Isaiah 52
1Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city, for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you. 2Shake yourself from the dust! Arise, sit up, Jerusalem! Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion! 3For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing; and you will be redeemed without money.” 4For the Lord Yahweh says: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there; and the Assyrian has oppressed them without cause. 5“Now therefore, what do I do here,” says Yahweh, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them mock,” says Yahweh, “and my name is blasphemed continually all day long. 6Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he who speaks. Behold, it is I.” 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8Your watchmen lift up their voice. Together they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when Yahweh returns to Zion. 9Break out into joy! Sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for Yahweh has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10Yahweh has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 11Depart! Depart! Go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Go out from among her! Cleanse yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels. 12For you shall not go out in haste, neither shall you go by flight; for Yahweh will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. 13Behold, my servant will deal wisely. He will be exalted and lifted up, and will be very high. 14Just as many were astonished at you— his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men— 15so he will cleanse many nations. Kings will shut their mouths at him; for they will see that which had not been told them, and they will understand that which they had not heard.
Introduction
Isaiah 52
The greater part of this chapter is on the same subject with the chapter before, concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, which yet is applicable to the great salvation Christ has wrought out for us; but the last three verses are on the same subject with the following chapter, concerning the person of the Redeemer, his humiliation and exaltation. Observe, I. The encouragement that is given to the Jews in captivity to hope that God would deliver them in his own way and time (Isa 52:1-6). II. The great joy and rejoicing that shall be both with ministers and people upon that occasion (Isa 52:7-10). III. The call given to those that remained in captivity to shift for their own enlargement when liberty was proclaimed (Isa 52:11, Isa 52:12). IV. A short idea given here of the Messiah, which is enlarged upon in the next chapter (Isa 52:13-15).
Cross-references: Isa 52:1 · Isa 52:7 · Isa 52:11 · Isa 52:12 · Isa 52:13