Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 7. How beautiful] The watchmen discover afar off, on the mountains, the messenger bringing the expected and much- wished-for news of the deliverance from the Babylonish captivity. They immediately spread the joyful tidings, ver. 8, and with a loud voice proclaim that JEHOVAH is returning to Zion, to resume his residence on his holy mountain, which for some time he seemed to have deserted. This is the literal sense of the place.
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the joyful messenger, "is an expression highly poetical: for, how welcome is his arrival! how agreeable are the tidings which he brings! Nahum, chap. i. 15, who is generally supposed to have lived after Isaiah, has manifestly taken from him this very pleasing image; but the imitation does not equal the beauty of the original:- "Behold upon the mountain the feet of the joyful messenger, Of him that announceth peace! Celebrate, O Judah, thy festivals; perform thy vows: For no more shall pass through thee the wicked one; He is utterly cut off." But it must at the same time be observed that Isaiah's subject is infinitely more interesting and more sublime than that of Nahum; the latter denounces the destruction of the capital of the Assyrian empire, the most formidable enemy of Judah; the ideas of the former are in their full extent evangelical; and accordingly St. Paul has, with the utmost propriety, applied this passage to the preaching of the Gospel, Rom. x. 15. The joyful tidings here to be proclaimed, "Thy God, O Zion, reigneth, "are the same that John the Baptist, the messenger of Christ, and Christ himself, published: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." From the use made of this by our Lord and the apostles, we may rest assured that the preachers of the Gospel are particularly intended.
Mountains are put for the whole land of Judea, where the Gospel was first preached. There seems to be an allusion to a battle fought, and the messengers coming to announce the victory, which was so decisive that a peace was the consequence, and the king's throne established in the land.
There appear to have been two sorts of messengers among the Jews: one sort always employed to bring evil tidings; the other to bring good. The names also and persons of these different messengers appear to have been well known; so that at a distance they could tell, from seeing the messenger, what sort of tidings he was bringing. See a case in point, 2 Sam. xviii. 19-27. Ahimaaz and Cushi running to bring tidings of the defeat of Absalom and his rebel army. Ahimaaz is a GOOD man and bringeth GOOD tidings.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Exhortations to trust the Messiah. (Is. 51:1-3) The power of God, an the weakness of man. (Is. 51:4-8) Christ defends his people. (Is 51:9-16) Their afflictions and deliverances. (Is. 51:17-23)
Is. 51:1-3 It is good for those privileged by the new birth, to consider that they were shapen in sin. This should cause low thought of ourselves, and high thoughts of Divine grace. It is the greates comfort to be made serviceable to the glory of God. The more holines men have, and the more good they do, the more gladness they have. Le us seriously reflect upon our guilt. To do so will tend to keep the heart humble, and the conscience awake and tender. They make Chris more precious to the soul, and give strength to our attempts an prayers for others.
Is. 51:4-8 The gospel of Christ shall be preached and published. Ho shall we escape if we neglect it? There is no salvation withou righteousness. The soul shall, as to this world, vanish like smoke, an 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
Is. 51:9-16 The people whom Christ has redeemed with his blood, as wel as by his power, will obtain joyful deliverance from every enemy. He that designs such joy for us at last, will he not work such deliveranc in the mean time, as our cases require? In this world of changes, it is a short step from joy to sorrow, but in that world, sorrow shall neve come in view. They prayed for the display of God's power; he answer them with consolations of his grace. Did we dread to sin against God we should not fear the frowns of men. Happy is the man that fears God always. And Christ's church shall enjoy security by the power an providence of the Almighty.
Is. 51:17-23 God calls upon his people to mind the things that belon 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 kee possesion of their own souls, nor any confidence in God's promise, by which to keep possession of its comfort. Thou art drunken, not a formerly, with the intoxicating cup of Babylon's idolatries, but with the cup of affliction. Know, then, the cause of God's people may for time seem as lost, but God will protect it, by convincing the conscience, or confounding the projects, of those that strive agains it. The oppressors required souls to be subjected to them, that ever man should believe and worship as they would have them. But all the could gain by violence was, that people were brought to outwar hypocritical conformity, for consciences cannot be forced _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew מה4100 נאוו4998 על5921 ההרים2022 רגלי7272 מבשׂר1319 משׁמיע8085 שׁלום7965 מבשׂר1319 טוב2896 משׁמיע8085 ישׁועה3444 אמר559 לציון6726 מלך4427 אלהיך׃430
