Isaiah 51:5-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 51:4-8

Both these proclamations, as I may call them, end alike with an assurance of the perpetuity of God's righteousness and his salvation; and therefore we put them together, both being designed for the comfort of God's people. Observe, I. Who they are to whom this comfort belongs: ?My people, and my nation, that I have set apart for myself, that own me and are owned by me.? Those are God's people and his nation who are subject to him as their King and their God, pay allegiance to him, and put... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 51:5

My righteousness is near ,.... These are either the words of God the Father, and to be understood not of his essential righteousness, nor of his vindictive justice; but of the righteousness of his Son, which he calls his own, because he approves and accepts of it, imputes and reckons it to his people, and with it justifies them. The words may be rendered, "my righteous One", as in the Vulgate Latin version; not Cyrus, as Grotius; but Christ, God's righteous servant, who was near to come in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 51:6

Lift up your eyes to the heavens ,.... And observe their beauty and order, the constant and regular motion of the heavenly bodies, the firmness and solidity of them: and look upon the earth beneath ; how stable and well founded it is: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke ; though they are so firm, and have lasted so long, and have kept their constant situation and course, yet they shall melt away like salt, as the word F11 נמלחו αλιωσονται , "Symmachus". It is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 51:7

Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness ,.... The righteousness of God, and of his law; the purity of his nature, what righteousness is agreeable to him, and required by him; the imperfection and insufficiency of a man's own righteousness, and the glory and fulness of Christ's righteousness, revealed in the Gospel; and so know that, as to approve of it, follow after it, lay hold upon it, believe in it, and rejoice in it, as their justifying righteousness: the people in whose heart is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 51:8

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment ,.... Either these reproaches, or the persons that reproach; as a garment is eaten by the moth, secretly, slowly, surely, and at last completely, so that it becomes utterly good for nothing; so secret, gradual, sure and certain, complete and perfect, will be the ruin and destruction of the enemies of Christ and his people: and the worm shall eat them like wool ; or as a woollen garment, which is most liable to be motheaten; for the moth and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 51:5

My righteousness is near - The word צדק tsedek , righteousness, is used in such a great latitude of signification, for justice, truth, faithfulness, goodness, mercy, deliverance, salvation, etc., that it is not easy sometimes to give the precise meaning of it without much circumlocution; it means here the faithful completion of God's promises to deliver his people. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 51:6

My salvation shall be for ever - Aben Ezra says, From this verse divines have learnt the immortality of the soul. Men shall perish as the earth does, because they are formed from it; but they who are filled with the salvation of God shall remain for ever. See Kimchi. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 51:1-8

AN ADDRESS TO FAITHFUL ISRAEL , SUGGESTING TOPICS OF COMFORT . The address consists of three nearly equal strophes or stanzas, each commencing with a call, Shim'u elai , "Hearken unto me," or Haqshibu elai , "Attend to me." The prophet appears to be the speaker, and to address himself to the more faithful portion of the people. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 51:1-8

Instructions to the spiritual Israel. The people are described as "possessing righteousness," i.e. following a way of life in accordance with the Divine commands; and "seeking Jehovah," i.e. attending to all that his mind approves and his will commands. I. THE LESSON OF THEIR ORIGIN . They had been, as it were, hewn from a rock and dug out of a pit. The allusion is to Abraham. They had sprung from one, and him as good as dead ( Hebrews 11:12 ). They had been as rough as... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 51:5

My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth . "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and. a thousand years as one day" ( 2 Peter 3:8 ). Isaiah always speaks as if the Messianic kingdom was to supervene almost immediately on the return of the exiles to Palestine. It was not revealed to him that there would be an interval of from five hundred to six hundred years between the two events. By God's " righteousness " here we must understand his righteous plans for the... read more

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