Isaiah 32:20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 32:9-20

In these verses we have God rising up to judgment against the vile persons, to punish them for their villainy; but at length returning in mercy to the liberal, to reward them for their liberality. I. When there was so great a corruption of manners, and so much provocation given to the holy God, bad times might well be expected, and here is a warning given of such times coming. The alarm is sounded to the women that were at ease (Isa. 32:9) and the careless daughters, to feed whose pride,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 32:20

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters ,.... In places well watered and moistened, and so fit to receive the seed sown, which grows up, and brings forth much fruit, and amply rewards the pains of the sower, who on that account is happy. These words are directed to the ministers of the Gospel in the latter day; the word is compared to seed, and the preachers of it to sowers of seed, who have a commission to preach the Gospel to every creature; and in the latter day, in the spiritual... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 32:20

That sow beside all waters "Who sow your seed in every well-watered place" - Sir John Chardin's note on this place is: "This exactly answers the manner of planting rice; for they sow it upon the water, and before sowing, while the earth is covered with water, they cause the ground to be trodden by oxen, horses, and asses, who go mid-leg deep; and this is the way of preparing the ground for sowing. As they sow the rice on the water, they transplant it in the water. "Harmer's Observ. vol. 1 p.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 32:9-20

Until the Spirit be poured out. How constantly does Scripture speak of every happy reformation as due to the "outpouring of the Spirit," or the sending or breathing of the Spirit on human-kind! Language none the less expressive because mysterious. Those epochs cannot be forecast: no meteorology can explain to us these movements "from on high." But they may be waited for and prepared for, without fear of disappointment. Again and again they had come to the prophet's heart; and from his heart... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 32:13-20

A FURTHER MINGLING OF THREATS WITH COMFORTING PROMISES . The women require, like the men, to be both warned and comforted, wherefore the prophet addresses to them, as to the men in Isaiah 30:1-33 . and 31; an intermixture of threatening ( Isaiah 30:13 , Isaiah 30:14 ) with promise ( Isaiah 30:15-20 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 32:20

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters . The idyllic picture, begun in Isaiah 32:15 , terminates here. The people of the kingdom have a well-watered land ( Isaiah 30:25 ), where they live peacefully, sowing their seed beside the water-courses, and having abundant pasture for their peaceful beasts—the ox and the ass (comp. Isaiah 30:24 ). A spiritual meaning doubtless underlies the literal sense. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 32:20

Fruitful labor. "Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters." " There will he widespread desolation," says the prophet; "the fields will be untilled, the land will he covered with briars and thorns; but a glorious change shall come over the scene'—the 'wilderness shall become a fruitful field' ( Isaiah 32:15 ), the happy scenes of industry will again be witnessed, the arts and industries of agriculture will revive and flourish in all their former fullness. Happy will be the land that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 32:20

Sowing freely. This is part of the description of restored prosperity when the national troubles are removed. "While the enemy shall be brought low, the Jews shall cultivate their land in undisturbed prosperity." The Assyrians must have almost entirely stopped all agricultural processes, and this involved terrible losses and sufferings. In explanation of the figure of the text it is suggested that, where the seed is sown in the soil covered by water, it was customary to send oxen into the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 32:20

Blessed are ye - The sense of this verse is, that while the enemies of the Jews would be overthrown, they themselves would be permitted to cultivate their lands in security. Instead of predicting this directly, the prophet implies that this would occur, by declaring that those who were permitted to do this were happy.That sow beside all waters - Hebrew, ‘Upon (על ‛al) all waters.’ This may mean that they selected places near running streams as being most fertile; or it may refer, as Lowth... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 32:20

Isaiah 32:20. Blessed are ye that sow, &c. As the barren forest shall be destroyed, so the fruitful field shall be improved and bring forth much fruit, which is signified by a declaration of the blessedness of them that sow in it; beside all waters In all moist and flat grounds which are likely to yield good fruit; or, in every well-watered place, as Bishop Lowth renders it, who quotes Sir John Chardin as observing, that the place exactly answers the manner of planting rice in the... read more

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