Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. Thou meetest him that rejotceth and worketh righteousness "Thou meetest with joy those who work righteousness"] The Syriac reads y[b hta [gwp poga attah shesh baashi, as above.
In those is continuance, and we shall be saved "Because of our deeds, for we have been rebellious"] [wnw ”lw[ ”hb bahem olam venivvashea.
I am fully persuaded that these words as they stand in the present Hebrew text are utterly unintelligible; there is no doubt of the meaning of each word separately; but put together they make no sense at all. I conclude, therefore, that the copy has suffered by mistakes of transcribers in this place. The corruption is of long standing, for the ancient interpreters were as much at a loss for the meaning as the moderns, and give nothing satisfactory. The Septuagint render these words by dia touta eplanhqhmen, therefore we have erred: they seem to have read [pn ”hyl[ aleyhem niphsha, without helping the sense. In this difficulty what remains but to have recourse to conjecture? Archbishop Secker was dissatisfied with the present reading: he proposed [wnw wnyl[ fbh hebet aleynu venivvashea; "look upon us, and we shall, or that we may, be saved: " which gives a very good sense, but seems to have no sufficient foundation. Besides, the word [wnw venivvashea, which is attended with great difficulties, seems to be corrupted as well as the two preceding; and the true reading of it is, I think, given by the Septuagint, [pnw veniphsha, eplanhqhmen, we have erred, (so they render the verb [p pasha, chap. xlvi. 8, and Ezek. xxiii. 12,) parallel to afjnw vannecheta, hmartomen, we have sinned. For ”lw[ ”hb bahem olam, which means nothing, I would propose wnyll[mh hammaaleleynu, "because of our deeds; which I presume was first altered to ”hyll[mb bemaaleleyhem, an easy and common mistake of the third person plural of the pronoun for the first, (see note on chap. xxxiii. 2,) and then with some farther alteration to ”lw[ ”hb behem olam. The ”hyl[ aleyhem, which the Septuagint probably found in their copy, seems to be a remnant of ”hyll[mb bemaaleleyhem.
This, it may be said, is imposing your sense upon the prophet. It may be so; for perhaps these may not be the very words of the prophet: but however it is better than to impose upon him what makes no sense at all; as they generally do, who pretend to render such corrupted passages. For instance, our own translators: "in those is continuance, and we shall be saved: " in those in whom, or what? There is no antecedent to the relative.
"In the ways of God, "say some: "with our fathers, "says Vitringa, joining it in construction with the verb, tp[q katsaphta, "thou hast been angry with them, our fathers; " and putting afjnw vannecheta, "for we have sinned, "in a parenthesis. But there has not been any mention of our fathers: and the whole sentence, thus disposed, is utterly discordant from the Hebrew idiom and construction. In those is continuance; ”lw[ olam means a destined but hidden and unknown portion of time; but cannot mean continuation of time, or continuance, as it is here rendered. Such forced interpretations are equally conjectural with the boldest critical emendation; and generally have this farther disadvantage, that they are altogether unworthy of the sacred writers. - L.
Coverdale renders the passage thus: - But lo, thou art angrie, for we offende, and have been ever in synne; and there is not one whole. This is, I am afraid, making a sense.
After all that this very learned prelate has done to reduce these words to sense and meaning, I am afraid we are still far from the prophet's mind.
Probably ”hb bahem, in them, refers to ûykrd deracheycha, thy ways, above. ”lw[ olam may be rendered of old, or during the whole of the Jewish economy; and [wnw venivvashea, "and shall we be saved?" Thus: - Thou art wroth, for we have sinned in them (thy ways) of old; and can we be saved? For we are all as an unclean thing, &c.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Christ's victory over his enemies. (Is. 63:1-6) His mercy toward his church. (Is. 63:7-14) The prayer of the church. (Is. 63:15-19)
Is. 63:1-6 The prophet, in vision, beholds the Messiah returning i triumph from the conquest of his enemies, of whom Edom was a type Travelling, not as wearied by the combat, but, in the greatness of his strength, prepared to overcome every opposing power. Messiah declare that he had been treading the wine-press of the wrath of God, Rev 14:19; 19:13, and by his own power, without any human help, he ha crushed his obstinate opposers, for the day of vengeance was determine on, being the appointed season for rescuing his church. Once, he appeared on earth in apparent weakness, to pour out his precious bloo as an atonement for our sins; but he will in due time appear in the greatness of his strength. The vintage ripens apace; the day of vengeance, fixed and determined on, approaches apace; let sinners see to be reconciled to their righteous Judge, ere he brings down their strength to the earth. Does Christ say, "I come quickly?" let ou hearts reply, "Even so, come; let the year of the redeemed come."
Is. 63:7-14 The latter part of this chapter, and the whole of the next seem to express the prayers of the Jews on their conversation. The acknowledge God's great mercies and favours to their nation. The confess their wickedness and hardness of heart; they entreat his forgiveness, and deplore the miserable condition under which they have so long suffered. The only-begotten Son of the Father became the Ange or Messenger of his love; thus he redeemed and bare them with tenderness. Yet they murmured, and resisted his Holy Spirit, despisin and persecuting his prophets, rejecting and crucifying the promise Messiah. All our comforts and hopes spring from the loving-kindness of the Lord, and all our miseries and fears from our sins. But he is the Saviour, and when sinners seek after him, who in other ages glorifie himself by saving and feeding his purchased flock, and leading the safely through dangers, and has given his Holy Spirit to prosper the labours of his ministers, there is good ground to hope they ar discovering the way of peace.
Is. 63:15-19 They beseech him to look down on the abject condition of their once-favoured nation. Would it not be glorious to his name to remove the veil from their hearts, to return to the tribes of his inheritance? The Babylonish captivity, and the after-deliverance of the Jews, were shadows of the events here foretold. The Lord looks dow upon us in tenderness and mercy. Spiritual judgments are more to be dreaded than any other calamities; and we should most carefully avoi those sins which justly provoke the Lord to leave men to themselves an to their deceiver. "Our Redeemer from everlasting" is thy name; the people have always looked upon thee as the God to whom they migh appeal. The Lord will hear the prayers of those who belong to him, an deliver them from those not called by his name _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew פגעת6293 את853 שׂשׂ7797 ועשׂה6213 צדק6664 בדרכיך1870 יזכרוך2142 הן2005 אתה859 קצפת7107 ונחטא2398 בהם עולם5769 ונושׁע׃3467
