars of his high places, like chalkstones crushed to pieces. Comp. (Psa 137:9) “And crushes (וְנִפֵּץ) your babies.” Comp. (Jer 13:14) “And I will crush them (וְנִפַּצְתִּים) one against another.” גִּיר is a kind of dye.

No Asherim or incense altars will remain standing—So that they will not retain their idolatry.

The Egyptians are man, and not God,

and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,

and they will all perish together. ISA 31:3

Rashi

Stretches out his hand—For the Holy One, blessed be he, supports everything with his hand, and when he turns it, they will fall, like one who holds something in his hand, and when he inclines his hand, it falls. So is the Midrash Aggadah (Mekhilta, Exo 15:12). Jonathan, however, renders: will raise the blow of his might.

22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. ACT 12:22-23

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like an evergreen cypress;

from me comes your fruit. HOS 14:9

Rashi

Ephraim will say, “What more do I need to follow the idols?” And they will turn away from idolatry. It is I who answer—It is I who answer from his trouble.

And look after you—Look upon his affliction.

I am like an evergreen cypress—I will bend down for him to hold his hand on me as the evergreen cypress which is bent down to the ground, which a man holds by its branches; i.e., I will be accessible to him.

From me comes your fruit—Am I not he? For all your good emanates from me.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. JAS 1:17

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. JOH 14:18

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did.

Rashi

Therefore—Since I know that Hezekiah and his company will return to him. Aternatively, לָכֵן is an expression of an oath. לָכֵן indeed.

Thus says the Lord . . . be not afraid . . . the Assyrians when they strike with the rod—With the “rod” of his mouth will he insult and deride you through Rabshakeh.

And lift up their staff against you to frighten you, the way they did to the Egyptians. It may alternatively be explained: With the rod does he smite you i.e., who has smitten you until now with the rod and has become accustomed to bearing their staff and their fright against you as the Egyptians did. Rabbi Joseph told me this in the name of Rabbi Menahem.

And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, ISA 4:3

Rashi

And he who is left among them will settle in Zion.

And whoever remains anywhere, shall dwell in Jerusalem.

Will be called holy—All of them will be righteous. Now lest you say that the righteous who died prior to this day have lost their honor, the Scripture states: “anyone who has been recorded for life,” in the hereafter, will be in Jerusalem. In this manner, Jonathan translates it.

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. REV 3:5

12 Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.

Rashi

Do not call conspiracy—You of Hezekiah’s company, even though they (sic) are fewer than Shebna’s company, you shall not say: We decide according to the many (Exo 23:2. See Rashi ad loc.).

To all that this people that is with Shebna, says, for this is a conspiracy of the wicked and is not counted, and so it is as regards the ten tribes, who formed an alliance with the kings of Egypt.

And do not fear what they fear i.e., what this people fears, for they say to you to fear Sennacherib and to make peace with him.

Do not fear . . . nor be in dread—Do not say that he is strong. So did Jonathan translate: Do not say strong.

Sanhedrin 26a:23

Hezekiah was afraid. He said: Perhaps, God forbid, the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be he, will follow the majority; and since the majority have submitted to the Assyrians, even those who have not submitted will also be submitted into their hands. The prophet Isaiah then came and said to him: “Say not: A conspiracy, concerning all of which this people say: A conspiracy” (Isa 8:12). Meaning, it is a conspiracy of wicked people, and a conspiracy of wicked people is not counted. Therefore, although they are many, they are not considered the majority.

And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once. LUK 21:9

John Gill

And when you hear of wars and tumults—Or seditions and tumults; “wars” may design the wars of the Romans, against the Jews; and the “tumults,” or seditions, the internal troubles among themselves:

Do not be terrified—As if the destruction of the nation, city, and temple, would be at once:

For these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once—Or “immediately.” The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions leave out this last word, and read, as in (See Gill on Mat 24:6).

13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ISA 8:12-13

John Gill

But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy—Christ, Immanuel, God with us, the Lord of the armies above and below, of angels and of men, God over all, the true Jehovah, who is sanctified by his people, when they declare him to be so; as the Targum paraphrases it,

“the Lord of hosts, him shall you say is holy”;

for they cannot make him so, nor can he receive any holiness from them, nor does he need any; but they celebrate the perfection of his holiness, and ascribe it to him; yea, they sanctify him, by ascribing their holiness to him; by looking to him as their sanctification, and by deriving and expecting every degree and measure of holiness from him, to complete theirs; by exercising faith upon him, and showing a regard to his commands and ordinances:

Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread—That is, the object of fear and dread; not of a servile fear and dread, but of a holy reverence and godly fear; such a fear as is the grace of the covenant, which flows from the goodness of God, and has that for its object, and is influenced by it; see Hos 3:5 where the same Lord, Messiah, David the king, is meant, as here. See 1Pe 3:15.

25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.” ISA 10:24-25

Rashi

For in very few days . . . my fury will come to an end—My fury, which was given as the staff into the hand of Assyria, as he said above, “The staff in their hands is my fury” (v. 5).

And my anger that became a rod, shall return.

Will be directed to their destruction—Heb. (עַל-תַּבְלִיתָם). Comp. Lev 20:12 “they have committed a disgrace (תֶּבֶל),” i.e., because of the insults and blasphemies which the servants of the king of Assyria blasphemed me.

And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 2KI 19:35

Sanhedrin 94b:2

Pharaoh blasphemed God, as it is written that he said to Moses and Aaron: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” (Exo 5:2) The Holy One, blessed be he, himself exacted retribution from him, as it is written: “The Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea” (Exo 14:27), and it is written: “You have trodden through the sea with your horses” (Hab 3:15). Sennacherib blasphemed God by means of an agent, as it is written: “By your messengers you have mocked the Lord” (2Ki 19:23). The Holy One, blessed be he, exacted retribution from him by means of an agent, as it is written: “Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians” (2Ki 19:35).

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. PSA 37:10

Rashi

In just a little while—When you wait a little longer, you will see that the wicked will be no more.

Though you look carefully at his place—Though you look carefully at the place where he was, he will not be there, because he has died and has perished.

2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. MAT 24:42-44

3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1TH 5:2-3

God assured Israel that his fury would end, and Assyria—the tool he used to bring judgment (Isa 10:15)—would also receive his judgment for their sins. He extended his grace to his people by preserving his relationship with them through trials and tribulations. He is the same with us. In his faithfulness, God preserves his relationship with us even as we go through life’s trials. He assures us of his presence and strength through everything we experience, and he will make us better through it, though we may not understand it at the time. How have you taken comfort in God’s faithfulness during trials? Even when you were faithless, how have you experienced his faithfulness (2Ti 2:13)?

Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,

or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,

or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! ISA 10:15

Rashi

Shall the axe boast—The Holy One, blessed be he, says: You should not have boasted about this, since you are merely like my axe, and I am hewing with you; I visit retribution upon my enemies. You are the saw, and I am he who wields it. Now is it customary for the saw to boast over him who wields it? מַשּׂוֹר is dolodojjre in O.F., a small axe.

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it—As if a rod was raising itself and the hand of him who was raising it. Is it not so that a rod does not wield itself but the man?

As if a staff should lift him who is not wood—It is not wood that raises it, but it is the man who raises it.

13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,

Rashi

Confront him—The enemy.

Subdue him—Beat his legs, and he will kneel and fall.

Deliver my soul from every wicked man who is your sword, for you give him the power to rule, to requite those who are bound to you.

14 from men by your hand, O Lord,

from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their womb with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

and they leave their abundance to their infants. PSA 17:13-14

19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. LUK 12:19-21

20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? ROM 9:20-21

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself. 2TI 2:13

God is not man, that he should lie,

or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? NUM 23:19

Rashi

God is not man, that he should lie—He has already promised them to bring them to and give them possession of the land of the seven peoples, and you think to kill them in the wilderness? (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 13:1)

הַהוּא—Read this in the form of a question: Has he said—And the Targum renders, “who later change his mind.” They reconsider and change their minds.

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret. 1SA 15:29

Rashi

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie—And if you will say, “I will repent of my sin before him,” it will no longer avail to take the kingship from the one to whom it was given, for the Holy One, blessed is he, who is the Glory of Israel, will not lie by not giving the good to whom he said to give it.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. MAT 24:35

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

John Gill

And I said: “Woe is me”—There’s no woe to a good man, all woes are to the wicked; but a good man may think himself wretched and miserable, partly on account of his own corruptions, the body of sin and death he carries about with him; and partly on account of wicked men, among whom he dwells (Psa 120:5; Rom 7:24):

For I am lost—A good man cannot be undone, or be lost and perish; he is lost in Adam with the rest; in effectual calling he is made sensible of his lost and undone state; and under the power of unbelief may write bitter things against himself; but be can never perish, or be lost and undone for ever. The Targum is,

“for I have sinned”;

and his particular sin is after mentioned: some render it, “for I have been silent”; as if he had not performed the duty of his office, in reproving for sin, or declaring the will of God: others, “for I am reduced to silence,” I am forced to be silent; he could not join with the “seraphim,” being conscious to himself of his vileness, and of his unworthiness to take the holy name of God into his polluted lips, as follows:

For I am a man of unclean lips—He says nothing of the uncleanness of his heart, nor of his actions; not that he was free from such impurity; but only of his lips, because it was the sin of his office that lay upon his mind, and gave him present uneasiness; there is no man but offends in words, and of all men persons in public office should be careful of what they say; godly ministers are conscious of many failings in their ministry. The Targum is,

“for I am a sinful man to reprove”;

and so unfit for it.

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips—Such were the Jews, not only in Isaiah’s time, but in the times of Christ and his apostles, who traduced him, as if he was a wicked person, calumniated his miracles, said he was a Samaritan, and had a devil; they taught for doctrines the commandments of men, and opposed and blasphemed the truths of the gospel; and to live among men of a filthy speech and conversation is a concern to a good man; he is vexed and distressed hereby; he is in danger of learning their words, and of suffering with them in a common calamity.

For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts—The same divine and glorious person described in Isa 6:1 who is no other than the Lord Christ, King of kings, and Lord of lords, King of saints, and Lord of the armies, in heaven and in earth; and a lovely sight it is to see him by faith, in the glory and beauty of his person, and in the fulness of his grace; such a sight is spiritual, saving, assimilating, appropriating, very endearing, and very glorious and delightful: therefore it may seem strange that a sight of Christ should fill the prophet with dread; one would think he should rather have said, happy man that I am, because I have seen this glorious person, whom to see and know is life eternal; but the reason of it is, because in this view of Christ he saw the impurity of himself, and was out of conceit with himself, and therefore cries out in the manner he does; just as in a sunbeam a man beholds those innumerable motes and atoms, which before were invisible to him. It was not because of his sight of Christ he reckoned himself undone; but because of the impurity of himself, and those among whom he dwelt, which he had a view of through his sight of Christ: his sight of Christ is given as a reason of his view of his impurity, and his impurity as the reason of his being undone in his apprehension of things. The prophet, in these his circumstances, represents a sensible sinner, under a sight and sense of his sinfulness and vileness; as the seraph in the following verses represents a gospel minister bringing the good news of pardon, by the blood and sacrifice of Christ.

Rashi

For I am lost—I will die, for I was not worthy of seeing the countenance of the glory. We find a similar statement made by Manoah (Jdg 13:22): “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

I am lost—Heb. נִדְמֵיתִי, comp. (Zep 1:11): “All the traders are broken (נִדְמֶה).”

People of unclean lips that are defiled with sins from Jonathan.

“But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” EXO 33:20

Berakhot 7a:30

The Gemara continues to cite the Sages’ explanation of verses that require clarification on the same topic. With regard to God’s statement to Moses, “ ‘But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live’ ” (Exo 33:20), it was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha that the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses as follows: When I wanted to show you my

wanted to show you My glory at the burning bush, you did not want to see it, as it is stated: “And Moses concealed his face, fearing to gaze at God” (Exo 3:6). But now that you want to see my glory, as you said: “Show me your glory,” I do not want to show it to you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha interprets Moses’ initial refusal to look upon God’s glory negatively, as he rebuffed God’s desire to be close to him.

Megillah 19b:4

And Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba also said that Rabbi Yohanan said: Had there been left open a crack so much as the size of small sewing needle in the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood when God’s glory was revealed to them, as it is written: “And while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock” (Exo 33:22), and: “He came there to a cave . . . and behold, the Lord passed by” (1Ki 19:9-11), they would not have been able to endure due to the intense light that would have entered that crack, as it is stated: “For man shall not see me and live” (Exo 33:20).

Rashi

“But,” he said, “you cannot . . .”—Even when I make all my goodness pass before you I shall not allow you to see my face.”

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, LUK 5:8-9

John Gill

For he and all who were with him were astonished—His brother Andrew, and the servants they had with them to manage the vessel, and cast the nets:

At the catch of fish that they had taken—Being so large and numerous, as the like was never seen, nor known by them before.

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

John Gill

Then one of the seraphim flew to me—When the prophet had confessed his sin; for upon that follows the application of pardon; and when the seraph, or minister of the gospel, had an order from the Lord to publish the doctrine of it: it is God’s act alone to forgive sin; it is the work of his ministers to preach forgiveness of sin, and that to sensible sinners; who when they are made sensible of sin, and distressed with it, the Lord takes notice of them, and sends messengers to them, to comfort them, by acquainting them that their iniquity is forgiven; who go on such an errand cheerfully and swiftly; and though they do not know the particular person, yet the Lord directs their ministration to him, and makes it effectual.

Having in his hand a burning coal—By which is meant the word of God, comparable to fire, and to a burning coal of fire (Jer 23:29), for the light and heat which it gives both to saints and sinners, and for its purity and purifying nature:

That he had taken with tongs from the altar—Of burnt offering, where the fire was always burning; which was a type of Christ, and his sacrifice; and this shows what particular doctrine of the word it was the seraph or gospel minister took, and delivered in this visionary way; it was the doctrine of pardon, founded upon the sacrifice and satisfaction of Christ. To this sense of the words the Targum agrees, which paraphrases them thus,

“and there flew to me one of the ministers, and in his mouth a word which he received from his glory, upon the throne of glory, in the highest heavens, above the altar,”

see (Rev 14:6).

And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil LEV 16:12

Rashi

From the altar—Referring to the outer altar (Yoma 45b).

Before the Lord—From that side of the altar which was before the entrance—that is, the west side (cf. Yoma 45b).

Beaten small—Why is it stated that it shall be beaten small? Was not all incense beaten small, for so it is said, “And shall beat some of it small” (Exo 30:36)? But it is intended to teach that it (the incense used on the Day of Atonement) was to be of the very finest powder, for on the eve of the Eve of the Day of Atonement it (the ordinary incense) was put again into the mortar in order that it should be again beaten into a finer powder (Keritot 6b; Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 3 8-9; Yoma 45a).

I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. MAT 3:11

7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” ISA 6:5-7

I, I am he

who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,

and I will not remember your sins. ISA 43:25

Rashi

I, I am he who—I am he who erased them from time immemorial lit. from then, and I erase them even now.

For my own sake—Neither in your merit nor in the merit of your forefathers.

And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” MAT 9:2

In the presence of God and the heavenly creatures declaring God’s holiness, Isaiah saw without doubt his sinfulness; not just his own, but the utter sinfulness of all his people. He realized that he was in the presence of a holy God and knew that because of his sin, he was undone. He could not live, having seen the holiest of holies. In light of the holiness of God, we too can see how small, dirty, and despicable we are. But God extended mercy to Isaiah by cleansing him and taking away his sin—and he did this for us as well. When did you realize the holiness of God and your sinfulness? How did your mindset and lifestyle change because of this?

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

John Gill

But now I am coming to you—As in (Joh 17:11), which he repeats as a very great happiness to himself, and with much pleasure and joy, but not without concern for those he was parting from:

And these things I speak in the world—Which he had expressed in this prayer concerning the nature of eternal life, and his power to give it to all the Father had given him; concerning the work of redemption finished by him, and the glory due to him on that account; concerning his chosen ones, particularly the apostles, and the mutual interest he and his Father had in them; and what he had done for them, in revealing the gospel to them, keeping them by the powerful influence of his grace, and the great concern he had for their future preservation: and these things he took notice of in his prayer, whilst he was in the world, before he took his leave of them;

That—Says he,

They may have my joy fulfilled in themselves—Either the joy which Christ had in them, which was of an early date, is still continued towards them, and will be more fully expressed, when they shall all be brought safe home to glory, and be for ever with him; or else the joy of which Christ is the author and object, which comes from him, and centres in him: saints rejoice in the person of Christ; in the greatness and dignity of his person, as God over all; hence they know that what he did and suffered answered the purpose, that he must have great interest in heaven, and they must be safe in his hands; and in the fitness of it, to be a mediator, he being God and man in one person; and in the fulness of it, which is all theirs, it is with delight they view it, with joy they receive from it, and believe they shall not want; and in the beauty of it, he being fairer than the children of men. The offices Christ bears as prophet, priest, and king, the relations he stands in as father, husband, brother and friend; his gospel and communion with him, the blessings of grace in him, as peace, pardon, righteousness and salvation, lay a foundation for solid joy in them that believe; as do also his death, resurrection, exaltation and intercession. This joy in him is a grace of the Spirit, and is attended with faith in Christ; it should be constant, but is frequently interrupted; though the ground and foundation of it is always the same; it is therefore at present imperfect, but may be increased; it is unknown to the world, and inexpressible by the saints; and may be said to be “fulfilled” in them, when it abounds in them more and more; when they are full of it, and that is full of glory, and which will be fulfilled in glory.

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John Gill

I have given them your word—The gospel, and a commission and abilities to preach it, and which is a reason of what follows, namely, the world’s hatred of them; because this word is not of men, nor agreeably to carnal reason; it magnifies the grace of God, and destroys boasting in men; it is against the carnal interest, worldly views and lusts of men:

And the world has hated them—The inhabitants of the world, worldly men, such as are what they were when they first came into the world; are under the influence of the god of the world, and led by the spirit of it, and are wholly taken up with the things thereof: the unbelieving Jews are chiefly designed, who bore an implacable hatred to Christ and his apostles; and the same fate do the faithful ministers of Christ and his members share, in all ages and places, more or less: the men of the world gnash their teeth at them, secretly plot against them, and inwardly curse them; rejoice at any evil that befalls them; greedily catch at anything to reproach them; stick not to say all manner of evil of them, and to do all manner of evil to them:

Because they are not of the world—They were of the world by their natural birth, and had their conversation with the men of it, whilst in a state of unregeneracy; but now they were called out of it, and were guided and led by another spirit; and were separate from the world in their lives and conversations, and which brought the hatred of the world upon them; inasmuch as they had been of them, but now had left them, and professed they did not belong to them; and because their religious lives put a distinguishing mark on them, and reproved and condemned them:

Just as I am not of the world—Not that Christ and his people are alike in their original; they are of the earth earthly, he is the Lord from heaven; nor are they so perfect in their walk and conversation in the world, and separation from it as he; yet there is some likeness between him and them, and some conformity in them to him, which makes the world hate them.

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

John Gill

I do not ask that you take them of the world—Either in an unusual manner, by a translation, as Enoch and Elijah were; or by death in its common form, before their time, and purely to be rid of afflictions: this he prayed not for; for he had much work for them to do, by preaching the gospel, for the conversion of sinners and comfort of saints; and it was for his interest they should live longer; and it would make most for his glory, and be best for his chosen people and churches:

But that you keep them from the evil—Either of sin, which is an evil and bitter thing, being committed against a good God, and a righteous law, and brings ruin and destruction upon men; from this the apostles were kept, and all the saints are; not from indwelling sin, nor from the commission of sin, but from the dominion of it, and from falling into it and by it, so as to perish eternally: or from the evil of the world; not from afflictions in it; nor from the reproach and persecution of it; but from its wickedness and lusts, and from the evil men of it: or from Satan the evil one, who is eminently, originally, and immutably so; not from being tempted by him, but from sinking under his temptations, and from being devoured by him. Christ’s praying for this, after this manner, shows that evil is very abhorrent, pernicious and powerful; the danger saints are in by it; their incapacity to keep themselves from it; and that the Lord alone is the keeper of his people; but does not suggest that Christ has dropped the charge of them, or is unequal to it; but by so doing he expresses his great love to them, how dear they are to him, and what care he takes of them, and what concern he has for them.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John Gill

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world—These words are repeated from Joh 17:14, where they are given as a reason of the world’s hatred to them; and here, as showing that they are exposed to the evil of it; and in both are used as an argument with his Father, that he would take notice of them, and preserve them.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 2SA 7:28

John Gill

And now, O Lord God, you are God—Who is the Lord of hosts, and the God of Israel, that has promised and is able to perform, and is faithful to his promise:

And your words are true—Are truly, punctually, and faithfully performed, never fail:

And you have promised this good thing to your servant—Concerning building and establishing his house. David repeats this promise as being greatly affected with it, and fully assured of the performance of it.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. LUK 8:11

18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

John Gill

As you sent me into the world—Which does not suppose inequality of nature, nor change of place, nor any force upon him, nor disrespect to him, or a state of separation from his Father; but that he was before he was sent; that he was a person, a divine distinct person from his Father; and designs the manifestation of him in human nature; and shows, that as mediator, he had a divine warrant and authority, and was no impostor: what he was sent into the world to do, was in general the will of God; particularly to preach the gospel, and chiefly and more especially to work out the salvation of his people:

So I have sent them into the world—To preach the gospel likewise: he had already sent them forth on this errand, and in a little time they were to receive a new and enlarged commission for this service; which mission of them to such work, implies great honour put upon them, authority in them, and qualifications with them; and hence success attended them: the place into which they were sent is, “the world”; first the Jewish and then the Gentile world, and every part of it; out of which he would not have them taken; and where they were sure to meet with reproach and persecution; and where God’s elect lay, who were to be converted through their ministry; for the work they were sent there for, was to open blind eyes, turn men from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sin, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified: now though there is not an equality between the mission of Christ by his Father, and of the apostles by him, yet there is a likeness; there is an agreement in their original, both are divine and of authority; in the place they were sent, the world; and in their work to declare the mind and will of God: all which carries in it a strong argument with his Father to regard these persons; for inasmuch as they were in a world that hated them, they needed divine power and protection; and being in a wicked world they needed sanctification and preservation; and having such work to do, they therefore needed divine assistance, and fresh supplies of grace.

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.