BibleStudy

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

they shall not hunger or thirst,

neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,

for he who has pity on them will lead them,

and by springs of water will guide them. ISA 49:10

Sanhedrin 92a:6

Rabbi Elazar says: Any communal leader who leads the community calmly, without anger and honestly, is privileged and leads them in the world to come, as it is stated: “For he who has pity upon them will lead them, and by springs of water shall guide them” (Isa 49:10). Just as he led them in this world, so too will he guide them in the world to come.

36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

John Gill

But I said to you—The substance of what follows in Joh 6:26 though the Persic and Ethiopic versions render it, “I say to you”; and so refers not to anything before said, but to what he was about to say:

That you have seen me and yet do not believe—That is, they had not only seen him in person, which many kings, prophets, and righteous men had desired, but not enjoyed, yet nevertheless believed; but they had seen his miracles, and had shared in the advantages of them, being healed, and fed corporeally by him, and yet believed not in him as the spiritual Saviour and Redeemer of their souls; nor did they come to him in a spiritual way, for eternal life and salvation.

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

you whom I took from the ends of the earth,

and called from its farthest corners,

saying to you, “You are my servant,

I have chosen you and not cast you off”; ISA 41:9

Rashi

Whom I took—I took you for my share. Comp. (Exo 4:4) “And he put out his hand and caught it.”

I . . . called . . . you by name for my share, “my firstborn son, Israel” (ibid. v. 22).

From the ends of the earth—From the other nations.

And . . . from its farthest corners—From the greatest of them.

And not cast you off like Esau, as it is said (Mal 1:3), “But Esau I have hated.”

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

John Gill

For I have come down from heaven—By change of place, or local motion; for Christ is the immense, infinite, and omnipresent God, and cannot be said properly to move from place to place; for he fills all places, even heaven and earth, with his presence, and was in heaven as the Son of God, at the same time he was here on earth as the son of man: therefore this must be understood in a manner becoming his proper deity, his divine sonship, and personality: this descent was by the assumption of the human nature into union with his divine person, which was an instance of amazing grace and condescension. The Jew objects to this, and says,

“if this respects the descent of the soul, the soul of every man descended from thence; but if it respects the body, the rest of the evangelists contradict his words, particularly Luke, when he says (Luk 2:7), that his mother brought him forth at Bethlehem.”

But this descent regards neither his soul nor body, but his divine person, which always was in heaven, and not any local descent of that; but, as before observed, an assumption of human nature, which he took of the virgin on earth; and so there is no contradiction between the evangelists; nor is descent from heaven unsuitable to Christ as a divine person, since it is ascribed to God (Gen 11:7; 18:21); and if God may be said to go down from heaven by some display of his power, and intimation of his presence, Christ may be said to descend from heaven by that marvellous work of his, taking upon him our nature, and walking up and down on earth in the form of a servant; and which was done with this view, as he says,

Not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me—That is, not to do his own will, as separate from his Father’s, and much less as contrary to it; otherwise he did come to do his own will, which, as God, was the same with his Father’s, he being one with him in nature, and so in power and will; and though his will, as man, was distinct from his Father’s, yet not repugnant, but resigned to it: and this will he came to do, was to preach the gospel, fulfil the law, work miracles, and obtain the eternal redemption and salvation of his people. What the above Jewish writer objects to this part of the text is of very little moment: whose words are;

“moreover, what he says, ‘not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me,’ shows, that he that sent, is not one and the same with him that is sent, seeing the will of him that is sent, is not as the will of him that sends.”

It is readily granted that they are not one and the same person; they are two distinct persons, which sending, and being sent, do clearly show; but then they are one in nature, though distinct in person, and they agree in will and work. Christ came not to do any will of his own different from that of his Father’s; nor do these words imply a difference of wills in them, much less a contrariety in them, but rather the sameness of them.

8 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;

in the scroll of the book it is written of me:

John Gill

Then I said—As in the council and covenant of peace, when and where he declared his willingness to come into the world, and make satisfaction for the sins of his people; so when the fulness of time was come for his appearance in human nature he repeated the same; for of the time of his coming into the world are these words interpreted (Heb 10:5); when sacrifice and offering God would not have any longer continued, and when a body was prepared him, then he said,

Behold, I have come—O Father; as Apollinarius, in his metaphrase, adds; that is, freely, and without compulsion; immediately, at once, without any delay; and he himself, and not another; and this not by change of place, but by assumption of nature; taking the body, or human nature, prepared for him, and uniting it to himself; to which the word “behold” is prefixed as a note of attention and admiration; the incarnation of Christ being a wonderful affair, and of the utmost moment and importance;

In the scroll of the book it is written of me—Either in the book of divine predestination, in the purposes and decrees of God (Psa 139:16); or in the book of the Scriptures; either in general (Luk 24:27, 44; Joh 5:39); or particularly in the book of the Psalms (Psa 1:1-2; 2:2, 6-7); or rather in the book of the law, the five books of Moses, since these were the only books or volumes that were composed at the writing of this Psalm; and it has respect not to Exo 21:6; nor Deu 17:18; nor Deu 18:15; but rather Gen 3:15; and seeing the coming of Christ into the world was not only appointed of God, agreed to by Christ, but was prophesied of, and penned down in the sacred writings; therefore at the appointed time he came, freely and willingly. This book is called a volume, or roll, alluding to the manner of writing formerly; when what was written was finished, it was rolled about a stick in the manner of a cylinder; and in this form is the book of the law with the Jews to this day (see Gill on Luk 4:17).

Rashi

Then at the time of the giving of the law, behold I came to you to be bound in your covenant. (Exo 24:7): “We will do and be obedient,” and this matter is written as testimony concerning me in the scroll of the book, i.e., in the law of Moses.

9 I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.” PSA 40:8-9

John Gill

I delight to do your will, O my God—This he came down from heaven to do, and this he did do, by preaching the gospel, and working miracles; and above all by obtaining eternal redemption for his people, which he effected by fulfilling the law, becoming a sacrifice, and suffering and dying in their room; all which were the will of God, and grateful to him, and in doing which Christ took the utmost delight and pleasure (Luk 12:50; Joh 4:34);

Your law is within my heart—Either the whole moral law, under which he was, as man, and the surety of his people; and which was written upon his heart, and which he perfectly obeyed; or that particular law, injunction, and command laid upon him by his Father, to offer himself a sacrifice, and lay down his life for men; which he agreed to, had it in his mind, his heart was set upon it, and he cheerfully complied with it (Joh 10:18; 14:31).

Rashi

Your law is within my heart—Even my food is according to your law; I ate neither unclean beasts nor untithed produce.

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 1SA 25:29

Chagigah 12b:13

The souls of the righteous are found in heaven, as it is written: “And the life of my master shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God” (1Sa 25:29). Spirits and souls that are to be created are found there, as it is written: “For the spirit that enwraps itself is from me, and the breath of life that I made” (Isa 57:16), which indicates that the spirit to be released into the world, wrapped around a body, is located close to God. The dew that the Holy One, blessed be he, will use to revive the dead is found in heaven, as it is written: “Rain in abundance, God, you will shed abroad; you confirmed your inheritance as it languished” (Psa 68:10).

40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

21 Declare and present your case;

let them take counsel together!

Who told this long ago?

Who declared it of old?

Was it not I, the Lord?

And there is no other god besides me,

a righteous God and a Savior;

there is none besides me.

Rashi

Who told this long ago—Who of your idols is it that told long ago that your God brought salvation, each one to its worshipers?

Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other—For I announce what I am destined to do for my people, and I fulfill My words.

22 Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no other. ISA 45:21-22

Rashi

Turn to me and abandon your graven images, all the ends of the earth, and, thereby, you shall be saved.

24 “Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

John Gill

Before they call I will answer—The sense is, should they be attacked by any enemy, or fear that they shall be disturbed by them, and so turn themselves of making application to the Lord for help; while they are preparing for prayer, stirring up one another to it, and appointing a season for it, to meet together on that account; before they are able to put up one petition in a regular way, the Lord will appear for them, and give an answer of peace:

While they are yet speaking I will hear—While they are praying to him, he hears and answers, and grants their requests, and more, as he did Daniel. This shows the readiness of the Lord to help and assist his people in any time of trouble, or when they may fear an enemy; and is a great encouragement to attend the throne of grace constantly.

Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” DAN 10:12

John Gill

Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel”—Perceiving him to shake and tremble, and to be intimidated at his presence, he speaks comfortably to him, and encourages him to lay aside his fears, that he might be more capable of attending to what he was about to say to him; and which had a tendency of themselves to remove his fears, and increase his confidence in the Lord:

For from the first day you set your heart to understand—Not so much the former visions which he had an understanding of, as the future state of his people; or rather, the reason of their present distressed condition, being hindered by their enemies in rebuilding their city and temple:

And humbled yourself before your God—To humble himself in prayer, and to afflict himself by fasting:

Your words have been heard—His prayers were heard, and an answer ordered to be given, the very first day he began to pray, and fast, and mourn, though it was now full three weeks since; just as, at the beginning of his former supplications, Gabriel had a commandment to go and show him that they were heard (Dan 9:23):

And I have come forth because of your words—On account of his prayers, to bring an answer to them; the reason why he came no sooner, when it was three weeks since he received his order, is as follows.

Taanit 8b:10

They said to him: From where do you know this, the fact that one may take a fast upon himself that he cannot observe? Rabbi Zeira said to them that the reason is as it is written: “Then he said to me, ‘Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to fast before your God, your words have been heard’ ” (Dan 10:12). This verse indicates that from the moment one turns his heart to fast, his prayers are heard.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. MAR 11:24

John Gill

Therefore I tell you—For encouragement in prayer more particularly, without which nothing should be attempted, and especially which is above the power of nature, and is of a miraculous kind:

Whatever you ask in prayer—That is, according to the revealed will of God, is for the confirmation of his gospel, and for the glory of his name:

Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours—The petitions that are desired, and the things asked in them: that is, be as much assured of having them, as if you had already received them, and you shall have them; for the sense can never be, that they should believe they received them before they had them; this would be a contradiction in terms; and Beza’s ancient copy, and one of Stephens’ copies read it, “believe that you will receive,” as in (Mat 21:22), and so the Vulgate Latin version; with which agree the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, which render it, “believe that you will enjoy,” or “obtain”; and the Syriac version, “believe that you are about to receive”; and great faith it is so to believe; and this is the prayer of faith; see 1Jn 5:14-15.

25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;

the lion shall eat straw like the ox,

and dust shall be the serpent’s food.

They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain,”

says the Lord. ISA 65:24-25

John Gill

The wolf and the lamb shall graze together—Or, “as one”: as if they were one, of the same kind and nature, and lived upon the same food. The people of God are comparable to lambs, for their harmlessness and innocence; and wicked men to wolves, for their fierceness and cruelty; but, by the grace of God, the latter become as mild and as gentle as the former, and live upon the same spiritual food, and join with them in attendance on the word and ordinances, where they find spiritual refreshment and comfort together; such who have been persecutors of the church shall now become members of it; and many instances of this kind, as there were in the first times of the gospel, so there shall be in the latter day:

The lions shall eat straw like the ox—To which creature the ministers of the gospel are compared for their laboriousness, as wicked persecutors are to lions; and sometimes the latter have been so changed by the grace of God, as to become preachers of it, as Saul was, and very probably many will hereafter; however, there will be no persecution of the church after those days; wolves and lions will have their nature changed, and be in fellowship with the saints, and be better employed than before in persecuting them:

And dust shall be the serpent’s food—The food of the old serpent, the devil, as was threatened (Gen 3:14), to which he shall now be confined; he shall not be able to bite the saints, being bruised under their feet; he shall only have power over carnal, worldly, earthly minded men; and shall not be able to give the church any trouble, by instigating men to persecute it:

“They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord—That is, Satan and his emissaries; wicked men, comparable to lions and wolves, shall no more drink the blood of the saints, or persecute the church of God; after the calling of the Jews, and the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles, and the destruction of antichrist, there will be no more persecution of the church of Christ, the mountain of God’s holiness; he has said it, and we may be assured of the truth of it (see Gill on Isa 11:9). (This verse may also apply to the Millenial state, in which the effects of the curse on the animals is to be removed. However, from this verse it seems that the curse on snakes is permanent. Editor.)

Rashi

Shall eat straw and will not have to destroy animals.

And . . . the serpent’s—Indeed, dust is the serpent’s food, which is always available for him. And the Midrash Aggadah explains: The lion shall eat straw like the ox. Since we find that Esau will fall into the hands of the sons of Joseph, as it is said (Oba 1:18): “The house of Esau stubble, and the house of Joseph a flame etc.” But that they should fall into the hands of the remaining tribes, who were compared to beasts, we do not find. It is, therefore, stated: “The lion shall eat straw like the ox.” Those tribes that were compared to a lion, such as Judah and Dan, like Joseph, who was compared to an ox, shall devour Esau who was compared to straw.

Tractate Kallah Rabbati 3:22

BARAITHA. Do not slander your fellow-man for there is no healing to whoever slanders.

GEMARA. Whence do we learn this? From the instance of the serpent; as it is written, The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. Raba said: Hence it may be inferred that the wolf, lion, bear and leopard sinned and the All-merciful made them hated by his creatures; but the reason why they will be healed is that their guilt is not like the serpent’s. The wolf is the first to pounce upon its prey, the lion the first to steal; but as for the serpent, because it engaged in slander there is no healing for it.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

John Gill

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? A way of speaking much like that in the Talmud, “Do you know that the world to come is not made but for the righteous?” Without a righteousness there will be no entrance into the world of bliss and happiness hereafter; and this must be a better righteousness than what a sinful creature is capable of working out, and no other than the righteousness of Christ. It was a loss and want of righteousness that cast the angels down from heaven, and turned Adam out of paradise; and whoever of his remnant: are destitute of one, will fall short of enjoying the glory of God; for it is not agreeable to the holy nature of God, to his infinite justice and righteous law, to admit any into heaven without a righteousness: hence a judgment seat is erected, before which all must stand; and those that will be found without a righteousness, will be for ever excluded the kingdom of heaven; and could any unrighteous persons be received there, it would spoil the pleasure and happiness of the saints. Now this is said, partly to dissuade the Corinthians from going to law with each other before unrighteous persons, who have no right to the kingdom of God, and living and dying as they are, will have no share in it; and therefore since they are not to be fellow heirs and companions with them in another world, they should not bring their causes before them in this; and partly to reprove them for their injurious and unrighteous actions among themselves, their tricking and defrauding of one another, with other sins they were guilty of; which, if not repented of, would show, that notwithstanding their profession, they were destitute of the grace of God, were unfit to be in the kingdom of God, in a gospel church state here below, and would be shut out of the kingdom of heaven hereafter.

Do not be deceived—Imagining, that through your knowledge and profession you shall be saved, live as you will:

Neither the sexually immoral—Such as are guilty of uncleanness with persons in a single state:

Nor idolaters—Who worship more gods than one, and not the true God; who do service to them that are not gods, and perform what the Jews call “strange service”: and not only fall down to stocks and stones, but serve various lusts and pleasures, the idols of their own hearts:

Nor adulterers—Such as have criminal conversation with persons in a married state:

Nor men who practice homosexuality—Or “soft,” or, as the Syriac renders it, “corrupters”; that is, of themselves, by voluntary pollution, such as are guilty of the sin of Onan (Gen 38:8-9). Sodomites.

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1CO 6:9-11

The world God wants for us is peaceful. God gives us a glimpse of the kingdom here: He will be so close to his people that he will answer before they call and hear them even as they begin to speak. Not even the animals considered natural enemies will hurt or destroy each other in his kingdom. How have you glimpsed God’s kingdom peace on this earth?

20 No more shall there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

John Gill

No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days—That is, no more shall there be carried out from in it, from Jerusalem, or any other place where the church of God is, to the grave, in order to be interred, an infant that has lived but a few days, a very common thing now; but, in the latter day, such instances will be rare, or rather there will be none at all; every child born will live to the age of man, and not be cut off by any premature death, either by any natural disease, or by famine, or sword, or any other calamity, which will now have no place:

Or an old man who does not fill out his days—Who, though he may in some sense, or in comparison of others, be said to be old, yet has not arrived to the full term of man’s life, threescore years and ten, or more; for it seems, by what follows, as if the term of human life will be lengthened in the latter day, and reach in common to a hundred years; so that as long life is always reckoned a temporal happiness, among the rest that shall be enjoyed, this will be one in the latter day; and which is to be understood not of the Millennium state, in which there will be no death (Rev 21:4), which yet will be in this, as the following words show; but of the state preceding that, even the spiritual reign of Christ:

For the young man shall die a hundred years old—Not that that shall be reckoned a young man that shall die at a hundred years of age, the life of man being now, in these days of the Messiah, as long as they were before the flood, as the Jewish interpreters imagine; but the child that is now born, or he that is now a child, shall live to the age of a hundred years, and not die before: but lest this outward happiness should be trusted to, and a man should imagine that therefore he is in a happy state for eternity, being blessed with such a long life, it follows, “and” or

Though the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed—For though this shall be common in this state to good men and bad men, to live a hundred years, yet their death will not be alike; the good man will be blessed, and enter into a happy state of joy and peace; but the wicked man, though he lives as long as the other in this world, shall be accursed at death, and to all eternity; see Ecc 8:12-13.

Rashi

An infant—Heb. עוּל יָמִים, a youth. Comp. (Lam 2:11) “young children.” 

Shall die a hundred years old—He shall be subject to punishments to be liable to death for a capital sin. So it is explained in Bereishit Rabbah 26:2.

Shall be accursed for a sin requiring an anathema.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

John Gill

They shall build houses and inhabit them—In Jerusalem, and other parts of Judea: though this need not be limited to the Jews, but be considered as reaching to all the Lord’s people, the Gentiles also; who will be in no fear of enemies, or ever be disturbed by them, but shall dwell in their own houses peaceably and quietly; this is the reverse of what is threatened to the wicked (Deu 28:30):

They shall plant vineyards—And eat their fruit; they shall both live to dwell in their houses when built, and till their vineyards bring forth fruit, and then eat of them; and they shall be preserved from enemies breaking in upon them, and wasting their plantations.

8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

“I will not again give your grain

to be food for your enemies,

and foreigners shall not drink your wine

for which you have labored;

John Gill

The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm—By Christ, say some, who is the arm of the Lord, the power of God, by whom he made the world, and upholds all things; but though he sometimes is said to swear to him, and concerning him, yet is never said to swear by him; rather the attribute of omnipotence is here designed; as God is sometimes said to swear by his holiness, so here by his almighty power; the consideration of which itself is a great encouragement to faith, to believe the fulfilment of promises, because God is able; but his swearing by it is a further confirmation of it; it is as if he had said, let me not be thought to be the omnipotent God I am, if I do not do so and so; or as sure as I have such a right hand, and arm of strength, what follows shall certainly be accomplished:

I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and the sons of the strangers shall not drink your wine for which you have labored—This was threatened to the people of Israel, in case of sinning against God, and revolting from him; and was accomplished in the times of their captivity in Babylon (Deu 28:33; Jer 5:17), but here it is promised, and the strongest assurance given, it should be so no more; which cannot respect the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for it is certain that after that their enemies did eat their grain, and drink their wine; the Romans came and took away their city and nation, as they feared, and all their good things; therefore this must refer to future times, to times yet to come, when this people, being converted, shall be restored to their own land, and enjoy great plenty of good things, and never more be disturbed by their enemies: though all this may be understood in a spiritual sense of the “grain” and “wine” of the gospel, and the ministration of it; which was first provided for them, and they were invited to partake of it; and in preparing which the apostles and first ministers of the word, being Jews, “labored”; but they rejecting it, it was carried to the Gentiles, who had been their “enemies,” and were “aliens” from the commonwealth of Israel, which they gladly received and fed upon; but now it is promised, that the gospel, being again brought to them, should no more be taken from them, but ever continue with them; even all the means of grace, and ordinances of the gospel, for the comfort and refreshment of their souls.

9 but those who garner it shall eat it

and praise the Lord,

and those who gather it shall drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.” ISA 62:8-9

Rashi

Shall eat it—This refers back to “your grain.”

Shall drink it—This refers back to “your wine.”

22 They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Rashi

Like the days of a tree—Jonathan renders: the tree of life.

23 They shall not labor in vain

or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

and their descendants with them. ISA 65:20-23

John Gill

They shall not labor in vain—As they do, who build houses, and enemies come and turn them out of them, and dwell in them themselves; or who plant vineyards, and sow their fields, and strangers come and devour them; or they are smitten with blasting and mildew:

Or bear children for calamity—For death, as the Targum; or for a curse, as the Septuagint: the tense is, they shall not beget and bear children, that shall immediately die by some distemper or another, or be taken off by famine, sword, or pestilence, to the great grief and trouble of their parents; but these shall live, and outlive their parents, so that their death will never be a trouble to them:

For they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them—Or, “they shall be a seed, the blessed of the Lord”; or, “they shall be the offspring blessed of God,” or “the Lord,” as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; or, as the Targum,

“a seed whom the Lord blessed”;

a spiritual offspring of the church, a seed raised up to serve the Lord, whom he blesses with temporal and spiritual blessings; and their descendants also, being made a spiritual offspring by the grace of God, and succeeding them in the church, and treading in their steps.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. GEN 12:2

Pesachim 117b:11

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said with regard to God’s blessing of Abraham: “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing,” (Gen 12:2). “And I will make of you a great nation”; this is fulfilled in the opening of the first blessing of the Amida, as Jews say: God of Abraham. “And I will bless you”; this is fulfilled when they say: God of Isaac, as it is a blessing for a father when the name of his son is eternalized. “And make your name great”; this is fulfilled when they say: God of Jacob.

Rashi

And I will make of you a great nation—Since travelling is the cause of three things—it decreases (breaks up) family life, it reduces one’s wealth and lessens one’s fame, he therefore needed these three blessings: that God should promise him children, wealth and a great name (Bereishit Rabbah 39:11).

And I will bless you—With wealth (Bereishit Rabbah 39:11).

So that you will be a blessing—Blessings are entrusted to you; hitherto they were in my power—I blessed Adam and Noah. From now on you shall bless whomsoever you wish (Bereishit Rabbah 39:11). Another explanation is: And I will make of you a great nation, this alludes to the fact that we say in our prayer “God of Abraham”; And I will bless you—that we say, “God of Isaac”; And make your name great—that we say, “God of Jacob.” One might think that we should conclude the benediction in which these invocations are recited by mentioning again the names of all the patriarchs—the text therefore states “so that you will be a blessing” meaning, with you (i.e. with your name only) shall they conclude the benediction and not with them (their names) (Pesachim 117b).

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1CO 15:58

The world God wants for us is full of life and prosperity, where everyone reaches old age without fear of sickness or accidents; anyone who takes time to build a house will have time to live in it; and anyone who invests their resources will enjoy a stable livelihood. Even parenthood will be a time of joy in every instance. What do you think will change in the world God has for us?

17 For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.

Rashi

New heavens—The princes above shall be renewed, and the princes of Israel shall be the upper princes and the princes of the heathens (the nations [Parshandatha]) will be lower, and so on the earth. ([K’li Paz reads:] The princes above shall be renewed, to raise up the humble and to humble the high ones, and so on the earth.) And some say that there will actually be new heavens, and that is correct, for Scripture proves it (infra 66:22): “For as the new heavens, etc.”

And I have put my words in your mouth

and covered you in the shadow of my hand,

establishing the heavens

and laying the foundations of the earth,

and saying to Zion, “You are my people.” ISA 51:16

Rashi

Establishing the heavens to preserve the people about whom it was said that they shall be as many as the stars of the heavens from Jonathan.

And laying the foundations of the earth—And laying the foundations of the congregation about whom it is said that they shall be as many as the dust of the earth from Jonathan.

Sanhedrin 99b:11

Rav says: It is as though he built a palace of heaven above and of earth below, as it is stated: “And I have placed my words in your mouth and I have covered you in the shadow of my hand, to plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, ‘You are my people’ ” (Isa 51:16). One who has the word of God placed in his mouth through Bible study has established heaven and earth. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: One who engages in Bible study also protects the entire world, as it is stated: “And I have covered you in the shadow of my hand.” And Levi says: He also advances the coming of the redemption, as it is stated: “And say to Zion, ‘You are my people’ ”

For as the new heavens and the new earth

that I make

shall remain before me, says the Lord,

so shall your offspring and your name remain. ISA 66:22

Tractate Kallah Rabbati 8:21

“Five acquisitions.” Just as the heavens and the earth will be renewed in the future, so also will Israel be renewed in the future, as it is stated, For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. By whose merit? By the merit of Abraham and by the merit of the law. And where? In the temple.

For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. JOH 3:34

John Gill

For he whom God has sent—Still meaning Christ, who was sent in human nature, in the likeness of sinful flesh, in the fulness of time; to be the Savior of the world, of that which was lost, of the chief of sinners; and to preach the glad tidings of the gospel, which is more especially here designed; and for which he was abundantly qualified by the Spirit of God, with which he was anointed.

Utters the words of God—The words which God gave unto him; the doctrines of grace; the word of truth; the word of faith; the word of righteousness; the word of reconciliation; the words of salvation and eternal life; the whole mind and will of God; and whatever he spoke were as true as the oracles of God.

For he he gives the Spirit without measure—As he did to the prophets of the Old Testament, and to the apostles of the New; and to the ordinary ministers of the word, who have gifts differing one from another; to one is given one gift of the Spirit; and to another, another gift, as the Spirit pleases; and to everyone is given grace, or gifts of grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph 4:7). To which agrees what the Jews say of the Holy Spirit, and his gifts.

“Says R. Joden bar R. Simeon, even the waters which descend from above are not given, but, ‘in measure’—Says R. Acha, even the Holy Spirit, which dwells upon the prophets, does not dwell, ‘in weight.’ ”

But the Lord Jesus has every gift of the Spirit, and the fulness of grace in him: he is anointed with the oil of gladness, with the Holy Spirit above his fellows; and has an immeasurable unction of the Holy One; which, like the precious oil poured on Aaron, descends from him to the members of his body.

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2PE 3:13

18 But be glad and rejoice forever

in that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness.

4 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

5 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.

Rashi

For you judge the peoples with equity—Favorably.

You . . . guide them—You . . . guide them in a fair way; therefore, all peoples praise you.

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

6 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you! PSA 67:4-6

10 Sing to the Lord a new song,

his praise from the end of the earth,

you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,

the coastlands and their inhabitants.

11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,

the villages that Kedar inhabits;

let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,

let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Rashi

Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice—Their voice in song.

The villages that Kedar inhabits—(Connected to “Let the desert . . . lift up.” Let the desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, lift up their voice and sing. It is like: And the villages with which Kedar is settled.) The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, will be permanent cities and villages.

Habitants of Sela—The dead who will be resurrected. So did Jonathan render this.

Let them shout from the top of the mountains—Let them lift up their voices from the top of the mountains from Jonathan.

12 Let them give glory to the Lord,

and declare his praise in the coastlands. ISA 42:10-12

Rejoice always 1TH 5:16

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem

and be glad in my people;

no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping

and the cry of distress. ISA 65:17-19

Go out, O daughters of Zion,

and look upon King Solomon,

with the crown with which his mother crowned him

on the day of his wedding,

on the day of the gladness of his heart. SON 3:11

Rashi

O daughters of Zion—Heb. צִיוֹן. Children who are distinguished (מְצֻיָנִין) as his, through circumcision, phylacteries, and ritual fringes.

With the crown with which his mother crowned him—The tent of meeting, which was adorned with hues of blue, purple, and scarlet. Rabbi Nechunya said, “Rabbi Shimon son of Yochai asked Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Yose, ‘Perhaps you heard from your father what is meaning of “with the crown with which his mother crowned him”?’ He replied, ‘This is a parable of a king who had an only daughter of whom he was very fond. He could not stop loving her until he called her “my daughter,” as it is stated (Psa 45:11): “Hear, O daughter, and consider.” He could not stop loving her until he called her “my sister,” as it is stated (below 5:2): “Open to me, my sister, my love.” He could not stop loving her until he called her “my mother,” as it is stated (Isa 51:4): “Give attention to me, my people, and . . . my nation (וּלְאוּמִי).” It is written: וּלְאֻמִי which can be read as וּלְאִמִי, and to my mother. Rabbi Shimon son Yochai stood up and kissed him on his head, etc.

On the day of his wedding—The day of the giving of the law, when they crowned him as their King and accepted his yoke.

On the day of the gladness of his heart—This is the eighth day of the installation, tabernacle was dedicated in the wilderness.

Taanit 26b:6

And similarly, it says in another verse: “Go out, daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart” (Son 3:11). This verse is explained as an allusion to special days: “On the day of his wedding”; this is the giving of the law through the second set of tablets on the Day of Atonement. The name King Solomon in this context, which also means king of peace, is interpreted as a reference to God. “On the day of the gladness of his heart”; this is the building of the temple, may it be rebuilt speedily in our days.

He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away

from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken. ISA 25:8

Pesachim 68a:15

As we have been discussing the world of the future and the resurrection of the dead, the Gemara cites additional statements on these topics. Ulla raised a contradiction between two verses: In one verse it is written: “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the insult of his people he shall take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken” (Isa 25:8). And in another verse it is written: “No more shall there be in it an infant who lives a few days, or an old man who has not filled his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old” (Isa 65:20), implying that people will live long lives, but death will not be totally eradicated. Ulla answers: This is not difficult: Here, in the first verse, it is referring to Jews, who will not die at all, while there, in the second verse, it is referring to Gentiles, who will live exceedingly long lives but eventually die. The Gemara asks: What are Gentiles doing there in the future world? The Gemara answers: As it is written: “Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and vineyard workers” (Isa 61:5).

Rashi

He will swallow up death—He will cover it and hide it forever from Israel.

3 So he told them this parable:

5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. LUK 15:3, 5

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. REV 7:17

The world God wants for us is joyful. The city he promises to create is designed to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. God wants to enjoy spending time with his people and blessing them. He even wants to remove any cause for the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. What does a joyful world look like to you?

35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.

13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. MAR 16:12-13

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

John Gill

As they were talking about these things—While the two disciples, that came from Emmaus, were giving the above relation; just as they had finished it, and had scarcely done speaking:

Jesus himself stood among them—The apostles; who were assembled together in a certain house, the doors being shut for fear of the Jews; and it was on the evening of the same day Christ rose from the dead, and late at night see Joh 20:19; nd without hearing the doors opened, or the sound of the feet of Jesus, and without seeing him come in, and approach unto them, he, in a moment, at once, stood in the middle of them, as if he had immediately rose up out of the earth before them; and so the Persic version renders it, “Jesus rose up out the midst of them”: by his power he opened the and secretly let himself in, and shut them again at once; and by the agility of his body moved so swiftly, that he was not discerned until he was among them, where he stood to be seen, and known by them; whereby he made that good in a corporeal sense, which he had promised in a spiritual sense (Mat 18:20), and was an emblem of his presence in his churches, and with his ministers, to the end of the world.

And said to them, “Peace to you!”—Which was an usual form of salutation among the Jews (see Gill on Joh 20:19). The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions add, “I am he, fear not”; but this clause is not in the Greek copies.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;

I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, ISA 57:18

Rashi

I have seen his ways when he humbled himself before me, when troubles befell him.

But I will heal him; I will lead him—Heb. וְאַנְחֵהוּ. I will lead him in the way of healing. Alternatively, וְאַנְחֵהוּ is an expression of rest and tranquility.

Him and his mourners—To those who are troubled over him.

37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 1SA 28:13

Chagigah 4b:9

The Gemara asks: In the case of Samuel, what is it that he feared? As it is written: “And the woman said to Saul, ‘I see a god coming up [olim] out of the earth’ (1Sa 28:13). “Olim,” in the plural form, indicates that there were two of them. One of them was Samuel, but the other, who was he? The Gemara explains that Samuel went and brought Moses with him. He said to Moses: Perhaps, heaven forbid, I was summoned for judgment by God; stand with me and testify on my behalf that there is nothing that you wrote in the law that I did not fulfill.

Rashi

I see a god coming up out of the earth—Two angels, Moses and Samuel, for Samuel feared, “Perhaps I am being summoned for judgement,” and he therefore brought Moses up with him, as it is stated in Chagigah and Taanit.

38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

John Gill

And he said to them, “Why are you troubled”—Who had more reason to rejoice, and be glad, as they were when they knew that it was Jesus:

And why do doubts arise in your hearts?—Whether what they saw was Jesus, or an apparition, which gave them a great deal of trouble and uneasiness, and filled them with fright and terror; as it was, and is usual with persons when they fancy they see a spirit, or an apparition; see Mat 14:26.

39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

John Gill

See my hands and my feet—The Evangelist John adds, “and side”; that is, the prints of the nails and spear, in his hands, and feet, and side; and the wounds they made there, and the scars they left behind; by which they might be convinced he was not a spirit, and be assured of the truth of his resurrection, and that in the same numerical body in which he suffered; as well as that it might be observed by them how great was his love to them, to endure what he did for them.

Touch me, and see—Or know by feeling, as well as by sight; so that if the one was not sufficient, the other might confirm; sight might be deceived, but feeling could not: Apollonius Tyaneus, to them that did not know whether he was alive or dead, and who took him for a spirit, proposed himself to be touched, and handled, that they might be convinced:

For a spirit does not have flesh and bones—Nothing but appearance, or air at most; no solid substance to be felt and handled:

As you see that I have—Or may perceive, both by sight and feeling.

40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them.

Avot D’Rabbi Natan 30:4

Rabbi Shimon would say: Such is the punishment for a liar, that even when he speaks the truth, no one listens to him. So we find with the children of Jacob, who deceived their father. In the beginning he believed them, as it says (Gen 37:31), “They took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat,” and then it says (Gen 37:33), “He identified it and said, ‘This is my son’s robe.’ ” But afterward, even when they spoke the truth to him, he did not believe them, as it says (Gen 45:26), (“His heart became numb, for he did not believe them.”) “They told him, and said: Joseph is still alive . . . but he did not believe them.”

Some say that the Holy Spirit that had departed from Jacob now returned to him, as it says (Gen 45:27), “The spirit of their father Jacob was revived.”

Rashi

And they told him, “He is ruler”—And he rules.

And his heart became numb—His heart passed away and went away from believing—his heart did not turn to believe these words. The word וַיָפָג has the same meaning as (Beitzah 14a) “all spices let their taste pass away” in the language of the Mishnah. Similar is (Lam 3:49) “without respite (הֲפֻגוֹת).”

27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

Rashi

All the words of Joseph—As evidence that it was Joseph who was sending this message he had informed them of the religious subject he had been studying with his father at the time when he left him, viz., the section of the heifer that had its neck broken (Deu 21). It is to this that Scripture refers in the words “and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent”—and it does not state “that Pharaoh had sent” (Bereishit Rabbah 94:3).

The spirit of . . . Jacob revived—The glory that had departed from him, rested again upon him (cf. Onkelos).

28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” GEN 45:26-28

Rashi

Enough; Joseph my son is still alive—Much joy and pleasure is still in store for me, since Joseph my son is still alive.

42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

John Gill

They gave him a piece of broiled fish—Which was left by them at supper, of which they had been eating; for being fishermen, most of them, this was agreeable food to them.

43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel. GEN 3:15

Rashi

I will put enmity—Your sole intention was that Adam should die by eating it first and that you should then take Eve for yourself (Bereishit Rabbah 20:5), and you came to speak to Eve first only because women are easily influenced and know how to influence their husbands; therefore “I will put enmity.”

He shall bruise your head—Like (Deu 9:21), “And crushed it” which is translated by Onkelos as “I pounded it.”

And you shall bruise his heel—You shall have no height and you shall bruise him on the heel, and even from there you shall kill him. The word תְּשׁוּפֶנוּ is like (Isa 40:24): “He blows (נָשַׁף) on them.” When a serpent comes to bite, it blows with a kind of hissing sound, and since the two words coincide i.e., they sound alike, they are both used here.

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” EXO 4:11

Rashi

Who has made man’s mouth—Who taught you to speak when you were arraigned in judgment before Pharaoh on account of the Egyptian whom you slew?

Who makes him mute—Who made Pharaoh mute so that he could not insist upon the carrying out of his command to kill you? Who made his ministers deaf so that they could not hear when he gave orders concerning you? And who made the executioners blind so that they could not see when you fled from the platform and escaped? (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 10)

Is it not I whose name is the Lord do all this?

46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

I gave my back to those who strike,

and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;

I hid not my face

from disgrace and spitting. ISA 50:6

Rashi

I gave my back to those who strike—He said to me, Isaiah, my children are obstinate; my children are bothersome. You may go on the condition that you do not become angry with them. I said to him, On that condition.

47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. GEN 12:3

Rashi

In you . . . shall be blessed—There are many aggadoth, but this is its plain sense: A man says to his son, “May you be like Abraham.” This, too, is the meaning wherever the phrase “shall be blessed with you” occurs in Scripture, and the following example proves this (Gen 48:20): “By you Israel shall pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ”

48 You are witnesses of these things.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

John Gill

After this—After Christ’s curing the man at Bethesda’s pool, and the vindication of himself for doing it or the Sabbath day, and for asserting his equality with God; near a year after these things: for these were done at the Feast of the Passover, and now it was near another; and what is related here, was after the death of John the Baptist, and when the disciples had returned from preaching in the several cities and towns, where Christ afterwards went, and had given an account of their success; see Mat 14:12-13; Mar 6:30-31; Luk 9:10. Quickly after the Passover was ended, Christ departed from Jerusalem, and went into Galilee, and preached in the several cities and towns in those parts, and wrought many miracles: and after these things, in process of time,

Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee—The same with the lake of Gennesaret (Luk 5:1);

Which is the Sea of Tiberias—And is frequently so called by the Jewish writers, who often make mention of “the Sea of Tiberias”; and by other writers, it is called the lake of Tiberias; Pliny, who calls it the lake of Genesara, says,

“it was sixteen miles long, and six broad, and was surrounded with very pleasant towns; on the east were Julias and Hippo, and on the south Tarichea, by which name some call the lake, and on the west Tiberias, wholesome for the hot waters.”

And these are the waters which the Jews call the hot baths of Tiberias; and from the city of Tiberias built by Herod, and called so in honour of Tiberius Caesar, the sea took its name.

2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

John Gill

And a large crowd was following him—From several cities and towns in Galilee, where he had been preaching and working miracles:

Because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick—So that it was not for the sake of his doctrine, or for the good of their souls, they followed him; but either to gratify their curiosity in seeing his miracles, or to be healed in their bodies, as others had been.

3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.

John Gill

Jesus went up on the mountain—In a desert place near Bethsaida (Luk 9:10);

And there he sat down with his disciples—Partly for security from the cruelty of Herod, having just heard of the beheading of John; and partly for privacy, that he might have some conversation alone with his disciples, upon their return from off their journey; as also for the sake of rest and refreshment; and according to the custom of the Jewish doctors, which now prevailed (see Gill on Mat 5:1), he sat with his disciples, in order to teach and instruct them.

4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

John Gill

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand—This was the third Passover, since our Lord’s baptism, and entrance on his public ministry; see Joh 2:13; 5:1. Whether Christ went up to this feast is not certain; some think he did not; but from what is said in Joh 7:1, it looks as if he did: how near it was to the feast, cannot well be said. Thirty days before the feast, they began to talk about it; and especially in the last fifteen days, they made preparations for it, as being at hand; and if there was now so long time to it, there was time enough for Jesus to go to it.

5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”

6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

John Gill

He said this to test him—Or “tempting him,” trying his faith, and not only his, but the rest of the disciples; not as ignorant of it himself, but in order to discover it to him and them, and to prepare them for the following miracle; and that it might appear the more illustrious and marvellous:

For he himself knew what he would do—Christ had determined to work a miracle, and feed the large number of people that were with him, with that small provision they had among them; and being God omniscient, he knew that he was able to do it, and that he was determined to do it, and it would be done; but he was willing first to try the faith of his apostles.

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”

21 But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’

Rashi

Six hundred thousand on foot—He was not particular to mention also the odd number—the remaining three thousand. But Rabbi Moses the Preacher explained that the number 600,000 is exact because only those who went forth from Egypt wept.

Sotah 12b:14

And this is what Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy” (Num 20:13)? The verse indicates that these are the waters that the astrologers of Pharaoh saw and on account of which they erred. And this is what Moses said: “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot [ragli], and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month” (Num 11:21). Moses said to the Jewish people: On account of me, which is an alternative meaning of the word ragli, all of you were saved, as the decree to throw all males into the river was canceled on my account.

22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” NUM 11:21-22

Chullin 27b:8

The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that fish are not subject to slaughter? If we say that it is because it is written: “Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them . . . or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them” (Num 11:22), which indicates that mere gathering suffices for them, that is not a proof.

Rashi

Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered—This is one of those four things which R. Akiba interpreted in a certain way but R. Simeon did not interpret them similarly. Rabbi Akiba says: “Six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said that I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month, and be enough for them?”—all this is to be taken literally. This is similar to the clause, “and he has sufficient means for redeeming it” (Lev 25:26). Which case was worse? This or that when Moses exclaimed, “Hear now, you rebels” (Num 20:10)? Obviously this case here was worse, only because he did not utter his doubt in public, Scripture showed some regard for him and did not punish him. But that of Meribah was in public, therefore Scripture does not show any regard for him. Rabbi Simeon says: “God forbid! This never entered the mind of that righteous man! Would the one about whom it writes, ‘he is trusted in all my house’ (Num 12:7) suggest that the Omnipresent cannot supply sufficient for us? But what he said was this: ‘Six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, “I will give them meat a whole month” ’—and then you want to kill a nation so great as this is?! Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them that they should then be killed, and this eating should be their last (lit., should satisfy them for ever)?! Is this your praise? Do we say to an ass, eat this measure of barley and then we will cut off your head? The Holy One, blessed be he, said to him, ‘If I do not give them, they will say that my hand has waxed short; would it be pleasing to you that the hand of the Lord should appear in their eyes to have waxed short?—Let them and a hundred like them perish but let not my hand appear to them to have waxed short even for a single moment’! ” (Tosefta Sotah 6:4)

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,

9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.

John Gill

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down”—The Syriac version reads, “all the men”; and the Persic version, “all the people”; men, women, and children: Christ, without reproving his disciples for their unbelief, ordered them directly to place the people upon the ground, and seat them in rows by hundreds and by fifties, in a rank and company, as persons about to take a meal:

Now there was much grass in the place—At the bottom of the mountain; and it was green, as one of the evangelists observes, it being the spring of the year, and was very suitable to sit down upon:

So the men sat down, about five thousand in number—Besides women and children (Mat 14:21), so that there was but one loaf for more than a thousand persons.

11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”

John Gill

When they had eaten their fill—Had not only eaten, but had made a full meal, and were thoroughly satisfied, having eaten as much as they could, or chose to eat:

He told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost”—This he said, partly that the truth, reality, and greatness of the miracle might be clearly discerned; and partly, to teach frugality, that, in the midst of abundance, care be taken that nothing be lost of the good things which God gives; and which may be useful to other persons, or at another time.

13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. GEN 49:10

Rashi

The scepter shall not depart from Judah—Even after the house of David ceases to reign. For this refers to the Chiefs of the Exile in Babylon who ruled over the people with a scepter having been appointed by the government (Horayot 11b; Sanhedrin 5a).

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet—Scholars. These are the princes of the land of Israel (Horayot 11b; Sanhedrin 5a).

Until tribute comes means until the King Messiah will come, whose will be the kingdom (Bereishit Rabbah 99:8). Thus too does Onkelos render it. According to the Midrash Aggadah, “tribute” is the same as a present to him, as it is said: “they bring gifts to him who is to be feared” (Psa 76:12).

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.

John Gill

He bears witness—Fully, freely, and faithfully; withholds nothing, but declares the whole counsel of God; and is deservedly called the faithful witness (Rev 1:5).

To what he has seen and heard—Of the Father, of his mind and will, of his purposes and promises, of his love, grace, and mercy, in the council and covenant of peace, lying in his bosom, and being privy to all his secrets. The phrases express the clear and perfect knowledge Christ has of all truths and doctrines; he having all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in him.

Yet no one receives his testimony—Though it was the testimony of God, which is greater than that of man; yet few, and which were next to none at all, gave any heed or credit to it; few or none among the Jews, or among the disciples of John, or even among those that followed Christ. John, and his disciples, widely differed; they thought that all men came to Christ, and believed in him; and John thought few or none, in comparison of the numbers he could have wished, did: and indeed, no one person can receive the testimony of Christ, and believe in him, unless it be given him from above, by the grace of God: for the natural man receives not divine and spiritual things; see Joh 3:11.

Why, when I came, was there no man;

why, when I called, was there no one to answer?

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink for lack of water

and die of thirst. ISA 50:2

Rashi

Why, when I came to draw near to you, and none of you turns to me?

33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

John Gill

Whoever receives his testimony—For there was here and there one that did, who believed in him as the Messiah; and embraced his gospel, and submitted to his ordinances, and truly and sincerely followed him: and for the encouragement of such, it is said,

Sets his seal to this, that God is true—Faithful in fulfilling the promises he has made concerning the Messiah, and his coming: he firmly believes that God is true to every word of his, and will make good every promise; and this he seals, ratifies, and confirms by his embracing the testimony of Christ; whereas, on the contrary, he that believes not makes God a liar, than which, nothing can be more reproachful to him (1Jn 5:10). The Jews have a saying that “the seal of the blessed God is truth.” The Arabic version renders it, “he is already sealed, because God is true”; and the Ethiopic version, “God sealed him, because he is true”; namely, with his Holy Spirit; see 2Co 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30.

34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

John Gill

For he whom God has sent—Still meaning Christ, who was sent in human nature, in the likeness of sinful flesh, in the fulness of time; to be the Savior of the world, of that which was lost, of the chief of sinners; and to preach the glad tidings of the gospel, which is more especially here designed; and for which he was abundantly qualified by the Spirit of God, with which he was anointed.

Utters the words of God—The words which God gave unto him; the doctrines of grace; the word of truth; the word of faith; the word of righteousness; the word of reconciliation; the words of salvation and eternal life; the whole mind and will of God; and whatever he spoke were as true as the oracles of God.

For he he gives the Spirit without measure—As he did to the prophets of the Old Testament, and to the apostles of the New; and to the ordinary ministers of the word, who have gifts differing one from another; to one is given one gift of the Spirit; and to another, another gift, as the Spirit pleaseth; and to everyone is given grace, or gifts of grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph 4:7). To which agrees what the Jews say of the Holy Spirit, and his gifts.

“Says R. Joden bar R. Simeon, even the waters which descend from above are not given, but, ‘in measure’—Says R. Acha, even the Holy Spirit, which dwells upon the prophets, does not dwell, ‘in weight.’ ”

But the Lord Jesus has every gift of the Spirit, and the fulness of grace in him: he is anointed with the oil of gladness, with the Holy Spirit above his fellows; and has an immeasurable unction of the Holy One; which, like the precious oil poured on Aaron, descends from him to the members of his body.

35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

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.”

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—As the Targum renders no man shall raise his hand to gird on a sword or raise his foot to mount a horse.

55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” GEN 41:44, 55

John Gill

When all the land of Egypt was famished—Their old stock and store eaten up, and the inhabitants ready to starve with hunger:

The people cried to Pharaoh for bread—As their common father, and knowing that he had stores of provision laid up in all cities against this time:

Pharaoh said to the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph”—Whom he had appointed over this business of providing and laying up corn against this time, and of distributing it:

What he says to you, do—Give the price for the corn he fixes or requires; for this was the principal thing they had to do with him, to get corn for their money.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John Gill

Whoever believes in the Son—Who is a proper object of faith and trust; which, if he was not truly and properly God, he would not be: and this is to be understood not of any sort of faith, a temporary, or an historical one; but of that which is the faith of God’s elect, the gift of God, and the operation of his Spirit; by which a man sees the Son, goes to him, ventures and relies upon him, and commits himself to him, and expects life and salvation from him; and who shall not be ashamed and confounded; for such an one

Has eternal life—He has it in Christ his head, in whom he believes; he has a right to it through the justifying righteousness of Christ, and a meetness for it by his grace; he has it in faith and hope; he has the beginning of it in the knowledge of Christ, and communion with him; he has some foretastes of it in his present experience; and he has the earnest and pledge of it in his heart, even the blessed Spirit, who works him up for this selfsame thing:

Whoever does not obey the Son—That does not believe Christ to be the Son of God, or Jesus to be the Messiah; or rejects him as the Saviour; who lives and dies in a state of impenitence and unbelief:

Shall not see life—Eternal life; he shall not enter into it, and enjoy it; he shall die the second death. Very remarkable are the following words of the Jews concerning the Messiah, whom they call the latter Redeemer:

“whosoever believes in him ‘shall’ live; but he that believes not in him shall go to the nations of the world, and they shall kill him.”

But the wrath of God remains on him—As the sentence of wrath, of condemnation, and death, and the curse of the law were pronounced upon him in Adam, as on all mankind, it continues, and will continue, and will never be reversed, but will be executed on him, he not being redeemed from it, as his final unbelief shows; and as he was by nature a child of wrath, as others, he remains such; and as the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men, it comes upon the children of disobedience, and remains there; it hangs over their heads, and lights upon them, and they will be filled with a dreadful sense of it to all eternity. The Syriac and Arabic versions render it, “shall abide upon him”; so some copies.

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

Berakhot 10a:1

Every chapter that was dear to David, he began with “blessed is” and concluded with “blessed is.” He opened with “blessed is,” as it is written: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the dwelling place of scoffers” (Psa 1:1). And he concluded with “blessed,” as it is written at the end of the chapter: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are those who take refuge in him” (Psa 2:12). We see that these two chapters actually constitute a single chapter.

Rashi

Kiss the Son—Arm yourselves with purity of the heart. Some explain נשקו as garnimont in Old French, equipping. (This is from the verb, garnir. Garnimont means to provide, as in Gen 41:40). Menachem (p. 179) interprets it as an expression of desire, as (in Gen 3:16): “Your longing (תשוקתך) shall be for your husband.”

Lest he be angry—Heb. יאנף, lest be angry.

And you perish in the way—Like the matter that is stated (above 1:6): “but the way of the wicked will perish.”

For his wrath is quickly kindled—For in a short moment his wrath will suddenly be kindled against them, and at that time, the praises of all those who take refuge in him will be discerned, blessed are all who take refuge in him.

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.

11 And the Lord will guide you continually

and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters do not fail.

John Gill

And the Lord will guide you continually—With his counsel, by his word, and by his Spirit, and that night and day; as he guided the Israelites through the wilderness with the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night: or, “cause you to rest”; from adversity, from persecution; to have spiritual rest in Christ now, and eternal rest hereafter:

And satisfy your desire in scorched places—Or, “in drynesses”; in an exceeding dry time; when in a dry and thirsty land; when thirsting after Christ and his grace, Christ and his righteousness; after more knowledge of him, communion with him, and conformity unto him; after the word and ordinances; after the presence of God in them; and after more spiritual light, knowledge, and experience:

And make your bones strong—With the good report of the gospel (Pro 15:30), that is, quicken, comfort, refresh, and strengthen the soul, and make it fat and flourishing in spiritual things, by means of gospel ordinances. The Targum is,

“and will quicken your body with life everlasting”;

or give rest to your bones, as others:

And you shall be like a watered garden—Like a “garden,” the church of Christ is separated from others, by electing, redeeming, and efficacious grace; and like a “watered” one, watered by the Lord himself, and the dews of his grace, and by the ministry of the word; whereby the plants that are planted in it thrive and flourish, lift up their heads, shoot up and grow, and bring forth fruit:

Like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail—As there is in every believer a well of living water springing up unto everlasting life, not of themselves, but from Christ, and which is very abundant, and never fails; so there is in the church a spring of the living waters of gospel doctrines, and of gospel ordinances; here runs the river of divine love, which makes glad the city of God; here Christ is the fountain of gardens; and here the Spirit and his graces are communicated; all which remain, and never fail; see Psa 87:7; Isa 59:21).

Rashi

In scorched places—Heb. בְּצַחְצָחוֹת, at the time of thirst and drought. So did Jonathan render.

Make . . . strong—Heb. יַחֲלִיף [lit. arm.] Comp. (Num 31:5) “Armed (חֲלוּצֵי) for war.”

In famine he will redeem you from death,

and in war from the power of the sword. JOB 5:20

John Gill

In famine he will redeem you from death—In a time of extreme want of provisions, God so cares for his own dear people, that they shall not be starved to death by the famine; so in the famine in Egypt, which the Targum takes notice of, in the times of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, and the patriarchs, there was food provided for them, so that they and their families were sustained, and perished not for lack of the necessaries of life: God sometimes goes out of his ordinary way, and works wonders for his poor and needy in distress, when they cry to him; see Isa 41:17, 18;

And in war from the power of the sword—Or, “from the hands of the sword”; from swords in hand, when drawn, and men are ready to push with them with all their force; as he delivered and preserved Abraham from the sword of the four kings, when he waged war with them (Gen 14:20); and the Israelites, in the war of Amalek, in the times of Moses (Exo 17:8-13), which the Targum here refers to; and David from the harmful sword of Goliath (1Sa 17:46-47), and others with whom he was concerned in war: and so the Lord covers the heads of his people in the day of battle oftentimes, when multitudes fall on their right hand and on their left.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. JOH 16:13

John Gill

When the Spirit of truth comes—Of this character of the Spirit, see Joh 14:17. His coming, as before, intends more especially his descent on the apostles at Pentecost; though what is here said of him is true of his office, and of his operations on other persons, and at other times:

He will guide you into all the truth—Necessary to be known, useful to men, profitable to the churches, even the whole counsel of God; what relates to worship, the nature, form, and spirituality of it, as well as doctrine. He is as a guide, he goes before, leads the way, removes obstructions, opens the understanding, makes things plain and clear, teaches to profit, and leads in the way men should go, without turning to the right hand or left, which, without such a guide, they would be apt to do. The Jews have a notion of the Holy Spirit being a guide into all wisdom and knowledge.

“R. Phinehas says, the Holy Spirit rested upon Joseph from his youth to the day of his death, and ‘guided him into all wisdom,’ as a shepherd leads his flock, according to Psa 80:2-3”;

For he will not speak on his own authority—As Christ, the Son, spoke not of himself in opposition to the Father, so the Spirit speaks not of himself in opposition either to the Father, or the Son, but in perfect agreement with both; being, as of the same nature and essence, power and glory, so of the same mind, understanding, and will; and as they agreed and wrought jointly and harmoniously, in the works of nature and providence, so in the economy of grace and salvation.

But whatever he hears he will speak—As Christ himself did (Joh 15:15); and they are such things as ear has not heard besides; what were secretly transacted in the council and covenant of peace, and agreed upon by all the three persons; things which concern the salvation of men, the gospel church state, another world, and the glory of all the divine persons:

And he will show you the things that are to come—Which would come to pass after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ; things relating to the state and settlement of the gospel church, the partition wall being broken down, the law of commandments contained in ordinances abolished, and a new face of things appearing in the kingdom and interest of Christ, in consequence of the Spirit being sent forth, and poured down: or this may respect the spirit of prophecy in the apostles, who showed to them many things to come in after ages; as the rise of the man of sin, the great departure from the faith, and decline of the power of godliness in the last days, the calling of the Jews, the destruction of antichrist, the burning of the world, and the making of new heavens and new earth; and, in short, what would be the state of the church of Christ, and religion, in all the several periods of time, quite down to the coming of Christ, when dead saints shall be raised, and living ones changed, as is declared throughout the book of Revelation.

12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

the restorer of streets to dwell in. ISA 58:11-12

John Gill

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt—As the cities in Israel and Judea, which had been long laid waste by the Assyrians and Chaldeans, were rebuilt by those of the Jewish nation, who returned from the captivity of Babylon, to which there is at least an allusion; and as the church of God, the tabernacle of David, which was fallen down, and had lain long in ruins, through corruptions in doctrine and worship, to the times of Christ, when the apostles, who were of the Jews, those wise masterbuilders, were instruments of raising it up again, and repairing its ruins: so, in the latter day, “the ruins of the world,” as the words may be rendered, shall be built by a set of men, that shall be of the church of God, who shall be instruments in his hand of converting many souls, and so of peopling it with Christians; such places as before were desolate, where before there was no preaching of the word, no administration of ordinances, nor any gospel churches:

You shall raise up the foundations of many generations—Either such foundations as have been razed up, and lay so for ages past; or raise up such as shall continue for generations to come. It may allude to the raising the foundations of the city and temple of Jerusalem; but rather refers to the founding of churches in gospel times, which, as it was done in the first times of it by the apostles in the Gentile world, so shall be again in the latter day, which will continue for many ages:

You shall be called the repairer of the breach, and the restorer of streets to dwell in—That is, the church and her builders, that shall be of her, shall be so called; the Jews and Gentiles will be converted in great numbers, and coalesce in the same gospel church state, and so the breach between them will be repaired. Christians of various denominations, who now break off and separate one from another, will be of the same sentiment and judgment in doctrine and discipline; they shall see eye to eye, and cement together, and all breaches will be made up, and there will be no schism in the body; and they shall dwell together in unity, and walk in the same streets of faith and duty, of truth and holiness; and such who will be the happy instruments of all this will have much honour, and be called by these names. The Targum is,

“they shall call you one that confirms the right way, and converts, the ungodly to the law.”

Rashi

מְשׁוֹבֵב is like מֵשִׁיב, restores.

Restorer of streets to dwell in—Heb. מְשׁוֹבֵב. Jonathan renders: restorer of the wicked to the law.

To dwell, to the law, which insures the settlement of the world.

5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”

John Gill

And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight”—He submits what he had to say wholly to the pleasure of the king, and puts it upon his unmerited favour, and not on any desert of his own:

That you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it—The wall of it, and the houses in it; the favour was, that he might have leave to go there, and set about such a work, for which he was so much concerned.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” NEH 2:5, 17

John Gill

Then I said to them—The priests and princes of the Jews:

You see the trouble we are in—Lie open to our enemies, and exposed to their insults:

How Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burnt—(Neh 1:3; 2:3, 13),

Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision—To their neighbours about them, who scoffed at them as a defenceless people and frequently came in upon them, and spoiled and plundered them of their goods and substance.

When God’s people live their lives and fast according to his ways—humbly seeking God and praying for his will to be done, turning away from wickedness, and doing good, especially to the poor and helpless—then he will bring societal transformation. We will experience God’s continual guidance, be satisfied and strengthened, flourish, and be fruitful. What does Isa 58:12 say about God’s promise of restoration and how can we take heart because of this?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” LUK 3:11

John Gill

And he answered them—By telling them what they should do; and he does not put them upon ceremonial observances, nor severe exercises of religion, nor even the duties of the first table of the law, and others of the second, though necessary to be done; but upon acts of beneficence and kindness, to fellow creatures in distress; and are what may be called love of our neighbour, and which involves the love of God, and so the whole law; for the one cannot be rightly exercised without the other:

Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none—Not both of them, but one of them: a man is not obliged to go naked himself, in order to clothe another; and so the Persic and Ethiopic versions read, “is to give one to him who has not”; that has not a garment to wear. This is not to be understood strictly and literally, that a man is obliged to give one of his tunics, if he has more than one, to a person in want of clothing; it will be sufficient to answer the intent of this exhortation, if he supplies his want another way, by furnishing him with money to buy one: the meaning is, that persons according to their abilities, and of what they can spare, should communicate to those that are in distress: much less is it to be concluded from hence, that it is not lawful for a man to have more tunics than one:

And whoever has food—Or meats,

Is to do likewise—That is, he that has a sufficiency of food, and more than enough for himself and family, let him give it freely and cheerfully to the poor and needy, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased: and when such acts of kindness are done in faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, they are the fruits of grace, and such as are meet for repentance, and show it to be genuine. John instances in these two articles, food and garments, as containing the necessaries of human life, and including every thing, by which one may be serviceable to another.

8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,

and your healing shall spring up speedily;

your righteousness shall go before you;

the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

John Gill

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn—Through thick clouds, or the darkness of the night, suddenly, swiftly, irresistibly, and increase more and more, till it is perfect day. This is to be understood best of temporal and spiritual prosperity, especially the latter, which will attend the churches of the Reformation, when a spirit of persecution is laid aside, and a spirit of love commences, which will be in the Philadelphian church state; and it particularly respects the glorious light of the gospel, which will break forth very clearly, and shine out in all the world; and the light of joy, peace, and comfort, which will attend it, in the hearts of the Lord’s people; see Isa 60:1:

And your healing shall spring up speedily—As the herbs and grass out of the earth, by clear shining after rain; by which is meant the healthful and sound state of the church in the latter day, when all divisions shall be healed; contentions and animosities cease; sound doctrine preached; the ordinances administered according to their original institution; true discipline restored; and all the parts of worship performed, according to the rule of the divine word; and so the souls of men, under all these means, be in thriving and flourishing circumstances:

Your righteousness shall go before you—Not the external righteousness of the saints, or works of righteousness done by them; these do not go before them, at least to prepare the way for them into a future state of happiness, but follow after (Rev 14:13), rather the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, and so theirs; or Christ their righteousness, the sun of righteousness, that arises upon them with healing in his wings, and from whom they have the health before mentioned; he goes before his people by way of example, as a guide to direct them, and as the forerunner of them, and whose righteousness will introduce them into the heavenly glory. Though perhaps the meaning here is, that their righteousness, in the latter day glory, shall be very manifest, both their righteousness before God, and before men; which will, as it were, visibly walk before them, make way for them, and protect them; see Isa 60:21,

And the glory of the Lord shall be your reward—The glorious power and providence of God, preserving his people; or the glorious Lord himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, the brightness of his Father’s glory, he, as the word may be rendered, “shall gather you”; he gathers his people to himself; he protects and defends them; he takes care of the weak and feeble, and that are straggling behind; and he brings them up, being the reward, and saves them. The phrase denotes a glorious state of the church in the latter day, when the glory of the Lord will be risen on his church, and abide upon it, and upon all that glory there shall be a defence; see Isa 4:5; 60:1.

15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them. MAT 13:15

John Gill

For this people’s heart has grown dull—Or fat, become stupid and sottish, and without understanding; and so incapable of taking in the true sense and meaning of what they saw with their eyes, and heard with their ears; for they had their outward senses of hearing and seeing, and yet their intellectual powers were stupefied.

And with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed—Which is expressive of the blindness and hardness, which were partly brought upon themselves by their own wilfulness and obstinacy, against such clear evidence as arose from the doctrine and miracles of Christ; and partly from the righteous judgment of God, giving them up, for their perverseness, to judicial blindness and obduracy (Joh 12:40); and are in the prophet ascribed to the ministry of the word; that being despised, was in righteous judgment, the savour of death into death, into them; and they under it, as clay, under the influence of the sun, grew harder and harder by it, stopping their ears, and shutting their eyes against it:

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart—Which may be understood either of God’s intention, and view, in giving them up to judicial blindness, and hardness of heart, under such miracles, and such a ministry, as a punishment for their wilful contempt of them; that so they might never have any true sight, hearing, and understanding of these things, and be turned from the evil of their ways, have repentance into life, and remission of sins; which seems to be the sense of the other evangelists (Mar 4:12; Luk 8:10; Joh 12:40), or, as if these people purposely stupefied themselves, stopped their ears, and pulled away the shoulder, and wilfully shut their eyes; fearing they should receive some conviction, light, and knowledge,

And turn—By the power and grace of God:

And I would heal them—Or, as in Mark, “and their sins should be forgiven them”; for healing of diseases, and forgiveness of sins, are, in Scripture language, one and the same thing; and this sense of the phrase here, is justified by the Chaldee paraphrase, which renders it, “and they be forgiven,” or “it be forgiven them,” and by a Jewish commentator on the place; who interprets healing, of the healing of the soul, and adds, “and this is pardon.”

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

you shall cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”

If you take away the yoke from your midst,

the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

John Gill

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer—A spirit of grace and supplication will be poured out upon the people of God; they will then pray without a form, and call upon the Lord in sincerity and truth, with faith and fervency; and the Lord will hear and answer them, and plentifully bestow his favours on them, so that they will have no reason to complain, as in Isa 58:3:

You shall cry, and he will say, “Here I am”—He will immediately appear to the help and relief of his people; they shall have his presence with them, to comfort and refresh them, to support and supply them, to protect and defend them:

If you take away the yoke from your midst—Of human inventions, doctrines, rites and ceremonies, as in Isa 58:6:

The pointing of the finger—Pointing at those that could not comply with them, by way of scorn and derision, as puritans, schismatics and persecuting them for it; and so is the same with smiting with the fist of wickedness (Isa 58:4); when this deriding and persecuting spirit is done away, then, and not till then, will the prayers of a people be heard, though under a profession of religion, and under the Protestant name:

And speaking wickedness—Which also must be taken away, or desisted from; even speaking false doctrines, as the Syriac version; or which profits not, as the Vulgate Latin version; profane and vain babblings (2Ti 2:14-15), and threatening words, to such who will not receive them.

10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness

and your gloom be as the noonday. ISA 58:7-10

John Gill

If you pour yourself out for the hungry—Not only deal out your bread, but yourself also, to him; that is, give him food cheerfully, with a good will, expressing a hearty love and affection for him; do it heartily, as to the Lord; let yourself go along with it; and this is true of affectionate ministers of the gospel, who not only impart that, but their own souls also (1Th 2:8):

And satisfy the desire of the afflicted—Distressed for want of food; not only give it food, but to the full; not only just enough to support life, but to satisfaction; or so as to be filled with good things, or however a sufficiency of them:

Then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday—In the midst of darkness of affliction, or desertion, the light of prosperity and joy shall spring up, and a dark night of sorrow and distress become a clear day of peace and comfort; see Psa 112:4; Isa 42:16, at evening time it shall be light (Zec 14:7).

God did not just want his people to turn away from evil; he wanted them to show compassion to the needy and oppressed. Aside from not eating, Scripture shows that fasting is about using one’s time, effort, food, shelter, and resources to serve others. If we obey, then God promises that he will turn our darkness into light. Read Isa 58:8-10. Enumerate his promises for his people.

Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke? ISA 58:6

Rashi

Bonds—Heb. חַרְצֻבּוֹת, an expression of tying and binding.

Yoke—Heb. מוֹטָה, perversion of justice.

And to break every yoke—Jonathan renders: And to break every perversion of justice.

At the time this was written, God’s people were oppressing their workers and doing violence against each other. This is why God called his people to repentance—he did not just want them to avoid food, He wanted them to turn away from evil. So far, how have you obeyed the call of God to turn away from wickedness? How is this not about works leading to salvation, but an outflow of our faith in God?

2 you who hate the good and love the evil,

who tear the skin from off my people

and their flesh from off their bones,

Rashi

Who tear the skin—I.e., the skin of the house of Israel, over whom they are heads and officers, as the prophet says: The heads of the house of Jacob and the officers of the house of Israel.

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. JOH 7:7

John Gill

The world cannot hate you—Because they were of the world, belonged to it; they were like into it, and every like loves its like; and they were the world’s own, and therefore instead of being hated, were loved by it; and they walked according to the course of it; and wicked men not only take pleasure in sin, but in them that do it:

But it hates me—Though without a cause; that is, without a just cause, or reason; a cause there was, and it follows:

Because I testify about it that its works are evil—Even those works of it, which were reckoned good works; Christ bore his testimony of these, that they were evil; being done either not according to the command of God, but the traditions of the elders; or not from a right principle, as of faith and love, nor to a right end, as the glory of God; but only to be seen of men: and very severely did he inveigh against the pride, covetousness, hypocrisy, and uncleanness of the scribes and Pharisees: and so he continued to do, and this drew upon him their hatred and ill will.

3 who eat the flesh of my people,

and flay their skin from off them,

and break their bones in pieces

and chop them up like meat in a pot,

like flesh in a cauldron.

Ketubot 47b:10

Rava said: This tanna, in the baraita cited below, maintains that the obligation of a husband to provide his wife’s sustenance applies by law, as it is taught with regard to the verse pertaining to a husband’s obligations toward his wife: “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food [she’era], her clothing [kesuta], or her marital rights [onata]” (Exo 21:10). “She’era”; this is sustenance, and it likewise states: “Who eat the flesh [she’er] of my people” (Mic 3:3). “Kesuta” is understood in its literal sense as referring to clothing. “Onata”; this is her marital rights, which is stated in the law, and so it says: “If you oppress [te’aneh] my daughters” (Gen 31:50), which indicates that a husband may not deprive his wife of her marital rights.

Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers

who eat up my people as they eat bread

and do not call upon the Lord? PSA 14:4

Rashi

Have they no knowledge—Have they no knowledge at the end what had befallen them?

Who eat up my people—The seed of Nebuchadnezzar.

Eat bread—Heb. לחם, lit. bread. They made a feast (as in Dan 5:1) “made a huge feast (לחם).”

And do not call upon the Lord—They neither considered him nor remembered his wondrous and awesome deeds at their feast, and they used his vessels.

Sanhedrin 104b:12

With regard to the verse: “The eaters of my people ate bread, and do not call upon the Lord” (Psa 14:4), Rava says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Any Gentile thief who eats the bread of the Jewish people tastes the flavor of bread, and one who does not eat from the bread of the Jewish people does not taste the flavor of bread. Apparently they enjoy only what they steal from the Jewish people. With regard to the people referred to in the phrase “And do not call upon the Lord,” Rav says: These are the judges who are not God-fearing, and Shmuel says: These are schoolteachers who do not perform their job in the name of God.

4 Then they will cry to the Lord,

but he will not answer them;

he will hide his face from them at that time,

because they have made their deeds evil. MIC 3:2-4

Rashi

Then they will cry to the Lord—Then, when that time mentioned above, that “I will surely assemble Jacob,” comes, they will cry to the Lord to do good for them with the will of his people and with the joy of his nation, but he will not answer them.

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?” MAT 7:22

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 vagabond Jews, 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 devils, 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?

Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 1TI 6:1

7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

John Gill

And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock—Not between the two masters, but between their servants, their upper servants, that had the care of their herds to feed them, and water them; and it is very probable their strife was about pasturage and watering places, the one endeavouring to get them from the other, or to get the best; which is much more likely than what Jarchi suggests, that the herdsmen of Lot were wicked men, and fed their cattle in the fields of others, and the herdsmen of Abram reproved them for their robbery; but they said, the land is given of Abram, and he has no heir, but Lot is his heir, and what robbery is this? And to this sense are the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:

At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelt then in the land—Which observation is made by Moses to point to a reason why they could not both of them have a sufficiency for their large flocks and herds, because the country was in the possession of others; and though there was to spare, yet not enough for them both. The Canaanites, though it was a general name for the people of the whole land, yet was given to a particular family in it, and was derived from their first founder Canaan, the son of Ham; the Perizzites were another family or tribe of the same nation, who had their name from “a village”; these being Pagans or villagers, living in huts, or houses, or tents scattered up and down in the fields, and were a rough, inhuman, and unsociable sort of people, and therefore it could not be expected that they would oblige them with much pasturage and water for their flocks: and besides, this may be remarked, partly to show the danger that Abram and Lot were in through the dissension of their herdmen, since those people that were so near might take the advantage of their quarrels among themselves, and fall upon them both, and destroy them, and therefore a reconciliation was necessary; and partly to observe the reproach that was like to come upon them, and upon the true religion, for their sakes, should they differ among themselves, which such sort of men would gladly catch at, and improve against them.

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.” GEN 13:7-8

John Gill

Then Abram said to Lot—Being either an ear witness himself of the contentions of their servants, or having it reported to him by credible persons, he applied himself to Lot, in order to make peace, being a wise and good man; and though he was senior in years, and superior in substance, and higher in the class of relation, and upon all accounts the greatest man, yet he makes the proposal first, and lays a scheme before Lot for their future friendship, and to prevent quarrels, and the mischievous consequences of them:

Let there be no strife between you and me—There had been none yet, but it was very likely there would, if the dissension should go on between their servants; they could not well avoid interesting themselves in it, when it related to their respective properties; and there must be a right and wrong in such cases to be looked into and adjusted, which might occasion a difference between them; and this Abram was desirous of preventing, and therefore bespeaks his kinsman in this loving, affectionate, and condescending language:

And or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen—As he understood there was, and which, if not timely put an end to, might be of bad consequence to them both, especially as to their peace and comfort, giving this excellent reason to enforce his request:

For we are kinsmen—Or “men kinsmen we are”; we are men, let us act like such, the rational and humane part; they were kinsmen being men, so by nature all are kinsmen; by natural relation, Lot being the son of his brother Haran; kinsmen in religion, of the same faith in the one true and living God, and worshipers of him; and therefore on all accounts, by the ties of nature, relation, and religion, they were obliged to seek and cultivate peace and love.