Isaiah 51:4

51:4-8 The gospel of Christ shall be preached and published. How shall we escape if we neglect it? There is no salvation without righteousness. The soul shall, as to this world, vanish like smoke, and the body be thrown by like a worn-out garment. But those whose happiness is in Christ's righteousness and salvation, will have the comfort of it when time and days shall be no more. Clouds darken the sun, but do not stop its course. The believer will enjoy his portion, while revilers of Christ are in darkness

Isaiah 51:4-5 . Hearken unto me, my people — Ye Jews, whom I chose to be my peculiar people, do not reject my counsel, which, I have told you, even the Gentiles will receive, nor forsake the mercies of which even they will partake. For a law shall proceed from me — A new law, even the doctrine of the gospel. I will make my judgment to rest for a light — Judgment is here the same thing with law in the former clause, the word of God, or the evangelical doctrine, of which he saith, that he will make it to rest, that is, settle and establish it; whereby he may possibly intimate the stability and perpetuity of this light in the church, that it shall not be like the light of the Mosaic dispensation, which was only to shine for a season, namely, until the time of reformation, ( Hebrews 9:10 ,) when all those dark shadows were to vanish and give place to the Sun of righteousness, and to that kingdom and state that should never be moved. See Daniel 2:44 ; Hebrews 12:26-28 . Of the people — Hebrew, עמים , the peoples, not only you Jews, but people of all sorts and nations, who shall receive and walk in it. My righteousness is near — My salvation, the redemption of all my people, Jews and Gentiles, which is the effect of my righteousness, of my justice, faithfulness, or mercy, which are all called by the name of righteousness in the Scriptures, and all contributed to the work of man’s redemption.

My salvation is gone forth — Shall shortly go forth; my eternal purpose of saving my people shall speedily be fulfilled; and mine arm, my power, shall judge the people — Either, 1st, Shall destroy those who obstruct or oppose this work: or, rather, 2d, Shall subdue the Gentiles to my authority, and rule them by my Word and Spirit. The isles — The remote countries of the Gentiles; shall wait upon me — Shall expect this salvation from me, and from me only.

Hearken unto me, my people: seeing the Gentiles will hearken to me, as I have formerly told you, take heed that you Jews, whom I chose to be my peculiar people, do not reject my counsel, nor forsake your own mercies, as I fear you will do. A law; a new law, even the doctrine of the gospel, which ought to have the force of a law with you, and I expect your obedience to it, no less than to my law delivered by Moses. I will make my judgment to rest: judgment is here the same thing with law in the former clause, the word of God, which is frequently called judgment, as hath been observed again and again, or the evangelical doctrine, of which he saith that he will make it to rest , i.e. settle and establish it; whereby he may-possibly intimate the stability and perpetuity of this light in the church, that it shall not be like the light of the Mosaical dispensation, which was only to shine for a season, even until the time of reformation , Hebrews 9:10 , when all those dark shadows were to vanish and give place to the Sun of righteousness, and to that kingdom and state that should never be moved, as we read, Daniel 2:44 Hebrews 12:26-28 , and in many other places. For a light of the people, Heb. of or to the peoples ; not only to you Jews, but unto people of all sorts and nations, who shall receive and walk in that light which you will reject, and use all possible endeavours to extinguish.

4. my people—the Jews. This reading is better than that of Gesenius: "O peoples … nations," namely, the Gentiles. The Jews are called on to hear and rejoice in the extension of the true religion to the nations; for, at the first preaching of the Gospel, as in the final age to come, it was from Jerusalem that the gospel law was, and is, to go forth (Isa 2:3). law … judgment—the gospel dispensation and institutions (Isa 42:1, "judgment"). make … to rest—establish firmly; found. light, &c.—(Isa 42:6).

4 . Hearken unto me ] Better as R.V. Attend unto me , the verb being different from that used in Isaiah 51:1; Isaiah 51:7 . a law shall proceed from me ] See ch. Isaiah 2:3 (“for out of Zion shall go forth Tôrâh ”). For a law ( tôrâh ) read, as usual, instruction . The word judgment in the next line is probably to be rendered “religion” as in Isaiah 42:1 ; Isaiah 42:3-4 (see on Isaiah 42:1 ). The verb rendered “make to rest” has three meanings in the O.T. ( a ) to “cause to rest” ( Jeremiah 31:2 ) or “be at rest” (ch. Isaiah 34:14 ), ( b ) to “set in commotion” ( Jeremiah 50:34 , see on Isaiah 51:15 below), and ( c ) to “do a thing in the twinkling of an eye” ( Jeremiah 49:19 ). Of these ( a ) is alone possible in the present connexion, though hardly quite suitable; the sense “establish,” given by some critics, seems to have no sufficient support. By the LXX. the word is taken with Isaiah 51:5 , and in the sense ( c ), and this suggests the true reading, although it requires a slight modification of the following word. The construction would be the same as in Jeremiah 49:19 , and the rendering perhaps, “Suddenly I bring near my righteousness.” The word is at all events superfluous in Isaiah 51:4 , the last clause of which reads simply: and my judgement for a light of the peoples (cf. Isaiah 49:6 ). 4–6 . The universal extension of the true religion is the second ground of comfort which the prophet is commissioned to offer to his fellow believers.

The language of Isaiah 51:4-5 is obviously moulded on that of ch. Isaiah 42:1-4 ; the functions there assigned to the Servant of the Lord are here assumed by Jehovah Himself. At the same time the thought is implied that the restored Israel is to be the bearer of salvation to the world at large, and thus the further idea is suggested that the ideal represented by the Servant will be realised by the people of Israel when it emerges purified from the discipline of the Captivity.

Verse 4. - Hearken unto me ; rather, attend to me - a stronger term than "hearken" - attend, and hear of a greater blessing than the restoration of the land of Judah to cultivation and fruitfulness. God, enthroned anew in Zion, will from thence send forth his light and his truth to the nations, will make his Law known to them, and allow them to partake of his salvation. O my nation . Some manuscripts have "O ye nations." But the reading is undoubtedly a wrong one. A law shall proceed from me . The Christian "law" - the new covenant - is probably intended. This became, by the preaching of the apostles, a light of the people, or rather, of the peoples. Isaiah 51:4

Hearken unto me, my people - Lowth reads this; Attend unto me, O ye people, And give ear unto me, O ye nations. The reason why he proposes this change is, that he supposes the address here is made to the Gentiles and not to the Jews, and in favor of the change he observes, that two manuscripts read it in this manner. Gesenius (Commentary) says that three codices read עמים ‛ammiym ("peoples"), instead of עמי ‛amiy ("my people"); and that thirteen MSS. read לאוּמים le'ûmiym ("nations"), instead of לאוּמי leûmiy ("my nation"). Noyes also has adopted this reading. But the authority is too slight to justify a change in the text. The Vulgate reads it in accordance with the present Hebrew text, and so substantially do the Septuagint. They render it, 'Hear me, hear me, my people, and ye kings, give ear unto me.' It is not necessary to suppose any change in the text. The address is to the Jews; and the design is, to comfort them in view of the fact that the pagan would be brought to partake of the privileges and blessings of the true religion. They would not only be restored to their own land, but the true religion would be extended also to the distant nations of the earth. In view of this great and glorious truth, Yahweh calls on his people to hearken to him, and receive the glad announcement. It was a truth in which they were deeply interested, and to which they should therefore attend.

For a law shall proceed from me - The idea here is, that Yahweh would give law to the distant nations by the diffusion of the true religion. And I will make my judgment to rest for a light - The word 'judgment' here is equivalent to law, or statute, or to the institutions of the true religion. The word rendered here 'to rest' (ערגיע ‛aregiya‛ from רגע râga‛), Lowth renders, 'I will cause to break forth.' Noyes renders it, 'I will establish.' The Vulgate, Requiescet - 'Shall rest.' The Septuagint renders it simply, 'My judgment for a light of the nation.' The word properly means 'to make afraid,' to terrify, to restrain by threats; rendered 'divideth' in Job 26:12; Isaiah 51:15; then, to be afraid, to shrink from fear, and hence, to be still, or quiet, as if cowering down from fear. Here it means that he would set firmly his law; he would place it so that it would be established and immovable.