Ox, oryx. Hebrew Thua, Deuteronomy xiv. 5. (Haydock) --- Many accounts respecting it are fabulous. Some understand a sort of wolf, mentioned by Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 34. Septuagint, "like beet half boiled." read more
17-23 God calls upon his people to mind the things that belong to their everlasting peace. Jerusalem had provoked God, and was made to taste the bitter fruits. Those who should have been her comforters, were their own tormentors. They have no patience by which to keep possesion of their own souls, nor any confidence in God's promise, by which to keep possession of its comfort. Thou art drunken, not as formerly, with the intoxicating cup of Babylon's idolatries, but with the cup of affliction.... read more
The Loosing of the Exiles v. 12. I, even I, am He that comforteth you, so Jehovah Himself announces in taking up the topic of the chapter once more. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, why should Zion as such or any individual believer fear any mortal enemy, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass, withering after a very brief life, v. 13. and forgettest the Lord, thy Maker, the almighty Creator of the universe, that hath stretched forth the... read more
III.—THE THIRD DISCOURSEThe Final Redemption of Israel. A Dialogue between the Servant of Jehovah who appears as one veiled, Israel, Jehovah Himself and the ProphetIsaiah 51:0This chapter speaks of high and mighty things. We hear four persons speak one after the other. Each of the speakers from his view-point announces what he has to produce in reference to the chief subject. The Servant of God, appearing significantly veiled, presents to Israel the condition of its redemption (Isaiah 51:1-8).... read more
“The Captive Exile Shall Be Loosed” Isaiah 51:12-23 During the Sepoy mutiny in India, when a number of English men and women were shut up in a quarter of Cawnpore, expecting a terrible death by assault or slow starvation, a torn page of the Bible, containing this passage, was found on the street pavement and was of unspeakable comfort. Oh, the blessedness of appropriating Isaiah 51:16 ! See Isaiah 49:7 . We are too apt to forget that God pleads the cause of His people, even when they have... read more
Three messages to the faithful immediately follow. The first is a call to courage (verses Isa 51:1-8 ), in which they are charged to look back to Abraham, to look on to the nearness of God's activity, to look around and be without fear in the presence of opposition. The next is a cry of courage (verses Isa 51:9-11 ), in which they first look up to the arm of the Lord, and then look back and remember how He has delivered, and, finally, look on in the assurance that He will deliver. The last... read more
Chapter 51 Exhortations To The People To Respond To God. We now have here three remarkable calls to faithful Israel, ‘listen’ (Isaiah 51:1) - ‘attend’ (Isaiah 51:4) - ‘listen’ (Isaiah 51:7). They have heard the voice of the Servant (Isaiah 50:10), now it is open to them to respond. And how are they to appreciate the truth about the Servant? They are to look back to Abraham, and to recognise how when he was but one God blessed him and made him many, and then they are to recognise in this new... read more
Yahweh Is Called On To Awake and Reveal His Power and Israel Are To Awake To The Power And Holiness Of Their Redeeming God (Isaiah 51:9 to Isaiah 52:12 ). God having given to His faithful people the commands to ‘listen -- attend -- listen’ the prophet now calls on Yahweh also to awaken on behalf of His people, for Him too there is a plea that He listen to the call of His people. It is then followed by a call to all His people to awake. Thus there is a threefold call to ‘awake, awake’, in... read more
The Second Call To Awake - Spoken to Distressed Jerusalem (Isaiah 51:17-23 ). These words are spoken in view of Yahweh’s previous ‘awaking’ (Isaiah 51:9) and are to stir up Israel to respond, having drunk sufficiently of God’s anger against their sins. Again it is followed by a word of assurance and promise from Yahweh. He will remove that which is causing her distress and her dreadful condition, and will pass it over to her enemies. Isaiah 51:17 ‘Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, Who has... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Isaiah 51:17-23
How very beautiful and gracious is this! It seems as if the Lord would answer his people in their own words. The church had called upon him to awake; and now the Lord bids Jerusalem to rouse up herself, in his strength. The Lord puts her in remembrance how she had been exercised, and had tasted of the gall and the wormwood; but now, in redemption by Christ, she shall drink of it no more. And as a poor fretful sinner, until relieved by the redemption of Jesus, is entangled and unable to get... read more