Isaiah 59:19-20

19, 20. The interposing Saviour is on his redeeming career. Hitherto, that is in Isaiah 59:16-19, in view of Israel’s having fallen morally so inextricably deep, and because no one appeared as a helper, an intercessor, Jehovah enters at once into service for his recovery; his own arm is laid bare; he puts on armour for Israel’s defence and upbringing, namely, righteousness as a breastplate, a protecting helmet for the safety of his head, and garments of vengeance for the onslaught in general against what it had belonged to all the appointed agencies in Israel’s history to do, namely, to train the nation into the virtues of justice, mercy, truth, righteousness, etc. just such as were essential to qualify them to be a holy nation. At the discovery of this condition of his people, he was struck with dismay “that there was no man” at hand: (Isaiah 59:16:) “man,” in the sense of a whole man, a hero, an “intercessor,” who, as in duty bound, should have wrought to the attainment of the character required among his people. The right man was wanting. True priest and prophet were long past, and Jehovah himself now undertakes the cause of Israel. Isaiah 59:17-18. In Isaiah 59:19 there begin to appear some results of his interposition. The Hebrew (in Isaiah 59:18) is complicated and difficult, but we obtain this sense that, armed as he is with justice and salvation, vengeance and zeal, he carries out a general retributive judgment upon all adversaries, whether of distant “isles” or of inimical Israel with the former especially, and brings them to capitulate, and they become friends.

So shall they fear the name of the Lord Spoken of those who were at enmity with “the Lord,” and with his true Israel. “Fear” of God’s “name” is the suitable recognition of his claims and the reverence due to his authority.

From the west They of the west all Gentiles.

His glory The “name” and “glory” of Jehovah are here not only parallels, but synonymes, as we learn from other places where the two terms are jointly and severally used to signify the manifested excellence or glorious presence of Jehovah. Alexander. Isaiah 30:27; Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 42:12.

From the rising of the sun From the east as well as from the west. It is curious, at least, that the local directions are here reversed. Usually the order is from the east to the west. (See Isaiah 43:5; Malachi 1:11.) This is the only note of time (if it be this) where the great events here indicated have their occurrence. Logically, and from the context, this term begins at the advent of Christ, and continues to what is technically called the millennial period. During this interval immense results moral, spiritual, intellectual travel from west to east.

When the enemy All adversaries to the true religion.

Shall come in like a flood As not unfrequently is the case during a long period in Messiah’s dispensation.

The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him The Hebrew, here, has had abundant interpretations varying from our English Version, but with little approval from the best critics. “The Spirit,” otherwise rendered “the Wind of Jehovah” a driving wind “shall dam up a straitened river.” The words, in Hebrew, are of that peculiar form which may be rendered either way. But the general sense or tenor of the context seems to call for a turning off from strict literalness (and that in the way of our Version) in order to preserve a consistent suitableness throughout.