In the beginning of this chapter, Isaiah acts as a minister of the law, exhorting the people to the righteousness of the law, so that through the law, as through a disciplinarian, they may be prepared for the future kingdom of Christ. In the rest of the chapter, he comforts those who had come from the Gentiles in his time that they should not consider themselves aliens from God's people, and promises them that even though they were not of the seed of Abraham, God would still accept their sacrifice and call them more.
V. 1. Keep the law and do justice.
2 These are words of the law. He says: Be devout in this discipline of the law and
righteous until Christ comes. But herewith he touches the two pieces of righteousness, that they should both preserve the innocent and condemn the guilty.
For my salvation is near.
3. he promises the future of Christ. But one must notice that he distinguishes his righteousness and salvation from the legal righteousness and salvation. For there is an emphasis in the pronoun "my." For the righteousness of the law is a childish and servile righteousness, by which we learn to hunger after the righteousness of GOD. Thus he connects faith and fear. For this is why he promises the righteousness of God, so that he may bring the people
750 xxm, N9-I8I. Interpretations about the prophets. W. vi. nss-iM. 751
from reliance on works, and at the same time keeps them in the righteousness of the law, so that they will not be made worse by licentiousness.
V. 2: That he keep the Sabbath.
On the Sabbath day they refrained from work for the sake of worship. Therefore, under the name "Sabbath" he understands all that which we owe to God, that is, the first table of the Ten Commandments. Again, when he says: "And hold his hand, that he do no evil," he includes all the works of love, that is, the other table.
V. 3: And the stranger who has gone to the Lord shall not say.
This is the most important passage in this chapter. For they that were converted from the Gentiles doubted, and thought that their labour in the religion of the Jews was vain, because they had no promises, and were not of the seed of Abraham. These thoughts of their timidity are beautifully indicated by the prophet: Who knows whether I please God? "The LORD will separate me from his people" 2c. For this speech is the speech of such a conscience that feels sin, death and condemnation. Therefore the Holy Spirit comes before them and says: You are not separated; believe that you are united with this people 2c.
6. the little word "not" should be written with golden letters, and we should imprint it deeply in our hearts, who doubt God's grace. For such thoughts of despair are not God's, but Satan's thoughts. But the one who can grasp this "not" in his heart at the time of temptation is blessed.
And the blender shall not say.
(7) This may be understood by those who were cut in the letter, or by a secret interpretation that it means proselytes, who were barren among the people. For this was a curse of the law, if someone left no seed.
Behold, I am a barren tree.
(8) Though I do many things in this religion, yet my conscience tells me that I am a dry tree prepared for the fire.
V. 4. and firmly grasp my covenant.
9 Namely, the promised Christ.
V. 5. 6. and a better name.
010 Such sons as these, though they be not of the seed of Abraham in the flesh, yet will I prefer them unto the unbelieving Jews, which are of the people. As if he wanted to say: I would rather have a believing servant than an unbelieving son, according to the saying [Deut. 32, 21]: "I will provoke them on that which is not a people" 2c.
The foolish papists have misused this passage to praise chastity. But not only widows and virgins are chaste, but also married couples have their chastity, and that the very purest. And as for righteousness or merit, neither are husbands preferable to virgins, nor virgins to husbands. For the states of human life are praiseworthy, but righteousness is in Christ alone, not in the species of life. Secondly, the prophet is not speaking of the praise of virginity, but is comforting the barren of the blessed that they should not despair of their profession, and he is speaking expressly of those blessed who keep the Sabbath and hold fast the divine covenant. Therefore, he is not speaking of the praise of the circumcised or of virginity; but of the praise of those who keep the commandments. Cornelius, in the Acts of the Apostles, was better than many Jews; but it does not follow that he was better than others because he was a man of war. So one must judge also from this place. For the status does not make us Gods pleasant, because it belongs to the worldly regiment and is an external thing, but the observation of the divine commandments.
V. 7. These I will bring to my holy mountain.
(12) The Gentiles who have come shall also have a part in this religion and promise, and because they believe my promises, therefore their sacrifices shall be acceptable to me.
For my house is called a house of prayer to all peoples.
13. this is the reason why those who are cut off and those who are converted from the Gentiles have given him
because this service is not given to the Jews alone and they are not God's people alone, but because it is a house of prayer for all nations [1 Kings 8:43, Matth. 21:13]. So also before the birth of Christ it had to be fulfilled what was promised to Abraham, that he should be a father of many nations [Gen. 17, 4].
V. 8. 9. All the beasts of the field, come and eat.
14 Hitherto he comforted the desponding and godly hearts; now he turns to the other part of the people, to the proud and defiant, who thought they were so gathered that they could not be scattered, because they were of the seed of Abraham. These he scares with threats that they will be devastated by the Assyrians and other neighboring nations. For it is a prophecy of the calamity to come.
15 He calls the Assyrians and Persians "animals.
V. 10. ii. All their watchmen are blind.
The cause of the future calamity is that the law and the word have been lost. Even the princes of the people, he says, and the teachers, who should teach others, do not do their office, they are "dumb" and yet "strong dogs", they only serve their belly, otherwise they do nothing. This is a beautiful description of the false prophets, that they know nothing and are dumb dogs, that they are lazy, stingy, and given to indulgence. Such people are nowadays the pillars on which the papacy rests; therefore it is no wonder that it is so beautifully defended.
Each one looks to his own way.
(17) This may be understood of the outward vices. But I like it more to be taken from the apparent ways in which the hypocrites walk. Thus a Franciscan follows the rule of Franciscus; he is not concerned about the Ten Commandments and the teaching of the Gospel, as if it were a common thing that belonged only to the rabble.
V. 12. Come, let us get some wine.
18 These words are spoken in imitation. As if he wanted to say: You search with
Their teachings and life are nothing other than that they may be fat bellies and live gloriously. For I do not think that one must look for a secret interpretation here. We see this also in our papists, who live in the greatest indulgence and the highest licentiousness. Some years ago it was a disgrace to keep a whore at home; nowadays they take even the wives by force without any shame. Thus it has gradually happened that, having fallen from godliness, they have fallen into hypocrisy; then from hypocrisy they have fallen into avarice, and from avarice into licentiousness, so that nowadays neither their teaching nor their life is to be praised.
Cap. 57, 1. But the righteous perishes.
19. Those lazy bellies, he says, pay no attention to the righteous; but the. The righteous have a gracious God who will give them peace and a pleasant rest from calamity.
20) "Before the calamity", that is, before God destroys the wicked by an extraordinary calamity, as He says to King Josiah [2 Kings 22:20]: You will be taken away, so that your eyes will not see all the calamities 2c. Thus the apostles and the rest of the saints were snatched from the destruction that came upon Jerusalem, but the ungodly multitude was gathered into one heap and suffered the punishment. It will be the same for us. There are still some godly people living everywhere, for whose sake God is postponing the punishment. But when these will be gone, the fall of Germany will follow.
Before the misfortune (A facie malitiae).
(21) It will be clearer if it is translated thus: Before the calamity comes, the righteous will be taken away and will come to peace and rest in their chambers, because they have walked rightly. Now this is a glorious saying, which comforts us that after death we shall rest securely in peace, since we shall feel no adversity. But how or where this will happen is not for us to know. For it is enough to know only this, that it will be a peaceful rest.