Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 4. Shall be nursed at thy side "Shall be carried at the side."] For hnmat teamanah, shall be nursed, the Septuagint and Chaldee read hnant tinnasenah, shall be carried. A MS. has hnant Ptk l[ al catheph tinnasenah, "shall be carried on the shoulder; " instead of hnmat dx l[ al tsad teamanah, "shall be nursed on the side. " Another MS. has both Ptk catheph and dx tsad. Another MS. has it thus: hnmat : hnant tinnasenah: teamanah, with a line drawn over the first word. Sir John Chardin says that it is the general custom in the east to carry their children astride upon the hip with the arm round their body. His MS. note on this place is as follows:- Coutume en Orient de porter les enfans sur le coste a; califourchon sur la hanche: cette facon est generale aux Indes; les enfans se tiennent comme cela, et la personne qui les porte les embrasse et serre par le corps; parceque sont (ni) emmaillottes, ni en robes qui les embrassent. "In the east it is the custom to carry the children on the haunch, with the legs astride. This is the general custom in India. The children support themselves in this way, and the arm of the nurse goes round the body and presses the child close to the side; and this they can easily do, as the children are not swathed, nor encumbered with clothes. " Non brachiis occidentalium more, sed humeris, divaricatis tibiis, impositos circumferunt. "They carry them about, not in their arms after the manner of the western nations, but on their shoulders; the children being placed astride. " Cotovic. Iter. Syr. cap. xiv. This last quotation seems to favour the reading Ptk l[ by al catheph, on the shoulder, as the Septuagint likewise do: but upon the whole I think that hnant dx l[ al tsad tinnasenah is the true reading, which the Chaldee favours; and I have accordingly followed it. See chap. lxvi. 12. - L. This mode of carrying children is as common in India as carrying them in the arms is in Europe.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Reproofs of sin and wickedness. (Is. 59:1-8) Confession of sin, an lamentation for the consequences. (Is. 59:9-15) Promises of deliverance. (Is. 59:16-21)
Is. 59:1-8 If our prayers are not answered, and the salvation we wai for is not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearin prayer, but because we are weary of praying. See here sin in tru colours, exceedingly sinful; and see sin in its consequences exceedingly hurtful, separating from God, and so separating us, no only from all good, but to all evil. Yet numbers feed, to their ow destruction, on infidel and wicked systems. Nor can their skill of craft, in devising schemes, as the spider weaves its web, deliver of save them. No schemes of self-wrought salvation shall avail those wh despise the Redeemer's robe of righteousness. Every man who is destitute of the Spirit of Christ, runs swiftly to evil of some sort but those regardless of Divine truth and justice, are strangers to peace.
Is. 59:9-15 If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to ou peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are wors than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring publi judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur unde calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ an his gospel.
Is. 59:16-21 This passage is connected with the following chapters. It is generally thought to describe the coming of the Messiah, as the Avenger and Deliverer of his church. There was none to intercede with God to turn away his wrath; none to interpose for the support of justice and truth. Yet He engaged his own strength and righteousnes for his people. God will make his justice upon the enemies of his church and people plainly appear. When the enemy threatens to bear dow all without control, then the Spirit of the Lord shall stop him, pu him to flight. He that has delivered, will still deliver. A far mor glorious salvation is promised to be wrought out by the Messiah in the fulness of time, which all the prophets had in view. The Son of God shall come to us to be our Redeemer; the Spirit of God shall come to be our Sanctifier: thus the Comforter shall abide with the church for ever, John 14:16. The word of Christ will always continue in the mouth of the faithful; and whatever is pretended to be the mind of the Spirit, must be tried by the Scriptures. We must lament the progress of infidelity and impiety. But the cause of the Redeemer shall gain complete victory even on earth, and the believer will be more tha conqueror when the Lord receives him to his glory in heaven _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew שׂאי5375 סביב5439 עיניך5869 וראי7200 כלם3605 נקבצו6908 באו935 לך בניך1121 מרחוק7350 יבאו935 ובנתיך1323 על5921 צד6654 תאמנה׃539
