Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, The question is whether they will believe the good news and act on the command. Then the sentinels burst out in song to celebrate the good news. Isaiah comes from the Hebrew phrase "yesha'yahu," meaning "God saves." It was the name of an Old Testament prophet, whose words are preserved in the biblical Book of Isaiah. to this victory celebration in which comfort is clearly defined as Gods own coming, Gods engagement with Gods people, the text pulls us all out of ourselves and into song. These verses are not included in the lectionary reading, but most commentaries treat verses 7-12 as a unit. Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural, Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular, To be fresh, full, cheerful), to announce, Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular, Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace, Something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular, Zion -- a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for Jerusalem, Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular, gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative, Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular, To reign, inceptively, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty, to take counsel, Christ persuades the church to believe his free redemption, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are (Isa Isi Is). What is your job. . So it is here. This is the good news. First, it is the image of a messenger that travels by foot over mountain passes to bring good news to a beleaguered people regarding a victory over the enemy the fastest means to spread news in that world. Where God reigns, salvation reigns. It is a variation of Theodora and it has a cute nickname Feo, pronounced as Fee-oh. For henceforth there will no more come to you The uncircumcised and the unclean. Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! When Darius found a copy of Cyrus decree, he then lent his full support, including funds, to allow the rebuilding of the temple, and the former exiles completed the rebuilding (Ezra 6). What does it mean to set your face like flint in Isaiah 50:7. And what they had not heard they shall consider. They are to purify themselves so that they will be fit for the task aheadthe task of carrying the temple vessels from Babylonia to Jerusalem. How beautiful upon the mountains The message is described in three ways: It is good news (mebasser)and it is an announcement of salvationand it is the assurance that Yahweh reigns. The battlefield is not just any confrontation between two armies but the field of history itself in which God is triumphant, for it is not only Jerusalem that is redeemed but also all the nations. Though the "servant" in Isaiah 53 is not openly identified - these verses merely refer to "My servant" (52:13, 53:11) - the "servant" in each of the previous Servant Songs is plainly and repeatedly identified as the . God allows his people to experience difficulty not only as punishment for their sins, but as a normal part of a life of discipleship. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. God didn't hand them over for a payday), it will be redeemed without money (says God). b. What do the individual words in Isaiah 52:7 mean? In this case they sing the news of victory for all to hear. b. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him: Though all will be astonished at His appearance, they will have nothing to say against Him. For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. It is in the midst of death that a song arises, rejoicing in a promise. Make them wail, says the LORD, It is a poetic hyperbole used to express the terrible effect of the beating He endured. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Isaiah 53 is the fourth of the four "Servant Songs." (The others are found in Isaiah chapters 42, 49 and 50.) a. He has laid the responsibility for the captivity squarely at the feet of the captives. 8The voice of your watchmen! Proud member Isaiah: End Times and Messiah in Judaism by Israel Rosenberg. The first people to see the messenger would be the watchmen or sentinels looking out over the surrounding countryside. The same is true for us. Peace, happiness, and salvation (Isaiah 52:7) God reigns (7), God returns to Zion (verse 8), God has comforted His people and redeemed Jerusalem (verse 9), God has made bare His holy arm for all the nations of the Earth to see the salvation provided by God (verse 10) d. In the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God: God does not make His saving strength known just for those who are immediately rescued. ASV: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! All rights reserved. 153. In the body of the song (53:1-9), Isaiah confessed (on behalf of his own people) that (1) Israel utterly rejected the Servant of the Lord in his life (vv. They hear and are glad because the Lord who reigns is the Lord who comes to deliver from oppression and from the wicked. However, the returned exiles appealed to King Darius, the successor to Cambyses II, the son of King Cyrus. Song of Solomon 2:8 The voice of my beloved! But God promises there will come a day when they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks. Be clean, c. You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money: Tragically, Jerusalem went after other gods like someone selling themselves for nothing. Verse Isaiah 52:7. Feodora . With Yahweh to defend them, they can feel safe at last from all enemies and dangers. Gods action is not some private act or simply some spiritual event, for the people will return home as part of a visibly socio-political event and the ruins of Jerusalem shall be reconstructed. Those who rule over them The good news that is announced, the peace and salvation given to all reaches beyond all the limits we may wish to place on it. The voice of your watchmen! Awake, awake! With their voices they shall sing together; As the returning captives see (verse 8), so that sight is now available to all peoples. The First Readings: The Old Testament and Acts (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001), Kaiser, Otto, The Old Testament Library: Isaiah, (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1983), Muilenburg, James (Introduction and Exegesis of Isaiah 40-66); and Coffin, Henry Sloane (Exposition of Isaiah 40-66), The Interpreters Bible: Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Vol. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. Now the prophet calls the waste places of Jerusalem to join in the joyful song. they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Yahweh returns(Hebrew: sub) to Zion. The lesson to be learned here is that we should be slow to interpret difficulty as a sign of Gods displeasure. you who bear the vessels of Yahweh (v. 11b). NRSV John 15 Jesus the True Vine 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ), which the WEB has updated. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Psalm 97, one of the psalms appointed for Christmas Day, also echoes this theme in song. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Even before the messenger arrives they recognize the news and sing it out! People of faith often talk about what they call a leap of faith. That language alludes to the difficulty involved in acting on faith rather than having some sort of guarantee or sure thing. Just as God called Abram to leave his home and go to a land that God would show him, so also God calls us to act by stepping onto the road with the faith that God will reveal our destination in due time. Not only is a messenger coming to announce a victory from the battlefield, but Gods self is coming in triumph. And all the ends of the earth shall see Christmas candles and wintertime in North America compel Johns description of Jesus as Light shining in the darkness to jump off the page and into the preachers mouth. Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. But Yahweh has not abandoned the exiles but is instead planning their redemption. KJV, 1769 Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Bible > Isaiah > Chapter 52 > Verse 7 eBibles Free Downloads Audio Isaiah 52:7 Context Crossref Comm Hebrew Verse (Click for Chapter) The victory is peace but a peace that is more than simply an end to war. Therefore My people shall know My name: Yet God will glorify Himself; first, He will do it among His own people. Shake yourself from the dust, arise, Sit down, O Jerusalem, Loose yourself from your neck bands, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! It is important to be free from outside forces that imprison us, but it is even more important to be free from the forces within that prevent us from achieving freedom. (c) 2021 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Here, the promise is that the work of the Messiah will bring cleansing to many nations. Their lives have been ruined by the Babylonians, but now they can rejoice and break forth in singing because Yahweh has made possible their restoration. He is the bridegroom and we are His bride. Additionally, Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-5 and plainly says it is a prophecy fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 12:16-21). In this earlier instance, we might think of the ruins of the city as a metaphor for the people of Jerusalem. Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. If the Suffering Servant was about someone who already lived and died prior to Jesus, that would seem to imply that at least Israel already had a restored relationship with God. Let those weary and heavy laden under the burden of sin, find relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears, and loose themselves from those bands. The ruins of the city are invited, ironically, to break forth in singing (52:9). All people, all creation is pulled into this salvific act. It is almost as if God said, I can abide with My name being blasphemed continually every day among the nations. Where God reigns, glad tidings reign. The salvation that Yahweh offers is not limited to Israel or Judah, but involves the ends of the earth. Later, we will see the early church struggling over the proper role of Gentiles in the church. 2. In the Bible, it is often used to speak of Jerusalem itself. How good is the news! When they spoke against Him before, it was in blindness, but now what had not been told them they shall see. He doesnt assure us of comfort, but of victory. Brueggemann, Walter, Westminster Bible Companion: Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), Hanson, Paul D., Interpretation Commentary: Isaiah 40-66, (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1995), Holladay, William, Unbound by Time: Isaiah Still Speaks (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cowley Publications, 2002), Hoppe, Leslie J., in Van Harn, Roger (ed. halcyon days! 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